Every garden deserves a focal point and with well-placed lighting, you can accentuate parts of your garden to give it more character and ambiance, while also marking out paths and boundaries. Garden lights are a great option to extend your outdoors hours well past sunset — they come in a range of styles and sizes, and can also provide soft, ambient illumination for a late-night glass of wine or enough bright light to have a party.
A set of these decorative garden lights will have you spending more time outside, whether during outdoor dinner parties or for post-dinner cocktails under the stars. To put it simply: garden lights are a great way to create ambiance as well as add style and charm to your outdoor area, no matter the occasion.
With a flick of a switch (or button), and also armed with the best garden lights on the market in this guide, you can transform your garden from a boring outside area to a stylish entertaining space.
For best results, use a combination of different garden lights to highlight texture, depth, and drama in walls, fences, steps, patio edges, foliage, trees, and water. Read on for more garden lighting ideas to help you illuminate your outdoor space in style.
What to Consider when Shopping for Garden Lights
When selecting the best garden lights to illuminate your outdoor area, there are a few features and factors to consider depending on the layout of your outdoor space and how bright you want it to be.
Power Source
Garden lights are either solar-powered or powered by electricity. The difference is that the former needs to be charged by the sun, meaning they'll need to be in an area that receives adequate sunlight, while the latter has to be plugged in, meaning they'll need to be close to an outlet or you'll have to use an extension cord.
Some may find solar lights more convenient and eco-friendly, while others may prefer electric ones, feeling secure in their knowledge that a cloudy day or two won't keep their lights from functioning optimally. Many garden lights are solar-powered, which has several benefits, as they’re low maintenance, don’t run up your electrical bill, and can also be installed anywhere — plus the same sunny conditions that make for a good garden are ideal for charging solar batteries.
Light type
If your outdoor area is smaller and more condensed, you'll likely need a different type of light than someone with a larger, more spread-out space. Lights that are staked in the ground can ensure that smaller gardens, patios, or driveways are appropriately illuminated while hanging lights—or even overhead flood lights—can make larger spaces brighter and easier to navigate.
Installation style
Garden lights come in a variety of styles, from portable solar-powered lights to LED sconces designed to be installed along a fence. Two of the most common styles are string lights, which can be hung, draped, or wrapped around structures, stake lights, which are anchored into the ground, and also decorative figurine lights, which are just placed beautifully on the ground.
These lights are versatile and easy to move around or reinstall; in general, stake lights are most useful for illuminating pathways, string lights provide ambient overhead light, while these decorative figurine lights brightly illuminate your outdoor area while also adding an aesthetic appeal to it.
Color Temperature
The color temperature of your lights should depend on what type of area you want to light up. For instance, warm light hues that have yellow or orange undertones are particularly atmosphere-enhancing, making them great for cozy, romantic settings. White light, on the other hand, is known for its inviting character that's bright and open. We'd suggest selecting white light for places such as driveways and porches, while warm light is best for gardens, lawns, patios, and flowerbeds.
IP rating
It’s also important to check that your lights also have the correct IP rating for outdoor use. We’d recommend a minimum IP rating of IP44 to a maximum IP rating of IP65, which may be subjected to splashes.
OUR BEST PICKS
- Color Changing Butterfly Garden Light
- Daisy Flower Solar Light
- Puppy Statue Lamp with Flower Basket Ornament
- My Moon Lamp
- Bunny Rabbit Solar Garden Light
- Bear Paw Solar Garden Light
- Dog Statue Solar Lantern Garden Light
- Frog-Shaped Solar Outdoor Light
- Mushroom Outdoor Solar Garden Lights
- Stars Shower Laser Landscape Light
1. Color Changing Butterfly Garden Light
The Color-Changing Butterfly Light brings a unique flair to any outdoor area. In the garden or on the terrace, these solar lights are a true eye-catcher. These colorful lights are on a clear standard stick that can be pushed into the soil of a garden. The placement in the garden can also be a creative display with a little planning.
These solar lights charge during the day and give you saved light in the dark. The Color-changing LED beads illuminate a lively garden landscape with colorful “flying“butterflies in the flowers.
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2. Daisy Flower Solar Light
These Daisy flower solar lights bring a strong summer flavor with their unique style and lovely appearance. They can be used as runway lights and also ground lighting; this makes the decoration of your terrace looks like a garden at night, very dreamy and beautiful. The solar panels are made of IP67 waterproof and heat-resistant material.
You don't have to worry about the solar panels cracking, changing, and being fragile in the sun, rain, cold, and frost, as these lights can be charged for 6 hours and be used for 8 hours. These Daisy Flower Lights will magically illuminate your patio and pathway by turning on automatically in the dark.
