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Including solar, mains-powered and smart lighting options Wall Light
No decent outdoor scheme is complete without some illumination. A set of well-chosen garden lights work to improve your home's outdoor space in two ways. First, they'll ensure you can enjoy sitting outside long into the evening, and give the place a twinkly aesthetic boost. So, once you've got your bistro set or rattan garden furniture in situ, it's time to sort the lighting.
There are two main types of garden lighting:
Mains-powered lights tend to be stronger and brighter than solar counterparts. Dot a few of these around your furniture set, so you can see what you're doing once the sun's faded. You'll need some wall-mounted lamps on your outside wall at a minimum. If you have a canopy or pergola, there are ceiling suspended options. There are also plenty of floor lamps that tick off the indoor-outdoor living vibe nicely, adding extra mood lighting and some chicness at the same time.
Solar powered lights aren't as bright but create a pleasing ambience without adding to your monthly energy bills. Use to stake out pathways and add some charm to flowerbeds and trees. You can be more creative with where you use solar garden lights as they don't need to be near a power source and won't trail wires across your lawn. They also tend to be cheaper than electric versions.
A fully-realised garden lighting scheme will include both solar and electric lights, so we've included a mix of both here (along with some battery-powered and smart options, for those into that). Here's our picks of the best outdoor garden lights for 2023, including solar, mains-powered, smart and battery options.
At 24 metres in length, these lights are very versatile – thread along the length of your garden fence, wind around a tree trunk or coil along a balcony. Be creative!
At nearly twice the length, these string lights will transform your garden into a twinkly paradise! At under £10 for 40 metres of lighting, this is a fab inexpensive garden hack to up the ambience after dark. Recommended!
Hang these jar lights from a tree for a bit of added sparkle while you're hanging out al fresco.
Festoon lighting will give your home's outdoor space that festival-cum-pub garden feel. At 120 foot, this string is long enough to add some impact, whether strung around your fence or pinned up on stakes over your patio.
Here's a slightly cheaper – but shorter – string of festoon lights, for those with smaller gardens.
Everyone needs a porch light for when they're fumbling to find their keys. This motion sensor light will turn on without you having to faff with a switch. There's no need for an electrician to install; it'll be up in a few minutes flat. One note? It's part of Philips Hue smart range, so you'll need a Hue bridge for it to work.
With its bubbled glass globe case, this outdoor light happily walks the line between traditional and modern style at a very purse-friendly price point.
We're getting real indoor-outdoor living vibes from these midcentury style outdoor lights. Sleek and stylish, install a couple either side of your front door, or along a wall, for an instantly chic update that'll smarten the place up immediately.
These are very sweet. They're not very long, but wound around a beam or across a back fence and they'll add a little pop of breezy Mediterranean flair, lifting the space for a final flourish.
Graham & Green is a go-to when we want something a little different. Hang these fun solar globes from the trees or place artfully in a corner. Either way, they'll make a talking point with barbecue guests. Don't worry about them rolling off; there's a ground pole to keep them steady. They're solar-powered, but an included battery pack will keep them glowing for longer on gloomier days.
Those interested in smart home tech will have heard of Philips Hue. But did you know the brand has a range of garden lighting to complement its interior bulbs? This set of three spotlights can be attached to fences or popped snugly in a corner, adding some targeted mood lighting to your scheme. They can be set to any colour imaginable, so you can create schemes far more adventurous than with traditional bulbs. There's also a good range of pre-set scenes on the Hue app.
This is a good strong light; use around your patio area to illuminate your social space. The downlighter/uplighter effect is very sophisticated and, yes, it has multicolour capacity as well as a traditional white light. Very chic.
This is pricey for a table lamp but it comes with a lot of handy features; not least that it's the Hue range's first battery powered light that can be used both indoors and out. Keep it plugged into the mains for a pop of mood lighting inside, then take it off the base and head to the garden, where you'll get 48 hours of charge to see you through the longer evenings. We've got a few Hue lights inside and it connected seamlessly with our setup within seconds, adding a welcome glow to our shelf. It's dimmable, colour-changing and has a sleek neutral design characteristic of Philips Hue lights. We quite like it, although it won't go with all schemes. Nonetheless, if you're going to spend £140 on a table lamp, the indoor/outdoor credentials make this a solid investment.
Here are some good quality festoon lights from Garden Trading. You can connect sets up together for a longer display, and the brand also sells a pole to hang them from so that you can zigzag them across your lawn, rather than simply draping them over your fence. Dreamy!
Get that indoor/outdoor vibe! This solar tripod lamp will look equally at home in your conservatory as on your patio. It's also a great price for such a large, stylish piece.
No matter if you don't have a green thumb – you can instantly cover up boring plain fences with this faux climbing trellis, without any tending required. The twinkly lights are just a bonus!
Illuminate your driveway, porch or pathway with a couple of these smart post lamps. The steel is galvanised for additional protection against rust. It means it's a good choice for those who live by the sea.
Use these industrial style up-and-downlights to brighten up your either side of your home's front entryway, or fix several along the side of your house by your patio.
Scandi vibes here. The cool metal cage gives this otherwise basic light a trendy update.
Group these pretty lanterns together to add a subtle glow to your patio while you relax outside in the evening.
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