What are LED solar flood lights

Floodlights are specific type of lighting that are designed to provide high amount of artificial lighting to certain area. They can be used for larger places like arenas, sports fields, parking lots or smaller ones like backyards, gardens, houses, driveways and more. Various types of floodlights are available, most common of which are with incandescent, halogen or LED bulbs. Each of these flood lights comes in various sizes, colors and watts suitable for different situations and areas. Top LED flood lights and LED Solar flood lights are widely being used as lighting solutions in many commercial and private properties and are becoming one of the most popular lighting types used for outdoor lighting.

Best Led Solar Flood lights

ImageNameBulb countWork TimeBattery CapacityMotion SensorPrice & Other reviews
Microsolar 28 smallMicroSolar 28 LEDt28480 min2000 mAhNo
MSLED1002270 min2400 mAhYes
eLEDing Pure Digital604200 min1500 mAhYes
Sunforce 82080 smallSunforce 8208080360 min900mAh 5 packYes
MAXSA Innovations 40218 smallMAXSA Innovations 402188150 min2100 mAhYes
microsolar 80 smallMicrosolar 80 LED80200 min2000 mAhYes
Reusable Revolution 108108600 min7000 mAhNo
eLEDing EE836DE362400 min800 mAhYes
MAXSA Innovations 4022580150 min4000 mAhYes
innogear light smallInnoGear Solar light16Depends on usage1000 mAhYes

What are LED flood lights

LED flood lights are specific type of flood lights that uses LED diodes as a light source. LED flood lights have many benefits over other types of flood lights. Some of those are

  • brightness – LED lights can produce brighter light using less energy;
  • lifetime – LED diodes last much longer and have average lifetime of 50000 hours;
  • power economy – LED flood lights are more efficient and saves more energy than other flood light lamps;

LEDs comes in various strengths and colors from different suppliers and can suit different purposes and activities. LED flood lights are great option if you need powerful, bright, durable and also efficient light that will help you to save some money on electricity.

What are solar flood lights

Solar flood lights are type of flood lights that uses solar panels to collect and store sun energy for later use. As sunlight is free for everyone the main advantage of solar flood light is economy on electricity and capability to work in areas with no reachable electrical power source.

LED solar flood lights

LED diodes are most popular bulbs for solar flood lights. Because of LED bulbs, LED solar flood lights uses less energy, are cheaper to maintain and lasts much longer than other solar flood lights. LED light efficiency is helpful to solar lamps, because consuming less energy provides more work time for flood light.

LED solar flood lights with motion detector

Motion detector is great addition to solar flood light. It helps to save more energy and provide longer work time. Motion detector works by turning light on when motion is detected at certain area in front of detector and turning it off after specified period of time. Some popular examples of LED solar flood light with motion detector use might be as a house or garage front door light, driveway light, backyard light and lighting for many other places.

Solar Flood light usage

front door floodlightSolar powered LED flood lights are more economical , more durable and more convenient than regular electrical outlet requiring floodlights. These LED lights use 70 % less energy than most of the other flood light types and they have the option to mount them truly anywhere where you can find some sort of light that shines on the solar panel. This freedom gives solar floodlight owners the possibility of setting up their rig only once and forgetting about the maintenance as the energy is free and almost all of the modern lights are rated for all seasons and any weather. The freedom of these lights is also possible because most of the fixtures has separate solar panels that can be put in a direct sunlight and will charge batteries that are in a light fixture that can be in a constant shadow.

Led powered solar lights are amazing in many aspects and they are the new way of lighting your garden or homefront as LED diodes use up less energy, they last longer and are more durable than almost any of the other grow light bulbs. Led lights can have a life expectancy of over 50000 hours or 6 years of non stop usage but many of the diodes will still be usable after the initial 50000 hours and I doubt that you will run your floodlight so long for the LED diodes to burn out. The only problem with these lights is that they need battery replacements when the rechargeable batteries have become old and can’t hold as much charge to light up the bulb. This can happen anywhere from a year to never and it all depends on the lighting schedule that drains the battery because all rechargeable batteries have a finite number of discharge cycles that it can facilitate so sooner or later you will have to replace them. But his is not a big problem because many of the modern lights use AA or AAA type batteries to store the charge so you will be able to easily find another set of rechargeable batteries and let your light run completely free once again.

