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Outdoor lights for a garden, a balcony, a terrace or a driveway, almost all of it solar, so there is no cable to bury. Free UK delivery on orders over £100.
Why the outdoor range is solar
A mains garden light means a trench, armoured cable, an outdoor-rated supply and an electrician. A solar one means pushing a stake into the ground. That difference is why almost everything here charges by day and lights itself at dusk, and why you can move a light next spring if you decide it belongs a metre to the left.
All of it is protected against water and dust, at IP44 on the decorative garden set and IP65 on the spotlight and the driveway lights.
Lights that illuminate, and lights that decorate
This is the division worth understanding before you buy anything solar, because it is where most disappointment comes from.
Illumination. The LED pathway lights mark a route. The solar spotlight aims a beam at a tree, a wall or a doorway. The driveway lights sit flush and take three tonnes, so they can be driven over. These do a job.
Decoration. The eight-piece garden set gives about three lumens per light. The maker itself says that may not be bright enough, and we repeat it, because somebody buying them to light a dark path will be let down. The firework lights are the same: 120 tiny LEDs on bendable copper wire, beautiful and not bright.
If somebody has to see the ground, buy from the first group.
Making solar lights work properly
Three things decide whether a set of solar lights runs all night or gives up at ten.
- Put the panel where the sun is. Not where the light is wanted, where the sun actually falls. On the spotlight, the panel tilts through 120 degrees independently of the head, which is exactly so you can satisfy both.
- Clean the panel monthly. A damp cloth. Dust, pollen and leaf fall cut charging noticeably, and this is the entire maintenance schedule.
- Expect less in winter. Shorter days and a lower sun mean shorter run times. A light that ran to dawn in July and goes out at midnight in December is behaving correctly.
The one mains fitting here
The outdoor string lights are not solar. They are a UL listed weatherproof festoon strand, 14.6 metres with fifteen sockets, that plugs into a mains socket. Run it from an RCD-protected outdoor socket, and hang it from the hooks above each socket rather than tensioning the cord.
If you are unsure which to buy, email us at theteam@modernlight.uk and tell us what you are trying to light.
Frequently asked questions about outdoor lighting
Do the solar lights need any wiring?
None. They charge by day and switch themselves on at dusk. Only the festoon strand plugs into a mains socket.
Which is brightest?
The solar spotlight, with 20 LEDs behind a lens and a high mode. The driveway lights are next. The decorative garden set is the dimmest at about 3 lumens per light.
Can I really drive over the driveway lights?
Yes. They are tested to withstand crushing forces up to three tonnes, which covers cars, vans, riding mowers and boat trailers.
Will solar lights work through a British winter?
Yes, for fewer hours. Less sun means less charge, which is normal rather than a fault. Brush snow off the panels rather than leaving them buried.
Do you sell sensor lights or garden lanterns?
No. The outdoor range is path lights, a spotlight, driveway ground lights, a festoon strand and two decorative solar sets. Nothing here is motion-activated.
What does IP65 mean?
Dust tight, and protected against water jets from any direction. Rain, snow and hosing are all fine. Standing water is not: keep them out of a puddle.
How far apart should path lights go?
About 1.5m to 2m along a path for an even run. On a driveway, 1.8m to 2.4m along each edge.
Can I use the festoon strand all year?
It is rated for outdoor use and it will survive a summer easily. We would still take it in for the worst of the winter, because that adds years to it.