Besides adding a touch of elegance or beauty to your front door, porch lights also have functional features. They’re extremely useful in keeping you from having to fumble through your keys, especially at night. They also create the illusion of someone being home, even if you aren’t, and therefore, help keep the burglars away.

Things to Consider When Buying Solar Porch Lights

Ensure you get your money’s worth by picking a solar porch light with the right features. Here are a few of the key features to look out for when hunting for solar porch lights.

Lighting Type

This goes hand in hand with where you want to install your porch lights and what type of brightness you want to achieve.

For example, if used mainly for decorative purposes, ambient light with a metallic accent works well mounted on a brick wall.

If using porch lights to help light up your front door, perhaps pick a brighter light or one with motion sensors is an ideal choice.

If you also use your front porch as a sitting area, you may want lights that can be mounted overhead. Another option is going for pendant-style porch lights or lights that shine at a downward and wider angle.

Weatherproofing

Since porch lights are mounted externally, choose ones that withstand weather conditions, paying particular attention to extreme weather conditions in your area.

If you live in a storm-prone state, pick one that has adequate waterproofing. For longer-lasting porch lights in wet conditions, choose one with IP65, IP67, or IP68 certifications.

If living in extremely sunny areas, pick porch lights with materials with UV protection. This will ensure your porch lights’ longevity and reduce the tarnishing effect of prolonged sunlight exposure.

Battery

In terms of battery, consider both charging time and capacity.

Ideally, go for porch lights that require shorter charge times but have a greater capacity to provide longer working light uptime.

Check also how much sunlight the battery needs. Some solar lights require full exposure to sunlight to fully charge. On the other hand, some still achieve full charge despite only being exposed to partial sunlight.

Solar Porch Light Frequently Asked Questions

Why are solar-powered porch lights better than electric porch lights?

There are many benefits of solar-powered lights over traditional, electric-powered lights. The most attractive benefit is that solar lights are cheaper to maintain than electric ones. The only cost is the initial purchase of the units. The rest is powered by the sun, so you don’t have to worry about how much it will add to your electricity bill.

Next, solar lights are more eco-friendly as they do not emit any carbon or greenhouse gases. And because energy is harvested from the sun, it is very sustainable.

How long do solar porch lights stay on? How long do they last?

The working time of solar porch lights depends on the manufacturer and the light’s battery status. In general, however, full-charged porch lights should last from 8-10 hours, which is enough to last through the night.

Again, in terms of their lifespan, this depends on the battery, manufacturer, and use. Generally, the batteries used in solar lights have at least two years in them before they need replacements. However, the LED bulbs on the solar lights are irreplaceable but can run up to 100,000 hours of use.

How do you clean and maintain solar porch lights?

Your product’s manufacturer would usually have specific instructions on how to care for your solar porch lights.

Regardless of the brand, remember to make sure that the solar panels are free of any debris or dust. This is important because the condition of your solar panels directly affects how much sunlight they can absorb. Therefore, it will directly impact how well and how long your solar lights work.

Generally, solar panels can be cleaned using soapy water, a clean, soft cloth, and sometimes soft-bristled brushes for stubborn debris. Another tip is to clean your solar panels either first thing during the day or just before dusk when they aren’t too hot.

Solar Porch Lights Reviews

1. Hmcity 120 Led Solar Porch Lights – 2 Pack (Top Pick)

Hmcity is an online retailer of solar outdoor lighting solutions, specifically landscape lights and motion lights.

A standout feature of the Hmcity solar outdoor lights is its strong and durable built. The entire casing is made of high-impact plastic, and the solar panel is composed of highly efficient monocrystalline silicon material. The units are IP67 certified. This means that they are not only waterproof, but they can also withstand water immersion for up to 30 minutes. This also means you don’t have to worry about damage despite exposure to extreme weather conditions such as heat, frost, and heavy rain.

The Hmcity is relatively bright. It has 120 high-powered LED bulbs with an impressively wide 270-degree lighting angle.