Solar floodlights have basically two types of solar panels and they are :

This means that you have two different choices how to use your lights and in most cases people use the remote solar panel fixtures because it is more convenient to put a panel somewhere where there is more light and put the actual light fixture where it is needed. From the other hand attached solar panels are more convenient and you don’t need to install them separately so you can just put your light where you want it to illuminate at night and in the daytime it will charge up the batteries.

There are many different usages for solar powered broad spread light and each person has its own story where it wants to put them but I will give a brief intro into this list:

So as you can see solar powered lights have a broad usage and there are much more uses for them that I did not mention but basically these lights will illuminate any area with free light anywhere where there is some sunlight in the daytime.

Top 5 solar flood light description

Sunforce 82156

Sunforce 82156 60 LED Solar Motion Light – This light is manufactured by Sunforce Products Inc that is a company that specializes on alternative energy systems and is in the market since 2003. This specific light has 60 LED diodes that produce up to 850 lumens from a 5 pack AA 900mAh rechargeable batteries. This Sunforce light has a separate solar panel that lets you mount it at a distance and this means that your light can be mounted in almost any place as long as the solar panel can reach some sunlight. This solar panel has 1W, 6V capacity but the light itself will use up all the battery power in about 30 minutes of continuous lighting conditions or it will light up about 70 times if shined for only 25 seconds each time. The motion sensor that is installed on this floodlight has 180 degree range and can detect motion for up to 30 feet away so this light is perfect for security purposes. Another additional features is 3 dials that let you regulate the time interval, light sensitivity and motion sensitivity and these three options will allow you to dial the lights setting as you wish and an On Off switch will allow you to turn the light off when it is not needed.

MAXSA Innovations 40225MAXSA Innovations 40225 – This is a state of the art 80 led diode solar powered flood light that is produced by MAXSA Innovations that is a company established in 2007. MAXSA Innovations are a fast growing company that specializes in innovative inventions that protect and serve their customers and this security flood light does just that. This security solar light produces around 500 lumens (40 W Halogen bulb equivalent) and dose that with 80 of the best LED diodes. This light can light up more than 150 times if the time interval is set to 1 minute and it doest that with a 6V 4Ah rechargeable battery. This light also has remote solar panel that can be placed at 15 feet distance and a motion sensor that has 180 motion sensitive angle and a 35 feet working distance. This light like the previous one also has three adjustable variables (motion sensitivity, time interval and lux sensitivity) so it is easily modified for any requirements and usage. this complete fixture weighs 4.6 pounds(6.6 KG) and is 7.5 x 7.5 x 6.5 inches (19 x 19 x 16.5 cm) in size.

eleding ee836de lightEled EE836DE solar flood light – This floodlight is manufactured by a company called EE Systems Group, Inc that specializes in innovative alternative energy solutions and one of their lines is solar powered lights. This particular light has 36 SMD LED diodes and more than 400 lumen output that is powered by 1.0AH AA rechargeable batteries and can have up to 40 hour illumination time. The batteries are recharged by a separate solar panel that has the capacity of 3 W in full sunlight.  This light has the longest continuous lighting option from any solar powered flood lights and it does this with the built in Smart system that monitors the charge and electricity usage and this is one of the first solar flood lights that can truly illuminate an area from evening till morning. This light has a dimensions of 12 x 6.5 x 3 inches (30 x 16.5 x 7.6 cm ) and the whole systems total weight is only 1.1 pound (500g).

