Best Summer Outdoor Lights in 2024

The summer season is wonderful to spend time outdoors with our loved ones. When it’s sunny, nothing can beat enjoying a cold drink in your garden, backyard, or balcony.

If you want to make your outdoor space truly magical this summer, outdoor lights are the perfect solution. From solar fairy lights to festoon lights, summer outdoor lights will add a beautiful ambiance to your yard, patio, or balcony.

In this guide, we will go through the best summer outdoor lights in 2024 for value, quality, style, brightness, and battery life. 

We will also answer some of our customer’s most common questions and we’ll give you some quick tips on how to decorate your garden with outdoor lighting for the summer.

So, let’s get straight to it!

Click here to jump to the best-rated summer outdoor lights list for 2024.

What are summer outdoor lights?

Summer outdoor lights are a lighting solution especially created to illuminate your outdoor space during the summer season. These lights often use solar energy and they’re extremely resistant to hot temperatures.

Using solar-powered lights to illuminate your garden in the summer is economical and environmentally friendly. This is because solar lights rely solely on sunlight to work efficiently. And what makes it even more convenient is that there are no wires involved! 

All in all, summer garden lights are a great way of illuminating your outdoor space, while adding a cozy atmosphere to your home, and, most importantly, they can save you money on energy bills.

How to choose the best summer lights?

If you’re on the lookout for summer lighting designs, you need to consider several factors to choose the best light for your outdoor space.

The factors below will help you choose the best summer lights for your garden:

Outdoor Lighting Type

There are 3 main types of outdoor lights: solar-powered lights, mains-powered (plug-in) lights, and battery-operated lighting. All these lights have pros and cons, therefore you need to consider the features of your property and exterior space before you choose your preferred lighting solution.

If you don’t have any mains outlets in your outdoor space, then you should avoid mains-powered lighting. Both solar lights and battery-operated lights will be suitable solutions in this situation.

Solar lights will be an ideal solution if you live in a particularly sunny area. American states like Arizona, California, Florida, or Texas are some of the sunniest states in the US and therefore they’re great for solar lighting.

Finally, if you’re on a budget, you can opt for battery-powered lights. However, these lights have a reduced lifetime and the lighting output is often poor.

Ultimately, the ideal summer outdoor lighting solution for you will depend on where you live, the characteristics for your outdoor space, and your budget.

Number of Lights

The number of lights will determine the total reach of illumination that you will get from your summer outdoor lighting. This means that a higher number of lights will usually cover a bigger area of your outdoor space.

If you have a big garden or exterior space, it is recommended to get a set of several outdoor lights to cover a vast area of your garden, deck or patio.

Design

If you’re passionate about outdoor design, then you need to pay attention to the style and appearance of the lighting solution that you want to add to your garden.

A key factor to choose the best outdoor summer garden light for your property is to pick a lighting device with a design that complements your property.

Of course, style is subjective so it will also vastly depend on your taste. So, don’t be afraid to put your personality into your garden by choosing eye-catching lights!

Brightness Levels

Brightness is an important aspect to consider before you buy outdoor lights. The main function of outdoor lighting is to illuminate your outdoor space, therefore good brightness levels are extremely important. 

Brightness is measured in lumens (lm), which means a higher number of lumens corresponds to a bigger amount of light, or brightness.

High-quality outdoor summer lights usually range from 50 lumens to 300 lumens. If you just want to add a lighting accent to your garden, you can opt for a reduced amount of lumens. 

On the other hand, if your main goal is to illuminate your outdoor space, you should opt for a lighting device with over 200 lumens.

Protection (IP Rating)

The IP rating of solar path lights determines the protection level of the lights against water, dust, and foreign objects.

Though most outdoor lights can get wet, you need to look at the IP rating of your outdoor lights to check how well protected they are against moisture.

The minimum IP rating for summer outdoor lights to be waterproof and weatherproof is IP44.

