Shopping edit – best garden solar lights to illuminate your outdoor space after dark

Every outdoor space can benefit from well-placed solar lighting

We explore the best garden solar lights to light up the summer alfresco nights ahead. Whether to light the way or purely add a decorative touch, these new designs have it covered.

A well lit home is just as important outside as it is in. A considered scheme will highlight your gardens most attractive features. There are more choices than ever when it comes to stylish solar powered options, so it's worth taking the time to consider the practical and aesthetic needs.

Get your outdoor space in order with more of our garden ideas

The beauty of solar powered lighting is the no fuss element. There are no electricity mains required and therefore no running costs, no long tangled wires and zero plugging in issues.

LED solar light bulbs require a very low energy level and offer a long lifespan, making them the ultimate low maintenance outdoor lighting option.

best garden solar lights

(Image credit: Future PLC/Lizzie Orme)

Choose post lights or stake designs to flank doorways and create a welcoming entrance to your home. Or line a path alongside scented planting for an evening wander in the garden as dusk falls. And in turn, highlighting sculptural planting and borders.

Outdoor lighting can play a key role in emphasising garden features or lighting up zones. Lights can welcome the right amount of ambience to outdoor seating areas.

The ideal time to embrace decorative solar lighting is a garden party. Display a string of decorative lanterns that can instantly add a party vibe to proceedings.

Take a look at our pick of the best garden solar lights to brighten up your outdoor space this summer – and beyond.

Solar string lights hanging alongside pergola

(Image credit: Amazon)

1. Solar String Lights, Amazon

Festoon bulb lights continue be an on-trend design, highly desirable for modern gardens.

Specifications

Dimensions: L600cm

This retro-style garland is synonymous with fairgrounds, therefore the perfect bulb to add a party vibe to any garden and outdoor space. The generously sized bulbs offer a lot more light than standard fairy lights.

This 24ft long set of 30 crystal ball lights fits the bill perfectly for the Festoon lighting category. These waterproof LED lights offer a warm, sun-like glow ideal for high summer soirees. 

Complete with an on/off switch this set offers eight generous lighting modes including a combination; fireflies flashing; waves; fading; flashing; slow fade; twinkle and steady on. This element allows you to create the perfect atmosphere and ambience for the occasion.

After 6-8 hours fully charged during the daytime, the solar string lights can shine continuously for at least eight hours at night.

Solar String Lights Set, £19.99, Amazon

Frosted solar stake light standing on stones

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

2. Frosted Solar Stake Lights, Cox & Cox

With a frosted shade lamp, the brand new set of three sweet stake lights at Cox & Cox offer a highly sophisticated approach to garden lighting.

Specifications

Dimensions: H30 x W12 x D12cm

The nature of them being solar powered helps to welcome to a subtler, more ambient glow to gardens.

The sleek stakes each feature a chrome silver-coloured stem. The design enables them to be secured individually into the ground wherever you should choose to position them.

Three Frosted Solar Stake Lights, £30, Cox & Cox

Wilko solar light on grass

(Image credit: Wilko)

3. Wilko Solar Light

Illuminate outdoor space in style with the new Wilko decking lights.

Specifications

Dimensions: H2.3 x W11.6cm

The pack of three white shepherd lights are ideal to edge a patio or decking area, to floor the space with plentiful light at floor level.  The static lights are completely solar-powered, meaning there's no wiring required – which is no easy task if your decking is already in place. 

Charging by daylight, these stylishly smart lights will come on automatically as soon as it gets dark.

3 Pack Solar Decking Lights, £7, Wilko

Rattan solar floor lamp outside next to garden chair

(Image credit: Home Essentials)

4. Rattan Solar Floor Lamp, Home Essentials

Follow the trend for making the outside an extension of our indoor decor, with a characterful floor lamp.

Specifications

Dimensions: H149 x W33 x D33cm

This brilliant rattan solar powered floor lamp is just the thing, it looks like it’s been moved straight from the good style living room onto the patio. 

