So, I’ll admit off the bat- yes I’m keeping these and yes I’m purchasing a few more sets. Yes, it’s the best price / performance going on Amazon. And yes, the warm white is the better of the two LED options.
The build quality is far better than others, the panels are larger and the battery pack is the best protected from the elements. (Buy rechargeable Batteries now anyhow, as no battery lasts forever).
The critical problem with these is in the design. These could be so much better if the light itself and the panel could swivel independently on the horizontal plane. They only swivel on the vertical plane and it’s limited- the light will make contact with the panel section and prevent certain arrangements.
Here’s why this is a problem: Not everyone’s home or landscaping is the same. However, you want the solar panels always facing south for optimal charge. But with this design, in order to accomplish that it requires the light to be facing north as a result. That may not be the most ideal configuration for your lighting needs. It’s highly unlikely you can outfit a whole yard with these and not have to make compromises for placement of the device, optimal sun exposure and lighting direction. If you don’t have all the panels getting roughly the same amount of sun exposure they will vary in strength and turn off at different times or begin to weaken earlier than others. So, there’s compromises being made..... What else is new?
As an aside: don’t trust the reviews that are showing photos taken the first night out of the box or immediately after turn on! The batteries come precharged so you’ll see a much more uniform result before giving it a few charge / recharge cycles (again, depending on your landscape layout).
The important photo to see is what they look like after they’ve been recharged a few times and on their way to turn off.... and then to know how many hours they lasted. If you notice the three to the left in my photo get a bit less sun. This is the result after about a week of trying to get things as perfect as I could.
I can manage about 5.5-6.5 hours in Florida in November facing “approximately south” in an area that gets roughly 6 hours of sun, which isn’t bad I think. I figured their 8 hour claim was likely in exceptionally ideal circumstances and was realistic enough to not expect hitting that. With some optimization and experimentation I think I can better on this. So, expect to move them around a bit over the course of a week or so before getting things just so.
That being said, not even considering the environmental issues or electricity costs, if you price the cost of in-ground lighting, cabling, a low voltage transformer and either a time or photo cells to manage turn-on and turn-off, there’s no contest in terms of value. We’re talking at least $500+ difference, not including installation costs. Throw in installation and electricity costs and environmental concerns and you’d be really foolish to not consider these at the top of the list of options.
So, this truly is a five star item compared to all the other options out there both in-ground and in available Amazon solar options. But, you can’t have it all- be aware of what you are signing up for here. If you buy this you have to accept that they may not be perfect for your landscaping. Depending on your particular home, where it’s facing and what your needs are results will vary. But it’s certainly worth a shot given the headaches involved in other comparable options.
By the same token I can’t get past the fact that if they simply used their heads and made a few minor design alterations that these would be orders of magnitude more functional and hassle free.
First: Have the panel and light on different assemblies, allowing both horizontal and vertical swivel. Keep the LED assembly elevated above the panel enough to not have them intersect / get in each other’s way.
Secondly: In a heartbeat I’d pay for a higher priced premium model with two (or one bigger one) rechargeable batteries and a larger panel for guaranteed 8-10 hours of working time even in a sub-optimal location. I think others probably feel similarly. Save yourself their disappointment and provide options. Even at $50 for two, it’s still leaps and bounds more affordable and simplified than buried landscape lighting.
Thirdly: remove the obnoxious branding in white lettering on the front of the LED. Make it smaller, in a more subtle color or put it on the underside of the battery panel. It just looks tacky.
If you had hired a qualified product designer before manufacturing truckloads of lights these features would likely already exist.
Alas, par for the course with gray-market Far East Amazon options I suppose. Seems like they tend to ship 100k of something before even testing it and just cross their fingers.
Love these lights... not harsh blueish white, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I wanted to make sure spotlights matched existing pathlights. These do the trick and I won’t have to remember to turn on/off, no wiring and best of all ZERO electricity being used (SoCal resident). They come on once it’s completely dark (8pm) and stay on all night. Checked on them around 4am and they were still going strong. Took picture from inside of my car through semi-tinted frontseat windows, they still look great, just to give you all an idea.
