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Building a pond in your backyard is one of the best ways to create a stunning outdoor environment. If you want to take your landscape to the next level, though, adding the best pond lights to your aquascape is one of the easiest ways to do it...
A high-quality pond lighting kit can make a massive difference in your aquascape and bring it to life during the darker hours. If you are looking for pond lighting ideas or for a set of quality pond lights that can help you enjoy your outdoor aquascape.What Are The Best Pond Lights?
To help you save time and money, we’ve done the hard work for you. We have put together a list of the best pond lighting kits available and rated them based on our own experience and reviews from customers just like you.
Each of the best pond lights and lighting kits is listed below.
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1. Jebao Pond Lights PL1LED-6 Submersible Pond Lights - super Bright
Check Offer PricesHighlights
The Jebao Pond Lights are some of the best submersible pond lights you’re going to find. They can be switched between white light and multi-colored by swapping out lenses. The lights are proven to last for over 100,000 hours of use and come with a 16ft cord for installation. If you are looking for high-quality, the Jebao brand is widely recognized as the best you can get.
Read What Other Owners SayDid You Know?
Submersible lights are the only way to illuminate everything under the surface of your pond.
2. Biling Solar Powered Pond Lights - strong and quick to charge
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These solar pond lights from Biling is another excellent example of near zero-cost running pond lights. You don’t have to worry about your electric bill climbing. The solar panels include an internal battery pack that stores energy when the panels aren’t collecting energy during the daylight hours. These lights include two different modes, continuous on or color shifting.
Did You Know?
High-quality pond lights do not create problems or harm to your pond’s inhabitants.
3. Aquascape LED Pond Lights - waterproof
Highlights
Aquascape is another well-known brand in the aquascaping industry. These LED pond lights are known for being extremely tough and durable. The metal housing and protective coating keep the internal bulbs safe even in the worst conditions possible. The lights are easily adjustable and come with a manufacturer’s 5-year warranty.
Did You Know?
Solar-powered pond lighting systems are energy-efficient and straightforward to install.
4. ZXX Underwater Submersible Tea Lights - Long battery life
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If you’re looking for underwater submersible lights, the multi-colored LED tea lights from ZXX are a great choice. You do not need to worry about installing solar panels or hardwiring them to your home’s electrical grid. The internal batteries are self-contained and 100% waterproof to help increase the options you have available for lighting up your aquascape.
Did You Know?
When you’re thinking about a lighting system, you want to ensure they’re bright enough to illuminate your pond, both inside and out.
5. Deckey Solar Powered LED Landscape Kit - solar charged
Highlights
The Deckey Solar-Powered LED Landscape Kit is an affordable kit that gives you multiple color choices with a durable solar panel. The lights can shift between white, red, blue, and green, and can be set to rotate colors automatically. The panel is rated for 2.5 watts of power, and the internal battery is capable of producing light for 6 to 8 hours during the night.
Did You Know?
Use a water clarifier when your lighting kit to help prevent algae from beginning to bloom.
6. Aquascape Submersible LED Pond Light - energy efficient
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Another set from Aquascape, these lights are a fantastic choice if you have a large or deep pond. They are bright enough to create illumination, even submerged in the depths. The bulbs use 1 watt of power and are proven to operate for up to 40,000 hours. Each kit includes Aquascape’s standard 5-year warranty.
Did You Know?
With a multi-light kit, you can create some fantastic visual landscaping around your pond.
7. Esotec 102148 Solar Underwater Lights - can easily disguise under rocks
Highlights
If you have a smaller or more shallow pond, Esotec is a excellent choice. These lights feature three separate LEDs with a panel and internal battery capable of providing up to 8 hours of power. You can also power the bulbs with AA rechargeable batteries (included in the kit). An internal sensor will detect low light conditions and automatically turn on the bulbs.
Did You Know?
If you’re concerned about energy consumption, solar-powered LED kits are perfect for you.
8. All Pond Solutions LED Submersible Light Set - Brilliant lights
Highlights
If you are looking for a set of multi-colored lights, the kit from All Pond Solutions could be perfect for you. Each of the bulbs is rated at 1 watt of power and provides up to 5 different color options. The lens caps fit over the bulbs, so you will need to switch between colors manually, but the manual aspect helps keep this kit affordable for most people.
Did You Know?
If you think you want to upgrade your system down the road, purchase a kit that includes multiple lights so you can add to the string as you go.
