Being outside your home is important for many reasons. You want to be able to reach your front door without going step by step, to ensure the visibility of the people hiding in your backyard, and to see friends come to visit. Let’s go through some of the best outdoor lighting available. All lighting here is rated as waterproof and can withstand external elements. Don’t be ashamed to leave them all year round.
Govee Smart Outdoor String Light
The best outdoor lighting
Professional
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Powerful mobile app
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Alexa and Google Assistant support
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Music sync
Cons
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The power supply is not waterproof
A good set of string lights can add a wonderful atmosphere to an outdoor dinner party. Govee Smart Outdoor String Light is perfect for that task. These LEDs are available in 48- or 96-foot strings, which can cover most residential areas. A dedicated mobile app provides a wealth of custom animation options. Since it is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, you can control the hands-free light. When the party starts, you can turn on the music sync and animate the light with the melody.
Govee Smart Outdoor String Light
The best outdoor lighting
Gigalumi Solar Pathway Light
The best outdoor path lights
Professional
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Premium construction
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Beautiful design
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Easy installation
Solar lights are convenient for paths away from plugs in your home. Even if they are in range, laying wires across a lawn can be ugly or dangerous. Gigalumi Solar Pathway offers an excellent blend of light class and utility. These glass and metal lights come in packages of six and can provide 10 hours of warm, white illumination on a single charge. When it gets dark they will turn on automatically and stop when there is enough sun to start charging again. This helps to ensure that the patterns that these lights emit are quite attractive and can catch the eye of neighbors.
Gigalumi Solar Pathway Light
The best outdoor path lights
UFI Floodlight Cam2 Pro
The best outdoor safety lighting
Professional
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Very bright
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360-degree vision
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The light panel has tunable colors
Cons
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AI camera tracking hit-and-miss
For those looking for a little connection and security, Eufy offers an impressive floodlight that includes a motion sensing camera. In addition to providing 3,000 lumens in a 140-degree span, there’s also a 360-degree 2K livestream camera that can send you intrusive mobile notifications. When viewed, the Eufy Floodlight Camera 2 Pro may sound a siren to intimidate those nearer-du-wells. You can record video clips without the cost of subscription, which is a lot more than other security lights in the house. Support is available for both Alexa and Google Assistant so you can turn on the light with your voice.
UFI Floodlight Cam2 Pro
The best outdoor safety lighting
Philips Hugh Outdoor Spot Light
The best outdoor decorative lighting
Professional
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Full-featured app
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Works with all voice assistants
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Beautiful color array
Cons
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Limited number of extensions in the same row
Philips Hugh has remained a go-to brand for smart lighting in the interior of the home, and they are also asserting that dominance in outdoor lighting. The Philips Hugh Outdoor Spotlight lets you illuminate the front of your home with any seasonal color splash you want. You will need one Bridge hub Already set up inside, but it will allow you to group all your lights together and control via Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa. Attached to a Hue Motion Sensor, those lights can be turned on automatically when you pull on the driveway.
Philips Hugh Outdoor Spot Light
The best outdoor decorative lighting
JSOT Solar Step Light
The best outdoor step lighting
Professional
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Solid construction
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Built-in light sensor
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Low-profile design
Steps are a real hassle when navigating outside your home at night. An eight-pack pick of this JSOT Solar Step Light will provide you with everything you need to climb the stairs safely in the dark. They automatically turn on and off as the light conditions change. With four to six hours of solar charging, you can get light from each fixture within six to eight hours. Since they are powered by the sun, you don’t have to run any wires near them – just screw them in your footsteps. They each emit about 30 lumens, which should be enough to illuminate the nearby stairs.
JSOT Solar Step Light
The best outdoor step lighting
Globe Electric Sebastian Wall Schoons
The best outdoor wall lighting
Professional
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Modern design
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Easy installation
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Completely dull
Sometimes you need a full-fledged fixture replacement, and the Globe Electric Sebastian Wall Scoons is a great fit. A classic style with neutral colors makes it a versatile choice. The sconce is fully dimmable and supports the standard E26 bulb socket, so you can pop in the outdoor-rated LED bulbs of your choice.
Globe Electric Sebastian Wall Schoons
The best outdoor wall lighting
They recommend us for the best outdoor lighting available. With these models, you’ll be able to keep all the tiny little spaces in your yard visible for hours at night if necessary. Take advantage of a few smart options and you will be able to control important things from your phone by allowing low-tech solar options to turn on and off when needed.
Editors’ recommendations