If security is your main purpose for installing porch lights, you would also love Hmcity’s PIR motion sensor. It is extremely sensitive and can detect movement up to 26 feet with a 120-degree detection angle. It triggers light for 30 seconds once motion is detected, which is enough time to light your way when walking from the car to your front door.

Hmcity also comes powered by an impressive battery pack. Its lithium-ion batteries have a charging time of only four to six hours under direct sunlight. This charging time is enough to provide a working time of over 12 hours. More importantly, Hmcity’s lifespan is advertised to last 30,000 hours, which is way more than the market average of 10,000 hours.

One criticism we have with this brand of outdoor solar lights is regarding its size. They’re not really major issues, but could be for some.

In terms of size, they are relatively small, so if you have a bigger front porch, you may need a few of these to achieve optimal lighting.

Overall, the Hmcity is a great choice for a solar porch light that can withstand all seasons’ extreme weather conditions.

Pros:

• Strong and durable built – IP67 certification, high-impact plastic, highly-efficient monocrystalline silicone.
• Compact yet bright – 120 LED lights with a 270-degree lighting angle.
• Sensitive PIR motion with 26 feet range and 120-degree angle detection.
• Impressive battery pack with charging time of only 4-6 hours.

Cons:

• Relatively small, so it may need a few units to light up a larger area.

 

2. SEZAC Solar Power Porch Lights – 6 Pack (Budget Pick)

Sezac is a Chinese-owned online retailer of solar lighting systems and seasonal decors, such as Christmas trees.

The best feature of the Sezac solar porch lights is their versatility in terms of lighting mode. It pretty much conforms with whatever mounting style, and the neutral design makes it suitable for most porch layouts. It comes with a single screw, which you can use to install either on walls, overhead or on posts. You can also use a strong-hold double-sided tape if your mounting surface would not take screws.

You can pick three different settings to suit your needs: dim light, strong light sensor, or motion sensor. Dim light allows the unit to automatically turn on and provide continuous dim lighting during the night. The strong light sensor does the same except that the light goes extremely bright for around 15-20 seconds once it detects motion. The motion sensor mode, on the other hand, only activates bright light when triggered by motion.

Speaking of motion sensors, the Sezac’s motion sensor ball head is extremely sensitive, detecting motion from 10-16 feet away. The motion sensor features helpful for finding the right keys to your front door or simply providing additional safety.

In terms of durability, the Sezac solar outdoor lights are made of strong ABS material and have passed IP65 standards. This means that the units are waterproof and resistant to dust.

Battery-wise, each unit is powered by 2000 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with strict quality assurance testing. The units require about 8-10 hours of charging to work the same amount of working hours in full, bright light.

Another great thing about the Sezac is that its solar panel design comes at an angle, maximizing solar energy absorption. This also means that you can mount it on your wall and not have to worry that it won’t get enough sunlight.

The same angle design was also captured in the lighting, as the solar lighting unit themselves create 120-degree wide-angle lighting. This means only one solar light unit is enough to cover your front door should you decide to mount it overhead. Conversely, if you wanted a brighter front porch, you can also mount one on each of your front porch walls.

Finally, considering the above features, the Sezac solar outdoor lights are relatively affordable and definitely are value for your money. By the way, the price is for a pack of six, as this brand of solar lighting is not sold in singles.

The only issue that we have with the Sezac is that there seems to be a slight discrepancy in the actual range of their motion sensor. Sure, their product description says 10-16 feet, and true enough, the six units we’ve tested fell within that range. However, they weren’t consistent. Some reached the maximum range of 16 feet, while some fell short, although still well within the advertised range.

Overall, however, the Sezac is the top contender for minimalistic, versatile lighting and affordable, motion-activated solar porch light.

