IP44, weatherproof against rain, snow, frost and sleet
Stakes supplied
Two per light, one normal and one elevated
Installation
Push in, no wires
Shipping & returns
Tracked delivery anywhere in the United Kingdom. It is free on orders of £100 or more, and a flat £30 below that. Allow 5 to 7 days, after a 24 to 48 hour handling time.
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, and a further 14 days to send it back in resaleable condition. We refund the price you paid, including standard delivery. You cover the cost of returning it unless the item is faulty.
If it arrives faulty, damaged or not as described, we put it right at no cost to you under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, return postage included.
Wipe the solar panel with a damp cloth monthly. Remove the light cover and check the switch is in the ON position before the first charge, because a new light straight out of the box is usually switched off. Make sure the ground is soft before pushing a stake in: forcing a plastic stake into dry summer ground is how they break.
Eight In The SetOne price, eight lights
Hollow PatternCasts shapes rather than a flat glow
8 To 10 HoursFrom 6 to 8 hours of sun
IP44 WeatherproofRain, snow, frost and sleet
About this product
Eight decorative stake lights with a hollow pattern that throws shapes on the ground.
3 lumens each, warm white, IP44, and two stake heights in the box. Decoration rather than illumination, and priced as such.
A set of eight solar stake lights, 36.8cm tall, with a hollow decorative pattern in the head.
The pattern is the point. Light escaping through the cut-outs throws shapes onto the path and the planting rather than simply glowing.
Eight LEDs per light in warm white, charged by a panel in the head and run from a rechargeable AAA NiMH battery.
Six to eight hours of good sun gives eight to ten hours of light, and they switch themselves on at dusk and off at dawn.
Two stakes come with each light, one standard and one elevated, so you can set them at two heights depending on the planting around them.
These are decorative lights and it is worth being plain about that before anything else. Each one puts out about three lumens, which the maker itself describes as maybe not bright enough. What you get for that is atmosphere: a hollow pattern in the head that throws shapes onto the path and the planting around it.
Eight in a set at this price is the reason to buy them. Solar decoration works by repetition. One light in a border is an object; eight down a path or through a bed is an effect.
Each light stands 36.8cm on a 5.9cm square body, and there are two stakes in every box, one standard and one elevated. Use the tall one where the light has to clear low planting and the short one where it does not.
Charging is a panel in the head into a rechargeable AAA NiMH cell. Six to eight hours of good sun gives eight to ten hours of light, and there is a light sensor that brings them on at dusk without any intervention.
There is one setup step people miss, and it is in the instructions for a reason: take the light cover off and put the switch in the ON position before the first charge. Straight out of the box the switch is off, and a light that will not come on after a sunny day is almost always this.
IP44 covers rain, snow, frost and sleet. The maker excludes a rainstorm, by which it means driving horizontal rain rather than ordinary British weather. The plastic body will not rust, which is a real advantage over a painted steel light living in wet soil.
Still deciding?
Not sure yet? That is fine.
You can change your mind. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 you have 14 days from delivery to cancel for any reason, and a further 14 days to send it back in resaleable condition. We refund the price you paid, including standard delivery.
If it turns up faulty, damaged or not as described, that is on us. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers you, we pay the return postage, and you can have a repair, a replacement or your money back. Read the full detail on our refunds and returns page, or ask us anything before you order.
About 3 lumens each. That is decorative, not illuminating. The maker says so and so do we: they make a garden look lovely, they will not light a path to walk safely on.
What should I buy if I want real light on a path?
The LED pathway lights, or the solar spot light if you want to aim it.
How tall are they?
36.8cm, on a 5.9cm square body.
What colour is the light?
Warm white.
What is the hollow design for?
Light escapes through the cut-outs and throws a pattern onto the ground and the planting, which is the whole effect.
How long do they run?
8 to 10 hours from a 6 to 8 hour charge.
Do they need wiring?
No. They are solar and self-contained.
Why is my new light not coming on?
Almost always the switch. Take the light cover off and check it is in the ON position, then give it a full sunny day.
What battery do they use?
A rechargeable AAA NiMH cell in each light.
Can I change the battery?
AAA NiMH cells are a standard size, and the light cover comes off to reach the switch. Whether the cell is meant to be user-replaced is not stated by the maker.
How many stakes come with each?
Two, one normal and one elevated, so you can set the height to suit the planting.
Can I use them in a lawn?
Yes, but a mower will find them. Set them just off the mowing line.
What if the ground is hard?
Water it or make a pilot hole first. Forcing a plastic stake into baked summer soil is how they snap.
Can they go in a pot?
