Solar spotlights are the easiest and greenest way to highlight the best parts of your yard at night. If you want to learn more about solar energy, check out our What is Solar Energy article.
They can be as reliable and durable as the best landscape lights out there. Many have the same classic features like motion sensors and exciting colors.
Here are 4 of the best solar lights we could find and 3 honorable mentions!
Our Top Picks
| Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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Best Overall: InnoGear Upgraded Solar Spotlight | Innogear’s Upgraded Solar Spotlight performs reliably and shines brightly. They come in a four-pack. | Check Price |
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Best Value: DBF Outdoor Solar Lights | These solar lights combine solid features at a low price point and have one of the highest lumen outputs of the lights we tested. | Check Price |
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Best Compact Solar Spotlights: MINI 50X Twin Solar-Powered Spotlight | Low-profile solar lights perfect for a yard with heavy foot traffic or high wind. The stakes are extremely durable. | Check Price |
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Most Colorful Light Options: Itscool Colored Solar Spotlights | Itscool Colored Solar Spotlights will bring exuberance to an outdoor space with its flashing rainbow feature. | Check Price |
How We Chose the Best Solar Spotlights
Every solar spotlight is different, just like everyone’s need for a solar spotlight is different. A few factors are common to every solar spotlight, like run times, charge times, brightness, and color.
Different users should prioritize different factors for outdoor lighting.
If you plan on lighting up shrubbery or other plants, color is an important factor in illuminating greenery. The color that solar lights cast on your shrubs and flowers should be beautiful and flattering.
We think brightness is one of the most important factors in choosing the best solar light. It’s an important factor for highlighting an object or making a welcoming or safe space.
A spotlight’s purpose is to draw attention to the object or space, making it easy to see.
Short charge times and long run times should be another priority for those using solar spotlights. Especially in the winter or in places where direct sunlight is low supply.
By choosing a light with a long run time, your solar lights will stay on long into the night.
You may also consider the ability to adjust the solar light angle.
Angling may not be so important for accent lighting in the grass or solar lights along a path, but in different areas, the ability to angle the solar lights may be important.
Best Solar Spotlights
1. Best Overall: InnoGear Upgraded Solar Spotlight
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 5/5 |
| Weatherproof | 5/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 |
| Run Time | 4/5 |
| Quality | 4/5 |
Lumens: 200 | Run Time: 4-6 hours (high mode); 8-12 hours (low mode) | Brand: InnoGear | Charge Time: 8 hours | Color: white | Color Temp (if known): 6500K
What We Liked
- Ability to have a high or low light mode
- The run time on the low setting can last up to 12 hours
- Great value for the money
- Motion sensor
- Ability to rotate solar panelsd decent lifespan
What We Didn’t Like
- Longer charge time
- Not the most durable because they are made of plastic
The first thing we noticed about these solar lights is the price. Each solar spotlight can stand independently and is easy to install. There are no wires for these solar lights.
They can be spotted around the yard or lined up together.
Features & Considerations
Each Innogear Upgraded Solar Spotlight consists of four powerful LED lights. They produce 50 lumens each, making each solar spotlight shine at 200 lumens.
You can find the perfect solar panel angle with the rotating light head..
They come in either white or warm white. We prefer white light since it is a bit cheaper. The white LED lights have a color temperature of 6500K.
One of the strongest points of the Innogear Upgraded Solar Spotlight is its run time to charge time ratio. With the high or low settings, you can choose the setting that has the most run time versus brightness.
Run time on the high brightness setting is 4-6 hours, and it is 8-12 hours on the low setting. Both are based on a complete charge, which takes 8 hours in direct sun exposure.
This LED solar spotlight is reasonably water-resistant. It ranks IP65 in terms of water and dust resistance, meaning that it is fully resistant to particles entering and resistant to water jets.
The Innogear Upgraded Solar Spotlight doesn’t quite excel in any one particular thing. Instead, it is a well-designed, reliable light with great value.
What Reviewers Say
Overall, reviewers loved this solar spotlight. A drawback we noticed was that some had trouble getting full charges.
The solar powered spotlights did run for most of the night despite that.
Reviewers noted that the LED lights look great at night and good during the day as well. This is because of the professional-looking design.
The most consistent negative review was that the spotlight is made of plastic.
Plastic is not the most durable for an outside light, so some reviewers were worried that the light would break if something fell on it.
