39+ Different Types Of Solar Lights And How To Use Them

One of the easiest ways to go green and reduce your carbon footprint is to opt for solar lights.

The solar lights industry has dramatically evolved over the past few years and now we have over 39 types of solar lights with various models, sizes, efficiencies, and powers.

There is a solar light type for almost everything. Some can be used for accenting, some are very powerful that can illuminate extremely dark areas, some for decorating, and even some are used for security to scare off intruders.

Too many types and too many uses, but don’t worry, in this article, we will go through the most commonly used solar light types. So let’s dig in.

is made specefic uses and in this article we will go through some of the most commonly used types.

1. Solar String Lights

Solar string lights are usually used for outdoor and indoor decoration.

They are a great way to add a more festive ambiance to your home without worrying about high electricity bills or cords hassle.

As for all solar lights, they are eco-friendly and won’t hurt the environment or cause any sort of pollution.

But the best thing about them is that they are very inexpensive and you can install them within minutes.

Here is a list of the most common types of string lights:

A. Solar Fairy Lights

There is no better way to celebrate holidays than decorating your home with festive lights.

This solar light type is famous for its twinkling light that will create a magical effect and draw a smile on your face whenever you look at it.

They are available in many bright colors, shapes, and sizes making them perfect for Christmas decoration.

Related Article: Best Solar Christmas Lights Review

B. Solar Net Lights

Solar net lights are just like fairy lights, the only difference is that net lights are specially made to cover more space making them perfect to decorate your mesh, bush, and tree trunks.

You can also use solar curtain light to decorate your walls and patio, which makes your home look more like a fairy tail.

The come in various sizes but the most popular ones are 9.8 x 9.8 feet, 9.8 x 6.6 feet, and 15 x 5 feet that will suit all your decoration needs.

Related Article: Best Solar Net Lights Review

C. Solar Vintage Festoon Lights

This solar string light type is mainly used to illuminate patios, gazebos, and pergolas.

These lights will create a bistro ambiance that will soothe and relax after a long day.

They also give off just the right amount of light to make sure you can enjoy the evening with people you like without disturbing your neighbors or attracting annoying bugs.

Further, most solar vintage lights come with dual charging feature that allows you to charge your lights using either solar panel or USB cord allowing you to use your lights indoor as well.

Related Article: Best Solar Pergola Lights Review

2. Solar Path Lights

If you are looking for an eco-friendly way to illuminate your pathways, then this solar light type is specially made for you.

These solar lights are very stylish, cheap, durable, and available in many different shapes and sizes that will suit all your preferences.

One of solar pathway light best advantages is that they can be installed virtually anywhere.

All you need to do is to turn on the right switch, spike them into the ground, and enjoy up to 12 hours of continuous bright lighting at night.

Here is a list of the most common types of path lights:

A. Solar Walkway Lights

This type is mainly used to illuminate your sidewalks, so you can see where you are going and avoid tripping.

It’s also perfect for walking your dogs at night, late grocery trips, and of course, decorating your home.

Some of these lights are great for decoration as they give off a very nice

Related Article: Best Solar Walkway Lights Review

B. Solar Driveway Lights

Any path light can be used to illuminate your driveways. However, it’s not recommended as you can accidentally run over them.

For this reason, solar companies manufactured extremely durable solar lights that can withstand up to 20 tons of pressure.

In other words, these lights wont break even if a car run over them.

C. Solar Spotlights

Spot lights are mainly made for the purpose of illuminating landscapes and home decor.

Solar spotlights are the best way to highlight your house without disturbing your neighbors or causing a hassle of cords. 

You don’t need any sort of cords or outlets. All you need to do is to install them and they will automatically light when it’s dark.

Related Article: Best Solar Spotlights Review

D. Solar Flickering Flame Tiki Torch Lights

This one of out all time favorite decoration ideas that will turn any eyesore into a beautiful focal point.

These solar tiki lights are a safe alternative to torch flames and they are so real looking that you might think they are actually on fire.

You can use them around your pool, deck, patio, or even garden to enjoy the cozy feeling of fire camps.

