But with so many options, you may find it overwhelming to select a good model. To help you out, we have provided three main factors to consider while analyzing the products.
Energy Source
Motion sensor lights are available in different options like – power socket dependent, battery operated or solar powered. You can choose anyone based on your preference.
Durability
As these lights have to be installed outdoors, it is very important to check whether they can withstand the harsh environment. Good quality motion sensor lights are usually waterproof and weatherproof.
Versatility
It is better to invest in a model that has different features of the motion sensor lights like proximity sensor, smart cameras, intelligent low power modes and others as such. For more clear data, we recommend reading the “Buying Guide” crafted by our team of experts. Based on the same information, we have picked the Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights available online.
7 Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights List
7 Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights Reviews
1. Lepower Outdoor Motion Sensor Light
First on our list is a highly reviewed and rated Lepower LED motion sensor security light. This is a 3 piece encasement fixture model powered by a 35-watt rating. The design of the light is a normal one as it gives you about 180 degrees sensing and detecting range. The depth of sensing for this light can go up to as far as 72 feet away. On the overall, the light will give you about 50,000 hours of service (translates to nearly about 6 years). Such high standards are promised thanks to the high quality LED light used which is from the house of Samsung. Coming to the brightness of the lights, they pack a punch with their 1,600 lumens luminosity and a high 5,500 k brightness which can go as far as 6,600k as well. The dimming modes will dim down the lights when not in use. The lights are encased out with high-quality IP 65 waterproof material. ETL certified and a safe bet, the internals of the lamp is entirely made out of high-grade aluminium. It comes with a 20 feet long cable for good distancing from the socket to the lamp. The lights also have a decent 60 days money-back guarantee and also a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase. What we liked about it
Flexible and Unique 3-way design for the headlamps. 50,000 hours life for the Samsung built LED lights 20 feet long cord for easier socket placement 72 feet long sensing strength and 180 degrees detection and coverage Dimming modes available 1600 lumens of brightness 5,500k brightness levels 60 days money-back guarantee along with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
What we didn’t like about it
None too specific to mention
2. Amico Outdoor Motion Sensor Light
Amico Store’s 3 Headed LED security motion lights are more or less like the Lepower lights we mentioned above. This one also has a 3-way design but come with a slightly higher power rating and incredibly larger luminosity at the same brightness. Starting off with the design, the outdoor sensor light’s 3-way design gives it a swivel motion angle of 180 degrees of optimal coverage. This can detect and project light to as far as about 49 feet away. Also, the headlights are easily adjustable and the lens hoods and even the motion sensors can be adjusted easily. This gives you a great flexibility as to how much you can swivel and capture. Installation of the light is also no hassle and can be done with great ease. All you need to do is hook up the lights on the place and plug in the socket with great simplicity. The lights are made out of IP 65 waterproof material that are durable, weatherproof in design and thus are fit for outdoor placement in any kind of weather. Coming to the LED lights, they are 40 watts rated and have a high luminosity of 3,500 lumens at a 5000 k brightness level (day white lights). This is equivalent to having a 200 watt rated halogen light. Thus, this can end up saving about 88% of your lights. The motion sensor can work in 3 different mode settings. 1 minute, 5 minute and also 10 minutes mode as well. It has a daylight saving feature which literally means that the lights will not function during the day until there is darkness or for 6 seconds in test mode. The lights come with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase. What we liked about it
Has a Flexible 3-way design for the lights 49 feet sensor and light coverage 180 degrees sensor swivel coverage 5,00 k brightness 3,500 lumens luminosity 3 modes of settings Automatic function in darkness 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
What we didn’t like about it
None too specific to mention
3. Jjc Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights
JJC’s outdoor motion security LED lights to come with a great many features and double direction LED lights which kind of look like CCTV cameras. The motion sensors used in this light are touted to be some of the most advanced motion sensors there are. The sensors have a very highly sensitive angle of about 180n degrees and a very long distance of sensing of 65 feet apart. This will make them great for not just residences but also for commercial usage as well. The lights have 3 modes of working. One is the auto mode which will automatically turn on the light when there is a motion detected. Another is the on-time mode which will give you manual control over the lights. Another one would be the Dawn to Dusk mode which will turn on the light till the dawn from the night. Made out of IP 65 water and weatherproof materials, the lights can resist rain, sleet, dust or snow and also UV exposure as well. The 2 heads of the light are super bright with their 2,000 lumens brightness and luminosity. They have a total of 50,000 hours lifetime which translates to about 22 years if you use it for 7 hours a day. ETL and DLC certified the product comes with a 24 x 7 customer service and an incredibly large 5 year warranty period from the date of purchase. What we liked about it
Two-headed unique design schema The motion sensor can be tweaked to 360 degrees Has a motion sensor range of 65 feet at about 180 degrees of wide-angle coverage 3 modes of functioning with manual, auto and dawn to dusk modes 50,000 hours lifetime 2,000 lumens brightness IP 65 Water and weatherproof material build 24 x 7 customer support and 5 years of manufacturer’s warranty
