These days, you can pick up solar lights for anywhere from a couple of pounds – to almost 20 times that amount. But have you ever wondered which option really gives you the best value for money? To shed some light on the subject, we’ve been putting £1.75, £8.00 and £39.99 solar stake lights through their paces in our first ever Solar Showdown.
Test 1: Charge
Test 2: Brightness
In terms of light quality, there are no great upsets. Thanks to four super-bright down-lighting LEDs – our £39.99 designer lights bathe the surrounding area in a clear, vibrant and bright light. Not far behind, in second place, the £8.00 own-brand option lights offer ample illumination to comfortably navigate your way along a garden path. The budget option? Let’s just say they give off enough light to just about stop you from stumbling into your favourite flowerbed.
Test 3: Quality
Perhaps the biggest surprise came in the differences of build-quality. Boasting the sturdiest construction by far – the own-brand £8.00 lights are the only ones that feel robust enough to deal with a stray football or an over-enthusiastic pooch. In comparison, the £1.75 budget lights are so lightweight that spiking them into the ground was almost enough to finish them off. And, despite looking and feeling the most premium, two of our £39.99 lights arrived with their solar panels snapped off – costing them valuable points overall.