Pros:

• Versatile lighting mode – three lighting modes to choose from, conforms to various mounting styles, and neutral design suits most porches.
• Extremely sensitive motion sensor – detects motion from 10-16 feet.
• Durable and IP65 waterproof certified.
• Powerful battery for size – 8 to 10-hour charge time.
• Angled solar power panel for efficient solar energy absorption.
• Angled solar light output for brighter lighting.
• Affordable and comes in a pack of six.

Cons:

Motion sensor range can be inconsistent between the units in the same pack.

 

3. BRIMMEL Solar Front Porch Lights

Brimmel is an Amazon retailer of outdoor solar lighting technologies.

Design is the winning feature of the Brimmel outdoor solar porch light. It comes in a simple yet elegant-looking rectangular lantern-like lighting fixture meant to mount on walls. The design elements are neutral and minimalistic. It will suit any type of front porch design.

The second thing that drew our attention towards the Brimmel was its impressive battery life. Powered by a single lithium-ion battery, it only requires 6-8 hours of direct sunlight exposure to achieve a full charge. This full charge lasts the unit a maximum illumination time of 10 hours.

Brightness-wise, the Brimmel outdoor solar wall lights are extremely bright at 600 lumen capacity at its brightest. If you’re only after dim lighting, don’t be too quick to dismiss the Brimmel as it allows you to choose from three lighting modes. The always-on mode keeps a steady 60-lumen night from dusk till dawn. The second mode does the same but then increases to 25-seconds of a brighter 240-lumen once motion is sensed. Finally, there is the motion only mode where 600 lumens of light are activated once motion is detected.

Switching the lighting modes is also super easy because the light modes are located on the unit’s front panel. The operation is very user-friendly without any complicated buttons or instructions.

The Brimmel outdoor solar light is made of aluminum material and is IP44 water-resistant. This means that your lighting unit is meant to stand the test of time and extremely rainy weather.

The obvious setback of the Brimmel outdoor solar light is its relatively expensive price. It doesn’t come cheap, but then again, it does look elegant and does its job lighting up your front porch.

Another downside is that they are only ideal for wall mounting, so this may not be the one for you if you’re after an overhead porch light.

Other than that, the Brimmel is a top pick if you’re wanting an elegant-looking, functional, motion-activated, wall-mounted solar porch light.

Pros:

• Elegant design – neutral and minimalistic, suits most front porches.
• Impressive battery capacity – needs only 6 to 8 hours to achieve a working time of 10 hours.
• Extremely bright with 600 lumens maximum brightness.
• Three lighting modes – 60 lumens, 240 lumens, 600 lumens, motion-activated, user-friendly switching mode.
• Durable, waterproof aluminum material.

Cons:

• Relatively expensive.
• Only suitable for wall mounting.

 

4. MAGGIFT Solar Porch Post Lights – 2 Pack

Maggift is also another Amazon retailer focusing on the solar outdoor lighting space. Among their most popular products are solar post lights, solar lanterns, and disk lights.

Price is the best feature of the Maggift solar outdoor lights and made it our value pick for this list. It is available either in packs of two or four and is significantly cheaper than similar products on the market.

Next to the price is Maggift’s classic design. These outdoor porch lights resemble a traditional lantern and would be the perfect decorative accent for your front porch. The lantern encasement comes in a neutral black shade, so you don’t have to worry about it clashing with your home exterior’s existing theme. It will simply blend in.

In terms of battery, the Maggift solar lanterns need two rechargeable AA batteries to work. A charge time of 6 to 8 hours is needed to achieve a working time of 8 to 10 hours.

 

Although the lantern material is primarily made of plastic, it is surprisingly sturdy and tightly sealed. It passed IP44 standards, which means it is waterproof and suitable for outdoor use and withstands snow or rain.

On the downside, the Maggift is probably not for you if you’re after extremely bright porch lights. Take note that these lighting units only have a maximum illumination of 15 lumens. But that is more than enough to give your front porch ambient lighting.

It also doesn’t have a motion sensor. So if you wanted a front porch light for security purposes, this might not be your best choice either.

