Shopping edit – best garden solar lights to illuminate your outdoor space after dark

We explore the best garden solar lights to light up the summer alfresco nights ahead. Whether to light the way or purely add a decorative touch, these new designs have it covered.

A well lit home is just as important outside as it is in. A considered scheme will highlight your gardens most attractive features. There are more choices than ever when it comes to stylish solar powered options, so it's worth taking the time to consider the practical and aesthetic needs.

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The beauty of solar powered lighting is the no fuss element. There are no electricity mains required and therefore no running costs, no long tangled wires and zero plugging in issues.

LED solar light bulbs require a very low energy level and offer a long lifespan, making them the ultimate low maintenance outdoor lighting option.

Choose post lights or stake designs to flank doorways and create a welcoming entrance to your home. Or line a path alongside scented planting for an evening wander in the garden as dusk falls. And in turn, highlighting sculptural planting and borders.

Outdoor lighting can play a key role in emphasising garden features or lighting up zones. Lights can welcome the right amount of ambience to outdoor seating areas.

The ideal time to embrace decorative solar lighting is a garden party. Display a string of decorative lanterns that can instantly add a party vibe to proceedings.

Take a look at our pick of the best garden solar lights to brighten up your outdoor space this summer – and beyond.

This retro-style garland is synonymous with fairgrounds, therefore the perfect bulb to add a party vibe to any garden and outdoor space. The generously sized bulbs offer a lot more light than standard fairy lights.

This 24ft long set of 30 crystal ball lights fits the bill perfectly for the Festoon lighting category. These waterproof LED lights offer a warm, sun-like glow ideal for high summer soirees. 

Complete with an on/off switch this set offers eight generous lighting modes including a combination; fireflies flashing; waves; fading; flashing; slow fade; twinkle and steady on. This element allows you to create the perfect atmosphere and ambience for the occasion.

After 6-8 hours fully charged during the daytime, the solar string lights can shine continuously for at least eight hours at night.

Solar String Lights Set, £19.99, Amazon

The nature of them being solar powered helps to welcome to a subtler, more ambient glow to gardens.

The sleek stakes each feature a chrome silver-coloured stem. The design enables them to be secured individually into the ground wherever you should choose to position them.

Three Frosted Solar Stake Lights, £30, Cox & Cox

The pack of three white shepherd lights are ideal to edge a patio or decking area, to floor the space with plentiful light at floor level.  The static lights are completely solar-powered, meaning there's no wiring required – which is no easy task if your decking is already in place. 

Charging by daylight, these stylishly smart lights will come on automatically as soon as it gets dark.

3 Pack Solar Decking Lights, £7, Wilko

This brilliant rattan solar powered floor lamp is just the thing, it looks like it’s been moved straight from the good style living room onto the patio. 

The lamp has a black rounded base and a rattan-effect cage-style shade design. The simple design is a great addition to a modern outdoor space, adding a stylish touch look to entertaining in an outdoor space.

This lamp requires a LI-ION 18650 3.7V 1200MAH battery, which is included.

Rattan Solar Floor Lamp, £49, Home Essentials

Now we see them making their way to inner gardens with the help of these brilliant new bulb string lights. Designed to add a unique flair to the outdoors the specialist decorative string lights are reminiscent of vintage style lighting from a bygone era.

Each string set features seven different bulb designs ranging from the classic round shape to teardrop and fluted. As a collective, they form a brilliant mismatch solar light solution, perfect for hanging amongst the trees in your garden.

Solar Vintage Style Bulb String Lights, £35, Cox & Cox

The smart stainless steel finish features a wave effect glass lens to shine fragments of light in an intriguing way.

The single-armed design is ideal for patios, sheds and entrances. With no mains wiring required this lamp charges in direct sunlight. 

Smartly the light automatically illuminates at dusk. A smart PIR sensor with 5-lumen output increases to 50 lumens when the sensor is triggered.

Solar PIR Wall Light, £15, Homebase

And no wonder given how they invite your imagination to transport you to a tropical bar, some place far away off remote shores.

The realistic plastic material is ultra-durable but looks like the genuine rattan thing. The lights within the lamps feature a flickering characteristic, to add further atmosphere. 

The set of two come as stakes to be placed in the ground accordingly. 

Pair of Solar Flickering Tiki Torches, £14.99, Studio

Bunting is the epitome of country chic - making these decorative lights the ideal accessory for any cottage-style garden. Ideal for fences, summerhouses and more the string of 20 warm white bulbs is more about adding character than providing a great amount of light.

The quirky bunting design is the perfect way to add a beautiful finishing touch to your garden. Best of all because it’s solar-powered you won't need to fiddle and faff with wires or batteries to make it look its best at all times. The bunting lights can be left in place all year round to welcome a flourish of decoration to the outdoors.

When fully charged by the sun's rays, these bunting lights will shine for up to seven hours.

Solar operated rechargeable battery included.

20 Warm White Bunting Solar String Lights, £14.99, Argos

As demonstrated,  they look sweet when suspended beneath the cover of a parasol – ideal for adding ambient soft lighting to dining outside. While also ideal for hanging from garden trees or along a fence.

The pendants omit a warm white glow thanks to the solar LED bulbs in each. When charged by the sun they can work for up to 6 hours. As a bonus, they feature an On/Off switch to save them for when you need them most. It may be solar energy, but there’s still no point in wasting it. 

These sweet solar pendants are available in 4 sophisticated garden colours – Green; White; Anthracite and Taupe. Offer an eco-friendly option for outdoor areas in all shades this summer.

Solar Pendant Lights, £29, Ella James at Not on the High Street