Outdoor lighting is essential - not only for safety, but so you can enjoy your garden space once the sun goes down.
Whether you’re enjoying a barbecue, your kids are playing in the garden at dusk, or you simply want the area illuminated to prevent intruders, spike lights are a great way to light up your garden.
However, with so many options to consider, it can be difficult to know how to choose the right spike lighting for you and your garden. Read on to learn more about garden spike lights and our top tips on choosing the right spike lights for your garden.
What Are Spike Lights?
Spike lights are a great addition to any garden - they’re a flexible lighting option and can come in many different designs. No matter the aesthetic of your garden, you’re sure to find the right spike lights to match your vibe.
As well as illuminating your garden or outdoor space, spike lights can double as decoration - you can use them to add to the overall look of your garden. You can use spike lights to illuminate your favourite garden features, whether it be flowers, trees, a fountain, or even your back door.
You may be wondering why spike lights are called spike lights. This is because spike lights have a spiked pole mount (ground spike) that you place into the grass, soil, or flowerbed.
Typically, spike lights have a spotlight design, but you can find a variety of LED garden spike light designs, from solar-powered spikes to lantern spike lights.
Outdoor spike lights can either use solar power or energy-efficient LED technology, which is a great way to lower the cost of your electricity bill while illuminating your garden pathways or feature decor pieces.
How To Choose The Right Spike Lights For Your Garden
Now you have an understanding of what spike lights are, it’s time for our guide to choosing spike lights for your garden. There is plenty to consider before purchasing spike lights - from the wattage to the style, read on for our garden spike lights buyers guide.
Consider The Wattage
Before purchasing outdoor LED garden spike lights, it’s important that you consider the wattage. If you want a stronger light, then opt for a higher-wattage LED spike light. Higher wattage LED lights produce more light - however, they typically run hotter.
If you have a larger garden and want to use a range of spike lights, the cost of powering these may be quite high. However, if you have a small garden and only need a few spike lights, you don’t need to worry too much about energy usage.
Typically, LED spike lights don’t need high wattage as they are designed to light small spaces - for example, the space around a tree or a small pond. However, if you want to light your whole garden, it’s best to get high-wattage LED spike lights and spread them around your garden.
Would You Prefer Solar Powered Spike Lights?
If you want to cut the cost of energy completely, or you don’t have a power outlet nearby, why not opt for solar-powered spike lights? These are not only environmentally friendly but cost-effective too.
Solar garden lights have a different power setup than regular garden lights, as they store energy from the daytime and use them at night.
Think About The Beam Angle
You should also consider the beam angle when choosing spike lights for your garden. The beam angle is essentially a way to measure the way the light spreads - for example, lower beam angles result in a narrow coverage, whereas higher beam angles result in wide light coverage.
If you plan on illuminating a large object such as a tree or a pond, then you’ll need a spike light with a wide beam angle.
However, if you wish to light a smaller subject - such as plants in a plant pot, then you’ll be best choosing a narrow beam angle garden light.
If you have a larger garden, you may want to mix and match beam angles. For example, you may wish to light a pathway using a few narrow-beam angle lights, but illuminate certain garden features using a spike light with a wide beam angle.
What Material Spike Lights?
Another thing to consider is the material choice. Typically, spike lighting uses steel or aluminium spikes - but the light head can be made of a variety of materials.
Spike lights contain spikes that are inserted into the ground. If you plan on having these lights in the same place for a long period of time, it’s important you choose lights with durable material.
This is because the spikes will be exposed to water, pesticides, and fertilisers - and can degrade and corrode over time.
Where Will You Put Them?
Arguably, the most important thing to think about when buying spike lights for your garden is where you’re going to place them. The placement of garden lighting can make or break the aesthetic of your garden.
If you want to bring attention to certain features of your garden - for example, any statues, trees, or water features, then you can place several spike lights to illuminate them.
Likewise, if you have a garden path, spike lights are a great way to light the way. You can place spike lights in soil, grass, and even flower beds or in plant pots.
You may also wish to use spike lights to scare away intruders - many people place spike lights around their garden shed or garage to ensure they have a clear view in the event of intruders.
What About The Style?
Garden spike lights can come in all shapes and sizes - so it can be hard to decide on the right style. If you’re looking for a spike light that mimics natural lighting, then opt for lantern-style spike lights.
These give off a light that is similar to a candle or oil lamp, using warm LED bulbs. You can even find dimmable lights that can go from bright to dim with the flick of a switch.
Solar lights are also a great choice - they are cordless, meaning you don’t have to worry about messy wires around your garden. They can run on little power thanks to the inbuilt battery.
Why not opt for sensor spike lights that light up when the sensor is triggered - or spike spot lights, that light up a large area with a wide beam angle?
Check out our selection of outdoor lighting options at LED Supplier, including outdoor wall lights, LED flood lights, LED garden lights, and of course, our garden spike lights.
