The Best Solar Flood Lights for Bright Outdoor Areas

Bright outdoor lighting is pretty and practical, but until the advent of solar flood lights, homeowners either had to have wiring experience or pay a professional electrician to install outdoor flood lights for them. Affordable, powerful, and typically easy to install, today’s solar yard lights open up a whole new world of illumination. 

The market for solar-powered flood lights has exploded in recent years, with manufacturers offering brighter lights in smaller packages. So, we tested some of the top brands to see which ones lived up to their reputations. Our favorite was the GE Outdoor Style Motion Security Flood Light because of its adjustability and overall illumination. But others won our stamp of approval for different reasons.

Determining which solar lights are right for your home depends on various factors, like the size of the outdoor area you want to illuminate and whether you want the lights to remain on or if you prefer they come on only when they detect motion. Ahead, learn what else to consider when shopping for the best solar flood lights, discover the results of our testing, and find out why the following models all earned a place in this lineup.

1. BEST OVERALL: GE Outdoor Style Motion Security Flood Light
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2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Urpower Motion Sensor Solar Flood Lights
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3. BEST FOR LANDSCAPING: Gama Sonic Solar Landscape Flood Lights
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4. BEST BATTERY LIFE: Intelamp All-Night Solar Flood Lights
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5. BEST OVERHEAD: eLEDing Solar Powered LED Mini UFO Flood Light 
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6. BRIGHTEST ILLUMINATION: Tin Sum Solar Energy 300W LED Solar Flood Lights
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7. ALSO CONSIDER: Bell & Howell Bionic Flood Light Max
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Solar Flood Lights Comparison

Our Top Picks

The following outdoor solar lights had to meet high standards to earn a spot in our lineup. We installed each light in a suitable location based on style, brightness, and beam angle, and evaluated all aspects of its performance. The lights that performed best during the testing phase earned a well-deserved place in our roundup.

Our Ratings

We tested this GE solar flood light for a few months, and it stood out for its sheer brightness and consistent motion detection. The three light heads emit up to 2,500 lumens, which is roughly comparable to two 90-watt halogen floods. Users can choose from one of five white tones (from warm to cool daylight), so you can match it to your personal preference.

The setup was simple. We mounted the GE flood light on the garage and installed the solar panel next to it. Both are slightly under a roof eave, so their exposure to sunlight wasn’t ideal, yet the battery charged enough to come on reliably every evening. The motion sensor is sensitive enough for a cat to set it off, and it clearly illuminates up to 40 feet in a 240-degree arc. Users can also adjust the motion range (10/20/30/40 feet) to avoid false triggers, as well as the light-on duration (15/25/35/45 seconds).

The weather hasn’t fazed it. Through rain, wind, and hail, the GE flood light has remained steady and bright, and its IP65 rating means it will withstand blowing dust and rain. For garages, side yards, and driveways where you want strong, dependable illumination, this GE solar flood light is a top pick.

What our tester says: “This is one of the brightest solar-powered lights I’ve ever seen, and it’s earned a permanent spot on the side of my garage. It clearly illuminates the surrounding area when a deer wanders as far away as 50 feet or so.”—Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the GE solar flood light at Walmart. 

Our Ratings

Each of the small Urpower solar flood lights offers warm, bright light—and when installed in the same general vicinity, such as a patio or a walkway, they create ample illumination.

We installed each of the four lights on trees, facing inward in a rectangular pattern. Walking within about 20 feet of the lights caused them to light up, and they remained on as long as they detected motion in the area, turning off after 30 seconds without detected motion have passed. The light beams from each light are about 100 degrees wide, so we achieved the best overall illumination by grouping them within 15 feet of each other. 

The Urpower lights don’t come with many bells and whistles, but they’re well made and quite bright for their size. When all four lights are on, they collectively cast 3,200 lumens of light. They suffered no problems after the snow and sleet storm, and when they were tested in the morning before dawn, they lit up just as brightly as the night before. 

Get the Urpower solar flood lights at Amazon.

