Solar Lights & Solar Lighting from Solar Centre

Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening. Kay Maguire, Magazines EditorKay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output. "Love these lights they may be small but they are fab very bright and I love them . Bought four boxes." If you’re updating your social space, find inspiration with our round-ups of the best garden furniture, parasols, garden loungers, deck chairs, and hammocks.

Firefly garden solar lights

You may have seen this if you’ve ever shopped for outdoor tech like wildlife cameras or wearable tech like sports headphones. This rating isn’t always given, but if you see it, look for solar lights with an IP rating of 44 and above, which means they’ll be weather-resistant. "Really love these lights, look good on the black fence, not too bright give a lovely glow. Tempted to order another set. Quick delivery too."

• Easy to set up, you simply need to attach the crook to the pole, but it does take three days to initially charge if it’s outside.
• Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best string lights, these sparklers have been well thought-out with a good range of features.
• Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine.
• The solar panel is large and is adjustable in three up-and-down positions to gain maximum sunlight for charging, while the two lamps can be swivelled into the ideal position.

Some lights also have a power-saving mode, which reduces the brightness of the bulbs but doubles the runtime, so your lights turn on for longer during overcast weather and after the shorter hours of daylight in winter. Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best string lights, these sparklers have been well thought-out with a good range of features. With a clear cable and 10 clusters of 200 warm white LEDs these pretty string lights will create a twinkle in a tree or along a fence line. IP44 rated, they’re ideal for use outside and are rechargeable via the included USB cable as well as by solar.

This BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy solar spotlight is remarkably good value. The brightest on test at a whopping 250 lumens, we like the adjustable bulb and solar panel angles, as well as the effective stake for positioning it at the base of trees. You can also take the stake out and screw the light to fence posts or walls if needed. We found that it gave dramatic lighting to trees and shrubs and would make a great light for a shed or alleyway.

Lavenham Solar Wall Lights Set Of 2

Factoring lighting into a design will really transform what you get from your space. If you’re planning on spending lots of time in the garden in the evening, you might also want to consider growing plants with white or night-scented flowers. Premium garden, wall, festoon and security lights from the UK solar specialists. Bestselling garden, wall, festoon and security lights from the UK solar specialists. A very useful feature, you can switch off your solar lights at the end of the evening and protect local wildlife and keep your neighbours happy.

Light is produced by one or more LEDs; at dusk, they turn on automatically, turning off when the sun comes up. Solar energy can be used in the garden to power simple mechanisms like the water pumps in solar water features or – in this case – light bulbs, to make solar lights. A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best solar lights for parties, we were immediately impressed by the quality of these large, vintage-style string lights. With 10 glass bulbs strung along a thick UK weatherproof cable and a generous 3W solar panel, they’re good-looking and easy to use. The lights come carefully packaged in cardboard and take around ten minutes to put together.

How we tested solar lights

As a rule of thumb, the bigger the panel, the brighter the lights, and the longer they’ll stay lit. That said, lots of lights run perfectly well with smaller solar panels, so just check you’re happy with the lighting effect they provide and their runtime. For larger solar panels, like those that power solar spotlights, consider if the panel’s going to be visible, as it may be unsightly. Compact, self-contained and looking less like a security light than others on test, this powerful 1000 lumen light nonetheless detects motion at some 10m distance and is capable of triggering up to 500 times per night for 15 seconds at a time. It’s operated by remote control which works up to 8m away, but the actual switch is on the light itself. The instructions are clear, although in tiny print which is makes setting up more difficult than it needs to be, especially as it has five different modes of operation.

Check out our reviews of the best charcoal BBQs, gas BBQs, and pizza ovens, all in collaboration with Good Food. Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. "I bought my lights from after a recommendation from a friend. They have been the best that I have ever bought they are solid and look very smart." Among her many accolades are a Chelsea Flower Show medal, several awards from the Garden Media Guild and her books are published worldwide. She has spent 30 years working as a hands-on head gardener, using tools on a daily basis.

Particularly relevant for solar spotlights, motion sensors make lights come on as you approach or when there’s activity nearby. This can extend your lights’ lifetime and, as they only light up in short bursts, they’re also less dependent on natural light levels, working just as well in the winter as the bright summer months. Unlike mains-powered lights, solar lights are cheap and easy to install, and because these eco-friendly lights are powered by the sun, they’ll save you money on electricity bills and batteries. With the right lights, you can have effective, automatic garden lighting that won’t break the bank. "Love these firefly garden lights. I have them at either side of my front door with some situated towards the side of my cottage. They emit a surprising amount of light and blend well in a rural setting. They also serve as security lighting without being too obvious." The ingress protection (IP) rating indicates how easily dust and water can enter electronics and, therefore, how weatherproof and water-resistant the lights are.

It’s easy to install and straightforward to operate with an on/off switch that is well-protected from the weather. This set of three sweet lights is simple to use and brings a soft glow to the garden after sunset. A silver hook on the top of each light makes them easy to hang on branches or string up SRL solar panels and loop over a pergola, and a switch on the side ensures you can turn them off at the end of the night. Although they’re entirely plastic, they stood up well to the weather in our test, and despite the small solar panel on the top of each light, they were the first to come on at dusk and lasted well into the morning in summer if not switched off. Dimming, glowing, and twinkling light modes create ambience and enhance social areas of the garden, but they’ll also extend your lights’ lifetime and how long they’ll light up on a given night.

After this, turn them on, and they’ll light up as soon as the light fades, staying lit for up to six hours. Solar lights are environmentally friendly lighting, and with a good set, you can create an ambience that lets you enjoy your garden long after dark. Powered by solar panels, they absorb daylight and convert it to electrical energy, charging your lights so they’re ready to go at night. With string and fairy lights, keep an eye out for how much cable there is between the solar panel and the first bulb.

All that’s needed is slotting the stake together and into the solar panel and screwing in the bulbs – just take care to screw the bulbs in well, or they will come loose and turn off in windy weather. With a 12-month warranty and easy-to-follow instructions, this is a simple and functional solar security light useful for many locations. The solar panel is large and is adjustable in three up-and-down positions to gain maximum sunlight for charging, while the two lamps can be swivelled into the ideal position.