You’ll pay less for incandescent bulbs at the checkout counter, and they’ll get the job done, but they do it at a much higher energy cost. These are the lightbulbs that appear above a cartoon character’s head when they have an idea-and probably the kind you grew up with. It’s important to weigh your long-term savings against the more expensive upfront cost before skipping LEDs. If you pick up an LED floodlight bulb, it’s even more expensive-about $5 per bulb compared to around $2 for standard LEDs. But they do cost more up front (between three and five times more than incandescent bulbs), which leads some folks to pass them up. LEDs deliver bright light without eating up electricity-and they can last up to five times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. These are the most cost-efficient bulbs for outdoor security lighting. It can be a delicate balance, but we’ve got the highlights about each lightbulb option below. You want to keep your home and property safe, but you don’t want outdoor security to put you in the poorhouse.Īt the same time, you don’t want to skimp on illumination to save a buck. You’re looking for two things when it comes to a bulb for your outdoor security light: energy consumption and brightness. Spotlights are a good choice to help light up a door or pathway for safe passage (and entry) after the sun sets. Most of the spotlights on our list have multiple heads so that you can shine a narrow beam in various directions at once. They also provide superbright illumination in areas like garages or sheds where you may need some extra light after the sun sets.Īlmost the opposite of floodlights, spotlights project a narrow, focused beam of light directly onto one area. They’re an excellent choice for large yards and fields. These lights are meant to literally “flood” an area with light. This is a valuable feature to have in an outdoor security light because you know it’s doing its job even when you’re away from home or fast asleep.įloodlights are useful for outdoor security because of their broad beam and high-intensity illumination. Motion sensor lights do exactly what their name implies-they detect motion and light up to either get you safely to the door or scare off an intruder. To help you figure out which one is best for you, we break down the most common types below. Bulkhead, floodlight or decorative wall lantern: you’ll find them all in our security lighting section.When it comes to outdoor security lights, there are a few types that dominate the marketplace because they deliver the most security and value. Security fittings often serve the double purpose of deterring intruders and providing useful illumination for the legitimate owner of the house! If you’ve ever stumbled up a pitch black garden path, fumbling for your keys and maybe knocking your shin on the garden wall, you’ll immediately recognise the potential of a welcoming light that helps you get indoors quickly and safely! Some security lights are homely affairs - not so much foreboding floodlights but rather a welcoming wall light near a front door or in a porch. The light sensor can typically be adjusted to illuminate your property only beyond a certain level of darkness, so you needn’t waste electricity when not required. Some security fittings skip the PIR sensor and use a photocell alone to trigger lighting from dusk to dawn. They’re also often further modifiable by the presence of a photocell (also known as a dusk to dawn sensor), which detects ambient light and only allows the PIR sensor to operate above a certain level. These sensors typically have a range of about 8-12 metres when placed at an optimum height. A PIR sensor, or passive infrared sensor, detects motion and triggers a security light for what is usually a predefined period of time. Security lights differ greatly in design, but many of them have a PIR sensor in common. LEDs sip up so little energy that a solar panel can provide enough power to light your outdoor space every single night, with no additional electricity charges and while remaining extremely eco-friendly. One of the opportunities opened by low-powered LEDs is the facilitation of solar security lights. Over the past few years smart floodlights, that can be controlled via a smartphone app, have become more popular and offer consumers the opportunity to get alerts, talk to visitors, and receive live streaming from anywhere in the world. LED is now commonplace and is our recommended technology for both floodlights and decorative wall lights due to their extended life expectancy and lower running costs. Security lights tend to do the rounds as far as their use of technology goes, especially with all the flexibility in design that they afford.