You may naturally equate spending time in your backyard with sunbathing and basking in the warmth of sunshine, but there are several wonderful outdoor lighting solutions available that will allow you to enjoy your deck at night, as well.
The proper lighting on your patio or deck can enhance your backyard's nighttime charm and accentuate your laborious home garden and landscaping features long after the sun has set.
What to Consider When Choosing Backyard & Deck Lighting
When shopping for outdoor lighting, you have a seemingly unlimited number of alternatives to consider. Choose outdoor lighting alternatives that not only complement your home, backyard, and deck but also your personal taste. If security and safety are of the utmost importance, consider how path lights, spotlights, and security lights will appear and function together. Combining string lights and lanterns for more ambient backyard lighting may be of interest to you if you're primarily concerned with creating the ideal atmosphere for your guests.
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Here are a few of our top recommendations for the most effective backyard and outdoor decking lighting.
Best Overall Outdoor Lighting: TeamMe 35 LEDs Solar Outdoor Lights, 2-in-1 Upgraded Solar Powered Landscape Spot Light
With so many distinct outdoor lighting schemes to choose from, it is difficult to select a single winner. After all, not all types of lighting are suitable for every house design. Some individuals may find that recessed path lights best suit their needs, but others may like the appearance of pendants or floodlights. When deciding on the best outdoor lighting for backyard ambiance, homeowners who want a more ethereal-meets-modern style may choose to explore string lights.
Despite these alternatives, our pick for the finest outdoor lighting is TeamMe's Solar Outdoor Lights due to their superior brightness, adaptability, long run time, and ease of installation. The movable solar panels on these spotlights allow you to properly collect the sun's energy and give lighting from numerous angles. You can either stake these lights into the ground or mount them on your deck or garage using the accompanying hardware.
Best Outdoor String Lights: Addlon 48 ft. Outdoor String Lights
Warm, low halogen illumination from a string of lights is the perfect way to give a bit of enchantment to outdoor residences. Addlon's 48 ft. Outdoor String Lights are our pick for the best outdoor string lights.
This set of outdoor string lights is weatherproof and durable, allowing you to achieve the ideal aesthetic while withstanding the elements. Each light bulb includes its own hanging hook to facilitate installation. In addition, a dimmer-compatible switch (not included) allows you to create the ideal atmosphere for any occasion.
Best Decking Lights: Trex LED Riser Light (4-pack)
Trex LED Riser Lights are recommended if you like the look of recessed lights that merge with your existing décor and if you want to illuminate your stairway for improved safety and nighttime visibility.
These appealing LED lights come in packs of four and are available in a range of powder-coated aluminum hues, including charcoal, black, classic white, and bronze. Their matte finish delivers a clean, contemporary appearance that complements any decking design or color.
The Trex LED Riser Lights are compatible with the Trex LightHub installation system; however, these LED riser lights may be readily placed in any solid riser material, providing you with an elegant and cost-effective solution for increased evening visibility on your deck stairs. Transformers are sold individually.
Check out these outstanding backyard lighting design ideas for additional possibilities for brilliant outdoor deck lighting.
Best Outdoor Security Lighting: LEDMO 120W LED Wall Pack Light
Action-activated outdoor security lighting may be a dazzling and effective deterrent against unwanted animals or intruders, illuminating your property with light at the slightest sign of motion. The proper lighting may increase the protection of your property without diminishing its exterior appeal. Typically, security lighting is installed at higher points around a home (such as above garages and eaves) in order to cast a wide enough beam upon the residence's major passageways and entrances.
The LEDMO 120W LED Wall Pack Light tops our list of the most effective outdoor security lights. Whether you're wanting to illuminate the perimeter of a wall, your backyard, or a large deck, these energy-efficient wall packs emit a bright, white light. These 5000K daylight white lights enhance your home's and neighborhood's security without detracting from their look. In addition, they are almost maintenance-free, offering over 50,000 hours of illumination before requiring replacement.
Best Outdoor Patio Lanterns: Kaixoxin Solar Lantern Lights
Lanterns have been around for millennia, but current versions of these classic lamps combine functionality and creativity in an appealing package. The Kaixoxin Solar Lantern Lights are our top pick for the best outdoor patio lanterns, since they combine the classic elegance and warmth of a lantern with the modern technology of solar power.
The intricate design of the Kaixoxin Solar Lanterns illuminates and beautifies your backyard. In addition, they can be utilized in a variety of ways, including as hanging lanterns, tree lights, patio tables decor and illumination, and as a beautiful and functional accent item along your outdoor walkways.
Best Outdoor Wall Lighting: LEONLITE Integrated LED Cylinder Wall Sconce
Wall lights can be used to illuminate any vertical surface, including the sides of your home, the interior of a pergola, stairs, and seating areas. When it comes to selecting the best outdoor wall lights for your home, you must first examine how they appear both lit and unlit.
It is entirely up to you whether you like a more traditional or modern appearance. Check out the LEONLITE Integrated LED Cylinder Wall Sconce if you're searching for outdoor porch light or wall sconce with sleek lines and warm white illumination. These wall sconces are able to fit in without standing out due to their highly streamlined appearance. These wall sconces include integrated LEDs, which eliminates the need for replacement bulbs. Even when used in moist environments, the LEONLITE Integrated LED Cylinder Wall Sconces are resistant to corrosion and the weather due to their aluminum construction.
Best Outdoor Path Lights: Solpex 8-Pack Solar Pathway Outdoor Lights
If you've ever tripped on a dark house walkway because you missed a step, it's all the more reason to consider path lighting as an attractive and practical choice. Path lights can not only serve as safety elements for walkways, but they can also enhance the evening curb appeal of your home's landscape. Typically, path lights are set on both sides of main walkways and along stepping stone paths, as well as around landscape focal points such as flower beds and fountains.
Solpex's 8-Pack Solar Pathway Outdoor Lights is one of our top recommendations for the best path lights for your backyard. Their elegant design has lit double rings that cast a gorgeous, baroque pattern on the ground. With polysilicon solar panels and rechargeable batteries, their high-quality solar design can provide up to eight hours of clear illumination. The Solpex 8-Pack Solar Pathway outdoor lights are easy to install, weatherproof, and come with a warranty, making them an even more enticing option.
Best Outdoor Spot Lights: GKOLED UL Solid Brass Landscape Spotlight
Outdoor spotlights, often known as "up lights" or landscaping lights, are used to send beams of light upwards in order to highlight your outdoor landscaping and decor. The two most popular forms of outdoor spotlights are well-lights and bullet-shaped lights. Spotlights in the shape of a bullet provide narrow, high-intensity beams that provide spectacular outdoor illumination for higher objects such as trees and beautiful home fixtures. Well lights, on the other hand, are circular lights that sink into the ground for a more streamlined appearance and project light upwards over shorter distances, making them ideal for illuminating gardens and shrubs.
The GKOLED UL Solid Brass Landscape Spotlight is our top pick for outdoor spotlights. The style of these uplights is sleek and classy, and they emit a wonderful low 12-volt illumination. Even though these are bullet-shaped, they can be used to illuminate larger structures in your backyard, as well as flower beds and other ground-level ornamentation. Their housing is constructed from heavy-duty die-cast brass with an incorporated glare shield. Additionally, they are well-sealed with twin O-rings to assure watertight durability.