Landscape lighting has become a popular way to increase our homes curb appeal, functionality, and value. One trend that has been around for a while but appears to be making a comeback is solar outdoor lighting. Landscape lighting including solar lighting have made huge improvements in quality, durability, and appearance over the last several years. You may be wondering if solar outdoor lighting or low voltage lighting is the best option for your home. With so many options available it can be hard to decide what works best for you. So, let’s take a look at what each of these have to offer.

Solar Outdoor Lighting Features

Solar outdoor lighting come in many different styles and appearances. These rely on an internal battery and the power provided by direct sunlight to operate. Many homeowners turned to solar lights because they are convenient and inexpensive.

Pros

• Cheap

Solar outdoor lighting is typically pretty cheap to purchase. Take from that what you will but remember that quality is often reflected in the price.

• Easy to Install

Additionally, solar outdoor lighting is easy for anyone to install. You can purchase sets of outdoor lights from any home improvement store and install them yourself the same day. This makes it an easy DIY project for those looking for basic landscape lighting.

Cons

• Less Consistent Light

Solar lighting is typically less consistent than low voltage lighting options. Many of these have a bluish tint which can affect the overall ambiance of your yard. Additionally, these lights lose strength throughout the night and might leave you and your dinner guests in the dark. Not to mention, that if they don’t have adequate sunlight to charge you may as well not have them at all.

• DIY Look

It shouldn’t be a surprise when we say that a DIY option is likely going to end up looking like a DIY project. Although this may be satisfactory for some homeowners, we find that those looking for an elevated landscape prefer a more professional appearance and quality.

• Limited Control Options

Finally, solar lighting means that you have very limited control over the system. They do not communicate to one another, cannot be hooked up to a timing device, or store preset modes. This means that they will either be on or off and you have little control over the overall feel and appearance of your landscape lighting.

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

Low voltage landscape lighting is hardwired into your home. These lights are what most professional companies will install because they’re higher quality, more attractive, and create the best experience for homeowners.

Pros

• High-Quality

Wired landscape lighting comes in a variety of styles and quality. Much more so than the solar powered versions. This means that for those on a stricter budget you can still receive a high-quality product at a reasonable price. Or those wanting the best lighting available can choose from an endless number of designs and styles.

• Additional Control Options

Because these systems are hardwired into the home, they are much easier to control and provide you with additional setting options. Depending on the system you choose you can have preset light intensity, timing, and even predesigned modes for various events you may host.

• Professional Appearance

Because these are high-quality, professional lights and are typically installed by professionals the overall effect will be much more powerful. Not only are the lights themselves more attractive but the added expertise means that placements and design will be more striking.

Cons

• More Expensive

One of the main cons that you may hear about low voltage landscape lighting is that it’s more expensive than solar powered lights. This is typically true because not only are the materials higher quality, but they do have electricity run to each light.

• Professional Installation

We wouldn’t exactly call this one a negative. Then again, we may be a little biased. As we mentioned earlier the easier to install options tend to look like they were easy to install. The type of lighting we install should be done by a professional and that’s what results in a high-quality, elegant look. So, one could argue that professional installation is a negative, but we will let you decide on that one.