In short, if you’re after an affordable yet decorative dimly-lit wall-mounted front porch light, the Maggift is definitely a top choice.

Pros:

• Affordable – comes in packs of two or four and is the cheapest in the market.
• Classic, decorative, and neutral design suits most front porches.
• Powerful and large capacity batteries with up to 8-10 hours of working time.
• Sturdy, tightly-sealed, IP44 waterproof plastic material.

Cons:

• Dim illumination – maximum of 15 lumens.
• No motion sensor.

 

5. Greluna Solar Powered Porch Lights – 8 Pack

Greluna is also another Amazon retailer with a slightly more diverse product range. In addition to solar lighting, they also offer flameless LED candles. The Greluna lights are sold in packs of eight and are available in white or yellow variants.

A selling point of the Greluna solar lights is its dual operation mode. You have the warm mode option, where you get either warm white or warm amber depending on the color variant you pick. You also have the color-changing mode, where the lights change into different bright colors. The second mode is great for adding a festive cheer to your front porch, especially during the holiday season.

Another admirable feature of the Greluna is its antique design, which would fit most front porch designs. It’s a great classic decorative lighting for any home, be it modern or traditional in design.

It’s not only pretty, but it’s also strong and made to last, too. It is made of high-quality ABS material that is waterproof, heat-resistant, and frost-resistant.

The Greluna wall lights are powered by rechargeable 1.2 bolt AA batteries that take about six hours to fully charge. The average maximum working time is around eight hours, which is pretty impressive considering its relatively small size.

Perhaps a drawback to the Greluna solar lights is that they are not necessarily the brightest set of porch lights out there. They also don’t have motion sensors, so they’re not an option if you’re after security.

Other than that, the Greluna is a top option for decorative wall-mounted lights that give your porch great ambient lighting.

Pros:

• Dual operation mode – choose from the still light or color-changing mode.
• Decorative, antique design that suits most porch designs.
• Strong, high-quality material that is waterproof and heat and frost-resistant.
• Powerful rechargeable batteries with full charge achieved at six hours.

Cons:

• Brightness may be inadequate for some.

 

6. iThird Solar-Powered Security Porch Lights

iThird is an Amazon store that stocks outdoor solar lights. The iStore LED solar-powered outdoor lights are suitable for your porch, yard, patio, garage, or driveway. It’s available in two light shades: daylight or warm white.

Although many of the solar porch lights featured on this list have multiple lighting modes, the iStore stands out for its indicator lights for each mode. The green button indicates a dim light sensor mode. The blue light indicates the sensor mode, while the always-on mode is indicated by the red button.

It also has a slight twist to its always-on mode. While most systems stay always on at a constant level of brightness, the iThird takes it a step further. In its always-on mode, it stays on with 80 lumens of light for the first five hours and then dims a bit to 40 lumens for the next five hours, which coincides with dawn through to morning. The sensor mode also takes it up a notch with the length of time it stays on. Like most sensor modes, it stays off, but as soon as motion is detected, an extremely bright 330 lumens of light is triggered and lasts 37 seconds. Finally, the dim light sensor mode keeps a constant dim light at 20 lumens without motion. Once triggered by motion, the illumination escalates to 250 lumens of brightness, again for 37 seconds.

When it comes to longevity, the iThird outdoor lights are made of waterproof materials that are IP44 certified. Its strong ABS and rustproof stainless-steel material also assure you that it can withstand other external elements apart from rain, such as sunshine, oxidation, and frost.

The only thing that’s keeping the iThird from being at the upper top half of our list is that its motion sensor range needs improvement. Although advertised as 3-5 meters sensitivity, we noticed that you do have to be fairly close to activate the motion sensor.

In summary, the iStore is a great solar porch light option if you like having multiple lighting options.