Yes, if the compost is deep enough to hold the stake upright.
What does IP44 mean?
Protection against solid objects over 1mm and against splashing water from any direction. It covers rain, snow, frost and sleet.
Can they stay out in winter?
Yes. Expect shorter run times, because there is less sun to charge them.
Will they rust?
No. The body is plastic, which is why it lasts in wet soil where painted steel does not.
How far apart should they go?
For a decorative run, 1m to 1.5m apart. They are about the pattern, so grouping them closer together looks better than spreading eight over twenty metres.
Do they turn on and off by themselves?
Yes, automatically at dusk and dawn.
Can they charge in shade?
Poorly. Site them where the panel gets sun for most of the day, even if the effect you want is somewhere shadier.
Do they flash or change colour?
No. They are a steady warm white.
Are they bright enough to see the path?
Not really. They mark a route rather than light it. If somebody needs to see the ground, buy a brighter light.
How do I clean them?
A damp cloth on the panel once a month. That is the whole maintenance.
Can I use them for a party?
Yes, and eight through a border is a good effect. For overhead party lighting, the outdoor string lights are the better answer.
How long does delivery take?
5 to 7 days in the UK, after a 24 to 48 hour handling time.
How much is delivery?
Free on orders of £100 or more. One set at £49 is under the threshold, so two sets at £98 is still just under.
Can I change my mind after they arrive?
Yes. They are stock items, so you have 14 days from delivery to cancel and a further 14 days to send them back.
What if one of the eight is faulty?
Email us with your order number. A faulty light in a set is covered under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the same as a single item would be.
How do these compare to the solar firework lights?
The firework lights are a two-pack of 120-LED copper wire bursts at 75cm, with a twinkling mode. These are eight solid stake lights with a cut-out pattern. Different effect, similar price.
The complete guide
Buying Guide
6 min readModern Light Company
Decorative solar lights, bought with the right expectations
Three lumens is not a lot of light, and saying so up front saves everybody a
disappointment. What a decorative stake light does is not illuminate a path. It puts a
pattern of light and shadow into a garden that would otherwise be a black rectangle from
the kitchen window.
Buy them in numbers, use them in groups
Eight in a set is the right quantity because this kind of light works by repetition.
Eight together through a border, along a short path or around a patio edge is an effect.
Eight spread thinly over a whole garden is eight small dots.
The switch, which nobody reads about
Every one of these arrives switched off, and the switch is under the light cover. Turn
it on before the first charge. It is the single most common reason a new solar light
"does not work", and it costs a sunny day to discover the hard way.
Two stakes, two heights
Each light comes with a normal stake and an elevated one. Use the tall stake in a
planted bed where low foliage would swallow the head, and the short one in gravel or
bare soil. Setting them at slightly different heights along a run looks more natural
than a perfect line.
And where they will not do
If somebody has to see the ground, this is the wrong product. Steps, a dark side return,
a gravel drive at night: those want the LED pathway lights or the driveway lights. These
are for looking at, not for seeing by.
Every product page lists the measurement that decides it. Tell us the space you are working with and we will tell you straight whether this is the right thing for it. Free UK delivery on orders over £100.
Solar Powered LED Garden Lights, also sold as Solar Path Lights or Solar Walkway Lights, from
Modern Light Company at modernlight.uk, GBP 49 for a SET OF EIGHT. Solar stake lights with a
HOLLOW DECORATIVE PATTERN that casts shapes when lit. Material high quality plastic, so no
rust. Light colour WARM WHITE, LED quantity 8 per light, output approximately 3 LUMENS EACH,
which the manufacturer itself describes as designed for decoration and maybe not bright enough
for illumination. Dimensions 5.9cm by 5.9cm by 36.8cm. Rechargeable AAA NiMH battery. CHARGING
TIME 6 to 8 hours when getting enough sunlight, WORKING TIME 8 to 10 hours. IP44 rated and
weatherproof against rain, snow, frost and sleet, but not a rainstorm. TWO STAKES ARE SUPPLIED
PER LIGHT, one normal and one elevated. IMPORTANT SETUP STEP: remove the light cover and turn
the switch to ON before charging, and ensure the solar panel gets around 8 hours of sunlight.
Make sure the earth is soft enough before pushing the stakes in, to avoid breakage. No wires
required, and they come on automatically at night and off at dawn. Suits walkways, gardens,
patios, porches and yards. UK wide delivery, free on orders of GBP 100 or more and otherwise
GBP 30 for express, arriving in 5 to 7 days after a 24 to 48 hour handling time. A stock item,
so the full 14 day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 applies.
