In the evening, it's pitch black in your garden. It is probably impossible to extend your evenings with friends or to walk on your land.However, there is no question of pulling electrical cables and increasing your electricity bills with conventional lighting. Don't panic, there is a solution: the outdoor solar light. Floor lamps, spotlights, wall lights, the choice is vast.

How to choose an outdoor solar light? Its shape, its autonomy, its resistance to bad weather, its price, etc., will be criteria to be taken into account. Selection criteria, power, advice in case of breakdown, manufacture of a DIY solar lamp, you will know everything on the subject!

How to choose an outdoor solar light? The right criteria to look at

Whether in the middle of winter or in the middle of summer, the exterior lighting can change a lot of things. You can walk in the garden to enjoy the coolness that settles in slowly by following the solar terminals that you have installed, or even extend your conversations on the terrace with your loved ones until late at night.

Among all the models, you must choose the one that best meets your needs and is the most suitable for the environment of your garden. For this, you must take into account the following criteria:

1. The shape

It's all a matter of taste and practicality. Solar lights for outdoors come in a multitude of forms. Each will be more or less adapted depending on its destination:

• Solar street light: ideal in the middle of the lawn or on a Terrace for practical and pleasant mood lighting,

• Solar spotlights: they are the most beautiful effect arranged in the middle of the massifs. They illuminate and enhance them,

• Solar wall lights: they fit perfectly in front of a garage or a front door for optimal lighting,

• Solar terminals: they are perfect along a garden path to serve as a guide,

• Solar garlands: very decorative, they will find their place in the trees, on a pergola or along a wall to beautify the garden,

• Atypical forms: animals, sphere, cube, etc., designer lighting offers a touch of contemporary decoration to perfect an exterior.

2. Autonomy and power

It all depends on the use you want to make of it: rather practical lighting to find your way around in the dark, or rather mood lighting?

In all cases, an autonomy of at least 10 hours is recommended in summer and at least 3 hours in winter. On the power side, for optimal lighting, it is recommended to choose a lamp of at least 200, or even 300 lumens.

3. Durability

To survive the rain, it is obvious that your lamp needs to be waterproof. If you want to leave your lamp all year round in the garden, then the ideal is to opt for a material that is very resistant to cold and heat such as stainless steel for example.

4. The price

You will find solar lights at all prices on the market. Forget the low-end lamps under 20 euros, they usually have poor lighting and break down after a few weeks. If you want them to last one or two seasons, you will have to pay at least 30 euros. For more sustainable lighting, it will be necessary to invest at least 50 euros. The price of a solar lamp can range from $2 to over $150.

5. The lighting mode

Depending on your preferences, you can choose one of the following modes:

• Lighting ON/OFF: you press the button to choose the mode. In ON, the lamp turns on when it is dark and if the battery is charged. In OFF mode, the lamp remains off,

• Automatique: the lamp lights up on its own at nightfall and goes out on its own at daybreak or before if the battery is discharged,

• The motion detector: thanks to its sensors, the lamp lights up only when a person passes by.

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What LED power to choose for an outdoor solar lamp?

Lighting the exterior wall of his home is essential: you have seen it several times. Difficult to find your way in complete darkness, to open the front door or the garage if you do not have the slightest light nearby to illuminate you.

For this, it is necessary to pay particular attention to the power of your lamp so that it is perfectly suited to its use. Its intensity is measured in lumens:

• 250 lumens and more: they are the most powerful and the most commonly used for so-called security lighting such as entryways to houses or garages.

• Between 100 and 250 lumens: ideal for lighting a relaxation area, a meal, etc., such as the edge of a swimming pool, a terrace, a balcony, etc. The power is sufficient to illuminate, but is not dazzling,

• 100 lumens and less: ideal for marking out aisles or a garden stairs. The lamps do not illuminate, but serve as a guide in the garden.

Why is my solar light not working? 4 possible explanations

There are several reasons that can explain the malfunction of a solar light:

1. The lamp is off: this may seem obvious but it is common for the lamp not to work because the OFF mode is engaged. You just need to toggle the button to ON to make it work.

2. Protective tab was not removed after purchase: this is only valid for new lamps. It is common for a plastic tab to be positioned at the batteries. Shoot it and you're done.

3. The lamp or solar panel is poorly exposed: All it takes is tree leaves, a branch or a thick layer of dirt on the light sensors so that the battery cannot charge. Check the exposure and clean the lamp or panel so that the battery can charge with direct sunlight.

4. The battery is out of order: If, despite all your attempts to make your lamp work, nothing happens, it is likely that the battery is dead. In this case, run the warranty to have the product replaced or change the battery.

Batteries, batteries, ... how to recharge a solar lamp without sun?

In winter, the sun is more discreet and your lamp works poorly or not at all. But good news, even without the sun, it is possible to charge the battery:

• Use a mains lamp: place the light bulb near the sensor for several hours.

• The lamp has a USB port: just plug it into a power supply to charge the battery manually.

• If the lamp works with rechargeable batteries: If the batteries are flat due to the lack of sunlight, you can charge them on a electrical outlet with a specific charger.

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How to make an outdoor solar light yourself?

To save money, you can make your own solar lamp for the outdoors:

1. Get the necessary equipment

• A wooden pallet,

• A saw,

• A hole saw,

• A drill,

• A screwdriver,

• Of the exterior wood stain,

• Small solar lights,

• Stainless steel screws.

2. Cut and assemble the wood

Remove the wooden boards from the pallet and cut 4 boards of the same width, two of which are 60 cm and two are 50 cm long. Then take one of the 50 cm boards and screw the two 60 cm boards on each side. Place the last 60 cm board in front and screw to form a box.

3. Put on a hat

1. Cut out a last board, the dimensions of which correspond to the top of the box, to make a lid or a hat.

2. Use the hole saw to make a hole in the center of the cover and insert a solar light.

3. Screw the cover onto the top of your wooden box.

4. Make the finishing touches

To protect the wood from the elements, use a neutral or colored stain according to your preferences to cover the box and its cap. All you have to do is install your DIY solar light in your garden.