No yard is ever complete without well-lit garden pathways. And for that, solar lights are a fantastic option.
The impressive thing about using these lights is that you won’t need to stress yourself about running any wiring.
What about shaded paths, though? That’s no problem, too; you just need to find the right product.
To help with that, we searched the market for the best solar path lights for shade.
Comparison Chart
Best Solar Path Lights for Shade: Brief Reviews
1. Ring Solar Path Light, 2-Pack
First up is a two-pack solar path light from Ring. Compared to others, these lights boast smart features.
They come from a select product line designed and developed specifically to help keep you and your neighborhood safer.
Review
These solar lights are the most expensive to make it to this list, but if you keep reading, you’ll quickly see why we picked them.
Unlike the other dusk-until-dawn outdoor lights here, these are much more advanced.
Firstly, they feature both motion sensors and light sensors.
This makes them ideal for shady pathways, saving energy when you’re not using the path.
For your convenience, they will automatically switch on at dusk.
However, they will operate on Dim mode until they detect motion, which would trigger them to switch to Bright mode.
And with 80 lumens of light output, the Bright mode is indeed bright.
In other words, your pathways will still be lit decoratively when not in use and then be even brighter when in use.
So, if you really need to be able to see where you’re walking, these are the lights for you.
On top of all these, they have smart features that allow you to control the lights remotely from an app, as well as get alerts when they’re triggered.
Each unit runs on a 3.7V 18650 lithium-ion battery.
The solar panel on top of the light trickle-charges it during the day so that it has enough juice to light up overnight.
If your area doesn’t get enough sunlight to recharge the battery, you can simply remove the detachable top and charge it via a Micro USB cable.
Pros:
- Motion as well as light sensors
- Offer the brightest illumination of all lights featured here
- Control the lights via smartphone
- Great safety feature
- Can withstand below-freezing conditions
Cons:
- Most expensive solar lights on this list
- Modern design may not suit everyone’s taste
2. Beau Jardin Pathway Solar Lights, 8-Pack
For pathway solar lights that offer tremendous value for money, check out this option from Beau Jardin.
Beau Jardin manufactures a range of house and garden products available online and in major retail stores.
Review
These solar pathway lights come in packs of eight, giving you more bang for your buck with each purchase.
Each piece is 16.54 inches high and has stainless steel and rugged ABS plastic construction.
To top it all off, it also features a watertight diamond glass light shade.
Add to that an IP65 waterproof rating, and you can be sure these lights are rustproof, durable, and weather-resistant.
However, if you live in an area prone to flooding, this rating is not good enough to last underwater.
Since these lights are completely wireless, they come ready to install straight out of the box.
You’ll like that they are shaped like a stake at the bottom, so you can just drive them into the ground.
Each light has its own solar panel on the top, which converts solar energy into power and stores it in standard AA NiMh (rechargeable) batteries.
These batteries are easy to find and can easily be replaced every few years when needed.
When fully charged, these solar lights will provide between eight and 10 hours of continuous light.
In the shade, these lights are unlikely to charge fully every day, so you should expect the operating time to be shorter.
They offer automatic dusk-until-dawn operation, switching on as the sun starts to set and turning off when the battery runs out or when dawn breaks.
The light itself is white, advertised at six lumens output, but they seem a lot brighter than this.
When used in the shade, the light output is considerably dimmer.
To address this issue, you may have to position these lights closer together than you normally would.
If you have an uneven pathway, or the path is usually very dark at night, these Beau Jardin lights might not be right for you.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Cast a pretty light pattern
- Quality, durable build
- One-year warranty
- Free returns and replacement parts
Con:
- Not the brightest
3. TomCare Flickering Flame Solar Torches, 4-Pack
TomCare is a China-based brand that designs, develops, and manufactures popular household and office products.
To add a bit of character to your paths, you might want to consider these Flickering Flame Solar Torches from TomCare.
Review
These outdoor solar lights look very different from the ones from Beau Jardin.
As the name suggests, they resemble old-fashioned torches and are particularly elegant and stylish.
