Upgrade Your Backyard Landscape Pathway With Best Lights For Outdoor

By Corey Majeau

Corey Majeau Home Improvement Contributor

Corey Majeau is a researcher, product tester, and writer for many sites including Homedit. With ten years of experience as a content writer, graphic designer, and hands-on product tester. Corey brings a certain level of quality and personality to the team.

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| Published on Aug 10, 2020

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Siedinlar Solar Deck Lights Driveway Dock LED

DUUDO Solar Ground Light

Otdair Solar Ground Lights

Manassas Solar Powered LED Pathway Light Pack

Biling Solar Lights Outdoor

Solar Powered Pathway Light Pack

Bell + Howell Solar Powered LED Pathway Light

Upgrade Your Backyard Landscape Pathway With Best Lights For Outdoor

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Used by many as decorative light but being useful for so much more than that, pathway lights have found their way into many yards across the globe. Designed to replace the need for bright outdoor lighting fixtures, pathway lights can illuminate your way in the night and make the yard a safer space when you’re returning home late.

Benefits of Using Pathway Lights

When designing the outdoor area around their homes, many people forget to include pathway lights in the scenario. However, the story goes way beyond have a beautiful yard in the night, as pathway lights are as practical as they are decorative:

• Because they are available in multiple design options, pathway lights will easily blend into the existing decor provided you are not impatient as to buy the first model you see. You can easily find lights that match your existing decor because your yard can only be beautiful if there is a sense of consistency. When nature meets technology, people often frown upon the discrepancy between the styles, but pathway lights can blend in to showcase the beauty of your yard, not contradict it.
• Aside from their capacity to match different yard styles and look as natural as possible, pathway lights will provide a sense of safety and security. First of all, they are light sources, and every light source is welcome when having to walk through an otherwise dark environment. Whether you are concerned for your own safety or that of your guests leaving your house party late at night, pathway lights will literally illuminate people’s steps and prevent any accidents of the sots. Then, you have the security aspect. When you have pathway lights scattered along the way, it’s easier for you to see if there is anyone walking through the yard at night.
• Since they are designed to be placed outside and out of reach of any power outlet, pathway lights mostly use the power of the sun to give out light. Much like other types of outdoor solar lights, these fixtures have integrated solar panels that absorb sun rays and convert them into battery power. The batteries will store this “juice” and then later use it to light up the bulbs that are found inside the fixture. That means that you don’t need any wires, nor will you consume any electricity if you choose solar-powered pathway lights.
• As most models are designed to stay outside in the full sun, they are also made to withstand rain. That means that you won’t have to worry about water touching the lights, which would normally be a concern with regular light fixtures that are connected to your home’s electricity system.

Important Shopping Considerations about Pathway Lights

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of using pathway lights, it’s time to think about the other things that are important when making such a purchase.

First and foremost, there is the matter of light placement. While very practical, solar-powered pathway lights actually need a lot of sun exposure to provide you with light from nightfall to dawn. That means that you have to place them in really sunny spots and avoid shade as much as possible. This could be a problem if your pathway is mostly covered by shade and you want to place the lights close to it. Consider the amount of light these fixtures will get before you actually buy them.

Second, there is a matter of how far apart should these lights be placed. For home use, having lights installed about five to eight feet apart from one another should do the trick. However, this also depends on the brightness of the lights and the surrounding area it can actually cover when lit up. Since these lights are fairly easy to install, you can test out different placements and then easily move the lights as you see fit. Don’t worry if there’s an overlap; it’s better than having dark spots.

Those of you that want to place the lights into the ground will need to make sure that they come with the spikes required to do so. In fact, you should always check and see if the lights have the needed hardware for you to install them where you want to have them. For examples, those that are designed to be mounted on deck should come with the appropriate screws for fixing them into the wooden boards.

If you want to place multiple pathway lights, it’s always more convenient to buy them in packs. You can easily find sets of two, four, six, eight, etc. light, which ultimately leads to a lower price per product and will end up saving you money.

Top 7 Best Pathway Lights

1. Bell + Howell Solar Powered LED Pathway Light (Set of 4)

Our first product on the list is a set of 4 pathway disk lights that look absolutely stunning because, when used correctly, they can easily blend into the existing setup. These solar pathway lights use the power of the sun that’s absorbed by small panels in the center of the light and then convert it into juice for the integrated LEDs.

They are designed with a light sensor so they will automatically turn on in the evening and turn off as the sun rises. As a pack of 4, these are very convenient in terms of price. They can withstand direct water exposure and are designed to be stuck into the ground in a matter of seconds.