What we didn’t like about it
None too specific to mention
4. Mr. Beams Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights
Mr Beams MB392 is an individual outdoor motion sensor lights of decent illumination capabilities. Individually, each of these lights has a great enough 400 lumens luminosity and are battery dependent. The lights are available in white and brown colour options to choose from and have a small and compact sizing to them. They are also easy to install and cascade and use as well. The motion sensors used in the spotlights can be turned on and off automatically this will give you bright light in an instant of motion detection. As the lights are made out of durable and weatherproof IPX waterproof materials, they can withstand a wide range of climatic changes as well. These lights are based out of battery usage and are wireless in nature. Thus the installation should also not take a lot of time too. Just a few minutes of mounting the hardware onto the wall. For this, you get about a very wide 400 square feet of light and sensor coverage and this is accomplished with using 4 D-Cell batteries. These are not included in the package and should be bought from outside. The bottom of the lights can be swivelled to and fro for adjustment of the light path. Though highly rated and good enough powered, the lights doesn’t come with any warranty as such. What we liked about it
Individual pieces and combo pieces available for the CCTV styled motion sensor lights Battery-powered through 4 D-Cells 400 lumens coverage 400 square foot coverage The bottom swivel can be adjusted for better coverage Durable IPX Water and weatherproof material build
What we didn’t like about it
No warranty Could have had a higher luminosity Batteries not included
5. Glorious Lite Outdoor Motion Sensor Light
Much like the 3 headed design we have with the Le power, the Glorious security LED lights have a similar design schema but with only 2 headlights. They open like a page from a book and thus be able to cover a wide-angle. Though there are only 2 lights and have a decently low power rating of 28 watts, the lights are efficient as they have a great combined 3,000 lumens super bright output. The LEDs used are made by Samsung and have a professional filter lens to it that will help in saving about 80% on the energy bill. The motion sensors used are upgraded to be able to sense at a distance as far as 72 feet and have a lighting time of about 10 minutes. The sensor can sense any movement and also has an infrared interference resistance that means that you can place this right next to your security cameras with no issues. Build of the light is made out of aluminium and IP 65 water and weatherproof material that can dissipate a good amount of heat and last for about 50,000 hours while withstanding any weather problems. The lights come with 12 months of manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase. What we liked about it
Two-way design schema of the lights Has a great and bright 3,00 lumens output LEDs are made by Samsung Can sense and project light till 72 feet apart Ip 65 waterproof material build 50,000 hours of life 5,500K brightness The very low wattage of just 28 watts 12 months of manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase
What we didn’t like about it
Could have had different modes of function as well
6. Heath Zenith Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights
Next up on our list is more of an out of the box design. The Heath HZ 4150 BK zenith is a motion sensor-based retro-looking coach light shaped security light. The black coloured brass built light can detect motion about 30 feet away. Coming to the coverage angle, the light can cover a radius for about 150 degrees. Thanks to the all-black brass metal construction, the product is sturdy in quality. The clear glass to has a weather-resistant finish to it. As for the bulb, it has a 100-watt maximum power rating. While there is no bulb in it, you can fix a medium base sized incandescent bulb inside it. The lights have an optional tail assembly which meets energy star rating guidelines. While most of the security lights in the list are simply focussed on being functional, this coach lantern styled light adds great aesthetic appeal to your front yard or basically any place you fix it on. The motion activation is on all the 4 sides of the coach styled lights. The sensor capacity for the light is about 500 watts. The light, though might look retro, has the three modes of operation much like the other products in the list. It also comes with a 2 years of manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase. What we liked about it
Has a very unique and different design schema with its coach light style design Can fit a 100 watt powered medium base incandescent bulb inside it. The 4 sides of the light can fire up sensors up to 30 feet away 500 watt of detection capacity over a range of 150 degrees radius Made out of waterproof materials. Has three modes of operation; manual, automatic and dawn to dusk Comes with 2 years manufacturer’s warranty
What we didn’t like about it
None too specific to mention
7. Eaton Lighting Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights
Finally, on our list, we have a really simplistic designed yet powerful motion sensor light. The EATON lighting MS 180 is a single unit of motion security floodlight. The light has an integral photocell that prevents the lights from turning ON during the day time even if there is motion. The light will function with motion or in auto mode at night. You can select the performance time of the light for about 4 minutes or 12 minutes after the motion is detected. The motion detection of the light has a sensory range of about 70 feet away within a radius of about 180 degrees. The light can easily adapt to most of the walls and eave mount applications. With a maximum 300 watts rating, the light is available in brown and white colours. These lights come with 2 years of manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase. What we liked about it
Simpler and compact design structure Affordable pricing 300-watt power rating Can detect motion 70 feet away Functions in 2 modes of operation 180 degrees of detection radius Bronze finish 2 years manufacturer’s warranty
What we didn’t like about it
Could have improved the inside plastic quality
How to Choose the Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights?
