Solar-powered outdoor security lights are an investment in effective, autonomous, and durable lighting that will last for years to come. That is, provided you choose a quality set of security lights that are engineered for longevity and impervious to rust, water ingress, and weather damage.

We often speak with new clients who had previously relied on basic products with very low price points, only to find their lighting needed replacing within just a few months, or who had until now opted for wired security lights that stopped working immediately during each power outage.

This is why we always recommend premium-grade, technically advanced solar lights. These lights provide all the benefits of highly visible security lighting but without the potential to let you down when it matters most.

The Impact of Quality When Comparing the Costs and Benefits of Solar vs Wired Security Lights

As with any product, solar security lights aren’t created equal. Although most homeowners and businesses are well aware of the advantages of solar lights, they also need to be conscious of the quality built into their selected lighting models.

Solar lights, particularly when used in outdoor settings for security purposes, are highly efficient, rely on green, clean solar energy, have no associated utility costs, and can be installed in any location with sufficient natural sunlight.

Low-maintenance solar lights overcome many of the issues common with other security lights because they are autonomously powered, don’t have bulbs or wires that can become damaged or need replacing, and continue to work during load shedding.

In contrast, the potential drawbacks of solar lighting only apply to more basic models, which might have limited capacity to offer features like step-down lighting. This extends the usage of every full charge, adjusting the brightness of the illuminations to prevent the battery from running flat, ensuring one light can emit as much as ten days of continuous light from a single charge.

Advanced solar lights also use bright, crisp LEDs that are as effective as any wired bulb and can incorporate a wide range of functionalities, from motion sensor features to automated day and night switches, programmable display times, and customisable settings.

What to Look for in Excellent Quality Solar Outdoor Security Lights

In most cases, security lights stop working because moisture from rain or humidity gets into the lighting casing. This can apply to solar and hardwired models, but in the latter, it can cause a serious safety hazard, given that water and electricity should never mix.

Solight’s solar models are independently accredited to an Ingress Protection (IP) rating, which tells you that each lighting model is fully protected from water damage and liquids, dust, and particles that can make the most beautiful light a very expensive decoration.

Our guidance is always to suggest that you pick solar lights rated at least IP44. That’s because these lights have casing materials and sealants that have been proven to defend against splashes of water and some types of contaminants and won’t become redundant during the next heavy rainfall.

Every model within our Security Lighting range is rated to IP65, a standard that means each lighting option is invulnerable to dust and debris. This means you can wash or dust your lights if you wish to, with no potential to damage the components inside.

Choosing Solar Outdoor Security Lights With Sufficient Lumens

The next factor to consider when deciding which security lights to buy is lumens. In the lighting world, this metric tells you how much light the LEDs produce or how bright the lighting will be. 

A higher number of lumens means a light is brighter, and vice versa and, as a rough indication:

  • Solar lights with lumens from 700 to 1,300 are usually considered appropriate for household security lights, such as mounted fixtures on driveways, garden paths, and front entrances. They provide a bright enough light to illuminate activity without creating glare.
  • Areas and homes with greater security requirements might fit a solar light with 1,500 to 2,000 lumens, a more impactful level of lighting that can banish shadows and dark corners from larger spaces such as a pool, yard or decking area.

This is another of the differentiating factors between standard-quality solar lights and those designed for performance. Energy-efficient LEDs can deliver ample lumens to meet your security needs while remaining low-maintenance and durable.

Example Solar-Powered Security Lights for Varied Uses

It’s easiest to compare these outputs by looking at a couple of ever-popular solar security lights – the Solar Street Light Camps Bay, a slimline, pole-mounted security light, and the compact wall-mounted Mars 5 Solar Wall Light.

The Camps Bay model is a sleek security light that emits a gentle 120 to 400 lumens, depending on your preferred setting. When the motion sensor is activated, it produces a powerful 3,000 lumens— ideal for larger spaces, residential estates, or double driveways.

Our Mars 5 model is a contemporary, discreet wall and security light. It produces 100 to 300 lumens on ‘standby’ mode as an ambient lighting source, with 1,000 lumens generated when the motion sensor picks up on activity.

The Reason Efficient LEDs are the Ideal Option for Ultra-Efficient Solar Security Lights

Finally, if you want a set of entirely dependable outdoor security lights, we’d recommend an LED lighting unit. These advanced bulbs are now the standard in modern solar lights, given that they use about 80% less energy than conventional bulbs, can stay bright all night long, and won’t sap all the reserves in your solar battery.

Modern LEDs also provide great visibility and brightness, and you can pick colour temperatures that suit your needs. For example, you can have gentler, warmer lighting when entertaining or brighter illuminations when you’re settled down for the evening and want your security lights to activate if anybody crosses your perimeter.

Combining these functions with a battery temperature control system (TCS) and patented Adaptive Lighting System (ALS) features provides the added bonus of an incredibly durable battery that remains functional for at least 1,500 cycles, or 12 years, ensuring you won’t need to replace bulbs, batteries, or lights anytime soon.