Best Outdoor Lights 2024: Wall lights to solar lights – British GQ

The best outdoor lights can make all the difference, whatever the season. From ensuring garden parties last well into the early hours, to providing a relaxing ambience on darker nights, outdoor lights are a crucial part of any garden setup. When chosen properly, outdoor lights can provide better lit, cosier spaces in which youll want to spend time. Ultimately, theyre a clever and easy way to help make your garden a proper part of your home.

Outdoor lights can serve a few different purposes, however, so while style normally does come first, its also worth keeping security in mind and making sure things are well-lit enough that you feel comfortable and safe walking around your garden at night (nobody wants to take a dip in a pool or pond after a few drinks at 1am). It may also be worth investing in a few different forms of outdoor light some spotlights or security lights for practicality on one hand, and ambient, aesthetic lights elsewhere, in order to style things up and elevate the feel of your garden.

Whichever style of outdoor lighting youre after, be it wall lights and smart lighting or fairy lights and stake lights, weve compiled a list of our favourite outdoor lights to buy this season, all from our favourite furniture stores. And, if you need some more garden and outdoor decorating inspiration, check out our guide to the best garden furniture.

Naturally, it depends on the building, its location, and its use. If youre near to your neighbours, then you should take the impact your lights might have on them into account be sure to check with them if youre going to have particularly bright or blue lights on at night, which could disturb them. Then, plan for the colour of light you want, and the height. Yellower light can feel gentler, but white light might be better for visibility if, for example, you want to install outdoor lights for security reasons. Lights at a low level are useful for illuminating paths, ponds or other features in a garden, whereas hanging lamps and wall lamps might be preferable for a patio with a dining table or other liveable areas.

In the same way that LED bulbs have now become the norm for Christmas lights, using them outdoors tends to be the best option. While other types of lights tend to overheat, which can be problematic if theyre near trees or leaves that could easily catch on fire, LED lights are designed to stay cooler, preventing any unexpected disasters in your garden as much as possible. Add in the fact that LED tech is usually more energy-efficient, and youve got yourself plenty of reasons why theyre the better option for outdoor use.

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If you're interested in more than just the style and aesthetic of your lights, smart lights are for you. While we can't say they're the most design-motivated lights in our guide, they're capable of far more in terms of functionality. Colour-changeable, with app connectivity which allows you to control the lights with your voice through Alexa, Google Assitant or Apple HomeKit, Philips' Hue lights are the leaders in this field, whether you opt for the spotlight version or the bolder light strips. Connect it all up and you'll have yourself one pretty incredible garden light show.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor Light

Philips Hue Smart Outdoor Lightstrip

Innr Smart Outdoor Spotlight

Wall lights actually vary quite a lot, whether by design style or just the way in which they illuminate a space. Contemporary, modern wall light styles tend to look more sleek and aesthetic, whereas more traditional ones can often bring a more vintage, rustic look. Some also come with more comprehensive features, such as those with a dimmable setting so you can change up the vibe depending on the occasion.

Philips Hue Inara Outdoor Wall Light

Argos Industrial Wall Light

Dr Johnson Outdoor Wall Light

String lights are one of the easiest ways to elevate your outdoor space, adding a fairytale-like quality thats instantly more welcoming and relaxing at the same time. They're more of an aesthetic choice than a practical one, as you don't really get that much light from a string, but they create an ambience in a way that few other light styles can.

4lite Festoon Outdoor String Lamps

John Lewis Solar Powered Line Lights

Solar Vintage Bulb String Lights

Stake lights are a great way to highlight individual parts of your garden, acting almost like a spotlight to draw your guest's eyes and attention to wherever they are. Use them to line your patio to create a relaxed, fireside vibe, or place them tactically where you have more exciting features to make sure everything is lit and visible. Torch-style stake solar lights can be perfect for bulk buying and scattering in a considered way around your outdoor space, and even better for anyone who lacks a mains power supply outside, as they run on battery and solar power.

TrueFlame Solar Powered Garden Torch Lights

John Lewis & Partners Eva Solo SunLight Solar LED Outdoor Stake Light

Flaming Torch Solar Powered Stake Lights

Garden lanterns can be fun to play around with, especially when they come in more unique designs like the John Lewis Harmony LED lantern. Hang a few tactfully in your garden or patio space and you'll instantly give it a touch of elegance. When choosing the right model to buy, take into account firstly whether or not you want it to have a built-in light like the colour-changing John Lewis one, or if you'd prefer to use candles (a slightly more risky option).

LUUK LIFESTYLE Designer LED Table lamp

John Lewis & Partners Harmony LED Colour Changing Outdoor Lantern

Sunna Solar Flame Lantern

While wall lights and stake lights can bring light to your patio or garden to create an atmosphere, if you're entertaining friends around a table for drinks or an evening meal, an outdoor table light can act as a centrepiece and focal point to make this area more inviting. Most outdoor table lamps are also designed with practicality and function at front of mind, with some being powered by solar light and others being cordless and chargeable, so you can move them around and take them inside with ease. If you're hosting a larger garden party or wedding, put one on each table as you would a candle and you'll instantly create a more intimate table setting.

Philips Hue Go Smart Portable Table Lamp

4lite Indoor/Outdoor Portable LED Table Lamp

Eva Solo SunLight Solar LED Outdoor Lamp

Many outdoor spotlights are designed to double up as security lights, but spotlights can serve a stylistic purpose, too. Wed recommend opting for a set of smaller spotlights and using them to highlight different features in your garden, whether its to line a path or to keep your flowerbeds lit up in the evening for guests to see. Some of our favourites are also designed to be energy efficient, using solar power to prevent any unnecessary cords or cables from running across the grass or patio.

Ebion Garden Pathway Landscape Spotlights

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Best Outdoor Lights 2024: Wall lights to solar lights - British GQ