7 Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights for Homes

Blind the Bad Guys with these Bright LED Security Motion Lights

We may never know all that creeps in the dark around our homes while we sleep. One way to be sure that anything wandering around is aware of you, though, is with best outdoor motion sensor lights. Nothing scares off a prowler quicker than a light that snaps on suddenly without warning in the dark of night.

Motion sensitive lights save power because they activate only when there is movement in the area. Many save even more with powerful LED lamps, as well as options to adjust the time that the light is on when activated, or even solar-powered lights to avoid using any electricity from the grid at all.

Features of the many motion lights available include coverage area, the brightness of illumination, time light stays on when activated, power needs and usage of the light, installation requirements, and type of lamp used.

Benefits of Motion Sensor Lights

1. Energy and Money Saver

Motion sensor security lights help reduce your electricity bills and conserve energy. Lights left switched on eat up power and can lead to more burnt out bulbs. After the relatively small initial costs, motion sensors get to work on saving you money.

Motion sensor lighting is environmentally-friendly option and energy efficient in these circumstances:

• Motion-sensing lights save many hours of run time every year and enhance the lifespan the super bright floodlights.
• Prevent children from leaving the lights on or accidentally left the lights on in garages or attics.

2. Excellent Crime Deterrence

Motion detection lighting helps prevent break-ins and burglaries by making the intruder visible and startling them. These lights detect movement and automatically switch on when it detects one. Motion detection lighting deters intruders from breaking into your property.

3. Provides Light to Difficult Areas

Outdoor security lights with motion sensor provide easy lighting solutions without having to search and fumble for the switch in dark areas within your home. It makes it a breeze for you and your visitors not to fall or trip over because of the motion detection lighting.

4. Very Convenient

Arriving home in the dark and then having to search for your house keys to get yourself in might be challenging. In addition to being annoying and time-consuming, this poses a security risk if it is late at night and nobody is present. You won’t have to worry about these problems once you get this type of illumination installed because it will make it possible for you to see clearly and for others to see you, preventing any nighttime attacks.

Seven of the Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights

1 – Baxia Technology Wireless Waterproof Security

On & Off like a Magician.  400 bright lumens.  Pack of 4 only $29.99

With 28 LED Ultra-Bright lights, the solar-powered Baxia provides good illumination for a small area when activated. Designed to be water and heat-resistant for the outdoors, the Baxia wireless is a good option for a small area of your yard that is far from any power source.

Pros

• Easy to install a device
• Brightest motion-activated solar lighting available
• Weatherproof
• Moderately LED illumination for small areas
• Solar-powered for energy savings
• 900 reviews – average 4.5 stars

Cons

• Detection distance of 9-16 feet
• 120° scope of detection best for contained areas like patios or walkways
• No dim mode for constant nighttime low light, only ON/OFF activator
• Stays off until motion is detected

2 – DrawGreen Solar Lights 1400 Lumens Outdoor Motion Sensor Spotlight

The red eye of doom?  Solar powered convience. $40 per unit

Providing a powerful flood of light up to 50 feet away from the source, the Solar Lights 1400 Lumens Outdoor Motion Sensor Spotlight illuminates a lot of areas and may be just right to light up the furthest corners of your yard. The solar-powered motion sensor LED bulbs are intensified with optics-grade PMMA lens. The aluminum casing is extremely durable and long-lasting through all types of weather, including extremes from -30 – 120° F.

Pros

• Solar powered with Li-ion battery for holding charges
• The device is constructed from a durable aluminum casing
• Very bright illumination
• Eco-friendly and free-green energy
• They look like security cameras giving bad guys even more of a reason to stay away
• Detects up to 26 feet away
• Easy to install

Cons

• Full recharge requires 5-6 hours of full sunshine
• $40 for one vs our number 1 pick which is $40 for 4
• Metal design and look may not fit the style of all homes
• Little bit expensive

3 – Mr. Beams MB3000 High-Performance Wireless Spotlight

Will you be inviting Mr. Beams to your home?  $32 + Free Shipping

The outdoor motion sensor lights battery-operated two adjustable light heads allow you to aim illumination where your yard it most. Producing 500 lumens from dual LED lights, when Mr. Beams goes on, intruders (and you) will know it, and your yard will light up.

Pros

• Wireless, requires no complicated installation
• Strong weatherproof design meant for all year outdoor conditions
• Easy to alter the direction of light
• Two light sources, to illuminate different parts of the yard
• Adjustable beams

Cons

• Battery powered.  Get ready to burn through the expensive large batters.  Also requires to pull off and replace periodically.
• Doesn’t allow adjustment of features such as duration light stays on
• Narrow light beam

4 – SANSI LED Security Motion Sensor Outdoor Light

Want to blind the bad guys?  This one wins ‘Brightest Of’ award.  $60 per unit

The 30W LED lights in the SANSI Waterproof Floodlight is energy efficient to provide the equivalent of 250W incandescent light. Rated at 3,400 lumens, the SANSI gives a lot of backyard illumination when the motion sensor is activated. The range of sensing ability sets the SANSI apart from many other motion sensor lights, with 180° and 50 feet of range. The SANSI outdoor security lights with motion sensor will be a good fixture in your front or backyard.

