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Best solar garden lights 2025, tested and reviewed
How our tests find you the best
Weathering
Each solar light is left hanging in our test garden over multiple winters to reveal which ones last, and more importantly which ones don't.
Deep freeze
As if the great British winter isn’t bad enough, we also douse each light with water and put them in a freezer at -16°C, to see if they survive.
Brightness
Solar post lights should shine bright in the dark, but not all do. We test the lumens and check how long it shines after minimal sunlight.
We also test...
durability - we tug on wires, drop them, knock them over and even bash them against a garden fence.
The best garden solar lights from our test
We've been testing the best garden solar lights continuously in all weathers for five years, and we've found that particularly harsh winters can easily spell the end for sub-standard solar lights.
However, all five of our Best Buy solar lights score an impressive 100% and will easily make it through the cold season. All you need to do is pick between the colour and number of bulbs you're looking for.
We've tested solar post lights, too. Both of our Best Buys – the Suri 365 London XT Solar LED Post Light and the Suri 365 Dartington Solar LED Stake Light – are bright enough to pick out a path down your garden and will last into the early hours of the morning, even after the shortest day of sunlight.
Compare our results and prices at a glance in our table below, or read on for our full reviews.
| Garden solar lights | Price | Score | Waterproof | Survived a winter outside | Survived bashing and pulling | Light colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy: Elan Solar Fairy Lights - Warm White 200 LEDs | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50013813 | 100% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Warm white |
| Best Buy: Lumify USB Solar Fairy Lights - Warm White 300 LEDs | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50009059 | 100% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Warm white |
| Best Buy: Lumify USB Solar Vintage Bulb Lights - set of 20 | SQUIRREL_TEXT_12882751 | 100% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Warm white |
| Best Buy: Powerbee Endurance Solar String Lights 200 White | PowerBee (£34.99) | 100% | Yes | Yes | Yes | White |
| Best Buy: Shoreham USB Solar Rope String Light Powered By Leaf | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020496 | 100% | Yes | Yes | Yes | White |
| Lights4fun 200 Warm White LED Solar Fairy Lights Clear Cable | Lights4Fun (23.99) | 92% | No | Yes | Yes | Warm white |
| Lights4fun 20 Warm White Carnival Solar Festoon Lights | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50009063 | 88% | Yes | No | Yes | Warm white |
Date tested: we first tested some of these lights in February 2020, and they've been hanging in our test garden ever since. Each time we retest, we add more new lights, so some haven't been out in the cold and rain for as long as others. They have all been tested through at least one winter, though. Page last checked: April 2025. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
Best Buy: Elan Solar Fairy Lights - Warm White 200 LEDs
Our score and verdict 100%, Some of the best fairy lights we've tested
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Nice warm white glow
Cons
- Relatively expensive
Most recently tested March 2022
Need to know 200 lights, 20 metres long (2 metres to the first light, then 20 metres of lights), USB chargeable as well as solar, claimed battery life of up to 10 hours, two light settings, warm white light.
These are a good set of lights that survived all our tests, including a winter outside, sharp tugs on the wires, freezing temperatures and regular soakings.
The lights emit a nice warm white glow and will last year after year.
They don't shine for as long in the winter as the PowerBee Endurance lights though, which also passed all our durability assessments.
Best Buy: Lumify USB Solar Fairy Lights - Warm White 300 LEDs
Our score and verdict 100%, Tough as old boots
Pros
- Highly durable
- Work in low light
- USB chargeable
Cons
- Expensive
Most recently tested March 2022
Need to know 300 lights, 30 metres long (2 metres to the first light, then 28 metres with bulbs evenly spaced), USB chargeable as well as solar, eight light settings, warm white light.
We added these fairy lights to our test in 2022, and they survived one of the coldest winters in recent years in our test garden.
They've also survived every other durability test we've put them through, including sharp tugs on the wires, a deep freeze at -16°C, repeated soakings and lots of bashing against a fence post.
