Eco-Friendly Solar Pathway Lights

Solar pathway lights are an eco-friendly, cost-effective way to illuminate your yard, driveway, or front door without the hassle of wires and attachments. Many models collect sunlight throughout the day and turn it on automatically at dusk. Adding one or more of these lights to your garden can transform your landscape and add a warm, welcoming glow at night.

The best solar pathway lights provide a wide range of brightness and color temperature settings to find the right option for your yard. Most models are LED (light-emitting diode) lights with a longer runtime and brighter light than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs.

You can find low-profile solar lights that fit a minimalist aesthetic in your yard or lantern-style lights that stick out of the ground on a pole and blend into a more traditional aesthetic. Low-profile lights are less prone to breaking or being covered by dirt, snow, and ice than lantern-style lights, but they have some design drawbacks that you may want to consider before buying them.

If you have a long footpath that you'd like to illuminate, look for sizeable solar pathway lights that will cover more space. These models typically have large solar panels, which will charge more quickly and provide a more impressive glow.

Some of these lights are also taller and more elaborate than others so that you can create a dramatic lighting effect for your walkway or another outdoor area. For example, the GIGALUMI Solar Pathway Lights are 19 inches tall and feature a traditional lantern design that casts a beautiful crystalline pattern.

However, they're less bright than some other models. They can also be tricky to press into the ground with their stakes, so you should be careful when installing them.

They are also less durable than other lights we tested, so that they won't withstand heavy traffic or a strong wind storm. However, they have a sturdy metal post and a glass shade to protect the batteries and lightbulb.

Another essential factor to consider when shopping for solar pathway lights is battery life. Replace the battery after a year or so. Often, you can get replacement batteries at your local hardware store.

The battery lifespan of a pathway light depends on the size and type of battery it uses and how often it's used. If you use it every day, you'll want a battery that can last for at least a year or two before it needs to be replaced.

You should also check the battery capacity of your solar lighting system before you buy it, advises Matt Kunkle, an exterior lighting merchant at The Home Depot. "Make sure you buy a unit with enough battery power for your needs and that it's compatible with the brand of lights you're planning to install," he says.

Before you place your new solar lights, prep the soil where they will be installed by watering it thoroughly and allowing it to soften up. It will help prevent the stakes from breaking when you press them into the ground.