Our Ratings

This two-pack of solar landscape flood lights from Gama Sonic is one of the more durable and design-friendly options available. These dusk-to-dawn lights are built to last with cast aluminum housing and tempered glass lenses. Each one produces a 250-lumen beam of light that spreads up to 10 feet wide by 68 feet tall. For operational consistency, they have enough battery storage to run two consecutive nights (20 hours) on a single charge. In our test, they actually ran through two full nights and came on a third evening, but lost power after 4.5 hours.

Although they are more expensive than other options, we preferred these lights for locations where the fixture would be more readily noticeable and where they might receive a bit more wear and tear. They have a more refined look than many other solar flood lights, and the tough materials are better able to withstand occasional falling branches or incidental contact with a string trimmer. The Gama Sonic light fixtures came with mounting hardware as well as ground stakes that would be perfect for illuminating a favorite landscape specimen plant, water feature, or work of garden art.

What our tester says: “These lights are spendy, but they look great. I was impressed with the quality of the housing and lens—it rivals that of premium low-voltage flood lights. This is a nice option for illuminating distant landscape features without having to trench in a power cord.”—Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Gama Sonic solar flood lights at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Gama Sonic.

Our Ratings

Compact solar lights often lack the battery capacity to stay on all night, but that’s not the case with these Intelamp Solar Flood Lights. Packed with 4400 mAh of battery reserve, they run up to 18 hours after only 6 hours of charging in full direct sunlight. 

We were able to install the solar panels in full sun and the lights in a shady corner of the yard thanks to the 16-foot-long solar panel cables. The relatively small lamps (4.75 inches wide and 5.25 inches tall) initially produced surprisingly bright light—we could comfortably read a book from 30 feet away—and after 4 hours, they automatically dimmed by about 50 percent to preserve battery life. We were still able to see more than well enough to walk without a flashlight.

There may be a quality control issue with the photo sensors in these lights. We noted that the lights came on later than we expected, closer to twilight than dusk. Other than that, the build quality seemed to be really good. For the price, and given the extra-long runtime, we were happy with the performance.

Get the Intelamp solar flood lights at Amazon or Intelamp.

Our Ratings

The wide, circular light from the eLEDing overhead solar flood light clearly illuminates the ground below, unlike some solar lights that shine outward but cannot illuminate the area directly beneath them. 

This dusk-to-dawn light turned out to be one of our favorites because it didn’t shine light in our eyes from where we installed it (above the door of a garden shed). It provides 500 lumens of white light, which is sufficient for lighting up an area of about 25 feet in a semicircular pattern. A frosted light cover helps soften the light, creating more of a white glow rather than a harsh beam. We came to the conclusion that it would be well suited for installation over garage doors, side-entry doors, or even on a wall or a tall fence overlooking a path. 

The eLEDing light offers a combination of modes—it can be set to come on at dusk and stay on, or to light up only when it detects motion. We found it worked best when set to motion detection because the battery ran out in less than 4 hours on the dusk-to-dawn mode. The eLEDing light turned on when it detected motion about 15 feet away and stayed on for about 30 seconds after we moved out of range. The light comes with an IP65 rating, and it was not affected by the snow and sleet storm we experienced. 

Get the eLEDing solar flood light at Amazon or The Home Depot. 

Our Ratings

The Tin Sum Solar Energy flood light is advertised as emitting 24,000 lumens, but compared to the other lights we tested, we estimate it’s closer to about 4,500 lumens. Still, it’s a nice light that comes on when the sun sets and stays on until the rechargeable battery is depleted. It never remained on until dawn during our tests, but it did stay on for 6 hours following a sunny day when it received a full charge. 

We installed the flood light on a tree overlooking our dogs’ play yard entrance and had no problem seeing the gate clearly at night from a window in the house (about 150 feet away). Before, however, we had to carry a flashlight to take the dogs out and bring them back in at night, but with the Tin Sum Solar Energy flood light, no additional light was necessary. 

