Will you have a night outdoor activity or need lighting for emergencies?
Will you spend time with your family at night in your garden, deck, patio, porch, or courtyard?
If your answers are yes, outdoor lanterns are a must-have to bring a warm and cozy ambiance and an essential lighting source.
Here are the best large outdoor solar lanterns you can buy in 2024:
- Best Overall: Exhart Green Solar Lantern
- Best For Courtyard: TAKE ME Solar Lantern
- Best For Deck: Smart Solar 3960KR1 San Rafael II
- Best For Patio: Solar Lantern Lights Metal Sunwind
- Best For Porch: LampLust outdoor solar candle lantern
- Best For Garden: Steady Doggie solar lantern
| 6 Best Large Outdoor Solar Lanterns | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Exhart Green Solar Lantern | |
Best For Courtyard | TAKE ME Solar Lantern | |
Best For Deck | Smart Solar 3960KR1 San Rafael II | |
Best For Patio | Solar Lantern Lights Metal Sunwind | |
Best For Porch | LampLust outdoor solar candle lantern | |
Best For Garden | Steady Doggie solar lantern | |
Best Overall: Exhart Green Solar Lantern
Well made
Eye-catching
Stylish
It's possible to crack and break if you don't install it carefully.
For me, Exhart green solar lanterns are beautiful, useful, and durable decorative lights for indoor and outdoor spaces.
As mentioned, glass is not an ideal choice to put outside. These solar lanterns are made from high-quality and durable glass, which can withstand environmental elements such as snow, rain, and wind.
What's the best part?
This product is beautiful from the inside out. Just look at the picture, you can see how pretty this teardrop-shaped lantern is. The outside features the unique metal leaf frame, which makes a contribution in producing a delightful pattern of light. Meanwhile, there are firefly LED accent lights inside. As the name suggested, when turning on the lanterns, it seems that the lantern is holding many fireflies in the sky.
| Exhart Green Solar Lantern Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 7" L x 7" W x 24" H |
Color Temperature/Lumen | warm white |
Highlight Features | An inverted teardrop shape |
These lanterns are durable, bright, and beautiful from the inside out.
Best For Courtyard: TAKE ME Solar Lantern
Environment-friendly
Sturdy
Very bright
Beautiful
A bit expensive
Why does TAKE ME Solar lantern work best for the courtyard?
The courtyard is an open-air area without being covered. So, how can you turn on the lantern if it's raining outside?
Whether it's a nice day or rainy, snowy, windy day, TAKE ME doesn't require you to go out of the house to press any "button". When the sun sets, this lantern will turn on automatically.
In this case, you are worried about another problem, right? Will the weather elements damage this lantern? No. It's weather-resistant, especially, there is no wiring, which quickly leads to issues abut electricity in wet conditions.
This place is usually decorated with some elements such as paved areas, benches, especially many plants.
Will your trees catch fire through this lantern?
No, you can rest assured about the TAKE ME's LED Flickering flameless candles.
| TAKE ME Solar Lantern Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 5.51”(L)*11”(H)*5.51”(W) |
Max. Working Time | 8 hours |
Color Temperature/Lumen | Warm white |
Highlight Features | Solar Panel |
This product comes with many convenience features for open and large space.
Best For Deck: Smart Solar 3960KR1 San Rafael II
Automatic to turn on and off
Good price
Without the right assembly, the ring hanger at the top will leak.
A deck is usually an open outdoor space without having a roof. Thus, if you are looking for lighting for this place, you should consider Smart Solar 3960KR1. The lantern is made from weather-resistant poly plastic material. Whether it's rainy, windy, or snowy outside, the pillar candle and amber LED inside still work very effectively.
Most decks are made from composite wood material or popular woods such as pressure-treated pine, cedar, and redwood, despite different designs. This material can easily catch fire through a traditional lantern. However, this is not the case of Smart Solar. The pillar candle is safely kept inside by the durable plastic lantern. Even you go foul of it, and this model won't be broken.
| Smart Solar 3960KR1 San Rafael II Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 6. 60" L x 6. 60" W x 15. 00" H |
Max. Working Time | 8 hours |
Color Temperature/Lumen | warm white |
Highlight Features | Weather poly material |
This is a safe solution for wooden spaces.
Best For Patio: Solar Lantern Lights Metal Sunwind
Energy-saving
Eco-friendly
Very bright
Durable
Cute
Not suitable for extreme weather
Quick to rust
A patio is usually paved with bricks, stone, or concrete, so the surface is not as even as the wooden surface. So, you need Solar Lantern, which is made from a durable metal material. It can firmly stand on a rough surface even while withstanding the influence of wind.