They're expensive, but you do get 30 metres of cable. The solar charger is also good enough to keep the lights on throughout winter. These lights were often still shining at midnight, even in January.
You also have the option to charge the lights with a USB charger, if you want to top them up during the darker months.
Best Buy: Lumify USB Solar Vintage Bulb Lights - set of 20
Our score and verdict 100%, Best bulb lights on test
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Shine all winter
Cons
- Expensive
- Wide distance between each light
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know 20 lights, 14.4 metres long (1.9 metres to the first light, then 14.4 metres, with bulbs spaced at 80cm), USB chargeable as well as charging from the sun, claimed battery life of 12 nights from a full USB charge, eight light settings, warm white light.
The traditional-style plastic bulbs may look delicate and sophisticated, but that hides an inner steel. These lights survived five consecutive days of sub-zero temperatures, a night in the deep freeze at -16°C, being bashed against a fence, firm tugs to the wiring, a five-minute heavy deluge in a shower, and being fully submerged in a bucket of water for an hour.
Subsequently, they've also survived four years attached to a garden fence, in all weathers. After all of this, the lights still work and there are no visible signs of damage.
They also work in low light over winter. They don't stay on for as long as the PowerBee lights, but on most nights, even in winter when it gets dark early, they last for at least eight hours.
Each bulb has a tiny hole drilled into the bottom, which allows any water to drip out – an excellent design feature. The bulbs on other lights we tested tended to fill up with water over time.
The ability to charge these lights through a USB port is also a welcome feature, as it helps them to keep going over winter. One thing to watch out for is the relatively long distance between each of the bulbs (80cm), which might make them unsuitable for some of your outside lighting projects.
Some online reviews suggest that these bulbs aren't as bright as other solar lights, but we didn't find that to be the case. They're just as bright as the other solar lights we tested, but it's important to remember that solar lights are decorative, rather than for proper illumination, as you can see in the image of the lights on our playhouse above.
Best Buy: Solar String Lights 200 White PowerBee Endurance
Our score and verdict 100%, Longest lasting fairy lights
Available from PowerBee (£34.99).
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Work in low light
- Shine all winter
Cons
- Large solar panel might put some off
Most recently tested April 2023
Need to know 200 lights, 20 metres long (2 metres to the first light, then 20 metres), claimed battery life of 8-12 hours in the summer and 3-10 hours in the winter, eight light settings, white light.
This set of garden lights comes with a large solar panel, which is a little bigger than an A4 sheet of paper (twice as big as most others we tested).
PowerBee says this larger solar panel means the lights should stay on for longer, and that they'll work over winter, which not many solar lights are claimed to do. We've found this to be spot on. These lights have been shining brightly around a tree in our test garden for four years now; they're often still shining brightly in the early hours of the morning (6am), even in the depths of winter.
You get 2 metres of cable before the first light, and then 200 LED lights over the next 20 metres of cable.
This is the best set of LED solar fairy lights we've tested, and based on how they've fared in our tough tests, with more than four years outside, we think they're durable enough to make it through even extreme winter conditions.
Best Buy: Shoreham USB Solar Rope String Light - Powered by Leaf
Our score and verdict 100%, Super-durable lights
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Bright lights
- Rope has the effect of a continuous string of light
Cons
- Don't last as long in the depths of winter as some others we tested
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know 10-metre rope light with a natural white glow, can be charged by USB, turns off automatically after seven hours, white light.
These lights are very durable, surviving everything we could throw at them over the winter months.
The rope effect looks wonderful, providing a continuous stream of light, rather than evenly spaced dots of light more common with other fairy lights we've tested.
These lights switch off automatically after seven hours, but we found that in the depths of winter they might only last four or five hours if you charge them solely with the sun.