Pros

• Waterproof casing to stand up to elements like rain and snow
• Big 50 foot sensing range with 180° coverage
• Very bright 3400 lumens LED lights
• Comes in white or black
• With Four different modes
• Detects up to 72 feet away

Cons

• Adjustable modes limited to Test, Automatic, and Manual
• Not very appealing design
• Some knowledge required for installation as it is wired into a house electrical system

5 – Good Earth Two-Head Sensor Light

Two light heads of the Good Earth motion light rotate independently, up to 80° vertically and 30° horizontally to reach shadowy corners of deck or yard. With sixteen LED lights putting out 2060 lumens you will get plenty of illumination when this light triggers on.

Requires more advanced installation with electrical.  $56 per unit

Pros

• Energy saving and powerful LED lamps last 50,000 hours
• Two light heads rotate independently
• Change setting with Good Earth Lightning App
• Voice control with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
• Detection range between 5-100 feet
• Light Beam Detection Angle ranges up to 240–360 degree

Cons

• Wiring into home power system requires expert installation
• Spotlight style two-head look doesn’t fit with all outdoor designs

6 – Sunforce 82153 Triple Head Solar Motion Light 1000 lumens

For the paranoid or security preppers. 

The Sunforce 82153 outdoor motion light offers a lot of powerful features that make it stand out among the crowd. The outdoor solar lights 30-foot detection distance over a full 180° range assures you it will light up when anything moves in your yard. Solar panels soak up the sunlight to recharge batteries, but they don’t require full direct sun to get a full charge to power the light when needed at night.

Pros

• Two adjustable settings for detection distance and light duration
• Fully weather resistant
• Extremely bright at 1000 lumens (both good and bad)
• Simple to mount wherever you need it

Cons

• Three head design may not fit all outdoor designs
• 1000 lumen intensity may be too bright for some yard areas at night
• Some people prefer hardwired electric connection for a certainty of a power supply

7 – Solar Lights Outdoor Wireless Waterproof Security Light

This wins our most durable award.  $37 & free shipping

With the lighting power of 100 LEDs, the Solar Lights Outdoor Wireless Security Light produces 2000 lumens. The solar-powered motion sensor for outdoor lights works well for pathways or shadowed areas between house and garage, for instance. The motion sensor has an intermediate range of 12 feet at 125° angle, just right for medium-sized areas that need the security of a light that activates when anything moves in that area.

Pros

• Easy to install and mount, with no wiring to attach
• 3600mAH Li-ion battery recharges to work 12 hours of sensing and lighting at night
• Can illuminate a sidewalk

Cons

• No dim mode, only on when activated or off
• No adjustable length of light duration or other options

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose an outdoor motion sensor light?

You have to think in terms of what you want and how your yard is set up. First off, think about how far away you want the light to detect movement. Then, factor in how bright you want that light to be. You’ll also need to think about the energy source from which the light will draw power.

Another major factor is durability. While, at first, you might think that having a mounted light is no big deal because you can change the lightbulb any time, do be aware that you’re purchasing this device for security reasons, so you don’t want it to malfunction at the wrong time.

Moreover, you might want a light with an auto-reset function in case of power outages. And, of course, you’ll want to be able to adjust its sensitivity. When fall comes, and the leaves start falling, you don’t want it to get triggered non-stop because of that.

How bright should a motion sensor light be?

Go with a bulb with as much lumen count as possible. You’ll usually find motion sensor light between 300 and 700 lumens. Remember that these light also have ranges, so their brightness may vary from scenario to scenario.

Are solar motion lights any good?

Solar-powered motion lights are good as long as you live in an area where they can get enough sunlight to power themselves for the night. Be aware of how much battery they have because if you live somewhere where it gets dark early during the winter, you might find yourself without a functioning light to begin with. And you don’t want that to happen exactly on the night of a potential break-in. But, as long as their battery is powerful enough, you’ll be happy to know that they are independent from the power grid, so they can offer protection in case the power goes out.

Final Review of the Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights

With so many different options available, the outdoor motion lights right for your home are out there for you to find.  They are the perfect addition to a home security system and a crime deterrent.  They can also help with lighting for better video capture on security cameras.

Knowing the area you need to cover and types of power needs (and installation requirements) is a good start to choosing the right light for your yard’s security.  Have any tips on beefing up home security? Leave them or other feedback on outdoor motion lights below.

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William Eames

William is a tech buff and former corporate security officer turned cybercrime analyst. Computers have few secrets left for him, but home security and alarm systems… Well, those have plenty of secrets for their users, which William is now uncovering and explaining. His articles on home security helped many people take the matter seriously, invest in highly performing systems, and avoid becoming victims of burglaries.