Everyone usually uses this area for dining and recreation. Therefore, you need to prepare some essential items:
Outdoor furniture (table and chairs) - Check
Your beautiful plants and pots of flowers - Check
Do you forget anything?
Of course, it's a warm and cozy atmosphere. The excellent combination of magnificent copper wire and 30 warm white LEDs in the metal lanterns helps you create a romantic and fairy space. When turning on the model, it looks like several fireflies are flying around you.
| Solar Lantern Lights Metal Sunwind Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 5.4"(D)*11.4"(H) |
Max. Working Time | 8 hours |
Color Temperature/Lumen | 3000K/Warm White |
Highlight Features | Durable metal construction |
These lights can help you create a romantic atmosphere.
Best For Porch: LampLust outdoor solar candle lantern
Portable
Beautiful
Well made
Easy to adjust thanks to a remote control
Not suitable in a big area
Although a porch is a covered shelter projecting in front of your house, this is limited space. It's straightforward for the rain to be lashed the porch, so water-resistant features are essential. The LampLust is made from a water-resistant resin material, which can withstand light rain, wind, and even snow. Moreover, this is also a safe solution for a wooden porch because it's flameless.
With the dimension of 5.5"D x 11"H, this lantern is small enough to be put in a little porch, saving plenty of floor surface.
| LampLust outdoor solar candle lantern Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | Lantern: 5.5"D x 11"H (with handle ring extended) 13"H, Candle: 3"D x 4.5"H |
Max. Working Time | 4-8 hours |
Color Temperature/Lumen | warm white/ 2200 Kelvin |
Highlight Features | LED bisque candles |
These lanterns are a perfect and practical choice for a limited area.
Best For Garden: Steady Doggie solar lantern
No assembly required
Sturdy
Adorable
- None
Your garden concentrates the most dangerous elements with a traditional lantern. Due to not being covered by walls, this place welcomes all light and significant rain, strong wind, to snow.
This is why you should choose Steady Doggie, which brings maximum safety because of its weatherproof material.
A place without a roof like the garden is also a big advantage for this lantern.
Why?
It is integrated with innovative technology. In your garden, choose a position exposed to the sun, then put this model there. The solar panel will convert sunlight into power to run this lantern.
| Steady Doggie solar lantern Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 5.5 x 5.5 x 11 in. |
Color Temperature/Lumen | warm white |
Highlight Features | An indoor or outdoor weatherproof solar candle lantern |
In a place without a roof, this product can maximize its performance.
How To Choose The Best Large Outdoor Solar Lantern?
Your Purpose
Usually, there are 4 expected uses as follows:
Emergencies
Practical lighting for patios and gardens
Camping
Decoration indoor or outdoor
If you need lighting for extreme sports or rugged outdoor activities, I strongly recommend using a lightweight, durable, and waterproof lantern. Conversely, you want to buy a lantern in anticipation of emergencies in the future like power outages and disasters, right? It's better to invest in a durable and collapsible lantern with additional features. For example, they can be an alternative charging option to use on low-sunlight days. Meanwhile, carrying straps and clips allow you to use an outdoor solar lantern as a pseudo flashlight.
Some solar lanterns are decorative items, which are used to highlight your garden areas. When choosing these types of models, try to pick up durable products without breaking. They should be designed with auto on/off functions, saving energy when not in use.
Exposed Environment
The outdoor solar lanterns could be exposed to many environments such as frost, dust, wind, and water. If you are not careful, your model could be damaged.
In general, any outdoor solar lantern is designed to withstand regular wear and tear, such as light rain, dirt, and dust. However, even you invest in the highest-quality solar lantern, and I don't recommend you put it in flooding condition or an easy-to-get tumbles.
In the case of camping, hiking, moving in an extreme climate, or emergencies, certified waterproof lanterns are an ideal solution. Or at least, you should choose hard plastic or vinyl materials instead of glass material.
In case you need lighting for summer barbecuing in your garden, the top priority should be the water-resistance.
In fact, solar panels are susceptible. So, not all solar lanterns are designed to put up with the cold climate with regular frosts. If where you live has below-freezing weather, you must ensure that your lanterns won't crack or malfunction in this condition.
