Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights – Buyer’s Guide

Have you noticed that your property appears a little too dark during the evening hours? It’s a common issue among homeowners to need more light, especially if the porch lights or backyard beams are a little too dim. Or maybe you’re looking for a replacement to what you already possess. Whatever the case, motion sensor lights offer the best in terms of luminosity, motion detection, and outdoor home security. They operate with little need for the user to perform maintenance and can set up in as little as an hour or two.

Beef Up Your Home Security System With The Motion Sensor Lights

The reviews below detail five of the best motion sensor lights sold online today, with each having good features that make the brand worth considering for purchase. And don’t forget to look at the Buyer’s Section which shows great tips and suggestions for making your shopping for the products listed a little bit easier.

1. URPOWER Solar Lights – Best Motion Sensor Light For Large Homes (Editor’s Choice)

The Urpower Solar Lights are sold in a pack of four. In terms of lighting and motion detection capabilities, these are the best that you’ll find anywhere. They are lightweight but sturdy, housed in a plastic casing that’s hard and won’t break as easily as you may think from the look.

The light shines brightly and doesn’t die quickly, having a powerful battery that charges relatively fast and powers down at an acceptable level. Motion sensors are stellar and quite sensitive to movement, so if you want something that can pick up small animals and well as people that come within range of the lights, this is a great choice to settle on.

2. BAXIA TECHNOLOGY Solar Lights – Best Motion Sensor Light For Sensing Capabilities (People’s Choice)

The Baxia Technology Lights are great for people who like brightness over motion detection. But even with this in mind, the motion sensors perform brilliantly on both large and small objects. There’s a lot to compliment this product about, but a primary selling point is how fast the installation time is. You can have the lights up and running in just an hour or two at most.

And since they’re solar-powered, there’s no need to come back to later maintenance. The only real downside is the battery life, which could be improved a bit. If you live in a location that doesn’t have long winters or receives plenty of sunlight for most of the year, make the Baxia Solar Light a top choice for consideration.

3. LITOM Premium 30 LED Solar Lights Outdoor – Best Motion Sensor Light For Charging Time

The Litom Premium 30 LED Solar Lights are geared for the outdoors, especially for those who live in rural areas, where there’s not much luminosity around the home. The angles are where it performs well, so they could also be useful in urban environments, since the strong motion detection will pick up anyone attempting to go around the light without triggering their activation. It also has a good range in this regard.

Your front and backyards will be clearly visible when the lights are on, and they manage to shine without being blindingly bright. This is a solid buy for anyone who has a small yard and just wants a basic motion sensing light that won’t fall apart before its warranty is up.

4. High Power 1000 Lumen Solar Motion LED Flood Light – Best Motion Sensor Light For Durability

The High Power 1000 Lumen is another great motion light with a large solar panel. As for durability, there are few competitors that can match its build quality. These lights will function well after a year has passed, and it’s possible that you may continue to use them several seasons from the date they are bought.

The solar panel’s wire is very long, which increases the range for which you can actually mount the product to a wall or fence. Its weight is another plus, so don’t be afraid if it drops on the ground during installation; you’re unlikely to break it easily. Recommended for people who like solidly built products that can withstand harsh winters and the driest climates without fail.

5. MAXSA Innovations 40218 – Best Motion Sensor Light For Fast Installation

The Maxsa Innovations 40218 is the final product on the list but certainly not the least. It’s shaped a little different to those reviewed prior, having two LED bulbs that resemble emergency lights you may have seen in public buildings.

Installation time is a key here, so if you’re new to using outdoor lighting but want something that can be put up quickly, this is a good choice to settle on. The motion sensors are strong, and the beam will illuminate most small- to medium-sized properties without leaving darkened areas that cannot be seen. Just don’t expect them to find the object when it’s daytime, as the sensor’s sensitivity might be reduced when there’s more light available. Regardless, check out the Maxsa for its appearance and ease of assembly.

Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights – Buyer’s Guide

The security of your home is important. Because of the many motion sensor lights being retailed at both online and brick and mortar stores, it’s fairly common for some consumers to end up with a product that doesn’t perform at the level expected.

There is something about the products that isn’t easy to tell by looking at them from the screen of the computer. And things certainly don’t get better in physical stores, since the best brands are oftentimes the hardest to come by (due to a popular demand). Therefore, this Buyer’s Guide will help you shorten the picks that are best for your individual needs. Once you are done, you should have a better understanding of what you want and whether or not the product will operate in/around your home without issue.

Charging Time

Most motion sensor lights are solar-powered. This is advantageous in many ways, but primarily through the fact that there’s no need for the user to hire a third party to install a wired system in their yard, something that could result in a lengthy and expensive setup. Light generates their power, which allows the light to charge itself without any assistance. Of course, some lights charge better than others, but most should perform decently over a long period of time.