We found the best way to use the light was to turn it on and off with the included remote control. We were able to switch it on while walking to the play yard, leave it on while the dogs were in the yard, then switch it back off when we went indoors. We had to be within about 20 feet of the sensor for the remote to work. The light is rated IP67, and it withstood the snow and sleet storm we had without any problems. 

Get the Tin Sum solar flood light at Amazon. 

Our Ratings

The Bell & Howell Bionic Flood Light Max shines where and when you need it most. The one-piece design features three adjustable LED panels powered by an adjustable solar panel. It covers areas as large as 1,000 square feet with 500 lumens of light. The fixture comes with both wall-mounting hardware and a ground stake for installation wherever additional light is needed.

Weighing just 1.5 pounds, this fixture was light enough to attach to a gable-end fascia board with no extra reinforcement. That location offered excellent sunlight exposure to charge the panel, and wide open range for the motion sensor. The central light panel is fixed in a forward facing position, but the two side lights rotate 180 degrees horizontally from forward to rear-facing, and 180 degrees vertically, offering infinite customization options. 

We were very pleased with the light output; though it’s only rated at 500 lumens, it seemed brighter. Even through a security camera, we had no problem recognizing faces of passers-by that were 10 feet below and 15 horizontal feet away from the motion-activated flood light.

What our tester says: “The Bell & Howell security light fixture was super easy to set up and worked perfectly. I liked that I could twist and turn the side lights to exactly the angle I needed for the space, and that the motion sensor was sensitive to human presence, but cats and squirrels didn’t set it off.”—Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Bell & Howell solar flood light at Lowe’s, Tractor Supply Co., or Walmart.

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Tested the Best Solar Flood Lights

We researched more than 30 highly rated solar lights before choosing 13 for testing (not all of which made the final cut). We wanted to feature flood lights with motion sensors and dusk-to-dawn designs across various fixture styles and price points. When they arrived, we inspected each light and noted the build quality before mounting them in a dark backyard area. Then, we observed when the dusk-to-dawn models lit up after dark, tested the sensitivity of the motion detection models, and recorded the runtime of the rechargeable batteries after sunny and cloudy days. After each test, we rated them on a scale of 0 to 5 for setup, light quality, functionality, durability, and value, with 5 being the best rating. Finally, we tallied the points for each light and assigned awards to each according to its strengths.

What to Consider When Choosing Solar Flood Lights 

When selecting the best solar flood lights, there are a few basic things that savvy shoppers should think about. According to Dara Greaney, the CEO and founder of LEDLightExpert.com with 10 years of experience as an LED light expert in San Diego County, California, shoppers should “consider how they are going to mount the light and what they want the light for. Customers also have to choose between dusk-to-dawn settings, motion sensors, or using a remote.” He also adds, “The more lumens a product has, the better.” 

Once installed, solar flood lights don’t cost a dime to operate—their built-in solar panels gather energy from the sun and store it in their internal batteries until nighttime. Solar flood lights can be installed just about anywhere, although they’ll provide brighter light if they’re placed in direct sunshine during the day. Before selecting solar lights for your property, consider the following.

Light Brightness and Coverage

The intensity of lights is measured in lumens: the higher the lumens, the brighter the light will be. For comparison, a standard 100-watt incandescent bulb (which are, for the most part, no longer sold) produces about 1,600 lumens, while an indoor night-light produces about 20 lumens. Most solar flood lights list lumens in their product descriptions. 

The breadth of the beam also plays a role in the light’s overall brightness: the narrower the beam of light, the brighter it will seem. Flood lights typically cast light over a 50- to 280-degree arc outward from the light itself, so a light can illuminate a narrow walkway or light up an entire backyard.

As Greaney suggests, solar flood lights should “be used primarily for safety and should be placed in areas with no access to power. Some of these areas may include second entrances, by trash cans, parking lots, any area basically that is a security concern.” Though most solar flood lights are most likely being used for keeping residential areas safe, “solar lights can also help customers and employees get to their cars safely.” 

