11 Costco Solutions To Light Up Your Yard

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Garden lighting has the potential to dramatically increase the time you have to enjoy your space. You can use it to highlight features of interest, like trees and water features, and if you like to entertain, it's a wonderful way to set the mood. The trick to installing lights in your garden is identifying the areas in your yard most worthy of attention after dark, then considering the brightness, color, and design that best suits them.

Below, you'll find 11 solutions available at Costco to light up even the darkest corners of your garden. Some will lend a bit of fairy-garden whimsy to your hard-grown flowers, while others deliver custom, steampunk vibes to your veranda. You'll find spotlights for adding character, string lights for setting the mood, plus several products that prove smart lighting is no longer reserved for indoors. Whether you want warm, cozy whites or a rainbow of Christmas color, as you'll discover shortly, Costco's surprising selection of garden lighting has something for every taste.

By adding lights to your garden walkways, you can enjoy several benefits. Firstly, they look great, adding interest and highlighting focal points when the rest of the yard is lost to darkness. They can also make your garden safer, especially if you entertain and have guests who are unfamiliar with your yard. At Costco, there are several listings that can help illuminate your garden pathways, but one that stands out to us is Lutec's Solar LED Pathway Light set. It comes in a set of four, which is fairly standard for garden lights. So, too, are the stakes that each light is fitted with, which make them very simple to install. We should also mention that out of all of Costco's solar-powered pathway lights, it's among the more expensive.

However, the $59.99 price tag buys several things that set these lights apart. Firstly, this set is the best-rated out of all of Costco's listings, with a current star rating of 4.6, versus the 4.5 rating of comparable lights from competitor brand, GTX. They also promise a longer runtime — up to 10 hours on a full charge, compared to the eight offered by GTX. Of course, being solar-powered, these stake lights need a nice, sun-soaked spot in order to deliver on this promise. But provided that you give them that, customer feedback suggests you're unlikely to regret your purchase. As one user put it, "Beautiful, high-quality materials make these path lights superior to most I have seen. The bulbs give off a warm golden glow that looks more elegant than the harsh white light of most others. I'd highly recommend these!"

A subtle, but highly effective, way to light your backyard patio is the inclusion of spotlights. You can angle them in a way that suits your yard, directing them to highlight your garden's most interesting features. You can use spotlights to throw vertical light up a fence, to cast a glow on your favorite tree, or to add an after-dark glow to your flower beds. Volt's Low Voltage LED Outdoor Spotlights are one of only a few options in the Costco spotlight category. However, their brushed brass, steampunk-esque design makes up for the chain's small selection, and lends them a surprisingly upmarket, sculptural quality.

You can buy these lights as single units for $39.99 apiece, or as a six-light set (including a 100-watt transformer) for $349.99. The lights come with in-built stakes and a 25-foot wire for easy installation, and they use low-voltage electricity, which Volt says makes them safe for non-professionals to work with. The supplied halogen-equivalent bulbs deliver plentiful amounts of warm light, and all included products come with a generous lifetime warranty. More than that, according to user feedback, they also come with assurance of great customer service. One user, who said that "Volt lights rock!" added, "Calling Volt with questions is like calling a local company from decades ago. Someone answers the phone with no menu, and they give you great, thorough answers immediately."

If you want to turn your yard into an illuminated, enchanted landscape, there's few options more whimsically fitting than light-up mushrooms. They lend a fairytale vibe to wherever you install them, and in the daytime, their sculptural qualities and often-vibrant colors work as hard in the light as they do when switched on in the dark. These Glass Solar Mushroom Landscape Lights from Infinity X1 are the only lights of their kind currently at Costco. But, thanks to their quality, this feels more like a curatorial choice than it does a lack of selection. The lights are made from hand-blown glass, so they come with a sense of genuine craftsmanship. This is likely one of the reasons why they're priced at $64.99, for six lights on two strings. Each features a trio of colors (red, orange, and yellow), allowing you to illuminate two different areas, while the lights feature automatic on/off functionality, ensuring the batteries are reserved for the hours of darkness.

What really stands out, according to customers, is how well the lights are made. They bring an "Alice in Wonderland" quality to gardens, without the childish, gimmicky look that can spoil cheaper, plastic-made products. The mushrooms are praised for their one-of-a-kind character — a result of the hand-blown manufacturing process. And according to feedback, they kick out surprising amounts of light. "These are so cute and they are very bright when lit up at night!" said one buyer. "Very solidly built, the glass is not flimsy. I bought one box and then went back and bought another one. Love the whimsical look they add to my walkway!"

If you want more control over your outdoor lighting scheme, then smart lighting could be the way to go. Enbrighten's 100-foot Permanent Outdoor Lights provide a durable solution for tech-savvy homeowners. They're controllable via a free smartphone app, and can also be paired with other smart systems like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. They're one of only a few smart outdoor lighting products at Costco, although they somewhat make up for this lack of choice with a high degree of versatility.