See Price on Amazon2. Best Value: DBF Outdoor Solar Lights
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 5/5 |
| Weatherproof | 4/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 |
| Run Time | 4/5 |
| Quality | 4/5 |
Lumens: 600 | Run Time: 4-6 hours (low mode); 8-10 hours (high mode) | Brand: DFB | Charge Time: 6-8 hours | Color: cool white | Color Temp (if known): N/A
What We Liked
- One of the brightest on the list
- Great price for a pack of two
- A longer run time than other lights
- Motion sensor
- Large solar panels
What We Didn’t Like
- Longer charge time
We love the DBF Outdoor Solar Lights because of the brightness these lights produce. They have a good run time and are water-resistant. Where this solar light really shines is in lumens.
These lights provide 600 lumens each (they come in a package of two), which makes them among the brightest we could find.
Features & Considerations
The DBF Outdoor Solar Lights has two brightness modes: high and low light. Those modes have an important effect on their run time.
In high brightness mode, you can expect the solar powered spotlights to stay illuminated for 4-6 hours. In dim mode, they should stay illuminated for 8-10 hours.
Both of the possible run times are based on a complete charge. You can expect it to charge around 6 to 9 hours.
As this solar light discharges, it tends to not work, so it is important to keep it charged up in the sun.
These lights come in two different colors: warm white, which gives off a more yellow glow, or cool white, which has a blue tone.
Cool white seems brighter, so it tends to be a more common choice among solar spotlights.
Both options have a very similar price, so if you like warm white that is a great solar spot light option, as well.
What Reviewers Say
Reviewers say that the brightness level stands out the most among these outdoor solar spotlights.
Many have had doubts about solar lights not being bright enough and that these solar powered lights exceeded their expectations.
A few reviewers also cautioned users to be gentle when installing the stakes. Although the process is relatively simple, it can be easy to break the stakes during installation.
These solar lights are not as durable as some others since they are mostly plastic.
See Price on Amazon3. Best Compact Solar Spotlight: MINI 50X Twin Solar-Powered Spotlight
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 4/5 |
| Weatherproof | 5/5 |
| Effectiveness | 4/5 |
| Run Time | 4/5 |
| Quality | 3/5 |
Lumens: 60-100 | Run Time: 5-15 hours | Brand: Solar Light Mart | Charge Time: 8 hours | Color: Warm white | Color Temp (if known): N/A
What We Liked
- Good run time when fully charged
- Useful brightness modes
- Made from durable materials
- Motion sensor
- Included lithium ion batteries
- Large solar panel
What We Didn’t Like
- Not the best at being water-resistant
- The brightness is just okay
- Uses cables
We particularly liked the MINI 50X Twin Solar-Powered Spotlight because of its modes. It has three different power output settings: full power, normal power and power saver.
Each mode uses a different brightness to make the most of the charge.
Features & Considerations
Since this light has three different modes, its run time greatly varies based on mode.
In the power saving mode, it can last up to 15 hours. While on other modes, it may only last 5 hours.
The light must have a complete charge for any mode to reach its maximum run time. The charge takes about 8 hours.
One of the things to keep in mind about this light is its brightness. Since these outdoor solar spotlights are quite small and last a long time, the brightness is lower.
Depending on the mode, they range between 60 and 100 lumens.
These solar powered lights are resistant to damage from physically being hit, but they lack water and dust resistance.
They are rated IP 55 for water and dust resistance, which is the lowest rating on our list. However, normal weather conditions shouldn’t be a problem for these lights.
What Reviewers Say
Reviewers highlight the durability of these lights.
They note that instead of being lights that you can only count on for a few months, they are multi-season lights capable of handling most weather conditions.
They say this is because the most important pieces are either metal or glass.
Most reviews also mention the wide angle of illumination that the MINI 20X Twin Solar-Power Spotlight gives off.
This is particularly exceptional because the physical light is quite small, and left us pleasantly surprised during our testing.
See Price on Amazon4. Most Colorful Light Options: Itscool Colored Solar Spotlights
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 3/5 |
| Weatherproof | 4/5 |
| Effectiveness | 3/5 |
| Run Time | 5/5 |
| Quality | 5/5 |
Lumens: 200 | Run Time: 16 hours | Brand: ItsCool | Charge Time: 7 hours | Color: multicolored | Color Temp (if known): N/A
What We Liked
- The colorful light options
- One of the longest run times
- Motion sensor
- Large solar panel
What We Didn’t Like
- Longer charge time
- Some had issues with the remote
We loved how the Itscool Color Solar Spotlights combine fun colors with the excellent functionality of a normal solar spotlight.
Features & Considerations
This light features an excellent run time of 16 hours. More than any other light. The charge time is 7 hours, which is less than some others we tested.
These outdoor solar spotlights are also reasonably weather-resistant, with an IP rating of 65. They are made almost entirely of durable plastic, so they’ll withstand most weather conditions.
