Short answer: solar suits anything far from the house, where running a cable is the real obstacle. Mains suits anything you need bright, reliable and on demand, close to an outdoor socket. Most gardens end up using both.
Where solar wins
- No cable to run. This is the whole point. A path light halfway down the garden needs no trench, no extension lead taped across the lawn, no outdoor socket.
- It switches itself. Dusk-to-dawn sensors mean nobody has to remember. It comes on when the light drops and goes off at first light.
- Nothing added to the bill. Relevant when a decoration runs every night for six weeks.
Where solar falls down
Run time depends entirely on how much direct light the panel caught that day. A panel under an eave, behind a hedge or facing north will underperform all winter, and winter is exactly when you want the lights on longest.
Solar is also dimmer than mains by nature. It is excellent for atmosphere, outline and decoration. It is not what you use to light a step you need to see.
And it needs maintenance you would not expect: snow or heavy leaf fall sitting on the panel stops it charging completely. Brush it clear.
Where mains wins
Constant brightness, no weather dependency, and the only sensible choice for a long run of string lights over a dining area. If you are lighting a space people will actually use after dark, mains is the one.
The cost is planning. You need a weatherproof outdoor socket, a cable route that is not a trip hazard, and an RCD on the circuit.
A simple way to decide
| Far from the house, decorative | Solar |
| Path or flowerbed accent | Solar |
| Seasonal decoration on the lawn | Solar |
| Over a patio dining table | Mains |
| Anywhere you need to see properly | Mains |
What we sell
Our solar Santa sleigh light is the solar case: a panel on its own stake, dusk-to-dawn, IP65, no cable anywhere. Our 10 ft string light poles are the mains case: they give you the hanging points, and you run your own mains string lights between them.
See the full range in Outdoor & Garden.