The lamp has a black rounded base and a rattan-effect cage-style shade design. The simple design is a great addition to a modern outdoor space, adding a stylish touch look to entertaining in an outdoor space.

This lamp requires a LI-ION 18650 3.7V 1200MAH battery, which is included.

Rattan Solar Floor Lamp, £49, Home Essentials

Solar vintage-style lights hanging in tree

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

5. Solar Vintage Style Lights, Cox & Cox

Exposed bulbs have never been so fashionable.

Specifications

Dimensions: L300cm

Now we see them making their way to inner gardens with the help of these brilliant new bulb string lights. Designed to add a unique flair to the outdoors the specialist decorative string lights are reminiscent of vintage style lighting from a bygone era.

Each string set features seven different bulb designs ranging from the classic round shape to teardrop and fluted. As a collective, they form a brilliant mismatch solar light solution, perfect for hanging amongst the trees in your garden.

Solar Vintage Style Bulb String Lights, £35, Cox & Cox

Solar PIR wall light fixed to facebrick wall

(Image credit: Homebase)

6. Solar PIR Wall Light, Homebase

This sophisticated chrome wall light from Homebase offers a more functional outdoor lighting solution.

Specifications

Dimensions: H23 x W7.5cm

The smart stainless steel finish features a wave effect glass lens to shine fragments of light in an intriguing way.

The single-armed design is ideal for patios, sheds and entrances. With no mains wiring required this lamp charges in direct sunlight. 

Smartly the light automatically illuminates at dusk. A smart PIR sensor with 5-lumen output increases to 50 lumens when the sensor is triggered.

Solar PIR Wall Light, £15, Homebase

Flickering tiki torches in garden

(Image credit: Studio)

7. Flickering Tiki Torches, Studio

These fabulously fun Tiki bar touch lights are trending right now!

Specifications

Dimensions: H153 x W12 x D12cm

And no wonder given how they invite your imagination to transport you to a tropical bar, some place far away off remote shores.

The realistic plastic material is ultra-durable but looks like the genuine rattan thing. The lights within the lamps feature a flickering characteristic, to add further atmosphere. 

The set of two come as stakes to be placed in the ground accordingly. 

Pair of Solar Flickering Tiki Torches, £14.99, Studio

Bunting solar string lights hanging with flags

(Image credit: Argos Home)

8. Bunting Solar String lights, Argos Home

Specifications

Dimensions: L600cm

Bunting is the epitome of country chic - making these decorative lights the ideal accessory for any cottage-style garden. Ideal for fences, summerhouses and more the string of 20 warm white bulbs is more about adding character than providing a great amount of light.

The quirky bunting design is the perfect way to add a beautiful finishing touch to your garden. Best of all because it’s solar-powered you won't need to fiddle and faff with wires or batteries to make it look its best at all times. The bunting lights can be left in place all year round to welcome a flourish of decoration to the outdoors.

When fully charged by the sun's rays, these bunting lights will shine for up to seven hours.

Solar operated rechargeable battery included.

20 Warm White Bunting Solar String Lights, £14.99, Argos

Solar pendant lights hanging over garden table and chairs

(Image credit: Not on the High Street)

9. Solar Pendant Lights, Not on the High Street

These decorative, simple to hang solar lights are perfect for delicate placement around the garden.

Specifications

Dimensions: H21 x W13cm

As demonstrated,  they look sweet when suspended beneath the cover of a parasol – ideal for adding ambient soft lighting to dining outside. While also ideal for hanging from garden trees or along a fence.

The pendants omit a warm white glow thanks to the solar LED bulbs in each. When charged by the sun they can work for up to 6 hours. As a bonus, they feature an On/Off switch to save them for when you need them most. It may be solar energy, but there’s still no point in wasting it. 

These sweet solar pendants are available in 4 sophisticated garden colours – Green; White; Anthracite and Taupe. Offer an eco-friendly option for outdoor areas in all shades this summer.

Solar Pendant Lights, £29, Ella James at Not on the High Street

Contributor

Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It’s with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.