Solar & Rechargeable Lighting at KES

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Outdoor Rechargeable Lights

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2,000 lights on display

41 years

Solar & Rechargeable Lighting

Lighting without wiring used to mean a compromise. It does not any more. Solar output and battery life have improved enough that a good solar lantern now does a real job rather than glowing faintly and giving up by October.

Solar, and what to expect from it

Solar lanterns and wall lights from Les Jardins are rated in lumens, which is the number worth reading. A 300 lumen lantern lights a table or a path; a 500 lumen wall light with a motion sensor will light a doorway properly. They need genuine daylight rather than direct sun, and like anything solar they give you less in December than in June.

Rechargeable, for when solar will not do

Where there is no useful daylight, or where you want consistent output all year, Novena's cordless rechargeable lamps do the same job from a USB charge. See the dedicated outdoor rechargeable lights for the outdoor range.

Both approaches share the real advantage: no trench, no electrician, and you can change your mind about where the light goes.

Solar and Rechargeable Recommendations & Buying Advice

Yes, for terraces, paths and garden atmosphere, provided the panel gets enough daylight. How long they glow each evening depends on the charge gathered that day, so expect shorter evenings in winter and in shade. Les Jardins pieces state their output in the name, such as the 300lm Tradition lantern and the 500lm Mandalay, so you can compare them before you buy.

The difference is how you charge them. Solar lights use a panel to recharge their battery from daylight, while other rechargeable lamps use a cable or charging base. Some models offer both methods, such as the Les Jardins Mandalay lantern and Cadix floor lamp. This collection includes garden lanterns, lampposts and cordless table lamps, so check each product's charging options and intended use rather than relying on its title.

Some can also be charged by cable. The Les Jardins Tradition lantern, for example, supports solar and USB-C charging even though its title simply says 'Solar'. Check the product description for the charging methods supplied with your chosen model. A cable-charging option is useful when the panel receives too little daylight, particularly in a shaded garden or during winter.

Yes, they still charge on a dull or rainy day, just less, because the panel works from daylight rather than only direct sun. After a run of grey days, expect a shorter evening. An IP rating such as IP66 tells you how well a fitting keeps out dust and water, not how much charge it gathers. For gloomy spells, a model that also charges by USB-C cable, such as the Mandalay lantern, is the safer choice.

Yes, where running a cable would mean digging up a lawn or a drive. The Les Jardins lampposts here run from the 110cm Osmoz to the 350cm Envergure double-head, all with no wiring to install. Treat them as garden lighting with presence, a soft glow along a path or by a seating area, and choose the height to suit the space. Each evening's light still depends on the day's charge.

Their light depends on the charge they gather, so shade and short winter days mean shorter evenings. A panel under trees can run short of daylight even in summer. Where a light must come on reliably every night, choose a model that can also charge by cable, such as the Metro double-head lamppost with USB-C, or wired lighting such as our driveway lighting.

Yes, some of the cordless lamps here are made for indoors, such as the Novena Sereno bedside lamp and the Anello Fly pendant. Go by each product's description for its intended use rather than by the collection it sits in. A few are rated IP20, which offers no protection against water, so those belong inside. For the full indoor choice, see our indoor rechargeable lights.