Outdoor lights are convenient to have for most homes. They serve several purposes, one of which is security. An illustrative example is that burglars are more likely to depend on the darkness of night to cover their actions. The best outdoor motion sensor lights give the illusion that there are no lights only to turn on when someone comes near your house. This is, therefore, a very effective deterrent. Also, if you have a habit of coming home after dusk or leaving before dawn, the lights help save on power usage. They turn on to light your path then turn off when there is no longer any movement.
As always, the features of a device will tell you whether it is worth purchasing or not. Where motion sensor lights are concerned, one such feature is the detecting angle. Of course, if the angle is more extensive, then the device can detect motion on a broader area. If you couple that with a wide lighting angle, then you will need fewer devices to cover the area around your house. Also, the light source may factor in as some are brighter and have a more extended reach than others.
Once you have considered these features, you may come up with a list of potential purchases. In our case, the list comes in the form of a table. You will find detailed reviews of all the mentioned products and even a buying guide. Of course, this list was brought to fruition by comparing competitor products, checking information provided by each manufacturer, and factoring customer feedback. Consequently, we make choosing the best outdoor motion sensor lights inherently easier.
If the only surface you have to mount your outdoor light is a wall, then this option might be an excellent choice. The extensive 120-degree motion coverage will ensure that not much goes bump in the night without being noticed. If you mount several of these on the same wall, you may end up even covering any blind spots left by each device. Also, the design allows for lighting a wide-angle owing to LEDs both on the front and on the back.
As outdoor wireless motion sensor lights, these devices need to get power without having to connect to your electrical grid. This is where the solar panel mounted on the device comes in handy. When fitting the lights, you should ensure they get enough sunlight so that functionality and lighting aren’t impaired during the night. This makes it necessary to install the lights where they are exposed to weather elements such as UV rays and the rain. Consequently, the manufacturer made sure the gadget is waterproof and heatproof for such scenarios.
In the 120-degree angle coverage, anything that moves within 26 feet, whether animal, car or human will result in the light turning on depending on the settings you put in place. The said settings include a choice of three options, including one that automatically turns the device off during the day and turns it back on at night. Also, experts advise that you mount the machine between 5.6 to 6.6 feet above the ground. Given that you are provided with keyholes at the back of the gadget in addition to screws, it shouldn’t be hard to pull off.
Baxia technology is not far behind with their offering. There are, of course, similarities with our first pick, the first of which is the 120-degree detecting angle coverage. However, you will notice from the pictures of the device that the design is inherently different. With the device being square in shape, the lighting angle for the area it can cover is significantly reduced. This makes it necessary to buy more gadgets to cover a small space.
Also, similar is the IP65 rating, which translated means waterproof and heatproof. The solar panel is located at the top of the lighting device, and it also acts like a lampshade to ensure the LED lights below don’t get damaged. This particular device comes in a four-pack for just under $30. Due to solar charging, you are expected to install the tool where it can get optimum sunlight to bring up battery reserves when you need to use it.
Where lighting is concerned, you get either full off or full-on. There is no dim lighting option.
As is evident from the images of the devices we have provided the design of this gadget is similar to the one supplied by Baxia Technology with only a few tweaks to the overall look. The main difference comes in where the features are concerned. This particular model will detect anything in the 120-degree detection area of the light. At the same time, the object in motion causing the device to light up has to be no more than 10 feet away from the gadget.
The above makes this tool ideal for installation on your patio or backyard if you can find a surface to mount the device. Due to their limited detection range, these devices come in 4-packs that allow you to distribute the lights for a wider lighting and detection coverage. As per URPOWER’s tests, the manufacturer expects these devices to last at least four years from first use. However, you only get a 180-day warranty and a thirty-day money-back guarantee.
Also, as is the case with most other solar-powered lights, you get weatherproofed gadgets with an IP65 rating with the purchase.
In fourth place, we have our first non-solar powered device, which means you are going to have to connect it to your house electrical grid. This makes this product much harder to install, and the end product may hurt your utility bills. However, due to the design, the device has about 180-degree lighting coverage. This is because the lantern is four-sided with three of the sides made of glass. Also, the device can detect motion as far as 30 feet away. The antique-looking design for the light also makes it one of our more aesthetically pleasing options.
The lantern is coated in a weather-resistant finish. If you are a DIYer, the manufacturer provides instructions on how to install the product yourself. You can even find a video of the same on Amazon as you are ordering a purchase. Where the light timer is concerned, you have one of three options to choose from as to how long the motion sensor light should stay on after detecting motion. These are the one minute, five minute, or ten-minute options. An impressive feature is that you can also tweak the sensitivity of the light up or down, depending on your preference.
The incandescent bulb required for the bulb to work is not included, and as such you will have to purchase it as an extra.
The SANSI manufacturer has an impressive all-around offering coming in at a fifth place. The warranty terms stand a notch above those of all the other devices we have mentioned in our review totaling a coverage of 5 years. Also, the detection distance is the most impressive by far with a reach of about 50 feet. At 6,000 lumens, the light is exceptionally bright and therefore suitable to light up most of your backyard. There are three modes to choose from, and a test mode checking the sensory function of the light.