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Lights4fun 200 Warm White LED Solar Fairy Lights Clear Cable
Our score and verdict 92%, Good lights but some signs of corrosion
Available from Lights4Fun (£23.99)
Pros
- Lights shine brightly
Cons
- Failed durability tests
Most recently tested April 2022
Need to know 200 lights, 19.9 metres long (3 metres to the first light, then 19.9 metres), claimed battery life of up to eight hours during the summer, It's recommended you store the lights away over the winter, eight light settings, warm white light.
It only took six weeks for these lights to start showing visible signs of corrosion on the wire underneath the plastic coating, but they did still work.
They survived a shower, a deep freeze, tugs on the wire and being roughly bashed against a fence. But they failed the tougher water-resistance test, where they were submerged in a bucket of water for an hour. Water is able to seep into the charging unit, pooling around the battery and internal wiring.
While these lights might shine brightly in your garden for a while, we suspect that many sets won't last too long, and you'll see visible signs of corrosion on the bulbs in only a few weeks of cold and wet weather.
In fact, they broke not long after we left them in our test garden in 2020. Instead of these, consider the Best Buy Elan fairy lights.
Lights4fun 20 Warm White Carnival Solar Festoon Lights
Our score and verdict 88%, Nice lights but they fill up with water
Pros
- Inexpensive and they look pretty
Cons
- Failed some durability tests
- Don't last long over winter
Most recently tested April 2022
Need to know 1.75 metres of cable to the first bulb, then 3 metres of cable, 20 bulbs, warm white light.
We added these lights to our test in 2022, but they didn't survive the winter.
After a few months, the button to turn them on and off had seized up, and there were visible signs of corrosion where the wire enters the solar charger.
Because of this poor durability, we can't recommend them.
Instead, we love the Best Buy Lumify Vintage Bulbs, which are a cut above these.
Camden USB Solar Cluster Fairy Lights - 640 LEDs
Our score and verdict 84%, Weak wiring
Pros
- They look good
- Survived most durability tests
Cons
- Weak wiring
- Not cheap
Most recently April 2025
Need to know 3 meters of cable followed by 7.8 metres of lights, USB charging available, 640 lights in total.
A short, sharp tug on the wiring spelled the end of these solar lights.
They look pretty, but we don't think they'd survive long in your garden. Plus, you'd need to be very careful when putting them up that you don't inadvertently pull the wiring out of the solar charger.
Instead of these, consider the Best Buy Elan fairy lights.
Elan Solar Dandelion Lights
Our score and verdict 84%, Pretty but fragile
Pros
- Attractive soft light
Cons
- Not durable
- Not good in low light
Most recently tested April 2022
Need to know 2 metres of cable to the first bulb followed by 9 metres of bulbs, 30 bulbs, warm white light
These lights look attractive, but when we added them to our test in 2022, they didn't survive the winter.
Half the string of lights stopped working after a particularly cold and windy spell, so we can't recommend them.
Instead, we love the Best Buy Lumify Vintage Bulbs, which are a cut above these.
Smart Solar Firefly Solar-Powered Warm White 100 LED
Our score and verdict 84%, Wiring isn't robust enough
Pros
- Attractive soft light
- Not expensive
Cons
- Wiring is weak where it enters the solar charger
- Wire is easy to tangle
- Charge doesn't last long over winter
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know 2 metres of cable to the first bulb followed by 100 LEDs, warm white light.
These lights won't survive rough treatment: they broke when we gave the wire a sharp tug where it enters the solar charger.
The wire that these lights is attached to gets tangled easily. We also found that these lights didn't last very long into the evening over winter.
Lights4fun Bubble Solar Fairy Lights
Our score and verdict 69%, Died in their first winter
Pros
- Relatively low cost
Cons
- Not good in low light
- Not durable
Most recently tested April 2022
Need to know 3 metres to the first bulb followed by 3.9 metres of bulbs, 40 bulbs, warm white light.
These lights were added to our test in 2022, but they didn't survive the winter.
