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Shapelights bring atmosphere to any indoor or outdoor space. They can be set to gently cycle through red, green, blue, purple, pink and light blue or you can set them to stay on your favourite colour. Shapelights also offer a brighter white and warm white setting which are noticeably brighter than the colours. Its IP65 rating means it is a water resistant solar light option. We observed no damage to either the light or the solar panel when we subjected them to water and golf ball tests. Post-freezer, the lights still worked as well. Ultimately, we found these to be a good deal for their price and practicality. Why You Should Get It: Their IPX7 rating means they can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes, making them very water resistant. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar lights work well in most parts of the United States. As long as the solar panels have access to enough sunlight, the lights will work well. They'll still work on cloudy days or in areas with indirect light, but you might notice that they aren't quite as bright or long-lasting. "It is a fact that energy storage is much better if it's under direct sunlight, but solar lights can still work with rain or even snow," Jameson says.
We appreciated that the light and the solar panel are located on one unit. The solar panel is less obvious. The light stood up quite well to our water and golf ball tests but flashed three times before turning off after we placed it in the freezer. With this in mind, we'd recommend bringing these lights indoors in winter if your location experiences freezing temperatures.There is probably a huge list of reasons to choose solar lights over normal lights, however, we’re going to discuss just a few here. Installing a solar light in your location will be much easier and cheaper than trenching grid power at the same location. It also ensures safety and easy maintenance. These lights usually come with a life span of 20 - 30 years, so you don't have to replace them every now and then. Since these lights are fully powered by solar energy, they are considered to be a green alternative to traditional lighting. Another important reason to choose a solar light is its low energy cost. These lights do not require electricity to run, helping you save on your energy bills. The light is weather resistant, standing up well to our water tests, though exact level of water resistance isn't given by the manufacturer. The frame is made from aluminum and frosted glass, which gives it its attractive appearance. However, the glass did not stand up to our golf ball test, with the glass shattering after impact. The solar panels on the light did not shatter. With this in mind, we recommend covering and protecting the light if hail is in your local weather forecast.
Outdoor lights work best when they have access to direct sunlight to charge for multiple hours during the day, which is how the manufacturers calculate battery life and runtime. Some of the solar lights on this list have small solar panels on each individual light, while others have a single external solar panel that powers the entire set of lights. You might prefer the latter if you want to use solar lights under a porch or covered patio; you'll be able to give the solar panel direct sunlight while keeping the lights where you want them. The lights have two modes. The first is a non-motion-sensing, lower brightness (about half power) that switches to a brighter light for 10 seconds when motion is detected. Once motion stops, the light dims itself. The second mode keeps the light off when there's no motion then switches to a bright light for 25 seconds when motion is detected. We didn't notice a big difference between dim light and bright light modes, however.Stake lights: These tend to be spiked stakes with bulbs at the top that provide low-level lighting, ideal for guiding the way along a path or softly lighting flowerbeds.
The solar string lights are meant to be durable with their shatterproof material and Brightech's WeatherTite technology. While no official waterproof rating is given, this technology is designed to help the lights handle 50 mile-per-hour winds along with rain and snow. They're also resistant to temperatures as hot as 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The bulbs are made of plastic, but one tester said they are "clear, pretty, and don't seem cheap." The Ring Solar Pathlights provided incredibly bright light, and the system as a whole was quite durable. However, a Ring Bridge and a smartphone app are required to connect it to Alexa. We weren't able to get the app working properly during testing, which is why we didn't include it on our list of the best outdoor solar lights. If you have the time and patience to devote to setup—and you already own other Ring accessories—this could still be a great fit for your home. Shapelights have been designed to work year round in the UK using solar power alone, but they can also be fully charged using the supplied USB lead in just a few hours. USB charging is not necessary if variable illumination times in winter are acceptable, but USB charging every couple of weeks will keep your Shapelight working for the full 7 hours every night whatever the weather. For a simple spotlight, consider this set of two. Its three pieces are easy to assemble and can either be staked into the ground or mounted on a wall with the included screws.
Frequently Asked Questions
During testing, we subjected the lights to our water, freezer, and golf ball tests—and they passed all three. They turned on upon impact with the golf ball but turned off afterward and worked as usual. Overall, these are the best solar lights if you're looking for ambient patio lighting. They do come with a wall mounting option so you can install them for a hanging lantern if you prefer. Of course, that requires some basic household tools like a hammer. Why You Should Get It: If you'd like a sturdy motion-sensing solar light, our testers found this to be one of the best solar lights in this category. Keep in Mind: Multiple strands of lights cannot be connected together; each requires its own solar panel. But you can hang more than one strand next to each other.
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