Have never had solar lights and very happy with these. Arrived in a timely manner, easy setup. The "On/OFF" is a button and not a switch, so in day time, hard to tell which setting it's set to: "Low," "High," or "Off." Directions on box said the lights needed 8-hours to charge in sun and they had to be in "On" setting. The buttons don't say what setting you're on so a little confusing. Long story short, it appears it doesn't matter what setting initially they're on, as all 4 lights/panels were charged and operation by night time. Looks great. Was hoping for a more "Warm" light though. Like a warm gold, or yellow as I've seen in other solar lights in my n'hood. I'm not a fan of the "cold" LED lights. These lights are not "cold" nor "warm." Somewhere in between. I'd prefer more of a warm, gold light next time. For the money, great purchase though. Quite happy.
Coupled these solar spotlights with some walkway lights I also bought on Amazon. Both are bright and last awhile for being solar and my home faces southeast, so they are in the shade much of the day. They perform better than the more expensive solar spotlights we bought from the hardware store. I bought 8 so far, plan to buy another 4 soon
These work really well as long as they receive sunlight throughout the day. If you place these in areas that receive direct sunlight only part of the day, then the lights may not charge or will only stay on for a short period. If you place them in an area that receives sunlight for large portions of the day, the lights should last until sunrise the next morning. I'm very happy with them. They require no wiring and can be moved, re-positioned, and aimed very easily.
Feature Product
- Upgraded frosted solar panel, no protective film needed. IP65 waterproof, heatproof and super bright-200 lumen output, 4 x 50 lumen enhanced LED
- 2-in-1 Tool-free Installation - Stick into the ground / Use included screws to mount on the wall.
- Auto on at night / Auto off at sunrise; 2 Level Brightness working modes; Longer Working Time with built-in 18650 lithium rechargeable battery (2200mAh)
- Adjustable Light and Solar Panel - Full range adjustable light angle to illuminate perfect spot and adjustable solar panel angel for optimum sun exposure
- Note: Please make sure to turn on the switch before use. The spotlight is light sensitive and won't light up in bright place. To turn on the light in the daytime, please fully cover the solar panel and make sure there is no light source or sunshine detected.
Description
Description:
Compared with the Old Version, the InnoGear Upgraded Version lengthen the stick to be inserted deeper into the ground and get more stable in bad weathers of rain, wind and snow; additionally, the Upgraded Version enhance the brightness up to 200 lumen from 80 lumen, by enlarging the solar panel and the battery capacity. It would be a better solution for landscaping your environment by illuminating flag, tree, garden, yard, pathway, etc.
Specification :
Solar panel: 5.5V 1.5W
Battery: 18650 lithium battery 3.7V 2200mAh
LED: 10mm 0.5W color temperature: 5000
Flux: 200 lumens 50 each
Working time: Sunny Day：4-6 Hours (High Light Mode) 8-12 Hours (Low Light Mode)
Features: brightness control switch control
Waterproof class: IP65
Charging time: 8 hours
Package:
InnoGear solar powered spotlight*4
Screws*12
Pillar hinge*12
Manual*1
Note：
1. Please be kinldy noted that as a solar powered product, the working time is weather sensitive.
2. Please make sure to turn on the switch before use.
Initially we ordered the cool white and I was surprised at how bright they can be. However, they clashed a bit with my coach lights which are a warm color and then I started to wish I had bought the warm white. In addition, the cool white didn't reflect against my house in the tone I liked. We moved the cool white to the back to spotlight palms behind our screen enclosure and they look fabulous. The secret to the cool white is to not have it for landscaping right against your house or near warm white lights. The warm white looks much better in the front of our house than the cool white. However, the cool white looks just like moonlight against the palms which are not against the house. I love how the cool white look there - very romantic. The lights are a bit bulky and I wish that one could have the solar panel point could point in a direction not married to the direction of the light. Some of my lights go off sooner because their solar panels just don't get as much light. Nonetheless, in Florida they all get enough to get at least a few hours in. I love the idea of solar and I suggest you play with these after buying. The looks you create are very different in how you position the lights. It took me a while to get the look I wanted, but I actually enjoyed moving them around. I keep mine on the brightest setting. I have not tried the lower setting because I like how they look on high.