Motion sensor lights will turn on when they detect the movement. If you want to install one in your outdoors then you have to consider various factors like power source, purpose, budget, etc., which are clearly explained in this guide. Have a look at them and select your best sensor light.
1. Power Source:
The outdoor motion sensor lights can be powered in three main ways. They are direct-wired (hardwired), solar-powered or battery powered. Let’s get into details.
Direct Wired (Hard Wired):
Here the outdoor lights are direct-wired into the house electrical system, which has an uninterrupted supply of electricity. Its installation is a bit complicated than other power sources. Mount these lights above the height of the door on exterior walls near an electrical socket. They are brighter with a wider range of detection (up to 100 feet), which makes it easy to set on large areas like a driveway or yard. It comes with one or more adjustable spotlights that let you adjust them according to the area you want to lighten up. Note – Think and plan before installing these hard-wired motion lights – like whether to run wires through walls or secure extension cords.
Battery Powered:
These battery-powered motion sensor lights can be installed virtually anywhere within their reach. So, that they won’t be a problem while changing the batteries. These lights suit perfectly for storage sheds or other places where it has no electrical wiring. You can select these lights from a wide variety of decorative and spotlight styles.
Solar Powered:
These solar-powered lights should be installed in locations where there is no ample sunlight exposure so that its photocell charging panels can charge up during the daytime. This can be stored as energy, which is used to illuminate the lights at night time. Verdict – Among these three power sources, the hard wiring (direct-wired) lights are brightest, works for a longer time and most preferred. Whereas, the battery or solar-powered lights may compromise on your security at certain times like on a cloudy day or a dead battery.
2. Detection Range:
It represents the range or area within which the motion sensors can detect the movement and turn on the light automatically. The motion detection range of these lights will be from 20 – 100 feet away. You can choose appropriate one based on your coverage requirements. For example,
If you want to lighten up a large area (like the backyard), you need LED security lights with a detection range of 70 feet or more. To illuminate a small area (like the front porch), you may require a motion sensor with a range of 20 – 30 feet.
Along with the distance, you have to know about the detection angle of the light (in degrees). This will help you to know the distance of the detection field and thus, let you set the light properly to cover the required area effectively. Most lights have a detection angle of around 120° for better coverage area.
3. Type of Light Bulb:
LED light bulbs are the most commonly used lights in outdoor motion sensor detectors. The reason is that they are brighter with clear illumination, energy-efficient, stay cool and has a longer life when compared with other light bulbs. The main drawback of these LED lights is that – they may often get dimmer and become a deal-breaker to illuminate the large area or frighten trespassers. Incandescent light bulbs come next to this LED light. Even though, they consume more energy to produce brighter light but has to be replaced quite often. A few manufacturers also use halogen or fluorescent bulbs for lighting your outdoor sensor lights. Take a look at the package description or information to find out which type of light is used in that motion sensor light.
4. Lumens:
The intensity of light is measured in terms of lumens (lm). For instance, a bulb with 60-watts will produce 800 lumens, whereas a 100-watt bulb produces 1600 lm. So, make sure to check these lumens count on the pack before its purchase. Also, the type of power source used will have an impact on this light intensity. A battery-based LED light can have a range of 100 – 1000 lumens brightness, whereas electricity-based lights will have more than 1200 lumens. So, the brighter the light intensity, the better you can cover more area.