Battery Life
The solar lanterns run based on the sunlight, so you can't charge them anytime with an electric power source. No matter what you do, you still get a dead battery on cloudy days. Therefore, the longer the solar-powered battery life is, the better it is.
The solar lantern's average battery life is about 8-10 hours. In some rare cases, reliable solar lanterns can illuminate for up to 24 hours. After fully charging during day time, your lanterns will light all night long.
Additional Features
Depending on your needs, you can consider a lantern with one or more extra useful features below:
Waterproof casing
Solar power banks
Different light modes
Appearance and Design
The primary function of the outdoor solar lanterns is to add lighting and cozy ambiance. So, many users and buyers don't care about the product appearance and design.
However, if you use these lanterns to decorate your garden, backyard, and patio, choosing a suitable lantern with your style is very important. If you have a modern-style patio, you can invest in LVJING or LampLust lanterns. Besides, there are Arabic styles, vintage types, and traditional models.
Lumens
These are the scientific measurement of lantern brightness. Generally, the lumens will range from 5 lumens for decoration purposes to 40 lumens for practical purposes.
If you don't know how to convert lumens to watts, here is it:
50 lm = 8W
30 lm = 5W
15 lm = 25W
5 lm - 08W
Material
The common material of solar lanterns is plastic. It can put up with frequent transportation and weather fluctuations. Thus, it's ideal for putting plastic lanterns in wet and dusty areas.
But, this type of material comes with some drawbacks: susceptible-to-damage feature, sensitive solar panel, or delicate wiring.
If you want to add lighting in your backyard, decorative high-quality glass lanterns work better and more effectively. This material is more durable to withstand a lot of environmental damages, such as erosion or decay.
Which Brands Make The Best Large Outdoor Solar Lantern?
Exhart
This family-owned and the operated business company sell a wide range of distinctive indoor and outdoor home decor. With 30 years of experience, this market leader ensures their customers have high-quality products with unique designs (from classic, rustic, to wack, even whimsical).
Smart Solar
Smart Solar is a flagship brand, selling a wide range of exclusively solar-powered models. There are solar garden decor products such as stake lights, string lights, tabletop lights, hanging lights, and statuary. And you can also buy solar functional lighting such as wall lights, spotlights, and path lights.
Sunwind
Sunwind is famous for its high-quality outdoor products thanks to the professional management team and R&D technical team.
LampLust
LampLust has applied the latest technology, styles, and trends to provide its customers with the best lighting solutions at an affordable price.
SteadDoggie
Stead Doggie was found in 2015. It specializes in manufacturing high-quality home & kitchen, sports & outdoors, lawn & garden, and patio products.
FAQs
How many solar garden lanterns are needed to light an average size yard?
Before solving this problem, we have another question, "what is the average size yard?"
According to HomeAdvisor, it is about 10 square feet in the US. I will answer the question based on this information. If your yard is bigger or smaller this size, you can change the number of solar lanterns.
If you want to make a super bright yard, you had better use high-lumens lanterns (over 20). In this case, you need at least 5 solar lanterns per 10 square feet.
How to place solar hanging lanterns around your backyard?
You can consider 3 following ways:
The first one is the simplest method, spreading all of your lanterns on your backyard in a sitting position. Or you can put them on a small wooden board installed on the wall. No matter what way you applied, these lanterns don't fire up your garden.
Next, this method is helpful for solar camping lanterns. What you have to do is to put your lanterns on the garden's walls or exterior sides by using loops or metal handles. After that, you will hang them by using moldable glue or installing hooks.
The last way is for string lights. You can cross wires of the solar LED lanterns through your yard, hang them using the hooks or clips on the top of the lantern.
Can solar lights be left outside in winter?
You can leave your solar lights outside in winter.
Are outdoor solar lights waterproof?
The outdoor solar lights can't withstand all temperatures. In particular, you shouldn't leave a glass solar light outside if there are heavy rain and snow. Furthermore, it's effortless to be damaged in windstorms and extreme storms.
Should you turn solar lights off at night?
Whether it's night time or day time, you should turn your solar lights off when not used or stored. This way helps you preserve battery life.
Conclusion
The best large outdoor solar lanterns are a perfect solution to bring lighting for your space. You can use them as decorative items to beautify your garden, patio, porch, deck, and courtyard.
Harry RamosI’m Harry Ramos, who's crazy about all things green. I’m here to share some experience in my gardening adventure and how to choose the best products for your garden. Let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and celebrate the simple, earthy pleasures of the garden together!
