What Type of Lighting Is Best for Outdoors?

The exterior of your home is just as important as the interior. It not only keeps you safe but also creates the first impression for visitors.

That’s why it’s essential to have proper outdoor lighting for both security and aesthetic purposes. If you're unsure about which lights to choose for your home’s exterior, don't worry. With our expert-curated list of outdoor lighting options, we’ve got you covered!

What Type of Lighting Is Best for Outdoors?

There are a range of different lighting available for outdoors. However, before you go through this list, here is a set of questions you should ask yourself to be sure about the purpose of lighting up the outdoors of your house:

• Do you wish to use lighting to deter intruders?
• Do you wish to add lighting to your outdoors to improve the aesthetics?
• Do you wish to add lighting to enhance visibility at night?
• Do you wish to add lighting to alert you of intruders at night?

Once you have your answer to these questions, you’ll know the purpose for which you want to choose outdoor lighting. The purpose could be one or more of three: visibility at night, decoration, and security. 

Now that you’re clear about this, let’s head on to the types of lighting available by their specific names:

1. Wall Pack Light

Wall pack light is mounted on the exterior walls of a home, featuring bright LED bulbs designed to enhance visibility at night.

Typically, these lights are installed above doors, making it easier for both visitors and homeowners to locate the entrance without fumbling for keys in the dark. They also serve an aesthetic purpose, illuminating the home’s exterior appealingly. Wall pack lights intended for aesthetics are usually installed at a consistent height on the walls, though they can be positioned at different heights depending on the desired lighting effect.

Since these lights are designed for outdoor use and provide illumination, they’re popular for both residential and commercial properties. However, lower-quality LED wall packs may require frequent replacements. ComiLED offers a range of high-quality wall pack lights at wholesale prices, so you can shop with confidence, knowing you’re getting great value and performance.

2. Motion Sensor Light

Motion sensor lights are perfect for homeowners and commercial property owners who suspect a security threat to their properties from intruders. These lights turn on when motion is detected. They are so bright that they can alert the owners and the nearby people of their presence. 

This kind of light is a must-have for areas with high crime rates. 

3. Shoebox Light

Shoebox lights are similar to wall-pack lights. However, the difference is that they are meant for larger spaces like parking lots, public spaces, and streets. Commercial property owners and renters need shoebox lights to illuminate the front of their property and parking space.

Shoebox lights are shaped like a shoe–box, hence the name. However, these lights are far more sturdier than average cardboard shoeboxes. They are durable and quite cost-efficient as they use LED technology. The LED bulbs in these lights are also bright, making them perfect for outdoor use in commercial and industrial spaces. 

Shoebox lights are quite versatile too. They can be mounted on top of poles, walls, and other surfaces. LED Shoebox lights can be integrated with motion sensors to save on energy bills. They can light up when illumination is needed.  

4. Flood Lights 

Flood light is broad-beamed, and high-intensity lights meant for outdoor spaces. These lights are brighter than both wall pack and shoebox lights. Flood lights are mostly meant for outdoor spaces meant for sports or activities that need a lot of illumination. They are also often seen in parks and large parking lots. 

However, some types of flood lights like those meant for residential properties have a smaller “beam”. When used alone instead of in a bunch, they can illuminate a backyard or a pool area for lighting up the space during nighttime. 

The best part about flood lights is their longevity. Most floodlights that are fitted with high-quality LED bulbs, like those at ComiLED, can last for over a decade if used for about 10 hours a day. On average, floodlights give 25,000 - 50,000 hours. 

5. Canopy Light

Canopy lights are ceiling-mounted light fixtures that are meant to illuminate large spaces during nighttime. These lights are mostly installed in gas stations, loading docks, and parking garages. 

While canopy light has been around for a long time, the advent of LED light technology has increased its durability and longevity. Plus, LED lights in canopy lights offer improved energy efficiency, making them perfect to illuminate large spaces without adding a lot to the costs. 