Not only did they not stay twinkling for long once the sun had gone down, but by midwinter they had developed an intermittent flash, or pulse, caused by some dodgy wiring.
Argos Home 200 Warm White LED Solar String Lights
Our score and verdict 59%, sub-standard
Available from Argos (£15)
Pros
- Relatively low cost
Cons
- Failed durability tests
- Don't stay on over winter
Most recently tested April 2022
Need to know 200 lights, 10 metres long, battery life is unstated, two light settings, warm white light.
We had doubts about these lights as soon as we got them out of the box. You could see a small amount of exposed wire as it entered the solar charger.
Despite this flaw, these lights did survive most of the durability tests until we gave the wire a sharp tug, at which point it disconnected from the charger, breaking the lights.
Up until this point, they had survived a winter in our test garden in 2020, but we don't think they'd last much longer, unless you were extremely careful with them.
The Range 300 LED Solar String Lights
Our score and verdict 59%, Destined for landfill
Pros
- Survived most durability tests
Cons
- Weak wiring
- Signs of corrosion
- Not great in low light
Most recently tested April 2022
Need to know 31.9-metre length, 300 lights, warm white.
These lights were added to our test in 2022 and survived most durability tests, including the deep freeze and saturation.
But the wiring is weak, and came out of the charger after a sharp tug. We also noticed signs of corrosion on some of the bulbs after a harsh winter outside.
The solar charger also isn't particularly effective, which meant the lights didn't shine for many hours in the depths of winter.
Instead of these, consider the Best Buy Elan fairy lights.
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The best solar post lights from our test
Compare our results and prices at a glance in our table below or read on for our full reviews.
| Garden solar lights | Price | Score | Brightness | Survived a winter outside | Battery life | Pack size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy: Solar Centre 365 London XT Solar LED Post Light | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020531 | 95% | Yes | 1 | ||
| Best Buy: Solar Centre 365 Dartington Solar LED Stake Light | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020532 | 90% | Yes | 1 | ||
| Great Value: Nipify LED Solar Lights | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020533 | 85% | Yes | 4 | ||
| Lavenham Solar Garden Lights | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020534 | 75% | Yes | 4 | ||
| Gardenwize Pack of 4 Solar Powered | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020535 | 60% | Yes | 4 | ||
| London USB Solar Post Lights | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020536 | 48% | No | 2 |
Date tested: October 2024 to April 2025. Page last checked: April 2025. We're not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
Best Buy: Solar Centre 365 London XT Solar LED Post Light
Our score and verdict 95%, Longest-lasting post light
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Lasts all night even after charging on short winter days
- Bright, attractive post light
Cons
- Doesn't give out as much light as our other Best Buy
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know Pack size 1, warm white light
This solar post light survived a whole winter in our test garden, enduring sub-zero temperatures and plenty of rain. It also stood up to some considerable rough treatment, being knocked over and dropped multiple times.
The most impressive thing about this solar light is how much charge it can hold. Even after only a short day of winter sun, it's well capable of lasting all night.
Best Buy: Solar Centre 365 Dartington Solar LED Stake Light
Our score and verdict 95%, Bright and beautiful
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Lasts well into the evening after only a short charge
- Brightest light we tested
- Attractive to look at
Cons
- Doesn't last as long as our other Best Buy
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know Pack size 1, warm white light
This solar post light is a little more ornate than our other Best Buy, but it's just as durable. It survived all winter in tough, cold and wet conditions, and stood up to rough treatment, too.
It's the brightest solar light we tested and gives off enough light to illuminate a garden path, or the edges of decking. It doesn't quite shine for as long as our other Best Buy, but still shone for eight hours after a short day of charging in bright winter sun.
Great Value: Nipify LED Solar Lights
Our score and verdict 85%, Bargain solar post lights
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Lasts well into the evening after only a short charge
- Great value
- Attractive to look at
Cons
- Doesn't last as long as our other Best Buy
- Not quite as bright as some
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know Pack size 4, warm white light
You get four solar lights in a pack, making them a bargain compared with our Best Buys, and a good pick if you need lots of lights.