Related Article: Best Solar Tiki Torch Lights Review

3. Solar Deck Lights

Solar deck lights aren’t only known as a very reliable source of illumination at night.

In fact, they are one of the best ways to decorate your outdoors and add more liveliness to your home.

They are very cost-efficient and available in many shapes and light intensities so you can create the rich effects you have always wanted

Related Article: Best Solar Deck Lights Review

4. Solar Fence Lights

This solar light type is great to illuminate your property without outlets or expensive electrical wiring.

You can easily mount these eco-friendly lights either with screws or double-faced tape to create an amazing atmosphere for your house.

Further, these lights are super bright, yet, they won’t cause any glare or light pollution that disturbs wildlife.

Related Article: Best Solar Fence Lights Review

5. Solar Post Lights

Post lights are a way to add relaxation and sophistication touch to your yard without breaking your back.

Solar post lights are available in many different shapes, features, sizes, and powers that suit everyone’s taste.

Here is a list of the most common types of solar post lights:

A. Solar Post Cap Lights

This solar light type is designed for your deck and fence post caps.

Whether you have a 4×4, 5×5, or a 6×6 post, these lights will tightly sit on the top of your post giving off a very warm and cozy ambiance all night long.

Related Article: Best Solar Post Lights Review

B. Solar Pillar Lights

`These vintage lights will add a touch of class and elegance to your outdoors.

They look very authentic and eye-catching during the day, and at night you will enjoy their very calm ambiance that will soothe you after a long day.

6. Solar Stair Lights

Solar step lights are the best way to light up and create rich effects on your walls, stair sides, steps, patio, or even pool sides. Go crazy!

These cute lights are bright enough to illuminate the surrounding at night while adding a touch of style to the place. 

Related Article: Best Solar Step Lights Review

7. Solar Wall Lights

From its name, you know that these lights are designed to illuminate your walls and add more security to your home without suffering from high electricity bills or annoying wiring.

Here is a list of the most common types of solar wall lights:

A. Solar Flood Lights

These solar light types are commonly used to illuminate big areas such as backyards, playing fields, theatres, and concerts.

They give off a very bright light that can fully illuminate a basketball court.

You can find solar flood areas in many different shapes and levels of power that will help you to light up the darkest of areas.

B. Solar Security Lights

These solar lights are equip[ed with powerful motion detectors that only light up when someone walks by.

For this reason, these lights are used as security lights to scare off any unwanted guests.

You can easily mount them in a few minutes and thanks to their big batteries they can operate from dusk to dawn without any extra cost.

Related Article: Best Solar Security Lights Review

8. Solar Hanging Lanterns

This is a very great option if you want to add a more romantic and fancy feeling to your home without suffering from cords hassle or broken stakes.

You can easily hang these lights on trees, fences, posts, shepherd hooks or even carry them around.

They are available in many different types that will mesmerize the young and the old alike.

Here is a list of the most common types of solar hanging lights:

A. Solar Hanging Flickering Flame Lanterns

This solar lantern type can effortlessly add a very warm and intimate ambiance to your home with its fireplace-like design. 

The flickering charm they provide to one’s yard or pathways is really breathtaking and gives off a welcoming and cozy feeling.

Related Article: Best Solar Hanging Lights Review

B. Solar Hanging Candle Lanterns

You will definitely enjoy this very romantic solar candle lantern.

The cozy and warm absence they create is superb, they can be used for pathways, patios, or even indoors if you like, I know your partner will enjoy it, mine does at least. 

C. Solar Mason Jar Lanterns

This type will add a touch of beauty to your home, whether it’s at night, morning, indoors, or outdoors.

They are one of the most beautiful decorations ideas that will mesmerize your place with their amazing colors.

Related Article: Best Solar Mason Jar Lights

9. Solar Garden Lights

There is no better way to decorate your garden and make it stand out that using solar garden lights.

These lights are specially made to add more cuteness to your garden without breaking the bank.

They are available in a lot of amazing shapes and styles that will light up your lawn with style and give a more authentic feeling to your beautiful garden.

