Performance will never be an issue with these solar post lights. The Mini London incorporate advanced lighting technology, including high efficiency solar panels and high brightness SMD light bulbs, which work together to deliver a lighting output that is twice as bright offered by the average solar post light.

Fairy lights: Think of the lights on a Christmas tree - they have small, dim LEDs, narrowly spaced along a wire, and are ideal for decorative lighting.

This set of two lights comes with an IP67 rating, meaning it's waterproof and will even keep dust particles out. Its 90 degree beam angle creates a more focused spotlight, and the spotlight head rotates 90 degrees vertically and 180 degrees horizontally, giving you more control over what the light shines on.

The Mini London solar post lights are the latest addition to our most popular solar-powered lighting collection. As such, they meet strict quality and performance standards in fact, they set a new standard in the world of solar-powered lighting. The solar string lights are meant to be durable with their shatterproof material and Brightech's WeatherTite technology. While no official waterproof rating is given, this technology is designed to help the lights handle 50 mile-per-hour winds along with rain and snow. They're also resistant to temperatures as hot as 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The bulbs are made of plastic, but one tester said they are "clear, pretty, and don't seem cheap."During testing, we subjected the lights to our water, freezer, and golf ball tests—and they passed all three. They turned on upon impact with the golf ball but turned off afterward and worked as usual. Overall, these are the best solar lights if you're looking for ambient patio lighting.

Choose from three lighting modes including a dim, continuous light without motion sensing for 12 hours; a medium-bright, continuous light for six hours; or a bright, motion-sensing light. We found switching between modes a bit challenging at first, but it became much easier with time. Stake lights: These tend to be spiked stakes with bulbs at the top that provide low-level lighting, ideal for guiding the way along a path or softly lighting flowerbeds. We found the lantern to be top heavy, so it's worth noting that you'll need to properly secure the lantern to a post. It may take a bit more work, but the style, lighting, and functionality will be worth it.Why You Should Get It: If you'd like a sturdy motion-sensing solar light, our testers found this to be one of the best solar lights in this category. We put 27 outdoor solar lights to the test in our testing lab in Des Moines, Iowa. Expert testers evaluated lights based on their quality, brightness levels, dusk-to-dawn sensors, and motion detection abilities, if relevant. We also put the lights through durability tests, placing them in the freezer, sprinkling them with water, and dropping a golf ball on them to see if they held up.

The best outdoor solar lights have a battery that can eventually be replaced if it stops working. "Technically, solar lights require rechargeable batteries to act as storage for the electrical energy collected from the sun," Jameson says. Why You Should Get It: Their IPX7 rating means they can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes, making them very water resistant.Shapelights have been designed to work year round in the UK using solar power alone, but they can also be fully charged using the supplied USB lead in just a few hours. USB charging is not necessary if variable illumination times in winter are acceptable, but USB charging every couple of weeks will keep your Shapelight working for the full 7 hours every night whatever the weather. Please note that the bright white and bright warm white colours use more power than the standard 8 colours so runtimes in these two colour modes will be reduced. They'll still work on cloudy days or in areas with indirect light, but you might notice that they aren't quite as bright or long-lasting. "It is a fact that energy storage is much better if it's under direct sunlight, but solar lights can still work with rain or even snow," Jameson says.