Pros:

• Various indicator lights to show the current lighting mode setting.
• Three lighting mode options with motion sensor and brighter or dimmer lighting options.
• Various levels of brightness from 20 lumens through to 330 lumens.
• Waterproof, rustproof, stainless steel material.

Cons:

• Motion sensor needs have a relatively short range for activation.

 

7. Mlambert Solar Porch Lights

Mlambert is an Amazon specialty store for various kinds of novelty lighting products. Some of their offerings include string lights, garden decor lights, table lamps, home decor lumps, and LED bulbs.

The Mlambert scone outdoor light’s unique feature is its flickering flame mode, which is the default continuous on mode for this solar porch light. This Mlambert solar light automatically turns on at dusk to flickering light, with a color similar to a burning flame. Once motion is detected within 3-5 meters, the light converts into a bright white light. This is great for providing better illumination as you walk towards your front door or scaring off potential robbers or intruders.

Apart from the flickering flame-like appearance, the external component and overall design of the Mlambert also make it an attractive decorative accent to your front porch. This lamp post like feature comes in a black exterior, so it will easily blend in with your existing exterior decor.

This solar porch light brand also has a highly efficient solar panel that is fully charged within only 6-8 hours. A running time of over eight hours is achieved for each fully charged AA battery.

Installing these beautiful units is also very straightforward. It comes with easy to understand instructions, and apart from a screwdriver, everything you need for installation is included in the package you purchase.

The only downside to the Mlambert outdoor solar lights comes in the design of its switch location. The switch for the device is located at the back panel. This means that you have to ensure you turn the switch on before mounting the device. Otherwise, you will have to undo the whole mounting process just to get the device to function.

The battery replacement panel is also located in the same location. The only consolation in this regard is solar batteries normally take years before they need replacement, so this shouldn’t be too much of a hassle in the shorter term.

Overall, the Mlambert is the only option out there for porch light with a flickering flame effect combined with a motion sensor that activates still bright light.

Pros:

• Unique flickering flame effect with a motion sensor that triggers bright light.
• Attractive decorative accent.
• Highly efficient solar panel battery with six to eight hours of charge time.
• Easy to install.

Cons:

• The on and off switch and the battery are located at the back panel – you have to unmount the device from the wall to alter the switch mode or replace the battery.

 

8. LOZAYI Solar Power Porch Lights

Lozayi is a significantly bigger Amazon store with a wider product range. Some of what they offer on Amazon include solar lights, cordless vacuums, home decor, vacuum seal machines, and so much more.

This particular product of Lozayi has a few standout features but let’s talk about the design first. If you also hang out a lot on your front porch, the pendant light design of the Lozayi may work best for you. This design makes it stand out from the outdoor solar lighting crowd and is perhaps only one of few, if not the only one, with this design. It’s a great focal point for your front porch.

The second selling point is probably the remote that allows you to control the brightness, switch, and lights’ timing.

Speaking of timing, this is another great feature of the Lozayi lights. You can control the amount of time it stays on. The standard times are 2 hours or six hours, but the remote has a time extension button that allows you to extend the time by an hour with every press.

Finally, we have to admire the solar panel design of the Lozayi. It’s relatively large at 6.5 inches, both in width and length, which means it can absorb more sunlight. It is also very rotatable up to 350 degrees, so you can adjust it and point it towards the strongest sunlight point. If that wasn’t enough, the solar panel comes with a 5 feet cable, which means you can mount it on the roof for optimum solar charging and still install the solar light just above your front porch door.

The only downside is that the Lozayi does wait for the environment to be dark to turn itself on. However, there is a quick fix for this. Simply cover the solar panels with a dark cloth, and this should activate the lights to turn on earlier than dusk. The only real problem is if your solar panel is installed on the roof. In this case, you may have to think of another solution or simply wait until dark.

Overall, if you want a unique pendant porch light or a remote-operated porch light, the Lozayi is a top option.