Dusk-to-Dawn vs. Motion Detection

Dusk-to-dawn flood lights come on when the sun sets in the evening, and they stay on all night, or until their internal battery charge is depleted. They are an excellent option for those who want to illuminate a property with continuous light.

The downside of dawn-to-dusk solar lights is if the previous day was overcast or rainy, their batteries may not charge to maximum capacity. If this happens, the flood light may stay on only a few hours before it dims and goes out.

Motion-detection flood lights turn on only when they detect motion and remain on for a predetermined amount of time, usually 20 to 30 seconds, before turning off again. Because motion-detection lighting uses less battery power, it is more likely to function all night long.

Battery Type and Capacity

Solar flood lights come with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that charge with daylight and use the stored energy at night to power the lights. The batteries are built in and are rated by their capacity in milliamp-hours (mAh). 

The higher the rating, the larger the battery’s capacity. Most solar flood lights are rated from 2,000 mAh to 3,600 mAh.

Charging and Runtime

Solar flood lights require ample sunlight to charge, usually 6 to 8 hours for a full charge. Once charged, the battery will power the light for 3 to 8 hours, depending on whether the flood light runs continuously or turns on only when it detects motion. Dusk-to-dawn solar lights require large-capacity batteries. 

They also usually have oversize solar panels, which enable them to draw and store as much solar energy as possible during the day so they can remain on all night long.

Bulb Types

Virtually all of today’s solar flood lights feature bright light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that cast intense light beams without heating up or drawing a lot of power. This is why LEDs are a perfect choice for providing security lighting.

Ingress Protection Rating

The extent to which an outdoor light resists damage from debris and moisture is measured by its ingress protection (IP) rating, a two-digit number. 

• The first number represents how well the light resists damage from solid items and ranges from 1 to 6, with 6 being the tightest seal, capable of keeping out even fine dust. 
• The second number, which ranges from 1 to 8, represents how well the light resists water. A rating of 8 means that it’s completely watertight. Most flood lights come with ratings of 65 to 67.

FAQs 

Solar flood lights are still relatively new to the outdoor lighting market. Still, with constant advances in LED technology, they offer a convenient alternative to hardwired flood lights and can be installed virtually anywhere the sun shines. If this is your first time shopping for a solar flood light, you likely have some questions. 

Q. What is the brightest solar flood light? 

The brightest solar flood light in this lineup is the Tin Sum flood light, which is advertised as providing an extremely bright 24,000 lumens, though in our hands-on visual tests, we estimated it to be somewhere closer to 4,500.

Q. How long do solar flood lights last? 

A solar flood light’s useful life will vary based on the quality of its construction and the conditions it’s exposed to, but on average, most users should be able to get 50,000 hours of light out of a high-quality solar flood light.

Q. How can I make my solar flood lights last longer?

Install the light where it still receives direct sunlight but is protected from the harshest weather, such as in a sheltered spot under a roof eave. You’re better off investing in a high-quality light rather than trying to prolong the life of a cheaply built version. In addition, a light running in motion-detection mode will only light up when someone comes within range, which will keep the battery from running down.

Q. Do solar flood lights need direct sunlight?

Yes, the included solar panel needs to be installed where it will receive direct sunlight in order to charge the batteries.

Q.How many lumens should an outdoor flood light be?

Although site-specific needs vary, most residential users should shop for lights in the range of 700 to 1,300 lumens.

Q. What are the disadvantages of solar flood lights?

Although they are very easy to install, solar flood lights do not work well in low-light areas or during extended periods of overcast weather. They produce less light on average and may cost more upfront than conventional flood lights.

Meet the Testers

Glenda Taylor is a product tester and writer specializing in the construction, remodeling, and real estate industries. She tests a wide range of power tools as well as other home improvement, household, and lawn-and-garden products.

Mark Wolfe is a writer, product tester, and avid DIYer. When he isn’t writing, he spends his time upgrading, repairing, and replacing anything and everything in his home, yard, and garden. He tests and writes reviews about tools, lawn equipment, home repair products, and outdoor living goods.

 

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