It’s finally the season to make your outdoor space an extension of your home. With the mercury rising, it’s warm enough to throw outdoor dinner parties or have some alone time on balmy evenings curled up with a book. If you’ve already got the garden sofa, dining set and some cosy textiles, an outdoor lamp to create some mood lighting will complete the look.
Festoon lights or wall lights are great for lighting up your space, but when it comes to adding atmosphere and setting the scene, an outdoor lamp is the perfect finishing touch to make it feel like an extension of your home. Depending on your scheme they can also be a fun way to add a pop of colour, an industrial chic feel or a statement in a dramatic finish or texture.
But what type of outdoor lamp should you choose?
- LED: Known to be much more efficient than regular incandescent light bulbs, LED bulbs create light when an electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources creating visible light. Choose one powered by a rechargeable battery that you can charge via USB and they’ll last around two to eight hours.
- Solar: With an inbuilt solar panel, these outdoor lamps use the sun’s rays to charge themselves over the daytime, and then light up when natural light is fading. The quality can vary in terms of the brilliance of light these produce, but many are now as good as LED options.
- LED/Solar: The eco benefits of solar light with the backup of LED charging means you won’t get caught out if the weather has let you down lately.
We’ve found outdoor lights for every scheme, from Scandi to statement-making. Here’s our pick of the best to add atmosphere to your exterior space.
Design for the People Kettle 36 Rechargeable Lamp
If you love the Scandi look, this chic, minimalist battery-powered outdoor lamp is our top pick. The Kettle design can be attached to multiple stands or a cord, so you can use it as a table, standing or hanging lamp. It also has three adjustable settings so you can choose bright light or change up the atmosphere with a cosier, soft setting. It charges via USB and can run for up to six hours on a single charge — so you can be confident it’ll outlast your party guests.
Buy now £74.99, Lampsy
Abigail Ahern Jules LED light, £28
If you want to add a cosy glow to reading nooks or coffee areas in the garden, this dome-shaped LED light delivers and is a great match for a modern, industrial scheme. It turns on with the stroke of a finger and has an in-built battery so it’s a great portable option for indoor-outdoor use.
Buy now £28.00, Abigail Ahern
Habitat Home Warm White Outdoor Tripod USB LED Solar Lamp
If you need to light up your outdoor living room on a budget, this simple tripod outdoor lamp provides the perfect indoor-outdoors aesthetic. It emits a soft light and is solar-powered with a low-energy LED bulb, so you can also recharge it using a USB if the weather is letting you down. An intuitive function means it will automatically turn on at dusk.
Buy now £40.00, Habitat
Globen Umfors floor lamp 40 cm
Gardeners who love an industrial look will want to give this Umfors outdoor floor lamp pride of place. The Swedish-made sculptural design features a lampshade made of opal glass which creates a soft glow, standing on a chic marble base.
Buy now £215.00, Nordic Nest
Blomus Ani Mobile LED-lamp 33 cm
This mobile LED lamp from German brand Blomus is portable and cleverly made with the option to use it as a table lamp or hang it up as a ceiling light from a pergola with the included textile cord. Turn it on, off or dim by touching the lampshade rings. For a speedy charge, it has a USB option.
Buy now £72.00, Amara
Hay PC Portable Table Lamp
This indoor-outdoor lamp is a design classic from Hay by Pierre Charpin. Water-resistant and battery-powered, it can be used anywhere to add a playful pop of colour. It’s a great table lamp option for outdoor dinners.
Buy now £89.00, Heal's
Fermob Balad LED Outdoor Table Lamp Medium
Lighting to suit your mood is the niche of this Fermob outdoor lamp, which has three ‘light temperature settings’. Choose from neutral white, cool white and a candle-style flickering mode for date nights. Once charged, it has a 12-hour battery lifespan and the handle makes it super portable, so it’s also a great option for camping trips.
Buy now £67.00, Heal's
So’Home Black Solar Powered Outdoor Table Lamp
Keep it simple with this classic cage-style, black metal outdoor table lamp. It works by solar power only, so it’s ideal if your sun deck or balcony is a sun trap and you don’t want to worry about charging.
Buy now £99.00, La Redoute
Rosendahl Soft Spot Solar Lamp
This portable indoor-outdoor lamp will add a cheerful pop of colour to your space. It comes in two sizes and this larger version will add plenty of light after the sun sets. We love the handle feature so it’s easy to reposition around your garden or bring indoors to charge. It’s LED and solar-powered, so you have the option to boost the output if the weather isn’t playing ball. One full charge is equal to 15 hours.
Buy now £170.52, Amazon
VAPPEBY Bluetooth Speaker Lamp
If you love a multi-tasking purchase, this IKEA outdoor lamp is a steal as it’s also a Bluetooth speaker. It has a Spotify Tap playback function to connect to generate a playlist it thinks you’ll like, so you can get on with hosting. It gets extra points for its sleek design and is rainproof, so you can use it in any weather.
Buy now £60.00, IKEA
NORDLUX Ara To-Go Portable Outdoor Table Lamp
A soft leather handle gives this Scandi design from Nordlux an elevated feel, while the minimalist cone-shaped design emits a soft light for your dinner parties. You can dial things up or down with the built-in dimmer function. A perfect choice for city balconies.
Buy now £129.95, John Lewis
Multi Solar Confetti Glass Mushroom Outdoor Light
This Next outdoor table lamp is a steal for fans of colourful, eclectic interiors in a speckled glass finish and sweet mushroom shape. Creating a warm white glow, it runs for 8-10 hours with a charge time of six hours.
Buy now £45.00, Next
