The energy which from the sun is available in astronomical quantities and an increasing amount of people are using it more efficiently. Did you know the sun directs so much energy towards our planet, less than 1% of it would be sufficient to meet the power needs of the entire Earth?
With such a constant, reliable energy source available, it would be madness not to try and harness it. A good way you can start doing this is by investing in a couple of good-quality solar spot lights. Whether you have a large yard or not, you need some sort of lighting options for practical and security reasons. Instead of buying regular lighting options, why not use ones powered directly by the sun?
We are going to get into greater detail about solar spot lights and why they are so brilliant, so please read on. Once you get the gist, you will eventually find you can do so much more with the good ol' warm sunlight. For example, a
solar cooker will help you prepare your favorite meals in an environmentally friendly manner, a
solar charger will make sure your smartphone doesn’t run out of power and a
solar watch will actually make you the center of attention at work! Gadgets and gizmos which use the energy from the sun are trendy and increasingly advanced from a technological point of view.
For now, let's explore what you should keep an eye on when you are looking for a solar spot light.
Price
When it comes to price, solar-powered technology is getting less expensive day by day. For example, good quality solar panels are priced between 11 and 35 dollars for high-end models. Anything lower than that, and the product won't be durable enough. Anything higher than that and well … you might be paying too much.
In fact, we analyzed the market and discovered a plethora of cheap solar spot lights, but we quickly saw they were made from poor quality materials. Also, because these lights are not that cleverly engineered, they won't harness enough sunlight and will eventually run for just 1 hour or 2 which defeats their purpose.
Features
Although solar lights are relatively simple items, they can come with different types of bells and whistles which will eventually make your life easier in the long run. Here are a few of them:
- Working time – on a full charge, a good-quality solar spot light should work for 6-9 hours, if not longer
- Practicality – some solar lights can be either mounted on walls or stuck into the ground, depending on your needs
- Functions – high-end solar lights come with auto on/off or high/low light features
- Type of light – solar lights can offer a bright white light, a warmer shade of white or even RGB colors
These are just a couple of features you should look for when shopping for solar spot lights. Let's continue with construction and design features.
Construction and Design
Solar spot lights are made from durable metals such as stainless steel which actually means your investment is protected in the long run. They also feature a special coating which makes them waterproof.
The solar panel as well as the solar lights are also designed to rotate and be completely adjustable, so you can point them in the direction you want. For example, most people direct them downwards, to bathe your walkways into a glowing white light during the night. You can also point them upwards to highlight a beautiful tree in your yard, a wall, a water feature or something similar. Some lights can be adjusted by 180 degrees, others to the full 360 degrees.
Lastly, most good-quality solar lights are supplied with screws and extension hinges so you can mount them on walls. This allows you to cast a beautiful white light towards your patio area, garden, pool or barbecue deck, making your summer evenings much more enjoyable.
Performance and Ease of Use
When it comes to performance, the obvious piece of advice you can get is to mount the lights in a place with lots of sunshine. This will allow the lights to get charged completely in a shorter amount of time. Most solar spot lights can work for around 6 to 9 hours on a full charge, but we saw models which can run for the better part of 10-11 hours.
Today's modern spot lights incorporate LED lighting which is more efficient and brighter. You can go for models with 4 LEDs or more, depending on your needs and preferences. Also, pay attention to the number of lumens each LED provides. The more lumens, the brighter the light.
Before wrapping it up, remember solar spot lights are set-and-forget type of products. They don’t require maintenance and thanks to the fact they can be easily stuck into the ground, you can always change their position to illuminate various areas of your yard.
As you can see, you shouldn’t rush when buying solar spot lights because there are plenty of aspects to take into account. Now, let's take a closer look at our 5 contenders and see how they perform.
Features
Urpower is a professional brand which sells a plethora of useful household products. Apart from solar lights, Urpower also makes high-quality, best-selling oil diffusers. This company makes sturdy, waterproof products – even its best selling Bluetooth speakers are waterproof and can take a lot of wear and tear. Excellent build quality was one of the reasons why we chose this brand to occupy our Top Choice position.
Let's take a look at the Urpower 2-in-1 solar lights and find out their advantages. Right off the bat, you get 2 spotlights in the package which is generous. Each is accompanied by a 2200mAh rechargeable battery, just like the ones you find in today's modern smartphones. If only our phones could recharge from the sun too!
