7 Best Outdoor Lights (2025), Including Solar Lights | WIRED
Invest in the best outdoor lights, ... floodlights improve your security, and you can use spotlights to pick out features. I've tested all of these lights in my own yard—I won’t lead you down the garden path.... Invest in the best outdoor lights, and you can spend more time in your backyard partying, sipping a drink on your porch, or reading in your tent after the sun goes down. Outdoor garden lights and solar lights add ambiance, floodlights improve your security, and you can use spotlights to pick out features. I've tested all of these lights in my own yard—I won’t lead you down the garden path.These permanent color lights from Govee highlight your home's exterior and make it the talk of the neighborhood, instantly boosting its curb appeal. Each adhesive-backed spotlight can output up to 50 lumens in any color. The 16-foot strips have screw-on waterproof connectors and score an IP67 rating. Mine have been up through howling gales, snow, and torrential rain and are still securely fastened and working perfectly. DIY installation can be tricky (my window cleaner helped me), and some overhang is required to get the best from this exterior lighting because each light should be at least 2 inches away from the wall (4 inches is better).Twinkly Festoon: As a big fan of Twinkly, I was all set to love these festoon string lights with large color bulbs. At first they were great, adding some colorful atmosphere to my backyard, but they did not last long before developing faults. Some bulbs died off after allowing water inside, and eventually the whole string stopped working.Light up your backyard, porch, patio, or campsite with these WIRED-tested outdoor lights.