However, you should aim for at least a rating of IP55 if you intend to use your lights outside all year round. Most high-end garden lights have a rating of IP65. All the lights in our ‘best summer outdoor lights’ list have this rating.

Best Summer Lights to Buy in 2024

You can find below the best summer outdoor lights to buy in 2024:

• 200 Colored Solar Fairy Lights
• 100 Bright White Solar Fairy Lights
• Solar-powered Festoon Lights
• Summer Outdoor Tree Lights
• Summer Outdoor String Lights
• Multicolor Solar Deck Lights
• Flower Stake Solar Lights

200 Colored Solar Fairy Lights

The 200 colored solar fairy lights are a great-value solution to add a vibrant atmosphere to your garden this summer. If you like to throw BBQs or garden parties, then these solar lights will be the ideal solution for you.

These summer outdoor lights come with 200 multicolor LEDs that can be used to light up large spaces. The bulb lights come in green, red, blue, and yellow to add an eye-catching design to your outdoor space.

A great feature of these lights is their high IP rating, which means that they are well protected against water and dust. In addition, you’ll get high brightness levels and decent battery life.

The quality, features, value for money and design make these outdoor lights the best-rated summer outdoor lights in the market.

Best for Value

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: red, green, blue, and yellow
• Brightness: 190 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Battery: NI-MH AA600mAh 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6-7 hours

Reasons to buy

• Great value
• Decent brightness levels for this price point
• The lights come with 8 different lighting modes
• Lights come with RGB colors

Reasons to avoid

• Battery life could be better

100 Bright White Solar Fairy Lights

If you’re looking for an easy to install solution for your garden, then the 100 bright white solar fairy lights are perfect. These outdoor lights are ideal if you have a small backyard or balcony.

These summer string lights are not only great value but are also easy to install. All you need is garden hook stakes, also known as shepherd’s hooks, and then you can easily install these lights in your garden.

With 100 LEDs, these lights are perfect for smaller areas. The light bulbs will emit a bright white color, perfect to shine bright on summer evenings! 

If you prefer a less vibrant lighting output, you can opt for warm white solar fairy lights. These lights are less bright and they will add a cosy and warm ambiance to your outdoor space.

The only reason to avoid this product is its battery life of only about 6 hours. This can be a problem if you intend to use these lights in winter when there is a reduced amount of sunlight.

Best for Installation

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: bright white
• Brightness: 200 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Battery: NI-MH AA600mAh 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6h

Reasons to buy

• Good value
• High brightness levels
• Easy installation

Reasons to avoid

• Poor battery life

Solar-powered Festoon Lights

If you want an all-round summer outdoor light, then solar-powered festoon lights are a great choice. 

Solar festoon lights add a great atmosphere to any party, gathering, or special event. These lights require little maintenance and they’ll make your garden evenings unforgettable. 

The solar-powered festoon lights come from our Premium Garden Lighting 2024 collection. Their resistant built and weatherproof rating makes these summer lights a great investment.

With a 2-year warranty, you can expect these garden lights to last many years.

All in all, this product has incredible performance with up to 8 hours of battery life. Moreover, their convenient design makes these lights a great choice for illuminating a large exterior area. 

All these attributes make this light one of the best outdoor summer lights on the list.

Best for Design

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: 100 bulbs
• Rated power: 0.12 (W)
• Solar panel: 0.2W amorphous silicon panel
• Battery: NI-MH AA600mAh 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 8h

Reasons to buy

• High protection level against rain and snow
• Potent solar panel
• Excellent battery life rating
• It comes with the more efficient Ni-MH rechargeable batteries

Reasons to avoid

• Slightly on the expensive side

Summer Outdoor Tree Lights

Outdoor tree lights for summer are perfect if you want to make your garden unique. 

These string lights can be easily wrapped around tree branches. Available in both white and multicolor, summer outdoor tree lights are ideal to make your outdoor space look more lively.

