There’s nothing quite like exterior lighting brightening up an outdoor space at night. Nighttime illumination is something that has enchanted people for centuries. To this day, thousands will turn up to enjoy a light show or the turning on of Christmas lights in a town or city. Bringing a little bit of this magic to your own garden is perfectly possible, thanks to the huge array of garden lights available.

There is also the fact that garden lights provide a host of practical benefits; predominantly, they make your garden more accessible in the darker hours of the day. Light up pathways for easier traversal and illuminate garden features and ponds to improve the safety of your outdoor space. Lights also enhance the security of your garden, deterring intruders and enabling you to view areas that would otherwise be kept in the dark at night.

Working out which lighting is right for your property can be easy for some, but you may find it tricky to discover the best option to suit your particular needs. If this is you, you’ll find our guide helpful in assisting you when it comes to choosing the best exterior lighting products and accessories. Get the most out of your outdoor space well after the sun has set.

When purchasing new garden lights, it is important to get to know the different types of exterior light available for your garden. Different light models offer different benefits and features, with some designed for practicality while others prioritise style. We’ve covered some of the most common garden light varieties below, with some of their key characteristics:

Primarily for security and comes in a number of forms. Most commonly, they are wall-mounted, designed for placement on your garden wall or shed to protect the surrounding area.

• Designed to effectively deter intruders, usually by activating when they sense motion nearby. This can also be useful when deterring unwanted animals such as neighbourhood cats as well as foxes and badgers.
• Useful for lighting walkways and pavements and can therefore benefit passers-by as well as homeowners if placed near enough to the roadside of your property.
• Able to boost the value of your property, as well as surrounding homes, by making your local area more secure and less appealing to burglars.

• Specialised light fixtures designed for use on your garden wall, these variants often come with fixings to secure them into the mortar of your brickwork.
• They offer aesthetical and practical advantages in equal measure and can be used for lighting pathways or to accentuate architecture as well as garden features.
• Come in a number of shapes and sizes, as well as various fixing methods, though nearly all are designed to be permanently fixed to your wall.
• Increase a home’s curb appeal and be capable of deterring would-be burglars and intruders. Use as many as you want to create an impressive display, but keep in mind that these lights can look cluttered during the day if too many are used.

• Designed for use on and around decking, these lights are often directly secured to the timber that makes up your decking. In some cases, these lights are built directly into the deck, lying flush with the wood.
• Offer a great deal of visual appeal, while also providing you with an effective light source at all times of day. This means you can continue to use your deck well after the sun has set.
• Simple and straightforward to install, with the lights usually only requiring batteries or, alternatively, being powered by solar energy rather than a connection to your main electricity circuits.
• Mix and match with other garden lights to truly bring out the best nighttime look for your property, with these lights allowing you to enjoy other illuminations from the comfort of your decking space.

• A variant of the garden wall light, these light fixtures are designed for the face of brick walls, with many models also appropriate for use on garden steps. They tend to be less intense than some other garden lights (especially those purely intended for practical use), offering a great balance between functionality and visual appeal.
• Durable and long-lasting, often protected by strong builds that make them suitable for placement even on walls that experience a lot of exposure to environmental conditions such as strong winds and consistent rainfall.
• Some lights are solar powered, while others have a battery that will need to be changed or charged. A select few lights require a connection to the mains, and this needs to be done by a professional installer or electrician.

• Like brick lights, post lights are designed for specific placement – in this case, the post tops or lamp posts. They are used for a variety of applications, including the illumination of driveways, pathways, garden ponds, decking and patios.
• Elevated design that gives them increased visual appeal. Many of these lights come with posts which have been designed to suit garden designs and styles both traditional and modern.
• Installation methods vary, but some installations are as simple as inserting the post into the ground. Many of these posts are powered by batteries or solar energy. A few of the sturdier, more permanent models connect to the mains.
• Designed with durability in mind, any of these lights are built to withstand strong and torrential rain. Certain models are more hardwearing than others, including a heavier, thicker build and robust below-ground bases for securing deeper beneath the surface of your garden.

• Similar to post lights, but usually smaller. They are inserted straight into the ground thanks to the large spikes at the base of the light post. They are a more economical solution when compared to post lights, often costing a lot less.
• Don’t tend to be as durable or long-lasting. They also look less impressive during the day. However, they are highly practical and ideal for lighting pathways, garden ponds, and features.
• Incredibly DIY-friendly thanks to straightforward installation. They tend to be battery or solar-powered. While not usually as powerful as post lights, they boast a strong LED bulb that is more than efficient at lighting a considerably larger area.

