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Low-voltage landscape lighting can enhance a home's features while also providing visibility for outdoor living spaces such as backyard decks and patios. And, given how much time and money homeowners invest in improving a home's curb appeal through architectural upgrades and landscaping, why should a home be visible only during the day?
Low-voltage landscaping lights are available in a wide range of styles, from bullet lights to highlight statues and water features to floodlights to highlight a home's facade to well lights to illuminate mature trees. This guide discusses the main features to look for when shopping for low-voltage landscape lighting and reviews some of the best options on the market.
1. Greenclick Landscape Lighting
This set of LED landscaping lights is a top pick for highlighting a home's natural and architectural features due to its high light output, efficient energy use, and solid construction. This six-pack of lights uses 3 watts per light and produces 300 lumens.
Greenclick's LED Garden Lights are ideal for illuminating a home's facade or larger trees without illuminating the electric bill. This set can be expanded to include an additional two lights or even more with the purchase of an extension cable for larger homes that require more lighting.
With a 54-degree beam angle and a 270-degree adjustable head, they are easy to aim for lighting a home's facade, a statue, or medium- to large-size trees. Each light emits a warm color with a Kelvin value of 2,700. These water-resistant lights, which will not crack or rust due to their aluminum construction, are compatible with 12-volt systems.
2. Vont LED Outdoor Solar Lights
We recommend the Vont LED Outdoor Solar Lights if you need solar powered spotlights to illuminate a specific focal point on your property. These two spotlights were simple to set up and install during testing—we chose to stake them in the ground, but they are also wall-mountable and come with screws. You can also pivot them up to 120 degrees to direct the light in the desired direction.
These weather-resistant lights have a lifetime warranty and performed flawlessly when we poured water on them, froze them, and dropped a golf ball on the solar panel during testing. It's worth noting that, aside from being operational from dusk to dawn, they only have two brightness settings and no other features. However, if you want the convenience of solar power as well as durable, bright lights that can withstand the elements, this pick stands out.
3. hykolity 6 Pack Low Voltage LED Landscape Pathway Light
Garden lighting should be both attractive and functional. Hykolity's low-voltage path lights are both, thanks to their sturdy construction and simple yet elegant design. These lights are made of cast aluminum that can withstand the elements and have a sturdy stake to keep them upright.
The cone-shaped hood gives the fixture a streamlined appearance that makes it suitable for a variety of home styles, while casting a wide 139-degree beam angle with 3,000K soft white light. Each LED light uses only 3 watts but produces 150 lumens of light.
With six fixtures, this set provides enough light to illuminate a path or several large flower beds. Its 15-inch cables with quick-connect wire connectors make it relatively simple for a DIYer to connect the lights to a low-voltage transformer.
1. Type of Bulb
The type of bulb matters, especially when it comes to brightness and energy efficiency. LED bulbs are the preferred choice for low-voltage landscape lighting. They are brighter than incandescent bulbs and consume approximately 80% less electricity. The bulbs also last much longer and burn much cooler than incandescent bulbs.
LED bulbs require a much larger initial investment, costing three or four times that of an incandescent bulb. However, because of their long lifespan and energy savings, these bulbs eventually pay for themselves and outperform incandescent bulbs in total cost.
Solar lighting is another option. Solar landscape lighting employs a small solar cell to charge a battery, which powers the lights after the sun goes down. Solar lights, while not requiring electricity or wiring, are typically not as bright as low-voltage lighting.
2. Power Supply
The term "low-voltage landscape lighting" refers to the use of 12-volt energy. It necessitates the use of a transformer to convert standard 120-volt household electricity to 12-volt electricity. Outdoor lighting fixtures that work with 12-volt systems are daisy-chained to the transformer.
Low-voltage landscape lighting systems are safe for homeowners to install on their own because 12-volt electricity does not pose the risk of electric shock. The user can also avoid burying the wires by running them across the top of the ground under a thin layer of dirt or mulch.
Some landscape lighting is powered by solar energy rather than low-voltage electricity. Solar power landscape lighting is simpler to install because it does not require wiring and instead relies on a battery that charges using a solar cell throughout the day. A fully charged battery can provide 8 to 12 hours of nighttime lighting. Remember that solar-powered landscape lighting requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to fully recharge.
3. Color Temperature and Brightness
The brightness of a landscaping light is determined by both the type of light and its power source. A bullet light, which works like a spotlight and is powered by a 12-volt transformer, will produce around 1,500 lumens, which is enough to illuminate a house's facade. Well lights, which are ideal for illuminating a tree or a wall, produce around 100 lumens, whereas low-voltage garden lights, which illuminate flower beds or pathways, may produce 200 to 300 lumens.
A 12-volt transformer-powered landscaping light fixture produces significantly more lumens than a solar-powered light. A 12-volt pathway light can produce 150 lumens, whereas a solar-powered pathway light can only produce 7 lumens.
Landscape lights come in a variety of color temperatures in addition to brightness. Color temperature, which ranges from warm white to daylight, determines the appearance and feel of lighting. Color temperature is measured using the Kelvin (K) scale. The typical temperature range for home lighting is 2,000K to 6,500K, with the lower number being warmer and the higher number being cooler. A 2,500K light is warm and white, with a cozy feel, whereas a 5,000K light is similar to daylight, with a crisp feel for working.
While nighttime landscape lighting should improve visibility, it should not have the same impact as stadium lighting. Landscape lighting should have a color temperature between 2,000K and 3,000K to create a more nuanced feel.
4. Weather Protection
Because landscape lighting is used outside, it must be weather resistant. Because aluminum is naturally resistant to rust and corrosion, it is used in the majority of landscape lighting. It's also strong enough to withstand minor impacts from feet, trimmer lines, or lawn mowers. Tempered glass is used in some landscape lighting, such as well lights.
Electrical wiring is used in low-voltage landscaping. This means it must be resistant to water and impact. An International Protection Code (IP code) is assigned to consumer outdoor electrical devices to indicate how well the device protects the electrical component from dust and water. All low-voltage or solar landscape lighting should have an IP 65 or higher rating, which means it can withstand dust particles and jetting water from a sprinkler or hard rain.
Some types of landscape lighting, such as buried well lights, have a higher IP 67 rating, indicating that the light can withstand temporary submersion underwater.
How deep should low-voltage wire be buried?
When low-voltage wiring crosses a lawn or other high-traffic areas, bury it 6 inches deep. While this wiring does not pose a risk of electric shock, it can be damaged by foot traffic and lawnmower blades.
How far can low-voltage landscape lighting be run?
The length that low-voltage landscape lighting can be run depends on the gauge of the wiring and the wattage of the lights. The majority of low-voltage landscape lighting uses 12-gauge wire, which can run for up to 100 feet with a total load of 100 watts or less without voltage drops.
How much does low voltage landscape lighting installation cost?
The cost of low voltage landscape lighting can range from $250 to more than $1,000, depending on the size of the system, the quality of the lights, and the electrical infrastructure, such as wiring and the transformer.
We investigated the most popular low-voltage landscape lighting options in each category and discovered that the best models are simple to install, emit plenty of light, and are durable enough to withstand the elements.
Most people who research the best low-voltage landscape lighting prefer transformer-powered models because of their dependability and ample brightness. However, the solar-powered options discussed above are appropriate for those who prefer outdoor lights that require little maintenance and no complicated installation. Depending on your needs, the above options range from 100 to 1,500 lumens for your yard, driveway, walkway, pool area, trees, or patio.
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