Reusable-Revolution-108-LED-diode-flood-lightReusable Revolution 108 LED Solar Powered Wall Mounted Flood Light – This floodlight is made by a company called Reusable Revolutiona that is a new internet based company that specializes on only Solar powered lighting options so they know a thing or two about solar lights. This specific 108 LED diode light puts out around 605 lumens. This solar light can last up to 10 hours because it has a 12V/7Ah rechargeable battery that is powered by a separate solar panel that is 18V/10W in strength and is made from mono-crystalline. This 10 hour working time is also achieved because this light has a built in power regulation system that dims the LED lights when the battery charge is depleted so the light slowly gets darker still providing some light to you. This solar flood light covers 16.5 x 20.4 ft (5 x 6.2 meter) area so you will be able to illuminate your house, garden or basically any other area with completely no cost at all because the SUN is free. The wall mounted lamp size is 11 x 8.6 x 3.5 inches (28 X 21.8 X 8.8 cm)  and the separate solar panel is: 17.7 x 14 x 1 (45 X 35.3 X 2.5 cm).

Concept Enterprises SL-100Concept SL-100 32-LED – This 32 LED bulb flood light is made by a company named Concept Enterprises that produce solar lights from 1999 so they are very experienced, their build quality is good and manufacturing costs are low. this light produces up to 1200 lumens with those 32 LED diodes and the manufacturer says that this motion activated flood light will last up to 10 hours. This amazing performance is achieved by a 4V 4.5Ah rechargeable battery. This battery is recharged by a solar panel that can be placed as far as 12 inches(3,6m) and has 2 W capacity in full sunlight.  This motion activated light can illuminate an area around 190 square feet (17.6 square meters) and the whole light dimensions are 9.6 x 9 x 14.6 inches(24.3 x 22.8 x 37 cm). The separate solar panel dimensions are 13.5 x 0.5 x 7.2 inches(34.2 x 1.2 x 18.2 cm) and the whole light and solar panel weighs only 5 pounds (2.2 kg).

Top Solar flood light manufacturers

There are many different solar flood light manufacturers ranging from startups to established companies but I have chosen the top 5 of them and I will do some reviews so your intended floodlight manufacturer choice is easier.

sunforce

Sunforce Products Inc – this is a company that was established in 2003 and it is a worldwide company that specialize in renewable energy products such as solar and wind power. This company makes many different solar powered technologies and they have quite a long experience so their floodlights are resilient and the build quality is good. This company aims to create affordable and easy to install / use solar powered lights that will work for years and years to come.

maxsa_1

MAXSA Innovations – This is an US based company that was established in 2007 and has been rapidly growing since then. This company makes their products with precision and think deeply about the build quality and usefulness of any product and their mission statement is to create innovative and unique products that will protect, ensure safety and create an overall comfort for anyone using them. This company makes a number of different products that range from car accessories to lights and ultimately the solar powered motion activated flood lights. These solar lights have a good build quality and they range from small fixtures to hundred led diode bulbs and they ensure a 90 day warranty on all their lights.

reusable revolution

Reusable Revolution LLC – This is a new company that specializes only on solar powered lighting. This company is aggressively marketing solar powered lighting options for commercial and home use and they are based in Las Vegas Nevada where the sun is shining for more than 200 days in a year so they know a thing or two about solar powered lights. This company was created in 2009 and it has almost doubled its profits every year and now it has more than 100 solar powered lights in its catalog and more than 10 different solar powered flood lights. Their products are well built and they get the best customer ratings.

concept solar

Concept Enterprises –  This company is one of the oldest and most well known solar light manufacturers as it started to produce solar lights in the early 1999. The whole company however is much older and was created in 1975 so their engineering and manufacturing standards are very high. Any company that can stay in the market for 35 years is a big fish and Concept is no differen. This company makes just two solar flood lights but they both are well recognised and reviewed by customers and competitors.

cooper lighting

Cooper Lighting – A company that has its roots in the lighting market since 1957 with different names but this company became Cooper lighting in 1897. This company has a mission statement to provide innovative, high-quality lighting fixtures for the masses and they have been doing it with huge facilities and lights for home and industrial use. Cooper Lighting has 4 solar powered flood lights that are well known in the industry and they strive to produce affordable, high quality durable and efficient lights that are easy to install and with almost no maintenance.

