When you have a relatively large outdoor area, and you want to light up your outdoor area, there are certain obstacles you can face. To install outdoor lights, you will need electric outlets spread across the outdoor area. But too many electrical outlets can make the outdoor area look weird, and in rainy seasons, there are high chances of the outlets getting damaged. That is where battery-powered lights can be useful. Battery-powered lights do not need electrical outlets.
In fact, solar-powered outdoor lights are the best. Their batteries get recharged in the morning due to sunlight falling on them, and they are weather-proof. But the question is can you install the regular battery-powered lights outdoors? This is because the batteries of such lights can get damaged in different weather conditions. In this article, we will cover all the points you need to know about battery-powered lights for the outdoor area.
Can you Use Battery Powered Lights Outdoor?
Yes, you can use battery-powered lights outdoors, and they are a popular choice for many outdoor settings due to their flexibility and ease of installation. Here are some considerations and advantages of using battery-powered lights outdoors:
- Portability: Battery-powered lights are highly portable, allowing you to place them anywhere without needing access to electrical outlets. This makes them ideal for garden paths, patios, or anywhere remote from power sources.
- Ease of Installation: Since no wiring is required, battery-powered lights can be installed quickly and easily. This is particularly useful for temporary setups like parties or seasonal decorations.
- Safety: Battery-operated lights are generally safer than electric lights for outdoor use, as there is no risk of electric shock from exposed wires, especially in wet outdoor conditions.
- Variety: There is a wide range of battery-powered lights available, including string lights, lanterns, pathway lights, and motion sensor lights, suitable for different aesthetic and functional purposes in outdoor spaces.
- Weather Resistance: When choosing battery-powered lights for outdoor use, ensure they are rated for outdoor use. Look for lights specified as waterproof or weather-resistant to withstand elements like rain and extreme temperatures.
Drawbacks of Battery-Powered Outdoor Light
Even though battery-powered outdoor lights are great for outdoor installation, there are some drawbacks you should be aware of.
- You need to protect the batteries of outdoor lights from weather conditions if they are not well-protected.
- You need to replace or recharge the batteries from time to time.
- You need to turn on and turn off the lights manually by visiting each light.
You can use solar-powered outdoor lights to avoid recharging batteries. There are also outdoor lights that turn on and turn off as per outdoor lighting conditions. They have light sensors or timers to turn on and off automatically.
Different Types of Battery-Powered Outdoor Light
The battery-powered regular outdoor lights are getting replaced by battery-powered LED lights. LED lights are brighter and energy-efficient and therefore, the batteries can last longer. There are motion-sensor lights available that turn on after detecting motion. Therefore, they save battery by staying off when not required. There are weather-proof outdoor lights that you can place anywhere without any shade. Here is the list of the different types of battery-powered outdoor lights.
Weather-proof string lights – These are automatic lights that stay on for six hours and stay off for the rest of the time of the day. They operate based on AA batteries that you need to change from time to time.
LED Spotlights – These are motion-activated lights and LED lights are extremely bright. You can assume them to last for a year with 10 activations per day on average. You can mount them on the wall conveniently.
LED Rope Lights – They are very much like strip lights and they have multiple colored lights. In fact, some of them are as long as 50 feet and they can have multiple lighting modes and multiple brightness levels. They operate based on AA batteries.
battery powered lights outdoor – These lights are brighter than LED spotlights and they are motion-activated lights. They stay on for 20 seconds after detecting motion and these lights are powered by D-cells.
If you are going to use AA batteries for lights, you should purchase rechargeables so that you can use them for years.
Battery-Powered Solar Outdoor Lights
If you are considering purchasing outdoor lights that are battery powered, you should opt for solar outdoor lights. Contrary to regular belief, solar outdoor lights are not very expensive in comparison to regular battery-powered outdoor lights. In fact, they are more economical in the long run. There are several advantages of solar outdoor lights that make them the best choice for outdoor lights.
Advantages
- Solar outdoor lights need one-time investment. They run electricity-free and there is no need to purchase batteries.
- They are very little maintenance once installed and they operate automatically by getting recharged themselves in the daytime.
- Solar outdoor lights are weather-proof with extremely high lifespan and they can have any light including LED lights.
- They are environment-friendly as there is no carbon emission and sunlight gets converted to power thanks to solar panel.
Disadvantages
The only disadvantage of solar outdoor lights is that you have to place them perfectly so that the solar panels get ample sunlight during daytime. If you live in an area where the weather stays cloudy for a number of days, the lights can run out of battery and stop lighting up after a few days until sunlight returns.
Types of Solar Outdoor Lights
Just like regular outdoor lights, there are several variations available in solar outdoor lights. This could come as a surprise to many but check out the following types of solar outdoor lights.
Solar security lights – These lights are motion-activated and they can deter any person breaching the security of your area at night. They also have the option to mount solar panels externally and hence, you can place the lights anywhere while keeping the panel where the sunlight is ample.
Solar pathway spotlights – These lights have solar panels built into the lights. They are great for landscapes, pathways, driveways, gardens, and sidewalks.
Wall-mounted LED solar lights – These lights are motion-activated with a wider motion-detection angle. You can mount them on the wall vertically and the light spread angle is also going to be wide.
Solar stair lights – Stair lights are more of decorating lights that you can use to illuminate steps and stairs. You can also use them over your walls to highlight borders as well as along the pathway.
Conclusion
To answer the question “can you use battery-powered lights outdoors?” is obviously yes. They can be far better than the traditional outdoor lights that need electric wiring and outlets. That is why battery-powered outdoor lights are more convenient and economical in the long run. You can place them anywhere and it is better to opt for battery-powered solar outdoor lights among all the different variants.
