Best Solar Flood Lights
The best solar floodlights are long-lasting, bright, and extremely easy to install. For most of these lights, all you¡¯ll need to do is put a screw or two in your wall. It¡¯s that easy.
Solar flood lights are self-contained and run off clean renewable energy. They don¡¯t need any additional wiring, so they¡¯re a great option if connecting to your home¡¯s wiring is simply too difficult or expensive. The exterior of your house, your driveway, or your shed are all perfect candidates for solar flood lights.
Prices for solar flood lights range from just $5 or so for the cheapest options all the way up to $150 or more, though most fall around $30 to $50. Most solar flood lights provide about 800 to 1,500 lumens of brightness and include a motion sensor along with a couple different lighting settings. Some also include a remote control so you can change the settings without pulling out the step ladder.
We¡¯ve chosen the five best solar lights on the market today. All of the solar flood lights below enjoy excellent reviews and offer some special feature that make it stand out from the crowd, whether its durability, brightness, or value. If your yard or driveway is a bit too dark at night then solar flood lights are an easy, cost-effective fix.
We¡¯ve chosen the top 4 best solar flood lights on the market in 2021 to help guide you on your way. Lets begin with our top picks.
With 80 LEDs and 2,000 lumens, the Westinghouse Solar Lights are the brightest solar flood lights we¡¯ve found. It¡¯s more than twice as bright as most lights on our list and can light up 700 square feet ¨C the footprint of a small home. This light also has the most powerful motion sensor of any on our list and can detect movement from 39 feet away.
The fixture is made of cast aluminum, making it one of the most durable lights on our list as well. However, it¡¯s only rated at IPx4, so it¡¯s not as water resistant as many of the others, like the YQL Solar Street Light, our top pick for most durable solar spot light.
With such a powerful light, you¡¯d think it would be more expensive than our other top picks, but you¡¯d be wrong. The Westinghouse actually comes in on the lower side in terms of cost.
Unlike other lights in which the solar panel and light are integrated into a single unit, Westinghouse actually separates the two into separate parts, connected by a wire. This means you¡¯ll have to install two pieces of equipment instead of just one, but also allows you to install your light in a shady or dark area without interrupting its power supply, which you can¡¯t do with any of the others on our list.
The light doesn¡¯t have as many settings as many our other picks, only offering auto on for either 30, 60, or 120 seconds, but you can choose between a white or black finish.
With its high lumen count and durable aluminum body, the Westinghouse Solar Light is our top pick for the most powerful flood light available.
Everything You Need to Know About Solar Flood Lights
What¡¯s a lumen? What does IP56 mean? Let¡¯s take a look at factors to consider when purchasing a solar light.
Solar Lights Need Full Sun
Solar lights typically need about 5 to 7 hours of sunlight to fully charge the battery each day. You want to install your solar light in a sunny area that is unobstructed by trees, shrubs, houses, or anything else that can shade the solar panel.
If the area you want to illuminate is shady most of the day, consider purchasing a solar light with a separate solar panel, like the YQL Solar Street Light above. These lights allow you to install the panel in full sun, but then run the wire and light fixture to another area. It¡¯s a little more work, but a great option if you want to light up the north side of your home.
If your solar light doesn¡¯t seem to last very long at night, it might mean your solar panel isn¡¯t receiving enough light. Make sure your solar panel is receiving full sunlight in the morning, noon, and afternoon. If not, you might want to consider moving it somewhere else.
What Are Lumens and Wattage?
Manufacturers use both lumens and wattage to denote the brightness of the their lights. Wattage is probably what we¡¯re all most familiar with, but it actually only denotes a light¡¯s energy usage. It¡¯s not very helpful, as more efficient lights (like LEDs) can produce the same amount of brightness as less-efficient lights like incandescents, even with much less wattage! Just consider that a 9 watt LED produces the same brightness as a 60-watt incandescent.
Instead of focusing on wattage, focus instead on lumens. Lumens is the actual brightness of a light. A standard indoor lightbulb is 800 lumens, while bright security lights typically fall around 1,000 lumens or higher. Headlamps and flashlights come in at 200 lumens or less.
Most manufacturers will also note the square footage each light can illuminate. If you¡¯ve already chosen a solar light, take a minute to walk around your driveway or yard to get a rough size measurement. If your light isn¡¯t strong enough, consider buying a couple or moving up in lumen count.
What are IP Ratings?
IP ratings measure the waterproofness and dustproofness of the light fixtures. You¡¯ll notice that each rating contains two numbers, like ¡°IP67¡±. The first number denotes the dustproofness, measured between 0 and 6. The second number denotes the waterproofness and is measured between 0 and 9.An ¡®x¡¯ means it has not been tested. A light rated IPx4, for example, is not rated for dustproofness, but is moderately water resistant.
If you live in a very rainy or stormy area, you¡¯ll probably want to go for a waterproofness rating of at least IPx6, which can withstand high pressure jets.
Flood Lights vs Security Lights vs Spot Lights
On Amazon, you¡¯ll see dozens of solar flood lights, solar security lights, and solar spot lights. What¡¯s the difference?
Floodlights ¡®flood¡¯ the area with light, often providing up to 270 degrees of lighting. These are useful for lighting up your driveway when you come home late at night or take out the trash at the last minute. Many manufacturers use the term flood light and security light interchangeably.
Spot lights however, provide a narrow beam of light that pinpoints a specific area. These lights usually light up about 25 degrees or less of range and are perfect for lighting up an accent tree or the front of your house.
Conclusion
Solar Flood lights are a quick, easy fix when you need to light up an area that doesn¡¯t have electricity nearby. They¡¯re the perfect option for driveways, yards, sheds, or patios. And with most falling between $20 and $40, they¡¯re cost effective too.