9. Blagdon LED Pond & Garden Light - safe low voltage
Highlights
Blagdon may be a relatively unknown brand to most people, but they are quickly making a name for themselves in the outdoor landscaping industry. This kit features five lights that are rated at 3 watts each and can transform into four different colors. This kit is an excellent choice if you have a larger pond that isn’t necessarily deep.
Did You Know?
Before you install your kit, spend some time planning on how to use best the light being generated by the lights you have available.
Pond Light Buyer’s Guide
When the sun goes down over your backyard pond, a high-quality pond lighting kit can quickly turn it around and give you even more hours of enjoyment.
With so many different styles, brands, and types of pond lighting kits available, knowing which one you should buy and why you should buy it can be challenging to do.
We’ll help you get your lighting dilemma sorted out. The buyer’s guide below can help you address most of the issues that people face when it comes to buying the right lighting kit for their outdoor water garden.Type Of Bulbs
The type of bulbs that you choose is a relatively straightforward decision. These days, most pond lighting kits only include LED bulbs.
You can find a kit that utilizes halogen bulbs, but we always recommend LED because of their energy-saving properties. LED bulbs do not create excess heat or consume large amounts of energy, which makes them the best choice.
While LED bulbs may be slightly more expensive upfront, the initial investment is substantially outweighed in the amount you save on energy consumption and the lifespan of the bulbs.positioning of lights
source of power
consumption cost
color potions
remote functionality
Some pond light kits will give you the option of controlling the lights with remote control. You can adjust the color of the lights, the brightness, whether they’re turned on or turned off, as well as a wide variety of other options.
Before you spend any money on a new lighting kit, you’re going to want to spend time focused on how you’re going to position the lights and how many lights you’re going to need.
You can combine different kits to achieve your goals. Submersible lights can help you illuminate under the water’s surface and shine a light on your fish. External lights are going to help bring your pond’s landscape to life.
The best type of lighting setup is going to combine all three types of lights. Using floating lights with submersible lights and exterior lights will give you the most significant impact on your aquascape.
The most significant factor to consider is whether your lights are waterproof or not. Most pond lighting kits are going to include waterproof lights, but some save money and reduce the cost to you by adding lights that aren’t waterproof, hoping that you assume they are.How you intend to power the lights you install is another factor you will need to consider. In general, you have three primary sources of power: wall outlets, solar energy, and battery power.
Depending on the type you choose, you will want to weigh the pros and cons.
If your outdoor water garden or pond isn’t located near an electrical outlet, you are going to want to use solar-powered or battery-powered.
However, if your water garden or pond does not receive ample amounts of sunlight, you may not be able to use a solar-powered kit. You will need to use a hardwired or battery-powered solution instead.
If you intend to install a large number of lights and do not want battery packs or solar panels all over the place, you will want to consider hardwiring the lighting kit.
Regardless of what you intend to do with the lights, knowing how you intend to power them before you start purchasing kits or bulbs is critical.The amount of power consumed each month can be another essential consideration to make.
This is especially true if you are hardwiring the lighting kit into your home’s power grid. The more lights you add to the array, the more power you are going to consume each month.
If you are nervous about how much power is being consumed, there is an easy formula you can use to calculate what you can expect.
First, take the wattage of your lights (for each bulb) multiplied by the average number of hours per day that they’re going to be running. This is how much light you’ll use each day.
Then, divide that number by 1,000 to determine how many kilowatt-hours you’ll use daily.
After, multiply that number by 30 to give you an average monthly total. This is how many kilowatt-hours you’ll be consuming on a monthly basis.
Finally, calculate that figure into what your power company charges for 1 kilowatt-hour of power.
To help you understand, take a look at these basic numbers.
Let’s assume that your lighting kit will consume 5 watts of power. In a typical 10-hour night at 30 nights per month, with your power company charging $0.10 per kilowatt-hour.
You’re going to be using 50 watt-hours per day, or 0.05 kilowatt-hours per day. That equates to 1.5 kilowatt-hours per month. Multiplied by the cost of kilowatt-hour charged by your power company, you can expect to spend around $0.15 per month for that kit.
To give you a comparison, the Jebao pond lights we’ve featured utilize 4.8 watts of power.You’re also going to want to determine whether you are going to light your pond up with white lights or if you intend to use multiple different colors. This is a personal decision, and one isn’t necessarily better than another.
You can create an amazing pond lighting arrangement using only white lights. However, some people will prefer having multiple colors to help create accent lighting. Others will focus their attention on positioning their basic white lights.