Advantages and Disadvantages

LED flood light advantages

Here I have listed top 10 advantages that LED flood lights have over other popular flood lights – incandescent, halogen and CFL.

  1. Long lifetime – Lifetime of LED diode is longer than other bulbs. Average lifetime is about 50000 hours that can be more than 10 times longer than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs.

  1. Brightness – LED lights can produce brighter light using same amount of energy. This means that LED flood light with less power will be as bright as other flood lights using more electric energy.

  1. Less energy usage, smaller electric bills – LED lights have high luminous efficiency. About 80% of LED lamps energy is produced into light and only 20% in heat. For other lights luminous efficiency is lower, what means that LED lights are more efficient and can help to save more money on electricity.

  1. Durability and Quality – LED flood lights usually have good build quality and higher durability. These qualities makes LED flood lights a great option for different outdoor usage as they can suffer more complex weather conditions and are more difficult to damage.

  1. Less heat more safety – Majority of LED lights produces less heat than other light bulbs what helps to reduce risk of electric or fire accidents. They are considered to be one of the safest light sources. However high power and very bright light LEDs must be used with more attention to ensure safety.

  1. No toxic substances – Environment friendly – Contrary to fluorescent lamps that contain mercury, LED lights do not have any toxic chemicals that are toxic to human or bad for environment.

  1. Resistant to low and fairly high temperatures – Unlike other lights, LED flood lights can work stable in lower temperatures well below 0 degrees celsius. This quality can be good for using LED flood lights outdoor in winters or in colder areas or places like warehouses or freezers.

  1. Low costs on maintenance and replacements – LED flood lights takes much less money and man hours of work to maintain or replace them. Mainly this is provided by long lifetime, durability, quality and efficiency of LED lights.

  1. Low Voltage – Low Voltage helps to use LED lights as outdoor lighting source. Combined together with a solar panel they make a very good option for any outdoor light that also can save money on electricity.

  1. Direct light and no warming up period – instant light on – LED lamps produced light is much more direct and focused on one specific area. This way less light gets wasted aside that helps LED flood lights to be more efficient.

Another plus is that LED lights turns on and reaches full brightness in nanoseconds and can be switched on and off repeatedly without loss of quality or lifetime.

LED flood light disadvantages

Although LED flood lights have many advantages over other lamps, there still are some disadvantages that needs to be considered. Here are 3 main drawbacks of LED flood lights.

  1. Expensive  – Good LED flood lights can be more expensive than other flood lights, but there will be much less additional costs afterwards like bulb replacements and smaller electrical bills.

  1. May not be powerful enough – LED flood lights may not be a good option to produce very high brightness (10000 lumens and more). LED lights have limited temperature tolerance and resistance, and efficiency may fail as the temperature gets more higher. Proper heat sinking is needed to avoid light failure or overheating.

  1. Color rendering index (improved on newer LED lights) – Older LED lights may have problems with color rendering. They have low color rendering index (below 70) that makes colors look poor and lifeless. Newer LED lights have improved color rendering index (80-90 and above) and can produce much more natural and enjoyable colors.

LED solar flood lights vs LED flood lights

solar flood light vs led flood light

LED solar flood light can be good option to consider when looking for flood light. They can offer a number of advantages over regular LED flood lights that can make them a better choice to purchase. However solar lights have some disadvantages too that can be a dealbreaker for some cases. Here are 3 main advantages and disadvantages that can help you to make the right choice when purchasing a LED flood light for your needs .