The brightness varies from color to color. Some colors are brighter than others. The lights are 200 lumens in their brightest setting.
There are high, medium, and low brightness settings.
Various color options include red, orange, yellow, green, and more. There is a setting that auto changes the light color mode.
The lights can be set to change every 30 seconds or every 30 minutes.
What Reviewers Say
The all-around favorite aspect of these lights from many reviewers is the remote.
They say that having the remote to control the color settings and the timer settings is much easier than toggling through options with just one or two buttons.
Reviewers also generally love the actual colors, saying that these are a lot better compared to other colored yard lights that they have had in the past.
We love that they can be set to one color and left without having to adjust them to the preferred color every time we turn them on.
See Price on AmazonComparison Chart
| Products | Best Overall | Best Value | Best Compact Solar Spotlight | Longest Run Time |
| Overall Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Affordability | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Weatherproof | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Run Time | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Quality | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
The Winner
Overall the best outdoor solar spotlight on this list is the InnoGear Upgraded Solar Spotlight.
These solar spot lights may not excel significantly in many areas but are great all-around outdoor solar spot lights.
Even though other solar spot lights might be good contenders for the best solar spotlight, the price for a pack of four is unbeatable.
Read our related article on the BEST Solar Flood Lights for security! We tried the top flood lights and here’s what we found!
How to Choose the Best Solar Spotlights
When you choose a solar spotlight, you should consider several factors.
We see a few as a must for every solar spotlight, including run time, charge time, brightness, color, and durability.
Also, think about how many solar lights you’re looking for and if you have all the tools needed to set them up.
Run Time/Charge Time Ratio
Knowing how long it will stay on is essential when choosing any light. Run time often varies based on settings.
It also varies greatly between lights. We favor solar spot lights that have longer run times.
Charge times are also of particular interest. For a light to fulfill its run time, it must receive enough sunlight during the day to complete that charge.
Charge time is the estimated number of hours that it takes for the battery to be fully charged if in direct sun exposure.
We favor lower charge times because shorter charge times mean that the solar spot lights are more likely to receive enough charge to run longer.
Light Characteristics: Lumens And Color
Knowing what the light will look like before you buy it is something that most people generally want to know.
We believe you should take light colors and lumens into consideration.
We decided not to rank specific colors or brighter lights as better because we feel those aspects are up to personal taste.
We simply checked to make sure the color information was clear. Take time to consider whether you want super bright light, natural light, warm light, etc. before purchasing.
Durability
You should also look into durability. We took IP ratings and materials into consideration.
The IP rating is the best way to think about resistance against various weather conditions, as it applies to water and dust resistance.
The resistance to damage from trauma is more difficult to quantify, you should look for lights made of metal and glass over plastic.
Those materials tend to last longer, especially in the stake piece of these outdoor solar spotlights.
Other Features
You should also look into some useful extra features.
Some of the features that we found and highlighted are:
- Brightness level settings
- Motion sensing
- Colors
- Power-saving modes
While these extras are negotiable, we think they add a lot of value to certain lights, especially depending on the placement.
For example, a solar spotlight that illuminates stairs on a walkway should have good motion sensing for nighttime safety.
Honorable Mentions
Here’s a brief look at the 3 options that didn’t make our list.
1. LEREKAM Solar Spot Lights – Considered for Best Overall
The Lerekam outdoor solar spotlights are all around very good. The price is reasonable, and they are waterproof.
The solar landscape spotlights can withstand any harsh weather from snowy conditions to blistering heat waves.
We feel that the InnoGear Upgraded Solar Spotlight is a better option because the look of these is better.
The InnoGear also comes in a pack of four, making them cheaper than the Lerekam.
2. Linkind Solar Spotlight – Considered for Most Colorful Light Options
The Linkind Solar Spotlight has multi color LED lights, which makes them look like many different solar lights!
There are multiple colors to choose from, and these lights last quite a long time on one charge. We loved the style.
We felt Itscool Colored Solar Spotlights beat out the Linkind because the Itscool lights run time is one of the longest run times.
The remote control makes it easy to change the lights, which the Linkind does not have. We do appreciate the large solar panels on this option, though!
3. HULPPRE Solar Spot Lights – Considered for Best Compact Solar Spotlight
We considered the Hulppre solar spotlight because of how compact it is and its ability to rotate easily. We liked the orange light that it gave off.
However, the brightness is a little low, and not many want an orange spotlight.
We felt that the MINI 50X Twin Solar-Powered Spotlight would be a better pick because it’s super bright, easy to install, and an overall more popular color.