This depends on the type and looks of the landscape you’re trying to achieve.Pond Light Placement Options
In our experience, one of the most significant factors affecting your landscape is how you choose to place the lighting kit that you purchase. Positioning your lights can make or break your decor.
Finding the right positioning could take some time and testing and is incredibly personal. That means you shouldn’t necessarily rush through the process. To help get your wheels spinning, we’ve included a few ideas for you below.submersible pond lighting
uplighting
downlighting
achieving visual appeal
Submersible pond lighting kits allow you to install the lights underneath the water’s surface. This lets you angle the lights upwards to create amazing visuals. Submersible lights give your pond a natural glow, help you highlight your water features, and let you see your fish at night.
One thing to keep in mind when you’re planning to use submersible lighting is that you will need to keep debris in the pond to a minimum. Underwater lighting kits will put your debris on display and take away from the visual appeal you are trying to accomplish.Uplighting is a technique that lets you install lights at the surface of the water. This helps you create accent lighting for your exterior landscape, such as your water feature, rocks, and plants.
It’s also a great way to add dramatic flair where other types of lights can’t entirely illuminate the hard work you have put into designing your aquascape.
You will want to pay attention to how the lights are directed, though. If you typically sit in a specific spot around your pond, the lights could end up being aimed towards your eyes. This will make it uncomfortable for you to enjoy your aquascape.Downlighting creates the opposite effect. Instead of aiming your lights upwards, the lights are set overhead and helps create a more natural lighting arrangement. It’s similar to light shining down from the sun or the moon.
To achieve the greatest effect, you will want to install the lights in your trees or hang them by wires above your pond. Just like with your downlighting, though, you will want to ensure that you aren’t blinding yourself with your positioning.
You also want to make sure you aren’t going overboard with the number of downlights you use.
It is too easy to flood your area with what looks like a massive spotlight instead of creating the accent light that most people are trying to achieve.To get the best results, you want to combine a mix of all three types of lights and lighting positions. As mentioned, it’s incredibly easy to go overboard with too many lights, especially when you realize how cost-effective creating a great lighting display can be.
You can create a subtle, but incredible impact, just by using a few submersible lights combined with accent lights on your water feature. Couple these with some floating uplights and a few hanging downlights, and you have a fantastic aquascape without blowing through your budget.How To Install Your Pond Lighting System
Unless you’re planning to hardwire your lighting kit with buried power wires, installing your new pond lighting kit is reasonably simple to do.
Battery-operated pond lights are going to be the easiest to install because the power source is contained inside of the light itself. You don’t have to worry about running power wires or dealing with your solar panels getting enough light.
Solar-powered pond lights are also relatively easy to install. You only need to pay attention to the amount of sunlight that your panels are going to receive. For solar-powered lights, you will need to ensure the panels are in direct sunlight at least a few hours each day.
Once you have spent time figuring out the best placement for the panels, you can work on running wiring and making sure it stays out of the way.
Hardwiring your lighting kit is going to be the most complex. We recommend hiring a certified electrician to handle these types of projects. Many will require you to pull permits through your city council, and the costs can quickly skyrocket.Lighting Tricks & Tips
To make the buying and installation process as seamless as possible, we’ve put together a handful of quick tips to help you wrap your mind around installing and positioning the lights.
- The best approach to take is a balanced approach that uses fewer lights. Going overboard and adding a ton of lights to your system may sound like a good idea at first, but you’ll quickly understand how powerful a small handful of LED lights can be.
- You want to stay mindful of how you interact with your pond or water garden. This will help you determine the exact number of lights you’re going to need and how you intend to position them. Making sure that you’re not blinding yourself or your guests can be tricky at first, but with a little bit of patience, you can create a fantastic landscape.
- When it comes to lighting your pond, more lights are rarely ever better. I know we keep mentioning it, but it’s incredibly easy to go overboard. Unless you’re trying to light up your entire backyard, a small lighting kit or two will give you more warm lighting and appear more natural than most anything else you can do.
- If you want to use submersible lights, you are going to need to ensure that you are keeping your pond clean and free of debris. A good filtration system is going to keep the debris to a minimum, so your lighting kit doesn’t make it look worse than it is.
What Are The Best Pond Lights?
If you are looking for the best of the best pond lights, a kit that is customizable, affordable, and easy on your electric bill each month, the Jebao PL1-LED-6 pond lighting kit is perfect.Top Editor's Choice on Pond Lights
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