These outdoor lights have not only a unique style but they’re also well protected against rain due to their high IP rating. 

In addition, each light features an SMD bulb that exudes a beautiful colorful light. These lights are perfect if you want to add a magical atmosphere to your garden.

As for the battery life, you get a decent 6 to 8-hour long battery life with these summer outdoor lights. 

A great thing about this product is that it comes with a 1-year warranty. Moreover, you can buy a pack of 2 lighting sets, which will save you money on each light.

Best for Garden Lighting

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: white or multicolor bulbs
• Brightness: 20 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6-8h

Reasons to buy

• Unique design
• Great for green areas
• High protection level against weather conditions
• Pack of 4 lighting sets option is available
• 1-Year warranty

Reasons to avoid

• Slightly on the expensive side
• Battery life rating could be better

Summer Outdoor String Lights

Summer outdoor string lights are most versatile lighting solution on our list. These garden lights can be used in almost any occasion and they are also great value for money.

This lighting device can be installed on fences, walls, pathways, and decks. Moreover, their string design means that these lights can illuminate a vast area.

For those looking for bright lights, this product won’t disappoint you. The battery life is around 8 hours, making this solar light one of the best in the market for battery duration.

Our customers often use these summer lights in garden parties and family events, such as weddings, birthday parties, and anniversaries. 

Available in white, as well as green, red, yellow, and blue, you can use these lights in any outdoor setting.

Best for Versatility

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: white, green, red, yellow, blue
• Brightness: 150 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 8h

Reasons to buy

• High protection level against rain
• Great for using on fences, walls, and decks
• Offers a great battery life
• Offers a good value for money with multiple lights

Reasons to avoid

• Simple design

Multicolor Solar Deck Lights

The multicolor solar deck lights will illuminate your decking at night, whilst lighting up the surrounding areas.

Rated as one of the best solar path lights, this solar-powered light was designed to provide your outdoor space with a stylish and modern look. Due to its easy application, you can use this outdoor light on a variety of surfaces, including decks, walls, fences, and steps.

The highlight of these lights is that they are color-changing. This means that you can pick any color you like or just the standard white light. This is therefore a great option if you want to add some color and sparkle to your outdoor area.

In terms of battery quality, you will get 8 to 10 hours of battery life, which is about average for high-end solar lights. You can also expect high brightness levels of around 400 lumens.

Best for Decking

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: cold white, warm white, and color
• Brightness: 400 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Solar panel: 2V / 30mAh amorphous silicon
• Battery: 600mAh AAA Ni-MH battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 8-10h

Reasons to buy

• Color-changing feature
• Great value when you buy 4 lights
• Good battery life
• Lights are suitable for multiple surfaces

Reasons to avoid

• These lights can only be used on certain surfaces, such as walls, fences, decks, or steps

Flower Stake Solar Lights

Flower stake solar lights add colorful lighting accents to your garden. Though these lights are not the best summer outdoor lights in terms of brightness or lighting output, they can be a great feature for your outdoor space.

Available in 5 different colors, these garden lights look like real roses during the day and they light up at night time to illuminate pathways. They are extremely easy to install and they can last up to 6 hours.

Each set of outdoor pathway lights comes with 2 waterproof flowers in red, blue, yellow, pink, or white. Though their battery life isn’t great, these lights are one of the best on our list for value.

Best for Garden Features

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: red, pink, blue, yellow, white
• Brightness: 50 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Battery: 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6h

Reasons to buy

• Good value
• Easy installation
• Great to add lighting accents to your garden

Reasons to avoid

• Poor battery life
• Only suitable for gardens
• Low brightness levels

Best Summer Outdoor Lights Overview

Learn more about Outdoor Lights

If this blog post has answered your question or if you would like to learn more about all things related to summer lights and outside lights, please visit our outdoor lighting blog.

Related articles:

• The best outdoor lights for your summer house
• Top 10 best outdoor lights

Article last updated on the 9th of July 2024.