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It’s well known that a bright light deters would-be thieves and ne’er-do-wells, but home dwellers either had to have wiring experience or pay a professional electrician to install outdoor lights until the advent of solar-powered lighting. Today’s solar flood lights open up a whole new world of illumination—they’re affordable, powerful, and, best of all, they’re a snap to install.
You are watching: The Best Solar Flood Lights Tested in 2023
In the past few years, the solar flood light market has exploded, with manufacturers offering brighter lights in smaller packages. So I tested some of the top brands to see which ones lived up to their reputations.
The best solar flood lights for your home will depend on the size of the area you want to illuminate and whether you want the lights to remain on or if you prefer they come on only when motion is detected. Ahead, learn what to look for when shopping for solar flood lights, discover the results of my hands-on tests, and find out why the following models all earned a place in this lineup.
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. You can install solar flood lights just about anywhere, although they’ll provide the brightest light if they’re located in direct sunshine during the day. Before selecting solar lights for your property, consider the following.
The intensity of lights is measured in lumens and the higher the lumens, the brighter the light will be. For comparison, a standard 100-watt incandescent bulb (which is no longer sold) produces about 1,600 lumens, while an indoor night-light produces about 20 lumens. Most solar flood lights will state the lumens in the product’s description. 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 you can select a light to illuminate a narrow walkway or to light up an entire backyard.
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 if you want to illuminate your 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 sense motion, and they remain on for a predetermined amount of time, usually 20 to 30 seconds, before turning back off. Because motion-detection lighting uses less battery power, it is more likely to function all night long.
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Solar flood lights come with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that charge during the day and use the stored energy at night to power the lights. The batteries are built in and rated by their capacity in milliamp-hours (mAh). The higher the rating, the larger the battery’s capacity. Most solar flood lights come with ratings ranging from around 2,000 mAh to 3,600 mAh.
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.
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 intense security light.
The extent to which an outdoor light resists damage from debris and moisture is known as its ingress protection (IP) rating, which is 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.
The following models had to meet very high standards to qualify for a spot in this lineup of the best solar flood lights. I installed each light—mounting it in a spot where I thought it was well suited, depending on style, brightness, and beam angle. I recorded the time of evening when it came on (dusk-to-dawn models) and noted its motion-detection abilities, among other tests. Each light received points, and those with the most points at the end of the testing phase earned a well-deserved place among this list of the best solar flood lights.
While any of the solar flood lights in this lineup offer security and illumination, the Westinghouse solar flood light provides clear, bright light when it senses motion and will remain lit for up to 30 seconds after motion is no longer detected. The NACINIC solar flood light features an optional dim mode that saves on battery power and is reliable and affordable.
I was looking for a number of factors that indicated quality when testing the solar flood lights. I carefully inspected each light right out of the package to determine whether it contained durable materials and to see if it was well made. Each was rated on a scale of 0 to 4, with 4 being the best rating.
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The testing process involved mounting the lights on a non-moving object, such as a building or a tree, and noting how easy it was to install. Again, points were given for straightforward installation and whether all the supplies needed for installation were included in the package.
After the lights were mounted, I tested their various modes—some were strictly dusk-to-dawn models while others featured motion detection. Some were adaptable to either. I noted when the dusk-to-dawn models came on after dark. I tested those with motion sensors by seeing how close I needed to get before the sensors detected my presence and came on.
I recorded how long it took for the lights’ rechargeable batteries to run out, and I tested all additional functions, including the use of remote controls and on-light adjustments. While solar flood lights are not complex items, they do vary quite a bit in intensity and design. During testing, we experienced a sleet and snowstorm that left the lights covered in a thin layer of ice for almost 48 hours, so I could see whether the inclement weather impacted their performance.
After testing, I added up the points for each light and then determined the individual awards depending on their strongest points. Along with their positive aspects, I noted their downsides so our readers could make a well-informed buying choice.
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 you can install them virtually anywhere the sun shines. If this is your first time shopping for a solar flood light, you likely have some questions.
The brightest solar flood light in this lineup is the WERISE solar light, which provides a very bright 24,000 lumens of pure white light.
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 it.
Install the light where it still receives direct sun rays but where it’s 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, if the light offers motion-detection mode, by using that mode, it will only light up when someone comes within range, which will keep the battery from running down.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor
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