5. Illumination Period:
The illumination period or light duration will refer to the time duration the light remain turn on before it turns off automatically. Most of these sensor lights set with a certain time period of about 20 seconds and a few others will allow you to adjust the period for either shorter or longer time length. Mostly, direct-wired lights come with an adjustable light duration option to set the time period. The reason why not the other two sources is that the light can drain a solar cell or battery quickly if the light remains on for a longer time (more than 30 seconds).
6. Lighting Type:
Spotlights and general illumination type are the two most commonly seen lighting forms in these motion sensor lights.
A spotlight, just like a flashlight, will have a narrower beam with longer coverage. This makes it suits perfect to place in areas like driveways. An illumination style will provide lighting in and around the surrounding area (wider coverage). This makes it suit perfect to place in areas like lit path or porch.
Note – For these lighting options, LED is most preferred with its long-life rating. They offer up to 50,000 hours of lighting at 12 hours per day usage (over 10 years).
7. Location:
It’s essential to decide where you want to place this motion sensor light for perfect coverage.
To illuminate on the porch, prefer to use a wall or ceiling mounted unit. For lighting on the garage, prefer to use dual-headed sensors. For walkways and other areas of the yard, you have to use stake style lights.
8. Design:
Based on the location of your motion sensor light, you have to consider its design. Most units resemble standard outdoor lights but it has to match with your home beauty. A few other lights are plain and utilitarian. So, check out the best designs to set with your home interior.
9. Shape of Encasement:
Different types of encasements can be seen while selecting these motion sensor lights. So, the shape of the light encasement matters while installing these lights. The rectangular-shaped lights with a 120° angle of spread are preferred most but a triple-headed light can cover a wide range of area. Thus, making these encasements essential to consider while placing them at the center. Or else, you can go through a circular shape or many more options, as per your requirement.
10. Other Features to Consider:
Here are some other features like add-ons which you have to consider but not considered as compulsory to have in your lights.
Auto – Reset:
With interruption in electric flow, the power surges will affect the hard-wired motion sensor lights and thereby result in a light, either remain off or stay on. But it won’t happen with this auto-reset option. This will make the light to reset even after a surge automatically. Or simply shut off the power for 1/2 minute manually and turn it on to reset the light.
Adjustable Sensitivity:
Some lights will turn on even whenever leaves are blown, which creates some trouble triggering. So, to get rid of these issues, most of the models allow you to twist the sensitivity. Here you can adjust the sensitivity range to detect only when there is a sturdy solid motion.
Adjustable Illumination Coverage:
In general, the spotlight-type motion sensor light will let you adjust them to illuminate a large area. A few lights have adjustable heads, which let you change the direct light into either board illumination pattern or a narrow beam.
Motion Sensor Mechanics:
There are various technologies used to detect the nearby movement around the house. Now let’s learn about some of these technologies that make motion sensor lights detect and switch on.
Microwave – The sensor sends out electromagnetic pulses, which reflect while moving objects. Passive Infrared – Called as Acronym PIR, a common type of sensor, which detects body heat and turns on the light. Ultrasonic – The high-frequency sound waves are emitted by this sensor to bounce off nearby objects. So, whenever the wave bounces off a moving object then the sensor will turn on the light. The false triggering even when leaves have blown are the main drawback of this technology. Area Reflective – Here the sensor uses infrared rays/LED and measure the reflection. If any movement occurs, then the sensor registers a change in the distance of reflected rays and turn on the light. Dual Technology – It is a combination of the above two sensor types. Here, both sensors will be triggered before turning on the light to prevent false illuminations.
Note: Generally, the manufacturers won’t let you know which type of technology is used in their lights on the description. So, simply contact the company to get all this information while purchasing them.
Benefits of Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights:
These motion sensor lights are the best option to keep your outside area of the home safe and provides flexibility while performing all those outdoor tasks. Other than that, they are several reasons to use these outdoor motion sensor lights, which are clearly explained below.
Safety – These lights will provide enhanced safety by turn on the light automatically whenever someone passes. Thus, it let you move around the objects without causing any injuries with less falls or slips. Improves Lighting in Dark Areas – While installing these sensor lights on the stairways and backyards, it becomes easy to lit without installing lighting fixtures permanently. Crime Prevention – With a sudden precise spotlight, this security light will threaten the potential intruders and thereby make them leave that place immediately. Prevent Animals – A few animals (like outside dogs, deer) cause damage to your plants and cause trouble in your garden area. These motion detection lights will harmlessly scare the animals and keep them away from dusk to dawn. Affordability – The price of these lights are less and affordable. These lights are for a short period of time and thus their energy efficient. The most affordable way to lighten your outdoors is to install solar lights.
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