Best Motion Light Reviews 2020

Talking about securing any property, we recommend that you go all out and get the best that you can afford. Trying to cut corners to get it cheap doesn't always work, and most times it's counter-productive. Nevertheless, you can decide to go for a motion light with passive infrared detecting technology which is less expensive when compared to the ultrasonic or tomographic motion detectors.

The prices of motion lights we featured range from about $23 to $150, which gives you a wide range to choose from—the low-end to the high-end and everything in-between. The motion lights in our lineup are guaranteed to be highly efficient and reliable, coming from well-respected brands in the electronics industry. While conducting our research, we found some cheap motion lights with low-quality designs that aren’t reliable, so we overlooked them and concentrated on bringing you products that you'll be glad you bought.

Now that you're in the market for a reliable and durable motion light, here are some features you should look out for without bothering to go into all the technological terms associated with electronic security systems. These features include:

• Design
• Output
• Rotation
• Power source
• Duration
• Other extra features

There are several designs and styles of motion lights, typically in terms of the number of light heads or the type of bulb.
Some of them feature multiple light heads that are adjustable to help cover more areas, although most brands manufacture single-light head units. Even though the multi-light head type may cost more, it's advisable if you have several dark areas around your home that you want to be illuminated.

Most motion lights function with light emitting diode (LED) bulbs, and for better illumination, these LED bulbs come in groups of between four and sixteen. LED bulbs are extremely durable and don't require changing, unlike regular incandescent bulbs that have a short lifespan. A few brands outfit their motion lights with powerful floodlights or spotlights instead of the LED lamp. The floodlight design is much more suited for large properties as it usually has bright and powerful beams.

The motion lights are often encased in high-impact plastic materials for protection against the elements, and some manufacturers may use an aluminum material for safety against vandalism, especially for outdoor motion lights. Motion lights incorporate photocells that deactivate the light during the day and activate it at night.

There are three primary power sources for a motion light: solar, battery, and electricity. The majority of them are battery-operated which means you may have some downtime in-between cell changes, although the batteries are supposed to last for a long while—up to 2 years in some cases. One huge advantage of the battery-operated type is that it’s completely wireless, so you don't have to contend with the hassles of wiring that you would with the hardwired type that uses electricity as its power source. The solar-powered motion light has a rechargeable battery and a converter that transforms sun energy to electrical energy and stores it in the battery. This light will function properly once the battery is charged, even on a non-sunny day.

Once the motion detector senses movement, the light is triggered on and lasts for a set period until no more motion is detected. This time frame may be seconds or minutes, and can range from anywhere between 30 seconds and 20 minutes.

A good motion light should be easy to set up. For easy installation, some of them work with existing light sockets; all you need to do is screw the motion light holder in the socket, and it starts working. A few others, notably the electrically-powered types, will require some wiring and drilling to set up; the solar-powered types just need a minor connection and for the solar panel to be where it'll absorb sunlight maximally.

To make the process easier, most manufacturers include a well-detailed instruction manual in the pack to help get the unit up and running smoothly. There’s usually little or no maintenance required for a motion light, except to change the battery when it exhausts its lifespan for the battery-operated types.

The light output and color of the motion light are paramount when you think about the performance. The light emission by the bulb is measured in lumens, and can vary from 150 lumens to 850 lumens. A higher lumen value translates to a brighter and better unit. Conversely, brighter or higher lumens consume energy more than lower lumens, so if you're concerned about energy consumption and its attendant high bills, then you'd be better off with motion lights with a smaller lumen value.

Most motion lights emit white light while some emit a bluish-white light, so you should be sure to check the color of the light emitted by the bulb to ensure it matches your needs.

Another yardstick that determines the performance of a motion light is the area it covers, which includes the radius and the distance in feet. Some motion lights cover up to a 360-degree radius, while others may be 180 or 220 degrees. The distance covered is measured in feet and ranges from a mere 12 feet to an impressive 60 feet. Also, note that motion detectors with a higher radius coverage often cover short distances, while those with smaller radius coverage have long-range distance coverage. Some manufacturers design their motion lights with robotic heads that rotate from left to right and even up and down. A few of them turn according to the movement detected, so the intruder might feel that he's being followed.

Some motion lights feature control knobs or panels where you can adjust the illumination, set the sensitivity range to minimize false triggers, change the auto-off timer, and even configure the level of darkness before the photocell deactivates and the unit starts functioning. In case you have pets that are likely to send off false triggers when they cross the path of the motion light, there are pet-friendly motion lights designed to be immune to movements from objects up to a certain weight, so you might want to be on the lookout for such models if you do have a pet.

You can have the option to use some of the motion lights as a conventional lighting unit by the simple flicking of a switch. This turns the light constantly on till you flick it off again, returning it to its normal security function.