If you only use this device for three hours a day, then the gadget has a lifespan of up to 27 years. This lifespan is bound to be extended by the fact that the light only comes on when movement is detected. Overall it could be on for even less than the stipulated 3 hours. As the homeowner, you will have to attach the light to your home’s electrical grid, and this may sometimes require you to contract a professional. Granted that you will have to fork out a little more money than you would need to with some of our other options, this item is still worth every penny.
With its square looking frame housing the LEDs this model doesn’t disappoint. Each of the four pieces has about 28 LED lights which combine to provide 400 lumens. As you can tell from the solar panel placed on the top, this device hardly requires any installation apart from mounting it on a wall. The time it can stay on after motion is detected is also the same as that of its predecessor on our list, and maxes out at 30 seconds. However, if there is constant motion, the light can stay on almost indefinitely.
Warranty service will cover you for almost two years while the lifespan is expected to last about 5000hours. While that time is short, the low price tag ensures you can replace the light as soon as one gets damaged without breaking the bank.
LITOM’s warranty policy for this device involves a 45-day full refund policy in addition to a 36-month warranty. The light comes in a four-pack and is solar-powered. Each device in the package features 30 LEDs from front to the side, which serves to provide bright light where need be. At 26 feet away, your LITOM device will sense you coming home at night and light up your way to the door. Also, if a burglar were to come near your house, the light will come on and scare them away.
Each one of these lights is weatherproofed to the point of keeping out extreme rain and heat conditions. It is, therefore, no surprise that it is IP67 rated.
Where quality is concerned, you want the best possible equipment, especially if it can add to your safety at night. As such, you can’t afford to take the buying process for outdoor security lights with motion sensor lightly. You need to get a comparison table where you highlight essential features and how each device performs in that regard.
Also, some features are bound to hold more clout than others. This is often a matter of preference. However, you can only make this determination if you know exactly what each feature listed means. Here are some that you can expect to be listed every time you log on to Amazon to check out porch lights with a motion sensor.
Would you rather a sensitive light that comes on even when squirrels scurry around, or one that requires bigger size objects to be moving in the vicinity before coming on. Where light is too sensitive even passing cars may serve to turn the device on. Also, the device sensitivity makes a whole lot of difference.
If you are keen enough, you will notice that most solar lights with the example of the Aootek Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights can only detect movement at about 26 feet or less. On the other hand, some that require wiring like the SANSI LED Security Motion Sensor Outdoor Lights may be sensitive to a distance of up to 40 feet. This feature is sometimes adjustable in some devices.
You will likely have to mount the device on a wall, and as such you don’t want the device detecting motion on the inside of your home. This is probably why most motion sensor lights don’t have 360-degree detecting angles. However, you still want this angle to be as wide as possible. The Heath HZ-4150-BK Motion-Activated Light stands above most of our other options by being able to detect 150 degrees around the light. If you couple this with the right detecting distance, you have a better chance of keeping your home safe.
The design of the light can have a tremendous effect on the lighting angle of each device. The solar and battery-powered motion sensor lights we mentioned all have a similar design that involves a solar panel at the top, LED lights in front, and a mounting surface at the back.
Where lights are only in the front, it limits the lighting angle. Nonetheless, some even have LEDs on the sides, and that can make them better suited for mounting on walls without leaving blind spots. Devices with rotating heads can also end up being better suited to cover all angles depending on where you want to install the lights.
LED lights have been known to be more energy-efficient and hence won’t require as much energy as their counterparts. As such, you will find them in a lot of the solar-powered motion sensor lights. Also depending on the design and size of each LED, they may end up having a more extended reach than incandescent bulbs.
Another benefit you may get for choosing LED outdoor floodlights with motion sensors is they tend to last longer than some other bulb types. This is why the manufacturer can guarantee the lifespan of some of the devices we reviewed. On the other hand, an incandescent bulb like the one you need to purchase to use the Heath HZ-4150-BK Motion-Activated Light will require that you replace it every few months. As such the device may end up lasting more than LEDs as any time the bulb stops working, you replace it with a new one.
Another feature that favors LED is the lifespan of the light. Generally LEDs last ten times longer than their counterparts. Nevertheless, this is a double-edged sword in regards to outdoor motion sensor lights. The LEDs themselves are permanent fixtures in most of the solar and battery powered motion sensor lights. As such, once a gadget stops functioning, you have to replace it with a new one. On the other hand, fixtures that use the halogen option only require you to replace the bulb occasionally.
As buyers ourselves, we also have some favorites among the options we have reviewed above. Among them is the Heath HZ-4150-BK Motion-Activated Light. As far as sensibility goes, this is one of the better performers on our list both in terms of angle coverage and distance. Also, this is one of the few devices that allows you to adjust the sensitivity.
The SANSI LED Security Motion Sensor Outdoor Light is also another solid performer. It detects motion from a distance of up to 40 feet, and that makes it ideal for even a large home. Warranty terms seem favorable covering you for at least five years after purchase. Also, the construction is rugged and durable to withstand the harshest weather.
Aootek Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights also deserves mention here as it does much better in comparison to other solar-powered options. The package comes with two gadgets featuring about 48 LEDs each. This is also one of the cheaper options on our list, and that makes it a more comfortable purchase for most people. You should find it inherently more convenient to pick a motion sensor light from the seven options we handpicked for you. All that’s left is for you to start budgeting for the purchase. So which option will you pick? Comment and let us know.
