Make Your Deck Shine with the Best Solar Deck Lights!

best solar deck lightsBest Solar Deck Light

Solar Powered Deck lights bring illumination and ambiance to decks, stairs, walkways, and walls. These lights make your deck look great, and also improve safety by identifying steps walks without stumbling in the dark. Solar deck lights typically feature light sensors that will turn the lights on and off at the appropriate times, so you don’t have to worry about manually turning them on or off. After an extensive examination, we have found that the best solar deck lights are the Greluna Solar Wall Lights. They can be mounted on any flat surface, and they are attractive though not super modern. For those who love color, and they have a fun “holiday” mode that will make it easy to celebrate the season.

Waterproof with a solar charger and light sensing switch, the Greluna solar deck lights are intelligent lighting for your yard or deck. For more information, see our Product Reviews section below.

Our runner-up for best deck lights is the Roopure solar stair and deck lights. They have a sharp modern look, and function quite well. They include 8 LEDs in each lamp, and come in either a four pack or a two pack. The Roopure lights are IP-65 rated for water resistance, and are covered under a 12 month warranty, which is always a plus.

For a full review, please see our Product Reviews section below.

Solar Deck Light Buyer’s Tips

Solar lights are a practical, economical, easy-to-install solution to yard, patio or path lights. They are wireless, charged by the sun, but do require rechargeable batteries to be installed. Most will fully charge if exposed to six hours or more of full sunlight. On a full charge, most will last through the night. The big differences are usually in light shape and in the quality of light given off by the lamps. Virtually all now use LED light bulbs, which are very bright and economical to operate. See our article on landscape lighting tips for more information on solar lights and outdoor lighting in general.

Important Features

Features to look for in solar lights is water and weatherproofing, mounting requirements, and durability of the exterior. They are best installed where they will not be knocked about by pets, children or adults, but do not usually require any special skills for the installation. With that said, users should keep in mind the amount of sunlight likely to be received by lights in their yard or garden, since this will affect the recharge time and the lamp’s efficiency.

Waterproof and IP Rating

All of the items on our list are IP rated, either IP45 or IP65. The first number really isn’t so important when it comes to lights, as it relates to dust. The second number is liquid resistance, and as this table shows, 5 is defined as water sprayed from a nozzle in any direction should have no effect on the unit.

Mounting Solar Deck Lights

Various different styles of lights have different mounting mechanisms. Some are designed to hang on screws, similar to an artwork or picture frame. In these cases, typically the screws are included in the package. Others are designed to be attached with double-sided tape. Be sure you choose exterior-rated mounting tape like this 3M Scotch exterior mounting tape. This double-sided tape is capable of withstanding the elements and will do a good job holding your lights in place for a while without the need for screws and fasteners. That said, if you’re in a rough outdoor environment, you’ll need to replace the tape periodically. The good news is that it’s pretty inexpensive.

Solar Exposure

As all of these lights are solar lights, they need to have sufficient sunlight to strike the solar panel in order to charge up. When placed on stairs, deck posts, walls, fence posts, etc., these solar panels can often be shaded by the object they’re mounted to. Be sure to consider the locations you place the lights in order to allow maximum sunlight.

Solar Deck Light Reviews

In this section, we will review five different deck lights to give you a good idea of the way they compare to each other. We’ll start with a comparison table, and then move into individual reviews before concluding with our favorites.

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1. Greluna Solar LED Waterproof Wall Lights

Key Points at a Glance

• Deck, stair or fence mounting
• Wireless
• Waterproof
• Solar charge batteries
• Screw mount or tape
• Warm white standard mode (note: also sold in amber)
• Randomly changing colors for holiday mode
• Protected under a 12 month warranty

Dimensions

Dimensions8.4" x 7.4" x 5"

Weight2.45 lbs

The Greluna solar lights are attractive carriage-house style lights that look great and do a nice job of illuminating your deck and walkway space. They’re not really modern in design, but they have a great deal of style and functionality. These lights are made to be mounted on any vertical surface, be it a deck post, wall, stair riser, or fence. Just be sure that the solar panel at the top is exposed to sunlight. Since they are wireless and waterproof, there is no need to disfigure your lawn or garden or run the risk of electrocution from trailing extension cords. Installation is simple and can be done with a couple of screws or some exterior mounting tape. Maintenance is also easy, just wipe away and dust and grime from the solar panel, and these should last a while. Be sure you remove the plastic cover from the light before installation, to ensure that the solar panel actually receives light. The Greluna lights charge with about six hours of direct sunlight. A full charge will generally last for eight hours or more, keeping your yard or patio lit throughout the night. They are available in warm white or amber versions, and all have a color changing “holiday” feature. Users report high satisfaction with the lights when used on a picket fence, around a pool or on their patio. The warm lights are less startling than bright white, and the colored lights are a nice change for the holidays.