• Installed flush with the surface of the ground, these lights provide subtle and effective illumination for a variety of garden areas. Like light spikes, they are designed with practicality in mind, though the results are visually appealing.
• Vary in power, size, and other factors. All should prove fairly durable once driven into the ground, though in some cases, care will need to be taken to ensure the lights aren’t struck and damaged by passers-by.
• Great for accent light, helping plenty of garden features to stand out from dusk until dawn. More lights offer greater light intensity but can look cluttered if too many are utilised. This can be avoided by purchasing more powerful ground lights.
• Have varied installation methods. Most of these products can be installed fairly easily, though in some cases they will need to be connected to the mains electricity.

When buying garden lighting, you may want to provide your home with additional security measures, or perhaps you would like to illuminate a pathway or outdoor area that will make nighttime navigation more straightforward. Other examples include curb decoration, creating ambience, or providing a more suitable atmosphere for outdoor gatherings.

Come up with a plan using your garden or outdoor area for reference, working out where you will place each light before making any purchasing decisions. It may help to have a look at what is on offer before making a final purchase decision. This will also give you a clear idea of what your budget will be.

The type of lighting technology built into your lights will affect their pricing. However, the more important aspect you’ll need to consider is the vastly different the two main market options – LED and solar-powered lights - function.

• LED – Energy-efficient and engineered to last, LED lights are a popular choice for exterior lighting due to their uniquely low energy consumption rates, as well as their notable durability. They are ideal for modern homes, offering plenty of light for a fraction of the energy cost of more traditional options.
• Solar-powered – These lights are supplied with built-in solar panels that charge during the day, and provide illumination at night, all without the need for wiring into your mains or any other electrical network. This makes these lights ideal for use in more remote areas of your garden, especially if these areas enjoy a fair amount of sunlight during the day.

Whenever you are shopping for garden lights, the question of light brightness is one of the most important. Brighter lights are ideal for additional security and deterrence purposes. However, if aesthetics are more important to you then you’ll want dimmer lights that can still offer illumination, but with more subtlety, ambience, and charm.

Dimmer lights are easier on the eyes and more attractive, and brighter lights are better suited for detection. If in doubt about factors such as light brightness, consider reading product descriptions and product specifications. This will give you a better idea of the power capabilities of your chosen lighting type.

Many garden lights include sensors and timers – motion sensor lights in particular make for the best security lights. However, decorative lights can also utilise this feature, which makes them more energy-efficient, and ensures that your garden is more accommodating to nocturnal animals.

Other lights (or, in some cases, the same models) come equipped with a timer. This feature is similar to a motion sensor, although it usually needs to be set, and the light will power off once the timer runs out. This is ideal for use when entertaining guests in gatherings that have a set start and end date. While they can be a feature on security lights, it is usually better to rely on the motion sensors.

Weather resistance is of course a crucial feature of garden lighting, but of course, some models are better suited to intense weather than others. Spike lights in particular may struggle in strong gusts, while ground lights are vulnerable to flooding. Consider the yearly weather conditions your garden experiences, especially out of summer, when the weather is at its most intense and unpredictable.

A good way to achieve peace of mind in regard to this issue is to look for lights with manufacturer guarantees. This way, you can be sure of brand quality, as well as gain a rough idea of the minimum lifespan of your light.

Some – but by no means all – outdoor lighting may require professional installation. You’ll need to consider this when working out your budget, as well as the best fit for your garden. Consider the availability of power sources and whether wiring needs to be done. Solar-powered lights eliminate the need for wiring but do require the need for exposure to sunlight throughout the day.

The budget of your lights will need to be set beforehand, as costs can quickly increase the more lights you invest in! Remember that investing in more expensive models can pay off, however, as these variants are often crafted using higher-quality materials and offer longer-lasting performances.

And that rounds up our buyer’s guide to garden lighting! We hope this guide has given you a clearer idea of what it is you desire from your exterior lighting products. This will in turn help you find the specific lighting option that works for you. Whether you are after a light to illuminate your prized topiary or perhaps want to entertain guests on your patio and/or deck long into the evening hours, there is a garden light for you – once you know what it is you are looking for!

Looking for more inspiration? Take a look at our wide range of product and project guides - covering an array of subjects from garden renovations to painting and decorating, installing stunning lighting set-ups to building out a kitchen or bathroom from scratch and much, much more. Take the leap today and start your DIY journey right here. For direct help and advice, you can also contact our award-winning customer service team.