10 of the best solar lights for outdoor ambience
Illuminate your garden with these solar lights.
Outdoor lighting is so much more than the safe illumination of your garden path or a useful glow to help you get your keys in the door. Stylish garden solar lights can create ambience and atmosphere and allow you to continue having fun in the garden long after dusk.
Solar lights are an environmentally friendly solution and they eliminate the need for wires and outdoor power sources. While you’re sunning yourself in your best deck chair during the day, their solar panels drink in the sunlight so they’re charged and ready to go as soon as the sun sets.
They're also much less likely to confuse garden wildlife and birds. Just be sure to turn off your solar lights before you go to bed, so they don't disorientate or disturb them and always ensure you keep some dark areas.
There are a range of stylish and practical solar garden lights to choose from so we’ve collated a selection of our favourite styles in the following list, so you can ensure your outdoor area is perfectly lit.
To make the most of your garden, read our guides to the best garden storage ideas and best garden furniture.
Planning late-night suppers with friends and family? Check out our test of the best charcoal BBQs, in collaboration with BBC Good Food.
10 of the best garden solar lights
Browse our pick of outdoor lighting below;
Outdoor LED Solar Cube Light
This model from homeware brand, Amara is a sophisticated take on solar lights, styled as a chic outdoor wall lantern. It has on and off switch and the warm white bulb should stay illuminated for six hours at a time. It comes with an additional battery and the frame is available in a choice of three neutral tones: black, taupe and grey.
Price: £30
Buy Outdoor LED Solar Cube Light at Amara
Solar Porcelain Filigree Table Light
This charming porcelain table-top lamp features a cut-out design to cast patterned light across any surface. A great centrepiece for a garden party it will run for eight hours so you can enjoy its display long into the evening. This wireless lamp charges throughout the day before switching on automatically at dusk and then turning off at dawn.
Price: £10.99
Buy Solar Porcelain Filigree Table Light at Waitrose
Outdoor Rope Ceiling Solar Light
Bring the indoors, outside with this rope ceiling light and create stylish ambience over a terrace, balcony or patio. Ideal for outdoor entertaining, the warm white bulb runs up to eight hours and is operated with an on and off switch. The weatherproof rope design is available in shades of grey or sand so you can choose depending which suits your colour palette best.
Price: £80
Buy Outdoor Rope Ceiling Light at Amara
Eva Solo SunLight
Bring atmosphere to your garden entertainment space with the Eva Solo light. The frosted glass casing creates an ambient glow and the lamp can either be stood on the ground or on a table or suspended from the attached ring. The lamp will run for up to 20 hours after a full sunlight charge but it can also be powered by a rechargeable battery. It comes in a choice of either small or large.
Price: £95
Buy Eva Solo SunLight at John Lewis
Extendable Vintage Style Bulb String Lights
These vintage string lights give off a warm, amber glow and would work well for a contemporary or industrial themed space. Each length is fitted with ten bulbs and you can connect multiple strips together to extend the effect as desired around your garden.
Price: £45
Buy Bulb String Lights at Cox and Cox
Indoor Outdoor Naked Wire Lights
For a subtle glow, these white lights are threaded on a narrow, clear wire that's almost invisible. They are suitable both indoors and outdoors but are perfect for winding around tree branches. These garden lights can be purchased in lengths of six or 12 metres to suit your needs..
Price: from £16.50
Buy Indoor Outdoor Naked Wire Lights at Cox and Cox
Solar-powered No. 1 LED floor lamp
This solar powered floor lamp has no need for plugs and is weather resistant and can withstand outdoor use. Its cone-shaped lamp and simple stand would look perfect alongside your best outdoor furniture such as lounge sets, so if you want to complete the look we’ve found some great outdoor seating ideas.
Price: £309.90
Buy Solar Floor Lamp at Lights.co.uk
Solar Lantern Outdoor Light
This metal outdoor lantern has an ornate design that allows light to dance through its filigree patterns. Powered by the sun, the light can last up to 10 hours on a full charge and an automatic sensor within the lamp will trigger the bulb on and off. It’s also weather resistant, so it’s ideal for outdoor use.
Price: £34.99
Buy Solar Lantern Outdoor Light at Amazon
Bedler Solar Garden Lights, Outdoor Stone
For something a little more natural, these solar lights are fashioned to pass as ordinary stones and should blend seamlessly into your garden landscape. Built-in sensors automatically turn the bulbs on at night and off again before morning. You can purchase these solar garden lights individually or as a set of six, making them ideal for illuminating garden paths or steps.
Price: £29.13
Buy Bedler Solar Garden Lights, Outdoor Stone at Amazon
Solar Powered Warm White LED Lights
These solar fairy lights come in a string of 50 warm coloured bulbs. Powered by sunlight they have a dusk sensor that switches them on automatically and a six hour timer that turns them off at dawn. The large surface solar panel powers the lights and will keep the tiny bulbs going for up to 60 days on a full charge.
Price: £11.99