Looking for an outdoor motion sensor light? Start with our guide to the key considerations involved—and don’t miss our top-favorite picks!
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Our Top Picks
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List of Best Motion Sensor Light
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Top Motion Sensor Light – Reviewed
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How do motion sensor lights work?
Once motion sensor lights are installed, they only turn on when triggered due to the motion sensor on the front of the light. When some type of movement passes in front of the light, it triggers the light to turn on. Most lights won’t trigger during the day, so you’ll likely only have light at night.
How To Choose the Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Light
Okay, so we’ve gone over nine of the best outdoor-rated motion sensor lights on the market today. But how can you choose the right light for your intended use? Read on, and we will go over the six main questions you should ask yourself before choosing a motion-activated outdoor light.
1. What Are My Plans for this Light?
Generally, people who purchase motion-activated lights are after one of two results – improved path safety, or improved home security. Whether you are trying to see more easily or deter a potential intruder will have a bearing on what type of light you choose to purchase.
If you are merely trying to improve the safety of a walking path, you needn’t purchase the top-of-the-line lights. You can use any type of power – solar, battery, or direct wire – without worrying about a security-compromising failure. You also may choose a light that offers less lumens, as even a small amount of light will drastically increase the safety of a path.
However, lights to be used in security applications must be bright and always reliable. Therefore, if you are purchasing an outdoor motion-activated light for security purposes, it would be wisest to choose a hardwired light. This way, you won’t have to worry about dead batteries or cloudy days disrupting your home security system – potentially compromising the
safety of you and your family. A light in a security application should also be very bright, as bright lights act as better deterrents to potential criminals.
2. Where Will It Be Mounted?
The next thing you have to determine in choosing a motion-activated light is where you plant to mount the product. If there is a preexisting hardwired lighting fixture near the area you wish to provide with motion-activated light, buying a replacement fixture could be your best bet. Although they can be a little more pricey, they are incredibly reliable and hardly ever fail.
On the other hand, there might not be any sort of hardwiring available to you in your location of choice. You should instead consider whether a solar-powered light would be appropriate for your application. If the location you choose gets a lot of direct sunlight throughout the day, a solar light could be a cost-effective and efficient option. However, you should keep in mind that these tend to be a little dimmer than hardwired or battery-operated lights.
Finally, if the location does not receive a good amount of direct sunlight, and has no available space for a hardwired fixture, your best bet would be a battery-operated light. These are especially useful for applications in sheds, boathouses, or other enclosed spaces. It is best if you do not frequently use a battery-operated light – unless you are okay with replacing the batteries on a semi-regular basis.
3. How Much Maintenance Do I Want to Perform?
This is a very important question to ask yourself when you are choosing a motion-activated light. The type of light requiring the least maintenance would be a hardwired fixture. You need only change out lightbulbs – or perhaps you won’t need to do anything at all, if your device makes use of LEDs. However, the installation process of a hardwired fixture is a bit more involved. If it is not done properly, it could actually lead to more frequent required maintenance than another type of light.
Solar panel lights must be maintained a bit more frequently than hardwired ones. They do not require changing batteries or bulbs, for the most part. However, solar panels tend to build up a layer of dust, dirt, and other debris that will impact their performance. Therefore, you need to clean the panels whenever you start to notice a decrease in effectiveness. This can turn into a monthly – or even biweekly – task, depending on your locale.
Battery-powered motion-activated lights require the most maintenance out of the three types. Depending on their frequency of use, they may require new batteries once every few months. Of course, the convenience of a battery-powered light can’t be easily beaten. Plus, they are quite versatile and portable, and can be placed anywhere.
4. What is My Budget for a Light?
The most important question you should ask yourself is how much you can afford to spend on a new motion-activated light. For those with deeper pockets, a hardwired light would be a great option. Though they have a higher upfront cost – especially if you elect to have the device professionally installed – they will have a lower lifetime maintenance cost. Plus, they are the most reliable type of light.
For those on a mid-range budget, battery-operated lights are not a bad choice. They can be placed essentially anywhere. However, you must purchase new batteries for these units, which will drive up the lifetime cost of owning one of these lights. Therefore, these are the best choice for someone with too small of a budget for a professional hardwired installation, but enough money to purchase batteries somewhat frequently.