A great part about canopy lighting is that it can be recessed mounted, surface mounted, and pendant mounted. So, there are multiple applications of canopy lights. Large houses can also use canopy lights to improve illumination and aesthetics. 

6. Sport Light

Sports lights can illuminate large playgrounds, football grounds, and even baseball grounds for night matches. These lights are different from other kinds of lighting because they offer glare control, high-definition broadcasting, and no flicker in slow-motion replays.

They also reduce the shadows produced at nighttime because they brightly illuminate the entire space. This improves the viewing experience of live spectators and TV audiences as well. 

While sports lighting commonly uses high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps that use mercury vapor, high-pressure sodium, and metal halide, LED sports lights are becoming much more common as well. 

7. LED Explosion-Proof Lights

The lights installed outdoors experience temperature changes. They also need to withstand harsh weather conditions like extreme heat or extreme cold. These conditions can cause the bulbs in the lighting fixtures outdoors to burst, posing a safety hazard. 

LED explosion-proof lights are the best choice for areas that experience temperature changes like sudden rains or harsh weather conditions. These fixtures are made of aluminum or stainless steel and are often fully sealed to protect against the elements. 

How to Choose the Right Lighting?

Choosing the right lighting for your outdoor space first depends on the purpose. If your purpose is to illuminate a large parking lot, shoebox lights will be your best pick. However, if you only wish to illuminate the silhouette of your house at night subtly, wall-pack lights are the way to go. 

Once you have the purpose of lighting clear, here are some other factors to think about:

1. Style

Once you have the types of outdoor lighting clear in your head, you can search for specific styles within that type. If you have a house with classic, rusty architecture, consider wall-mounted lights shaped in the form of lanterns. Post lights are also a common choice amongst homeowners who wish to subtly illuminate the pathway to their traditional house. 

However, if your house has modern architecture, consider lights with sleek styling and geometric patterns. 

2. Brightness

Another factor to consider when purchasing lighting for your property’s outdoors is the brightness. Here, the purpose of lighting comes in. If you simply want to illuminate the doorway and the path, consider warm but subtle lights. However, if you wish to illuminate the space due to security, a bright floodlight with motion detectors will be your best bet. 

If you have a commercial property like a school or a supermarket, consider floodlights or shoebox lights to brighten up the space. You could equip these lights with motion sensors for added security and cost-effectiveness. 

3. Energy Efficiency

If you want to save up on your energy bills, the light’s energy efficiency is an important factor to consider. You can choose solar lights to reduce the bills to a great degree. However, these solar lights only work as long as the solar cells get electricity from the battery. 

If you want to light up your property without depending on solar energy but want to stay within your means, consider LED lights. They are both energy efficient are durable, saving you money in the long run. 

4. Installation

If you’re choosing lights for a DIY job, do consider the ease of installation. Some options like small solar lights or wall packs are easy to install. However, options like floodlights and canopy lights might need professional expertise for a job well done. 

If you’re not an expert but still rely on your DIY skills for the installation of these tricky lights, you might end up breaking them because of not being fitted correctly. 

Conclusion

There are a variety of outdoor lighting options available for both residential and commercial properties. However, not all types of lights are suitable for every need. Before choosing the right lights for your outdoor space, it's important to consider your specific needs, whether they’re functional, aesthetic, or a combination of both.

When it comes to functional needs, these typically fall under security and illumination.

If your primary concern is security and deterring intruders, consider shoebox lights or floodlights equipped with motion sensors. For larger sports fields or areas that require substantial lighting, LED sports lights available at ComiLED are an excellent choice.

No matter which lights you choose, proper installation is crucial. Incorrectly installed lights can pose safety risks, and high-cost options like floodlights are particularly vulnerable. While LED technology ensures long-lasting performance, any damage to a floodlight can result in a significant loss of your investment.

So shop wisely and use wisely!

Related reading: How Much Does It Cost to Install Recessed Lighting?