Here is a list of the most common types of solar garden lights:

A. Solar Lawn Lights

These little babies are one of the best ways you can light your lawn to create a delightful and inviting atmosphere.

Although their small size, these garden lights are pretty bright and only one set of them will be able to highlight all your lawn.

B. Solar Butterfly Lights

This type is one of my favorite garden decoration lights.

They are very delightful to watch during the day and you will fall in love with their amazing colors at night.

You will often find yourself watching them change colors with a big smile on your face.

C. Solar Mushroom Lights

These solar mushrooms aren’t only adorable, but they light up so cute at night and glow pretty much all night long.

They look just like real mushrooms during the day and at night, they will glows gently bringing your garden back to life.

D. Solar Rock Lights

Another great garden decorating idea is to fill your garden with these real looking rock lights.

These lights look like real stones meaning that they will blend into your garden without causing an eyesore, which adds a more authentic feeling to your garden.

Related Article: Best Solar Rock Lights Review

E. Solar Pineapple Lights

If you wish to add a more tropical feeling to your garden, then you should get these cute solar pineapple lights.

These lights will transform your garden into a tropical paradise with their amazing colors and designs that you will definitely fall in love with.

10. Solar Umbrella Lights

You can clamp those solar lights to your outdoor umbrellas, which make them great for dining, barbecues, and even parties.

They are very easy to install and comes in many different colors.

Related Article: Best Solar Umbrella Lights Review

11. Solar Inflatable Lights 

This is one of the most innovative and coolest types of lights on the list.

They are inflatable lights that can be used to decorate any space of your home such as pools.

Don’t worry, they are weather and waterproof, and most importantly they won’t fly out thanks to their weighted base.

12. Solar Street Lights

If you wish to illuminate the whole street, then solar street lights are just made for you.

Similar to solar flood lights, these lights are very powerful and gives of a lot of light that’s enough to illuminate the whole street.

There are different types of solar street lights including but not limited to: solar parking lot lights, solar traffic lights, solar signal lights, and many more.

13. Solar Flagpole Lights

Now you can provide decent illumination for your flag all day long with the solar powered flag pole lights.

They are super easy to install, provide decent illumination, extremely durable, and can withstand the toughest weather conditions.

Related Article: Best Solar Flagpole Lights Review

14. Solar Sign lights

This can be a great option for people who want to decorate their mailboxes or street signs.

They are available in many different shapes, styles, and colors that will suit all your decorative needs.

Related Article: Best Solar Sign Lights

15. Solar Camping Lights

For all the campers out there, solar camping lights will be the optimal solution.

There are plenty of solar lights that are specially designed for camping nd most of them have USB power outlets so you can charge your phone as well.

Solar camping lights are made of very durable material in order to provide you with the best camping experience possible.

16. Solar Indoor Lights

Most people think that solar lights can only be used outdoors. But, they couldn’t be more wrong.

Nowadays there are plenty of indoor solar lights that come with an extremely long solar panel cord, so you can mount the solar panel outside in direct sunlight while enjoying your lights indoors.

Here is a list of the most common types of solar indoor lights:

A. Solar Lighting Kits

They don’t only serve as indoor lights. In fact, they can charge your phone, power your devices, and most of them come with built-in radios so you can play music.

For this reason, this type of solar lights is great for emergency situations.

Related Article: Best Solar Lighting Kits

B. Solar Shed Lights

If you own a shed, then you should consider lighting it up with solar shed lights.

They are extremely effective, budget-friendly, and most importantly don’t need a power source to operate.

Related Article: Best Solar Indoor Lights Review

C. Solar Heat Lamps

This type of solar lights is perfect for chicken coops and pet dogs, as it will provide enough heat to keep your poultry and pets warm even during the coldest nights.

Related Article: Best Solar Heat Lamps Review

D. Solar Desk Lamps

They are just like normal desk lambs, however, they are cordless, available in many sizes and styles.

Most importantly extremely mobile, which allows you to use them anywhere.

Last Words

We really hope you enjoyed this article as much as we did.

Have you tried any of these solar light types? Do you have any more types we can add to our list?

If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.