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3. Puppy Statue Lamp with Flower Basket Ornament
This Puppy Statue Lamp with Flower Basket Ornament has a beautiful lighting color that is realistic, vivid, and warm. It is a puppy sculpture with a solar-powered light that absorbs sunlight, converts it to electricity, stores it in the inbuilt battery during the day, and turns it on automatically at night.
The Puppy Statue Lamp with Flower Basket Ornament has a charming and interesting exterior design which makes it a statement piece. Illuminate your garden and parks with this light and it can also be a cool gift choice for friends.
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4. My Moon Lamp
Do you ever fantasize about having the moon for yourself? Well, we did, and that’s why we bring you this My Moon Lamp. Made for cozy and romantic moments in your garden, the unique LED light will make you delighted. With their unique crescent moon lamp that also doubles as a lounge chair, you can comfortably pretend you’re in a sky full of stars.
Whether you're relaxing for an evening, reading a book, or simply want to light up a space, this My Moon Lamp is the perfect addition to your space. Devote yourselves the luxury of lying down on this extra-large moon in your garden or by the pool.
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5. Bunny Rabbit Solar Garden Light
Featuring beautifully crafted details and vibrant colors, this Bunny Rabbit with Solar Garden Light is a very appealing statue for garden clearance, adding a lot of characters to your garden, patio, backyard, pond, lawn, flower bed, etc.
Enjoy the vivid colors of this Bunny Rabbit with Solar Garden Light during the day and warm light at night. The bunny decoration is solid and long-lasting and can withstand rain, snow, or scorching sun without cracking, fading, or rusting. These best-selling ornaments are a perfect addition to your outdoor space.
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6. Bear Paw Solar Garden Light
This Bear Paw Solar Garden Light is a great way to add a little extra ambiance to your outdoor living space or to accent your walkway with a whimsical touch. With a solar panel that charges during the day, these lights also turn on automatically at dusk; they’re perfect for any time you want to create that cozy atmosphere.
This innovative Bear Paw Solar Light will be a great way to turn your simple garden into a magical place. You’ll surprise your guests and also become a true garden decorator. The paw print design is a plus too, especially if you’re an animal lover.
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7. Dog Statue Solar Lantern Garden Light
This decorative Dog Statue Solar Lantern Garden Light is sure to be the centerpiece of your garden/home. This garden lamp adopts an adorable puppy with a solar lamp in his mouth, which is lovely and eye-catching, a practical decoration.
Make your garden attractive and full of vigor with this realistic garden light. The solar panel will get fully charged during the day and the lantern will light up automatically in the evening. These Dog Statue Solar Lantern Garden Lights are a real eye-catcher in your outdoor area with their shape.
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8. Frog-Shaped Solar Outdoor Light
This Frog-Shaped Solar Outdoor Light will sit beautifully in your garden while emitting a beautiful glow from its eyes at sundown. Handcrafted from durable resin, this decorative frog figurine is perfect for your outdoors. The light is weatherproof as it works under all kinds of weather; it also has a protective coating to ensure that it doesn’t fade in the sun and water.
Add this charming landscape lighting to your front door, lawn, patio, backyard, or gardens. The solar panel will get fully charged during the day and the lantern will light up automatically at night.
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9. Mushroom Outdoor Solar Garden Lights
Add a hint of mushroom charm to your garden with these Mushroom Outdoor Solar Garden Lights. These petite mushrooms are solar-powered, so you don’t need to run power cables through your garden.
Each mini mushroom light is designed with a spike at the bottom, which is sharp and convenient to insert into the ground. Simply set each mushroom into the soil and let the light take over! What a wonderful way to create your fairy garden with these Mushroom Outdoor Solar Garden Lights.
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10. Stars Shower Laser Landscape Light
This Stars Shower Laser Landscape Light creates a magical fairy tale sense for a sweet party, wedding, or snowy garden. This laser light projects festive lights onto your home creating a beautiful landscape without the hassle of hanging lights. The Star Shower light is weather-resistant and can resist snow, rain, and strong sunlight.
Equipped with a strong picket, it can be easily inserted into the ground/lawns; also it can be hung as a dome light to hold parties or festival celebrations. The projector light makes a great display shining up on trees and houses covering over 2500 square feet from 30-40ft away.
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Conclusion
Adding garden lights is a great way to highlight your yard’s best features and make your home a safer place. These garden lights are a perfect accessory to make your yard warm and beautiful and also add some sparkle to your outdoor area. Whether it is solar-powered or hardwired, rest assured that these are the best outdoor lights to brighten up your outdoor living area.
For more Outdoor lighting designs and ideas, check out our Outdoor Lights collection at CharmyDecor.