Brightness

Luminosity is the key to any motion sensor light. No matter how good is the batter or detector, a light with insufficient LED lighting will be of no use to alert you to any unexpected movements in and around your home. You’ll want to look for lights that display good range, something that will reach the far corners of your residence without issue. If you’re using a camera alongside it, ensure that the video feed is bright enough to be seen with standard LED outdoor lighting.

Furthermore, consider daytime brightness, especially if you live in a location that is overcast for long periods of the seasons. In some regions, the daytime sun can stay low enough to necessitate more lighting than what is average for other people in the country. If you live in such a place, ensure that the battery charges fast, as indicated in the section above.

Motion Sensor Capabilities

A good motion sensor will be able to pick up movements by people and animals nearby the lights without malfunctioning or ignoring said movement altogether. Low-quality lights will only work if the object is directly in front of the light, and that’s not always a given, either.

Those of decent quality will not only pick up movements that are facing the sensor itself but even objects at an angle.

Most lights are advertised in the product’s descriptions to do a good job in this all together, which can make it difficult to choose when looking for a specific brand that has a high sensitivity to movement. The best way to search is by looking at other reviews (and those above) and factoring in how good the sensing is when standing slightly away from the light itself.

Size of Your Yard

The sensors themselves will usually be able to reach as far as the light will travel, but if you have a small front or backyard, you will be able to pick up things a lot easier than those with larger properties. More square footage to cover means that you’ll be well-served with acquiring more lights than what may be included with a product, so don’t hesitate to get more if you have multiple entrances or live in a location, where that’s not much nighttime lighting around for you to see anything. The more lights you have, the brighter your place will be when a company shows up. And as with the other factors shown thus far, your final buying choice should coincide with the other indicators around your home.

Installation Difficulties

It’s often hard to tell which motion sensor lights will be easy or hard to install. They’re mostly easy to do, but some may contain pieces that make the process slightly more difficult. If you think this is going to be in the case, ensure that the product in question has a user manual in the instructions. And even with the user manual, be sure that it’s legible and easy to for you to understand. Some of the products reviewed above will allow you to view it in the product’s description before you order. Take a look at it, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with assembling solar powered lights. If you are, then this will probably be a non-issue.

Mounting

Most motion sensor lights can be installed by either an adhesive that sticks to your wall or fencing or with a mount that hangs on a nail. A good brand will be able to mount with the tape alone and not require additional mounting for them to stay up without falling down. Others may only include a basic wall mount. If you don’t want to drill holes in the areas where the lights will be hung, stick to the products that contain some sort of adhesive. You could always put attack it yourself though. Truthfully, you shouldn’t have any issues with this being that the lights are going to be hung in an outdoor setting, but it bears looking into if you’re to type that doesn’t like to leave nails on the fixtures around residence.

The Weather

Outdoor electronics for your home, of all kinds, will typically be advertised as being waterproof or water resistant. It’s important for you to know the difference because one could end up leaving your lights damaged from improper care if you’re unfamiliar with the contracts. Waterproof implies that the lights will stay operational no matter how waterlogged their exteriors become, since the inside components would never touch liquid easily. Water resistance is more rudimentary, since water can damage the lights.

What Are Motion Sensor Lights Good For?

Lights with motion sensing technology will be beneficial in two ways. First, it’s security. Knowing what’s in your yard quickly can help alert you to potential break-in attempts of the wild animals lurking close to your property, when you’re inside the residence. The second is for ordinary day-to-day people that come to your house for various purposes. Maybe your local mail carrier needs more light to be able to see at certain periods something that he/she will love, if they tend to arrive with your mail at odd hours that have little daylight. (??? – what?) And there’s also the piece of mind that you’ll receive from knowing that you have another pair of “eyes and ears” available outside when you’re not around, or busy with things in your home.

Knowing who is close to your home ahead of time is always a plus, and it puts you in the right direction to upgrade your home to a more safe place for your family and guests.

Conclusion

Did you read up on the Buyer’s Guide and comparison chart? If so, you should surely have a better idea on what motion sensing light you think will perform best around your home. You don’t want to get a cheap plastic or metal work of art, so remember the tips and features that make such product stand out other those which are ranks lower on the shelf.

Fortunately, there are the two from the list guaranteed to give you great motion sensing, brightness, and longevity. The Urpower and Baxia solar lights are the two of the best reviewed and have few issues to report. You can use them in nearly any location, and they will give your residence an upgrade in security, alerting you whenever people or animals show up close to your doors. Still, don’t take this as a criticism to the other motion sensors that were evaluated, as they are also outstanding brands in their own right, especially for people who need something that the two might be lacking. Go with what you know, and you’ll be happy with the brand that you end up settling on.