Pros:

• Unique, pendant light design.
• Remote that controls brightness, switch, and timing.
• Two different timing modes with the capability for hour-long extensions.
• Relatively large and adjustable solar power panel design for high efficiency.

Cons:

• Needs to be really dark for the unit to turn on.

 

9. Home Zone Solar Powered Porch Lights – 2 Pack

Home Zone Security is a Georgia-based manufacturer and retailer of LED lighting and home security devices. Their security solar wall lights are available in packs of 2, 4, 6, or 8 lantern-like lights.

As we’ve already mentioned, let’s talk about it just a bit more. The lantern-like design is just one of the appealing features of the Home Zone Security solar light. It very much resembles a lantern as it is designed to hook into a wall-mounted bracket. It’s another great option if you’re looking to add a decorative lighting fixture to your front porch.

It may look attractive and intricate, but installing it is pretty straightforward. No special wiring is required, and all the mounting accessories that you need are already included in your purchase.

These lighting units also seem to be long-lasting. The exterior shell and brackets are made of stainless steel material, sure to be rust-free. The LED bulb is also encased by a glass housing, which contributes to waterproofing, dust proofing, and weatherproofing the unit.

In terms of automation, this brand of solar lights operates with an auto-on sensor. This means that it remains off during the day as long as natural light is detected and automatically turns on at night.

A setback to the Home Zone Security solar wall light is that it’s a bit on the dim side when it comes to illumination. It only gives an output of 10 lumens, which is bright enough for ambient lighting but may not be bright enough for some.  It also lacks a motion sensor, but then again, it’s more of an ambient-setting porch light, so this is pretty understandable.

Overall, the Home Zone Security is another great option if you’re looking for a decorative dimly-light solar porch light.

Pros:

• Unique, lantern-like design.
• Easy to use and install.
• Long-lasting, heavy-duty materials.
• Auto-on sensory.

Cons:

• Dim illumination – only 10 lumens of output.
• No motion sensor.

 

10. Qwoo Solar Front Porch Lights – 2 Pack

QWOO is also an Amazon retailer but without a specific product niche. This is because their product offerings include desk fans, solar lights, selfie sticks, and more.

The QWOO falls on the relatively affordable price range when it comes to the solar porch light market. This, including the fact that they have an excellent warranty, was why they made it to our list. QWOO offers a 90-day money-back guarantee and a 12-month free replacement warranty on this particular product. This is always a great reassurance when making online purchases, so you know you can always get them replaced when you get faulty ones.

Hopefully, you may not need to, however. As the QWOO solar lights are meant to be of high-quality materials. They are also IP64 certified, which means they are waterproof and all sorts of weatherproof.

In terms of battery, this brand of solar porch lights is powered by 1200 mAh lithium-ion batteries. An average charge time is about 8 hours, and this should achieve a working time of 8-10 hours.

The only thing you need to know about the QWOO solar lights is that its meant to be warm-colored lights. Therefore, it won’t be too bright if glaring brightness is what you are after. It also doesn’t have a motion sensor, and the environment needs to be relatively dark for the light to be triggered.

In short, the QWOO is a good choice if you’re after a relatively affordable porch light with the most basic features.

Pros:

• Relatively affordable.
• Excellent warranty – 90-day money-back guarantee and 12-months free replacement warranty.
• High-quality materials and IP64 certified – water and weatherproof.
• Good battery capacity – 8 hours charge time to achieve an 8-10 hour working time.

Cons:

• Brightness may be inadequate if you want a glaring porch light.
• No motion sensor.

Conclusion

Solar porch lights are wonderful decorative accents and security features to your home’s front exterior.

While there may be many solar porch lights available, our number one pick for the best solar porch light is the Hmcity Solar Porch Lights.

Its versatility is simply unbeatable in terms of the variation in light setting and in mounting options. The neutral design also allows it to blend in with most front porch designs, adding more points to its versatility.

Its built-in motion sensor also adds to its value, elevating it to an affordable decorative, functional, and security-providing solar porch light.