2. Solar Powered Pathway Light Pack (Set of 2)

If you love to buy pathway lights in packs, here is yet another set of two lights at what some might consider being a spicy price. The square-shaped lights are designed with solar panels in the middle, while the lights are located on the edges of the fixtures. They are weather-proof and resistant to nature’s elements.

Much like the other set we’ve looked at before, these products are also equipped with light sensors, which guarantee less human intervention. They are powered by LED bulbs and promise to provide up to 8 hours of runtime on a full charge. This will, of course, depend on the amount of solar charge the lights can get each day. Furthermore, the lights are equipped with motion sensors and have a resistant stainless steel construction.

3. Biling Solar Lights Outdoor

Disk lights are one of many popular types of pathway lighting systems, and these ones by Biling look adorable. They are designed with a central solar panel that’s surrounded by 8 LED bulbs. At the back of each light, you can notice a black spike that’s made from reinforced plastic, which is designed to be stuck into the ground, close to your pathways and driveways.

They have a waterproof construction, which is a mandatory feature in devices designed for outdoor use. The manufacturer promises up to 10 hours of runtime on a single charge, but we are a little bit skeptical of this promise and suspect that you only get around 6 (maybe 8) hours of light. The lights are equipped with a light sensor but they can also be turned off manually by using the switch located on each light. The pack includes 4 disk lights.

4. Manassas Solar Powered LED Pathway Light Pack

When it comes to pathway lights, these products have to meet two requirements: be wireless and waterproof. Wireless means that they should have solar-charging capabilities, while the waterproof rating ensures that these won’t go berserk after the first rain. The Manassas disk lights meet both of these requirements, but also have a bunch of other cool features to show off.

As a pack of 6 lights, these are very convenient in terms of price, being a regular steal for people looking for a bargain. They have an in-ground design that levels the lights with your lawn so nobody will trip over them. They are equipped with LED bulbs and promise a runtime between 6 and 8 hours, depending on daily sunlight exposure. They are equipped with a light sensor and are made from a combination of steel and plastic materials.

5. Otdair Solar Ground Lights

Those of you that want many lights across the pathway are going to fall for this pack of 12 disk lights. In terms of design and construction, these lights are very similar to the Biling solar lights we spoke about earlier. They are equipped with a solar panel on the top of the light, and then surrounded by 8 LED bulbs.

There is a switch located under the cover that allows you to activate the lights. This is a one-time operation, as the lighting sensor will make sure the lights turn on automatically at dusk and then turn themselves off at dawn. Made from a combination of reinforced plastic and stainless steel, the casing of the lights is waterproof. Each light comes with an integrated 600 mAh battery that promises to give you up to 10 hours of runtime on a full charge. While we think that this claim is a little sketchy, the lights are overall good considering the low price.

6. DUUDO Solar Ground Light

The DUUDO (yes, we know how the name sounds) lights are yet another example of affordable and efficient disk lights designed to illuminate the pathway at night. This is a set of eight lights that emit a cold white shine thanks to the 10 LED bulbs found in each of the units. Being IP65 waterproof rated, the lights are designed to withstand rain. They are made with rust-resistant stainless steel, which is also an important feature to discover in this particular type of product.

While they can be installed in multiple places, they do come with spikes that allow you to stick them into the ground. They are equipped with light sensors (which are also referred to as “dusk until dawn” sensors), which means the lights detect poor outdoor lighting conditions and activate the bulbs accordingly. When powerful outdoor light makes its presence noticed once again, the lights will automatically turn off.

7. Siedinlar Solar Deck Lights Driveway

The last item on the list is another set of pathway lights in a round shape but with different details compared to other disk lights we’ve explored today. The round fixtures have the solar panel placed on top, while the lights are located on the top and the edges. They are made from aluminum alloy and have an IP68 waterproof rating.

They are equipped with a switch that needs to be turned on before the lights are installed. The lighting sensor is present in these units as well, ensuring automatic operation with no human intervention required. The battery of the lights can be replaced when needed (the manufacturer recommends switching the batteries every 12 months). The lights are designed to be installed directly on the ground, but they are mostly made for concrete pavements, desks, steps, or docks.

Bottom Line

Pathway lights can be both practical and decorative. First and foremost, they provide you with a sense of safety and security because they light up the way in the dark and allow you to spot potential yard intruders at night. Then, they are also used to showcase the beauty of your garden, and even if they are designed to be placed next to driveways and pathways, plenty of people use them close to their trees, flowers, or shrubs, to highlight points of interest in the yard that are simply too gorgeous to be overlooked even during the night.