These lights are durable and will withstand tough outdoor conditions, as well as rough treatment.
After a short sunny winter day, they still lasted seven hours into the evening when we tested them. They also give out a decent amount of warm white light.
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Lavenham Solar Garden Lights
Our score and verdict 75%, Flash in the pan
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
- Look smart and shine brightly
Cons
- They don't stay on for long in the winter months
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know Pack size 4, warm white light
These lights are bright, but they just don't last as long as some of the best we tested, only shining for an hour and a half into the evening after a bright winter day of sun.
That said, they look smart and will survive rough treatment and harsh winter conditions. They'll shine for longer in the summer months, but only 90 minutes in the winter is a bit stingy.
Gardenwize Pack of 4 Solar Powered
Our score and verdict 60%, Cheap and tacky
Pros
- Survived all durability tests
Cons
- They don't stay on for long in the winter months
- Look cheaper than others we tested
- They don't shine very brightly
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know Pack size 4, white light (blueish)
We weren't massive fans of these solar lights. The light they give off has a blueish hue and isn't as bright as most of the other post lights we tested. It also didn't shine for long in the depths of winter, compared with others on test.
They're pretty durable and survived all our tough test conditions, but we don't recommend them.
We'd suggest choosing our Great Value picks, the Nipify LED Solar lights, over these.
London USB Solar Post Lights
Our score and verdict 48%, Unreliable
Pros
- Decent battery life
- Pleasant warm white light
Cons
- One of the lights stopped working
Most recently tested April 2025
Need to know 2 pack, warm white light
These lights came in a two pack, and unfortunately one of them didn't survive the winter. After a couple of months the light stopped working, and there were visible signs of corrosion on the solar charger.
The other light worked well, staying on for many hours after the sun had set. But because one of the lights in the pack stopped working, we can't recommend them.
Instead of these, consider the more reliable Best Buy Suri 365's.
How we test solar garden lights
We know that solar garden lights have an issue with longevity. They just don't last long enough, and too many end up in landfill too quickly.
That's why our tough tests simulate the types of conditions that solar fairy lights and solar post lights might endure over a few harsh British winters.
We regularly revisit the solar garden lights on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing, and when we find them, we do so.
Water ingress
This is a common cause of failure. We subject each set of lights to a 10-minute deluge in a shower and submerge them in a bucket of water for an hour. Some bulbs and chargers fill with water and stop working.
Freezing temperatures
After each of the water ingress tests, the lights are put dripping wet into a freezer overnight, at -16°C.
Weathering
Our Best Buy lights have been working perfectly well in our test garden for the past three years. In September 2022 and October 2024, we added a new batch of lights and solar post lights, and the best of those are still working. While lots of solar fairy lights fail this test, the solar post lights are mostly quite hardy – we've only had one failure to date.
Rough treatment
We tie one end of each set of lights to a fence post and bash it against a fence 20 times. We also give the lights a tough tug along the length of the cable and where the cable enters the charging station. This is the biggest cause of failure in solar fairy lights, so make sure you don't tug them while putting them up.
For solar post lights we drop them, knock them over, and 'accidentally' kick them, to test their hardiness.
Brightness
For each of the solar post lights, we measure the amount of light they produce in lumen. Some give off enough light to softly illuminate a path in your garden, but others are fairly weak and purely decorative.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.
Do solar lights work in the winter?
Yes. The best solar lights will still give you light in the winter, although how long the battery lasts will vary.
Some of the lights we've tested are good enough to shine all the way through to the morning after charging on a short, sunny winter day. But some lights will only last for about an hour after a full day of charging in the sun.
Do solar lights need direct sunlight?
Ideally, yes. Your lights will only be charging properly if they're in direct sun. To get the best from your solar lights, find a spot for the charger that's in direct sun for at least part of the day.