The right lighting can take any space from drab to dazzling in just minutes. And a garden is no different. During the day, any colourful blooms elevate the space while the sun is out, but the moment it gets dark in the evening, it's like a switch has been flicked and the space can look dreary.
But that's where some decent lights for the garden can really be a life saver. And these days there is no shortage of options either. With the cost of living soaring, solar is always sensible, because you'll get some illumination without the hefty bill at the end of it all. Currently KOOPER Outdoor Solar Lights are £26.99 on Amazon, reduced from £29.99, for a four pack.
Just how do you know they'll burn brightly though? Well, they're equipped with large capacity batteries and they have high quality monocrystalline silicon solar panels, which means you get brighter lights that charge faster. These can last for up to 8-12 hours if they've had a good 4-6 hour charge in the sun. They are waterproof, so if the weather isn't great, they're built to withstand rain, snow or sleet, and given they are made of corrosion-resistant ABS material (plastic which means it doesn't corrode the way metal would), they are made to last.
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Installing them is straightforward. Firstly, there are no long cords to get tangled in or to fuss with, you just push them into the ground. They have a built-in light sensor too so they automatically turn on when it gets dark and turn off when it gets lighter. So if you want to pop them in your garden, flowerbed, yard, path or along a pathway (who hasn't hankered after a well-lit walking path that looks like something out of a movie?), they are plenty versatile.
If colour is your go-to and you want something that'll make a great snap for Instagram, and be a talking point, then Argos has the Garden by Sainsbury's Colour Change Solar Lights, a pack of 18, for £20. These colourful solar lights have integrated bulbs and their battery is recharged via the solar panel. But their real draw is that they emit multicolours so bring on the rainbow of brightness.
Elsewhere, going for a more traditional option, The Range has Solar Mini Festoon String Lights currently for £5.99. And you'll get 30 LEDs in a retro bulb design, along with a solar panel which will charge all day.
But the Kooper lights have earned a few fans on Amazon, with a 4.4 average rating out of close to 300 reviews. A five-star review said: "Easy to assemble. Excellent bright light. There are two stakes so you can have two different heights if wished. Looks lovely on either side of the path. So far they have survived the rain and wind". One person liked them so much, they went back for more as they explained: "Absolutely brilliant, smart looking and lovely shine, very pleased, so much so I bought a further 2 sets!".
For another person, they returned to these because they're so good, as they said: "I reordered again, I have tried others and they just don’t last and have cost more than this set…great quality great product".
One buyer had issues with brightness and said: "When the lights arrived I assume the batteries were reasonably well charged. First night the lights came on and were still on at bedtime. Second night they were definitely getting dim within 5 hours. Night 3 they only stayed lit for about 2 to 3 hours. I accept that a cloudy day in November is not good for solar power but if you want these for year round use you may well be disappointed." Someone else said: "Not as big as I wanted".
Size checking is crucial, but if your garden needs a bit of a hand being its brightest at night, the Kooper solar lights could add that pizzazz.
