When you shop for outdoor lights, keep some things in mind here.
Power: For most external lighting, you need to run a cable in a power outlet, so you want an outdoor socket. If you do not have an outdoor socket, it is usually a very cheap and quick task for an electrician that installs a weatherproof one. Just keep in mind that large power adapters and strangely shaped plugs will not fit into outdoor sockets, so you probably want any kind of weatherproof box. I like very much Dri-Box ($ 42) Because it has a lot of space and scores an IP55 rating. I have also used small Masterplug Weather Praproof Electric Box ($ 45)And that’s fine. If an outdoor socket is not possible, consider running a cable indoors, but if you want to drill through a wall it can be difficult and dirty. Solar-operated lights are a good option. You can also consider using a portable power station in a shed or other outbuilding. Whatever you go, always plug the lighting in and connect it through the app before installing it to any outsider.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Control: Most smart backyard lighting connects through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and is controlled by an app on your phone. You need a decent Wi-Fi signal or should be within the Bluetooth range. However, it may seem desirable for simplicity that the light is directly connected to Wi-Fi or using Bluetooth, there are advantages for a system with dedicated hub. Along with Philips Hue, for example, the app is very sharp to connect and react to the command using a hue hub compared to Bluetooth. Hub can also allow for better group control and more range. Most smart lighting can be controlled by smart voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Siri, but make sure you check the compatibility before purchasing.
Lumens: The brightness of the light is measured in the lumen. To give you an idea, a standard 60-watt light bulb excludes about 800 lumen.
Colour: RGB (red, green, blue) is standard and mixes all three to make other colors. RGBW contains a proper white with red, green and blue, which provides more flexibility and is important if you want high quality white light. The color temperature is measured in Calvins (K) and listed as a range (for example, 1200k to 6500k). This limit determines how hot or cold your light can be. The red and oranges are at the lower end of the scale, and the blues are at the high end.
IP rating: The IP ingrace stands for protection and determines how well a device stands for water and dust, giving you a clear indication of how this weather is resistant. We have an IP rating lecturer that focuses on the phone, but all devices, including outdoor lights, use the same IP scale. We have listed the IP rating for each light we suggested. While an IP44 rating can be sufficient for a wall climbing light that is only in dealing with rain, you want an IP65 or higher for a light on the ground that can be submerged or covered in snow.