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2. Roopure Outdoor LED Solar Deck Lights

Key Points at a Glance

• Requires charging before use
• Manual on/off switch (for charging, or for when light is not desired.)
• Automatic on/off switch, light sensing (for regular use)
• Ample charging plate
• Eight LED light bulbs for extra brightness
• Diamond-decorated side panel to hide installation
• Directional lighting focused downward to minimize glare and maximize foot level visibility
• Choice of 2 pack or 4 pack
• 12-month warranty

Dimensions

Dimensions5.2" x 3.4" x 1.2"

Weight1.15lbs

The Roopure solar deck and stair light package is another high-quality choice, with a much more modern style than the Greluna package above. This offering features four lights per package, and each light equipped with 8 LEDs for illumination. These lights are stylish, easy to install, and pleasingly bright. They can be installed using screws or double-sided mounting tape. They’re water-resistant, and each unit has four charging panels. For first time use, place the manual on/off switch to the ON position, and place in direct sunlight for six to eight hours to fully charge the unit. These have a light sensor that will trigger them to turn on automatically when it gets dark, but they also have an on/off switch for when you want to shut them off completely. The diamond-decorated side panel on each unit hides the installation screws, should you decide you want to screw them in. The illumination is pretty bright, with eight led lights supplying light. These are perfect for steps or patio deck. These lights are a practical choice for lighting decks, stairs, entryways, or patio walls.

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3. Siedinlar Four Pack LED Solar Deck Lights

Key Points at a Glance

• Double-Sided illumination, with charging panel in the middle
• Uses 2 LED Lights
• Bright White light, no UV
• Eco-Friendly
• Can be mounted vertically or on a flat surface
• Waterproof
• Stainless steel – will even resist seaside conditions
• Fast charging, long life batteries
• 1-year warranty

Dimensions

Dimensions5.4" x 4.9" x 4.8"

Weight1.75lbs

The Siedinlar four pack of deck lights are an interesting offering, with interesting features not found on the other lights. First off, these lights are double sided, with the charging panel in the middle for 180-degree illumination. They can be mounted to illuminate side to side or up and down, and the solar panel is not on the top of the unit, but rather on the front of the unit. This makes them great for being placed on flat surfaces, but if they’re mounted vertically it’s possible they won’t get enough sun exposure, so be sure to consider your environment when choosing these lights. They are perfect for lighting pathways, stair treads, decks, and dark corners of your property. Each Siedinlar light features two LED bulbs in a bright white color temperature, for excellent power conservation. These lights will last for up to 12 hours of night time or dim light usage. They can be mounted with screws or 2-sided exterior tape, and are great along fences, walls, and stairways. The waterproof stainless-steel exterior will hold up to oceanside damp conditions, and these lights are covered under a one year warranty. These are a heavy-duty, no-nonsense light set that can provide service for a long while.

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4. UniKo Solar Disk Lights: Outdoor Lighting Four-Pack

Key Points at a Glance

• Water proof
• Solar Charged
• Sensor on/off switch
• Manual on/off switch
• Comes fully charged
• Recharges quickly in sunlight
• Flat to ground for ease of maintenance around the lights
• Comes in set of four
• Holds charge for several days
• Attractive, and blends easily with various lawn and garden styles
• Excellent for highlighting statuary or flags

Dimensions

Dimensions2" Diameter x 0.8"

UniKo’s set of four solar lights are a solid option for exterior lighting, offer a great deal of illumination in an interesting package, however, they may not be ideal for some deck environments. These lights feature a fin on the back, which will allow them to be installed in the ground, along walkways, etc. They can also be installed between deck floorboards (assuming your floorboards are spaced sufficiently widely apart), but they may not be ideal for some decks. These lights arrive fully charged and ready to operate, which is pretty cool. The units fit flat to the ground, and charges within six hours in direct sunlight, but will continue charging even with low light levels. Should you want to place them in a lawn, the units are sufficiently flat that most lawn mowers will pass over them. Each unit uses eight bright-white LED lights. The light unit is set on either a two-fin or four-fin spike that might require some super-easy assembly. Notes say, “Dig a hole for installation.” Each unit has a light sensing on/off switch on top and a manual on/off switch on the bottom.

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5. DURACELL Solar LED Deck Lights (2-Pack)

Key Points at a Glance

• Solar powered
• Requires alkaline battery
• Puts out five lumens
• Uses LED bulbs
• One-year limited warranty
• Plastic case

Dimensions

Dimensions12.9" x 1.4" x 10.9"

Weight9.6oz

Duracell doesn’t just make batteries, they also make lights! These very basic LED solar powered light are reasonably well powered, and of course, feature a Duracell rechargeable battery in the solar mechanism. This pack of two lights looks pretty modern and generally recede in the background until evening when they cast 5 lumens of light down from the housing. They cna be installed by screwing them in or using double-sided tape. Though the Duracell brand name is extremely well-known, these lights often tend to have problems. The switches are made rather poorly and tend to fail pretty quickly. However, they are covered under a 12 month warranty, which is a good thing! That said, they’re also on the expensive side relative to some of the other items on our list.

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Conclusion: Best Solar LED Deck Lights

Greluna 8 Pack of Solar Wall Lights Outdoor are our pick for the Best Solar Deck Lights for several reasons. First, and most importantly, there are very few reported issues with the lights. And right behind, these units have a beautiful appearance and reasonable price. Their pretty carriage-house lamp design looks just like any regular light. They have a warm light, so the neighbors aren’t going to be complaining about glare. Then there is that irresistible changing-color holiday feature. More than that, they come in sets of eight which means you have enough lights to work with for a deck or fence. As a more modern option, the Rooplus pack of four solar stair lights are a great choice and feature easy installation, unobtrusive modern styling, and bright light output. These are also covered under a 12-month warranty and are well-built. Solar outdoor lighting has been around for a while now, and it just keeps getting more efficient. We believe that whichever design you select for your lawn or patio that you will enjoy the convenience and the energy savings that comes with getting your patio lighting energy from the sun. Once you’ve got your deck illuminated, it’s time for accent lighting! For more solar lighting ideas, see our information on solar hanging lanterns.

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