The lowest prices you can find for outdoor motion-activated lights are on solar-powered lights. Certain products come in packs, and you pay very little per unit compared to other types of lights. They also do not require any sort of consumable battery. However, they are not as versatile as other types of lights. Plus, they will eventually wear out due to their solar batteries – which are non-replaceable. When they burn out, they are done for unless you happen to be a solar panel technician.
5. Is It Outdoor-Certified?
The best motion-sensing light products will have a certification known as IP 65. This is short for Ingress Protection, which is a rating designed by the International Electrotechnical Commission. Basically, it refers to the ability of a certain product to withstand dust and water.
An IP 65 rating breaks down as follows: A first digit of 6 means that the light is completely
dust-tight. It is impossible for any particles of dust to enter the case while everything is sealed up. The second digit, 5, means that the light can withstand jets of water projected at the case.
It is very important to make sure that your product of choice offers an IP 65 certification. Any lower certifications may not withstand weather conditions as well. If you choose a device certified IP 65, it should handle even the most extreme weather conditions.
6. Does My Product of Choice Offer Any Warranties or Guarantees?
Though this is a question that you should ask yourself before purchasing any product online, it is especially important to do proper research before buying something that may impact your safety or home security. Many of the outdoor-rated motion-activated lights on the market today offer some sort of warranty or guarantee.
Be sure to read the language of the warranty – does it cover elemental damage, fire damage, and acts of God? Or is it simply a manufacturer’s defect warranty? It is always better to choose a product with a warranty that offers comprehensive coverage, especially when you are dealing with products that are meant to be weatherproof and reliable.
There is always a chance that you might purchase a lemon, or the product might otherwise be unsatisfactory in some way. At the very least, you should make sure that the supplier of your product offers a reasonable return period so that you do not end up losing money in case your light doesn’t do the job you needed it to.
As long as you ask yourself each of these six questions, and compare your answers to your product of choice, you should end up with an outdoor motion-activated light that you will be happy with. It should accomplish the job that you need it to – assuming that you have checked all of the features and ensured that they are compatible with the intended usage.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Motion Sensor Light
Choosing a motion sensor light for your home can be confusing, but it isn’t impossible. To help you understand what kind of details you should watch out for, let’s break down some of the more important considerations.
Size
Motion sensor lights can come in different shapes and sizes. As the consumer, you’ll have to figure out beforehand where you’ll want your motion sensor lights to go. That way, finding one that’s sized appropriately will be much easier.
If you’re looking at indoor lights, wherein the house would you want them? Are you trying to keep them discreet or visible?
These are some of the questions that will help you determine what size your sensor light needs to be.
Power Source
This is another consideration that’s important, most especially for outdoor lights. Different companies will have addressed the source of power for their motion sensor lights differently.
These days, it’s pretty easy to find powerful solar-powered motion sensor lights. This type of light will work best for outdoor use but will obviously be a bit more difficult to operate properly indoors.
For wired power sources, you’ll be dependent on the electrical wiring of your house. These types of motion sensor lights will require a little more work at the start but less maintenance in the long run.
Range
The range of the motion sensor light will be the biggest determining factor when it comes to function. Limitations might arise when using low-range motion sensor lights, which can make or break your final choice.
For the most part, the range of your light will tell you how its placement will go. If you have a big room, you’ll need more powerful lights, but smaller rooms won’t need too much power.
Ask yourself up to what point you want the light to sense motion. Also, are you using these lights for security or for convenience? Make things easier for yourself by asking and answering these kinds of questions.
Brightness
The brightness of the motion sensor light will also come into play. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to purchase a light that only lights up half the area!
While this may be more important for outdoor lights, indoor motion sensor lights will also have a description of how bright they can be. This way, you can estimate how much of a room light will be able to serve.
This will have an effect on the placement of the light as well. Spotlights, for example, light up a whole area, making them perfect for use on your porch.
Aesthetics
Of course, you can’t forget the aesthetics of each light you purchase. Just because motion sensor lights are focused on function doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the looks.
Depending on the consumer, the aesthetics of your lights aren’t as important in terms of how well they can do the job. Despite that, you might want to choose a light that would fit into the architectural or interior design of your home.
This way, be it discreet or not, your home’s aesthetic won’t suffer from your choice of security measures. Safety and style, all in one go!
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