Advantages of LED solar flood lights

  1. electricity and money economy – Main advantages of LED solar flood lights are efficiency and economy. Because solar energy is free, you do not have to pay for electricity using solar flood lights. Solar panels collect sunlight and turns it into energy for flood light to work.

  1. can work in places and areas with no reachable electrical power – Solar flood lights can be used in areas where other electrical source to power floodlight can not be reachable. This can be good for different outdoor places without electricity.

  1. using alternative energy – environment friendly – Solar flood lights uses alternative energy – sunlight. Using alternative energy you help environment and support green lifestyle.

Disadvantages of LED solar flood lights

  1. expensive – LED solar flood lights are more expensive than regular flood lights. Also replacing solar panel if needed will be more costly and difficult to find. On the other hand, all energy and money saved on electricity can level out the price and will potentially make solar flood light to pay off in longer run.

  1. can not be powered all time just with solar power – Solar flood lights can not work full time just with solar power. Each solar flood lamp has its own work time depending on solar panels capacity. Some can work 1 hour, some 10 hour, it usually depends on price of flood light. This disadvantage can be reduced with motion detector, as it can improve solar lights work time with full charge noticeably.

  1. needs a suitable place with sufficient sunlight – For reaching the highest potential from solar flood light you need to find a sunny place to install the solar panel where direct sunlight can reach it. If installed in right place, solar light can achieve high efficiency and be great as flood light.

Overall, solar flood lights have good advantages compared to regular flood lights. And considering all disadvantages of solar lights, each one of them is not as much disadvantage than attribute that can be avoided: 1) purchasing expenses can level out with power and money saved on electricity, 2) if you do not need your flood light to work full time and you need it for outdoor usage than solar flood light probably is the right choice for you, 3) even if solar light is set in places with less sunlight, it still can be a good and energy efficient lighting option and ensure all advantages solar flood light have over regular flood lights.

Buying guide

There are many variables that need to be measured and looked at before buying a solar flood light because every fixture is unique and each one provides more or less illumination and coverage so before you buy your floodlight you need to consider these requirements:

Height – Befor buying your flood light you need to find the spot where you want to install it. Depending on this spot you need to measure the height of it and calculate the angle you want your light to be (typically it is from 20 to 30 degrees) and then you can calculate the footage you want to cover and find the exact light that meets your calculated area.

Sunlight – Where the light is located is another very important variable as all solar powered lights need direct sunlight to fully and completely charge their batteries in the day to illuminate your intended are in the night. If you are looking at a spot where there is a lot of sunlight in the day then you can buy flood light fixtures that have solar panels attached directly to them. But if your spot is in a constant shadow then you probably will need a fixture with a separate solar panel that you can place in the sunlight.

Illumination area – As I mentioned above the illumination area needs to be calculated from height and angle of the light but most light fixtures will give you a brief footage of what that light can cover in the best case scenario so it is better for you to buy stronger light and get more illumination than to get too low light level and dont be able to see anything.

Position – The position of the light is crucial not only by the  height , angle or whether it is in the sunlight but also the spot / point that you need to illuminate. In the most common setup you will be able to put your light beneath the edge of the roof to protect it from rain and to illuminate an area in front of the house. But there are also different usages for these solar flood lights and maybe you want to put it on the ground to illuminate your house from the side. This means that you need to think clearly about the usage as a wall mounted light won’t be easily places on the ground and vice versa.

Motion or light sensitivity activated – Solar lights come in two types where one has motion activated sensor and the other has not. you can use motion activated ones for security purposes and the non-motion activated ones in a simple garden or house lighting so again the choice needs to be made before the purchase.

How long should the light last – You also need to think about how long you need to operate your light as some lights can only light up for a minute and then need a resting period but other light sources can last all night.

Bulb type – Almost all solar flood lights are LED diode powered to save energy but you can find some models with halogen bulbs. You can read more about each of these bulb types and their advantages in this post!

And after you have considered all of these requirements you can check out our other sections for flood light reviews or take a look at the comparison chart at the top!