These lights are great! My yard is normally very dark. They are perfect to brighten up my house at night. Excuse the bright light in the middle of the picture that’s a lamp post. The only thing that would make these lights better is if the solar square wasn’t so big. But it doesn’t bother me too much.
Fair warning. Some of the lights get damaged (in shipping I guess) if you take it out of the package and hear a rattle noise the light will not work. Just contact Amazon and replace them. Once you get 4 lights that do not rattle you’re in business!!
I bought 24 of these about 5 months ago to illuminate our long driveway and gate from ground level. They replaced 115V halogen lights whose underground circuit started to short out and seemed dangerous to me. On the high-power setting these lights start the night as bright as the old halogens and last that way for a good 5-6 hours, then slowly dim through the rest of the night. The old halogens were on a timer to shut off at midnight, so these solar lights pretty much do the same job. They have gone through several good rain storms and ALL of them are still working fine - unlike a different brand I bought two of and both died after one garden sprinkler session, despite also being advertised as waterproof. As with others like them, the whole case and mounting peg are fairly thin plastic, so somebody accidentally kicking one will break it (hence the 4 out of 5 stars). But for @ $13 a piece they can be easily replaced.
A mounting tip: Depending on how you need to mount them relative to your sun direction, you can potentially reduce their overall footprint by unscrewing the solar panel, reversing it and screwing the adjustment screw back. That way the solar panel rests over the actual light for a much more compact package.
Initially wrote a negative review on these lights, after spending $100 on 2 sets of 4 boxed lights that arrived somewhat mangled and missing one stake/post per box, making 1 of 4 lights un-useable. Not sure why Amazon did not post the feedback - but now OVERJOYED they did not. Contacted company via email as instructed in box, it took a couple of days, but they responded in FANTASTIC manner; sent me additional lights for no charge and apologized for the trouble. Now: Regarding the quality / performance, which is what most want to know. Let’s just say for about $11/light, the plastic ABS housing, and limited adjustability without a pivoting solar panel, I was not really expecting much from these. But the cheapest lights at big box Lowes and Home Depot still cost $15, and have far less than 200 lumens. My 9 lights have now been outdoors, in the ground for 30+ days now, and are AWESOME. I do have them set at low power, but they last ALL night long (which is 6:30PM to 6:30AM right now). Though I live in FL, this has included rainy days and several "winter" days where it has been overcast the entire day. I am using these on small and medium-sized Royal Palm Trees at the base. As the trees get taller, I will likely need to adjust light to higher setting - so we'll see if lasting time still holds. The bulb section itself appears to be strongly sealed. The High/Low button is rubber-sealed, so no fear of moisture getting into the powering unit. And the solar panel itself has to be at least twice, if not 3X, bigger than the comparable, but more expensive big box store lights. Also - they come with a 12 mth warranty, and with info in box, you go online and register for another 6 months = 18 months total. Do I think company would replace one if it went bad within 18 months? Based on this experience - you bet! I am VERY happy with these, and am considering purchasing more. I got the soft white color to match my exterior house lights. For the money, the performance (so far), and the customer service response, I highly recommend!
The solar cells gather even the little daylight available here in Northern Illinois in winter and provide as much light, for as long as they can, every evening. (Can hardly wait to see these perform in summer!) They are easy to position. (The crucial factor is the distance between the object you want to illuminate and the light. Read up on landscapers' advice before positioning.) My only complaints are: the plastic screws for tightening the angle settings are a bit inadequate--don't get tight enough; and, more serious, the platforms bearing the solar cells can't be adjusted in all four directions. Where I live, the sun hangs out along the southern horizon all winter, but my house faces west....I'd like to be able to make a north-south as well as an east-west adjustment. Still, for the price, these lights seem to perform very well.