3 of the Best Solar Security Lights
Fulcrum LED Solar Porch Light
First, there’s the Fulcrum Motion Sensor LED Porch Light
The motion sensor can detect movement with a 25-foot range and stays on until no motion has been detected for more than 30 seconds. Each Fulcrum lighting unit is self-contained – no need for wiring – and the whole unit can be angled round by 100 degrees to shine into otherwise difficult to light parts of the garden or yard. Mounting the unit is no more complicated than two screws.
Dorcy LED Solar Security Light
– in many way it’s similar to the Fulcrum but a little more sophisticated.The main difference is that the light unit comes with a four-way swivel allowing it to shine into deeper, darker corners around the outside of your home. The beam is brighter too, with a range of 350ft. There are actually two levels of brightness available so you can prolong battery life. The manufacturers say the Dorcy should run for a year without needing a change of batteries.
Like the Fulcrum, the Dorcy is simple to attach and you can set the motion sensor to switch off the security light after 30 seconds or two minutes.
Maxsa Innovations Solar Panel Light Kit
– another motion activated security light, the Maxsa unit has two swiveling lights that give excellent lighting over a very wide area.The motion sensor on this solar security light is another notch up the sophistication scale because you can adjust the reaction sensitivity to keep the light off if a passing squirrel wanders through your garden but activate the light if a vehicle pulls up.
Because the solar panel is separate and not built-in to the main light, installation is a little more involved but nothing too major and it does have the advantage that you can angle the solar panel exactly in the direction that works best, regardless of the direction the two lights are pointing.
Final Verdict: If you’re looking for the cheapest solar security light go for the Fulcrum Porch Ligh
Solar Powered Christmas Lights
Solar Powered Christmas Lights
Here’s a great way to make your house look inviting and festive – Solar Powered Multi Color Christmas Lights. This string of 60 multi-colored lights charge up during the day – even in Winter sun – and come on automatically at dusk.
Because they’re solar powered, you won’t need an extension cord to power them – very helpful if you have young children around. At $19.98 these Solar Powered Holiday Lights are fun to wrap round a tree, outside railings, etc..
There’s also a version with white lights instead of colored lights.
Choosing Outdoor Solar Patio Lights
Before buying outdoor solar patio lights, it’s worth thinking about why you’re installing them. Is it for functional / safety use or is it mainly as a decorative light, to give your patio more atmosphere?
If you’re looking usable outdoor lighting you’ll need brighter lights and to install them in the places around your patio and garden where you actually need light – near doors or places you’ll be eating or entertaining friends, for example.
If your solar lighting is more for mood and atmosphere you can get pretty creative with positioning. Try putting them in trees shining down into the patio / garden or along the edges of your patio / deck. It’s a good idea to experiment with where to put your solar lights – live with them for a couple of evenings before settling on a location.
Bear in mind that the only rule with placing outdoor solar lights is that it must be in a place where that gets at least a few hours of direct sunlight a day – otherwise they won’t be able to recharge enough for night use. Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget that.
If you really want to have evening light in a place that doesn’t get much sunlight during the day, consider buying an outdoor solar light kit that has a separate solar panel on a cable. That will allow you to place the panel in direct light while the solar lights themselves can be in a more shaded area.
Solar Motion Sensor Lights
Although solar motion sensor lights are more expensive than normal solar lights, they have a number of advantages. The main one is security.
The great thing about solar motion lights is they automatically switch on as soon as motion is detected – anyone trying to make their way into your garden or yard area uninvited will cause the lights to switch on.
Fortunately, motion sensitivity can be adjusted so that the lights don’t come on with every passing car or cat. The top brands of solar motion sensor lights can detect movement from 25 feet away and can use a regular electrical supply in the event of a run of cloudy days where a full solar charge isn’t available.
Solar String LED Lights To Brighten Up Your Garden
Solar Star LED Lights
They come with their own small solar panel that can be driven into the ground a little way from where you want to hang the outdoor lights. Then, after a day of solar charging, when the light fades they automatically turn themselves on.
Each solar star light string measures 23ft / 7m in length and you can even buy a double pack if you feel like going a little crazy. Each engery saving LED light will provide up to six hours of solar powered light per night. In winter, when a full solar charge might not be possible, regular rechargeable batteries can be used as a power supply for up to fifteen night without needing a recharge.
Get Romantic with Solar Lanterns
Solar Shoji Solar Lantern
If the phrase solar lantern has a Far East feel about it then no wonder – lanterns originate from Asia. Although many solar lanterns retain an Asian design theme, they’re also available in many other styles of design – including modern contemporary.
There’s a wide variety of shapes – round, elongated or teardrop – and the choice of colors is also pretty much endless. The Soji Solar Lantern pictured here glows with white and amber light.
Just find a good spot for your solar lantern, somewhere that gets a fair amount of sunlight in the day will be ideal, and wait for the romantic glowing light to appear after sunset. You’d be surprised how much more fun it is entertaining friends with the soft light of solar lanterns above you.
Portable Indoor Solar Lights That Go Anywhere
As solar lights & lighting become more commonplace, so product designers are getting more innovative in the way they design solar lights.
Take Lucet Lamps designed by Rui Palma. These small solar lamps are actually three LED lights grouped together with a couple of rubber suckers attached to the base. You can position them wherever you like on a window and they’ll recharge their two AA batteries during the day and give out free solar powered light in the evening.
Just one catch – at the moment these solar lights are a concept design only.
Seven Reasons To Love Solar Landscape Lights
There are lots of reasons to love the idea of putting solar landscape lights in your garden, yard or patio. But here are seven to get you thinking.
1 – Let’s start with the obvious: Solar power cuts your power bills.
2 – Solar landscape lights are 100% safe for the environment.
3 – Absolutely no wires. Most solar landscape light kits are made of self-contained units, so they can work independently of each other without needing to dig up your yard or garden to install connecting wires.
4 – You don’t need to be a solar lighting expert. If you can use a screwdriver, you can install solar landscape lights. In fact, some types don’t even use a screw mount – they just sit in place or have a clip connector.
5 – Great warranty and guarantees. Good brands come with lengthy product warranty and are built to last for years, no matter what the weather does.
6 – No maintenance required. Enough said.
7 – Brighter light than traditional landscape lights. Modern solar lighting uses LED bulbs to provide a more powerful, brighter light.