They are also partly made of quality ABS plastic. And to ensure they survive outdoors, each light has a rust-resistant finish.
These lights are also IP65 rated, making them weather-resistant enough to withstand changing conditions.
Installation is easy, as you simply drive them into the ground like you would a stake.
What makes them stand out is that they are 39 inches tall and have an adjustable height.
These lights have more efficient solar panels on them, too. When fully charged, the batteries can give you 10 hours of continuous operation.
We estimate that these lights would provide around five hours of light if operating in the shade.
The lights themselves are amber-colored and designed to look like real flames, which add a beautiful ambiance to your outdoor space.
Keep in mind that the amber light operating on a less-than-full charge won’t be as bright as white lights would be.
These are also double the price of the Beau Jardin lights, and you only get four in each package.
Pros:
- Elegant and stylish
- Will stay lit for longer
- Adjustable height
- 45 days money-back guarantee
- One-year warranty coverage
Cons:
- Not as bright as other solar lights
- Won’t be within everyone’s budget
4. XMCOSY+ Solar Pathway Lights, 4-Pack
These solar lights are designed and manufactured by Hong Kong solar experts XMCOSY+.
This brand strives to produce reliable and smart lighting products that will help accentuate your outdoor space.
Review
Back to our classic dusk-until-dawn-style solar lights, this option from XMCOSY+ is more similar in design to what Beau Jardin offers.
The solar panel on these lights covers a large area to maximize energy absorption and utilization.
They are well-built out of stainless steel and plexiglass.
And with aluminum stakes instead of plastic, their durability is better than many garden solar lights.
The light emitted from these solar lights is also much brighter than most at 40 lumens.
What’s impressive is that this illumination is adjustable anywhere between 10 and 40 lumens, which is a really nice touch.
The product is rated IP65, so it’s perfect for outdoor use.
You will find that the battery is larger than usual, which means they should stay on for longer than many other brands.
Expect these lights to give you impressive service even when charging in the shade.
Pros:
- Cast a pretty light pattern
- Quality, durable build
- Dimmer switch included
- Shock- and vibration-proof
- Bigger battery capacity
Cons:
- Not as budget-friendly as others on this list
- Only come in packs of four
5. Gigalumi Solar Pathway Lights, 8-Pack
The last set of solar pathway lights to make it on our list is from Gigalumi.
This brand sells a range of solar path lights online, and you’ll like that this pack is the most budget-friendly option on this list.
Review
These lights follow the classic garden pathway light design. They also emit a pretty light pattern on the ground like the ones from Beau Jardin.
Each light offers a decent 10 lumens output. In reality, though, they don’t seem to be quite this bright.
Even so, you’ll easily notice that they have a solid construction.
Unfortunately, they are only rated IP44. Essentially, this means they are only splash-proof but not completely weather-resistant.
If you’re happy to put your lights away in winter, these will work fine.
However, if you see a lot of rain throughout the year, you might be better off looking elsewhere.
The only real issue is the IP44 rating; everything else is top-notch, including a good battery that charges quickly.
When charged in full sunlight, the battery charges very quickly in just four to six hours and lasts around eight hours.
Charged all day in partial shade, you could expect anywhere between four and six hours of light, which will cover you for much of the evening.
You also get a premium warranty and great customer service.
Pros:
- Most budget-friendly option on this list
- Charges quickly
- Decent battery life
- Premium warranty
- Great customer service
Cons:
- Not completely weatherproof
- Not as bright as advertised
What Are the Best Solar Pathway Lights?
After much deliberation, it’s easy to see that the best solar path lights for shade are the ones from Ring.
For each pack, you will get two pieces of solar pathway lights you can use anywhere in your garden.
The best part? Each one produces 80 lumens of output on Bright mode. At the same time, you also get to enjoy both motion and light sensors.
Because these lights boast smart features, they are considerably more expensive than the other options. Unfortunately, such a high price point makes them unobtainable for many people.
Compared to these pathway lights from Ring, Beau Jardin’s lights are much more reasonably priced.
With free replacements for parts and warranty coverage spanning one year, we think they offer incredible value for money.
