Here are a few things to keep in mind when you buy outdoor lights.
strength: For most outdoor lighting, you need to run the cable to the power outlet, so you need an outdoor outlet. If you don’t have an outdoor socket, installing weatherproof is often a very cheap and quick job for an electrician. Note that large power adapters and clumsy plugs won’t fit outdoor sockets, so you might also need some kind of weatherproof box. I like the big Dri-box ($42) because it has plenty of room and gets an IP55 rating. I also used the smaller main draw weatherproof box ($45), which is good. If using an outdoor socket is not possible, consider running cables indoors, but it can be tricky if you have to drill holes in the wall. Solar lights are a great choice. You might even consider using a portable power station in a shed or other outbuilding. Whichever way you do, be sure to plug the lighting in and connect it to any outdoor area through the app.
Photo: Simon Hill
control: Most smart backyard lighting is connected via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and is controlled by an app on your phone. You need a nice Wi-Fi signal or within Bluetooth range. While it seems desirable to simply connect lighting directly to Wi-Fi or use Bluetooth, systems with a dedicated hub have advantages. For example, using Philips Hue, lights using HUE hubs connect and respond to commands faster than through Bluetooth in the application. Hubs can also allow for better group control and greater range. Most smart lighting can be controlled by smart voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, but be sure to check compatibility before purchasing.
lumen: The brightness of the illumination is measured in lumens. To give you an idea, a standard 60-watt bulb will amplify about 800 lumens.
color: RGB (red, green, blue) is standard and is mixed with all three colors. RGBW includes suitable white, red, green and blue, which offers greater flexibility and is important if you want high-quality white light. The color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) (K) and is tied to a range (e.g., 1200k to 6500k). This range determines the warmth or coolness of your lighting capabilities. Red and oranges are at the lower end of the scale, and blues are at the high end.
IP level: IP stands for admission protection and determines the extent to which the equipment affects water and dust, thus clearly demonstrating its wind resistance. We have an IP rating interpreter that focuses on the phone, but all devices (including outdoor lights) use the same IP scale. We have listed the IP ratings for each lamp recommended. While the IP44 rating may be durable enough to just deal with rain, you need IP65 or higher to light up on grounds that may be covered in snow or snow.