Thanks to these batteries, the solar spotlights can run for up to 9 hours if they are fully charged. Not bad, considering it’s not costing you anything to read your newspaper in your patio at night. Moreover, the spotlights are adjustable, waterproof and they can stick into the ground or can be mounted on walls.
Features
InnoGear is a well-known and versatile brand which manufactures a plethora of lighting products for both indoors and outdoors. For example, InnoGear has a broad line of solar powered lights, under cabinet lighting and even headlamps which can be used if you work in the dark. Also, don’t hesitate to check out its line of oil diffusers as these items are cleverly built and will look great on any desk.
For now, let's focus on InnoGear 360° USB Solar Lights which are highly practical and can be used both indoors and outdoors. These lights can be charged through a USB cable or can harness the energy of the sun. You have the choice to stick the lights directly into the ground, lighting up your driveway, or you can mount them on the wall. Obviously, they come with screws and the installation process is actually a piece of cake.
Customers can also buy 1 or 2 lights at the same time and if you go for the latter option, there is a small discount included. Are you afraid of rain damaging your lights? Fear no more as the experts at InnoGear made them completely waterproof and even heatproof. Lastly, remember the dual-head lights are completely adjustable. You can point them downwards to illuminate your beautiful paved walkway, or upwards to be used as accent lighting.
Features
We were pleasantly impressed by the VicTsing brand which makes multiple useful products for everyday uses. For example, VicTsing sells high-quality waterproof speakers which might be useful if you cannot be parted from your favorite tunes even when you take a shower. This company also makes an impressive line of Bluetooth car kits and another one of professional wide angle lenses for iPhone devices. We must say, this brand knows how to surprise its customers!
Which leads us to the VicTsing Waterproof Solar Spotlights, currently a best-selling product. This kit contains no less than 4 solar spotlights at a decent price and you can place them directly in the ground or mount them on walls. The lights also meet the IP65 waterproof standard which is very reassuring. In other words, these lights cannot be damaged, whether by rainwater or if you accidentally spray them while you water the flowers in your yard.
Not convinced to buy a pack yet? You might like to know these lights also come with a button which allows you to switch between low intensity and high intensity lighting and usually the lights can work between 6 and 9 hours. Moreover, they come with a sensor that detects when the night comes and it automatically turns the light on for you. When the sun rises, the sensor shuts the lights off.
Features
Yes, you guessed it, Amir also makes versatile and environmentally-friendly lighting options for customers worldwide. This brand sells hundreds of products such as solar spot lights, car kits, USB charging stations, motion sensors and even computer gaming mice.
What makes the Amir Upgraded 2 in 1 Solar Lights stand out from the crowd and why have we chosen them for this review? Simple, they are available in 2 lighting options – white or changing color. The white version offers a bright white light and the changing color version does exactly what the name implies! The colors of the lights change and the end result will basically look like a genuine, full-scale night club in your yard. Just wait until your teenager son finds out about this feature – he'll be throwing parties in the yard every Saturday night!
These lights can also be economical because they come with a low/high feature which allows you to select the intensity of the light. The manufacturer promises they can work for around 8-10 hours when the batteries are fully charged. Speaking of batteries, they are rechargeable and powerful - 2200mAh. Lastly, remember these lights are waterproof, so you can even place them near your pool and they won't be damaged by accidental splashes.
Features
Just as the name implies, MicroSolar's duty is to create products that harness the power of the sun. This brand sells a wide variety of solar spot lights as well as shed lights, solar home systems and patio lamps. Basically, if you want to start going green and reduce your carbon footprint, take a look at MicroSolar's range and you'll find many products designed to reduce your energy bill.
For example, let's look at the 12 LED solar light from MicroSolar and explore its strong points. This device is different from the other ones in our review because the solar light is actually separated from the solar panel. Therefore, you can place the light wherever you need it (driveway, patio, garage, etc) and the solar panel in a place which receives a lot of sunshine.
Obviously, in the package you will also find a 16-foot cable which connects the light to the panel and you can also get an optional extension cable if you really need it. The light is powered by a 2000mAh rechargeable battery which can provide around 8-12 hours of light on a daily basis. What's the catch? No catch, this is a genuinely brilliant idea as you can place the panels even on the roof of your house as that's usually the place which receives the most sunlight.
Solar spot lights will not only reduce your carbon footprint, they’ll decrease your energy bill. Why paying for electricity obtained by burning fossil fuels when you can simply harness the overwhelming and never-ending energy from the sun completely for free?