The Enbrighten lights are designed as a permanent solution, and some with a limited lifetime warranty. They're easy to install with mounting brackets, and can be positioned on various surfaces to illuminate different features of your home. If you need to extend your lighting, it's possible to connect two of these sets together for a total of 200 feet. And the fitted LED bulbs are capable of a full spectrum of colors, plus off-white, cool white, and warm white. "Excellent set of lights," said one user. "Very easy to install and operate from your phone." Another, who described the lights as "fantastic," said, "I love being able to change the mood with the app, and the lights look amazing year-round — bright, reliable, and weatherproof."

These LED String Lights from Feit are one of three in the same style currently available in Costco's "String lighting" category. However, they are arguably the best for anyone buying on a budget. They're priced at $32.99, which is cheaper than comparable sets from Enbrighten and Artika. And while you might expect a drop in ratings compared to more expensive sets, they're actually highly competitive. For example, they share a 4.7 overall rating with Enbrighten, despite costing more than four times less. They're also cheaper — and rated a whole star higher — than their solar-powered equivalents from Artika. 

Comments in the reviews frequently highlight the brightness of the bulbs, and the warmth of the light they emit. The Feit string lights also earn compliments for the thick, sturdy wires, which seem to stand up well to bad weather. As one buyer put it, "Very happy with the quality of these string lights. I bought a different brand on another website last summer but they eventually failed after a few months of rain. When I got these Feit ones in from Costco I could immediately tell the difference in quality with the robust wiring, bulbs, and connection points all extremely better."

If you need more customizability from your string lighting and your budget can stretch to it, these Wi-Fi Color Changing Vintage String Lights from Enbrighten could well be worth considering. As mentioned above, they're more expensive than other festoon-style solutions at Costco. But they're by far the most versatile. They're smart-home ready, which means that you can control them with your phone, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. The LED bulbs are capable of displaying 56 different colors, including various shades of white. And if you need to, you can connect multiple sets, to create a total length of 750 feet.

As for build quality, customers frequently comment on the thickness of the wiring and the sturdy acrylic bulbs, including one buyer who said, "They are a little pricey though, but I guess you get what you pay for." Users also love how versatile the lights are, and how easy the Enbrighten app is to use. "These are SUPER Smart Lights," said one reviewer. "I love the colors and all the other setting options on the app. Just plug it in and download the Enbrighten app. Easy-peasy."

This Glowtive Bluetooth Lantern Speaker from Ion Audio is unlike any other product in Costco's lineup of outdoor lighting. It is, primarily, a Bluetooth speaker, allowing you to take your music outside with you and keep the jams going. But, it's also fitted with a lantern, which helps to set the mood on different occasions, and features six multi-color light modes.

This product's uses can potentially go well beyond a simple table lamp. The Glowtive lantern speaker works via the Ion Sound control app, which allows you to tether up to 100 of these speakers together on a single sync. In other words, you can use them to achieve immersive, interior-grade surround sound in your seating area, while also lending a cozy glow to your patio's darkest corners. Each speaker costs $99, which means that maximizing the product's multi-sync abilities may not be realistic. But if you're trying to enliven your nighttime patio, these innovative lantern speakers could provide the attractive, functional solution you're looking for — potentially for less than you'd pay for separate lights and speakers.

If you're trying to light up your patio on a budget, a simple solar lantern can help to set the mood without putting undue strain on your bank balance. This Solar LED Revere Lantern from Evergreen Enterprises is currently available for $39.99. You can hang it from the beams of your pergola, or use it as a table lamp. It's solar-powered, meaning it just needs some sunshine to keep it going, and its design style feels like a modern take on vintage lighting.

As for how long the battery lasts, some buyers said it goes for days without needing a recharge. You can also recharge it via USB should the sun refuse to show itself for a few days, and if you're concerned about leaving it outdoors, customer feedback suggests that you shouldn't be. "I have been so impressed from the time I removed this from the box," said one user. "It is so solid...way more than I expected." Another, who lives in a windy area and therefore needs decor that can withstand the weather, said, "This lantern is fabulous. It doesn't get blown around and is a bright light leading to my front door."

If you need your lighting to stay off when you're not using it, then motion-sensing lights are the best choice. Sol-R-Brite's Fresh Source Solar Area Light is designed to light up your yard whenever it detects movement. It's solar-powered, allowing you to illuminate your yard without the hassle of hardwiring, yet it still kicks out plenty of light. It can be mounted on a wall or pole, and thanks to those motion sensors, can serve one of a variety of functions.

For example, you could use it as a security light, flooding an area in front of your home whenever it senses movement on your driveway. Alternatively, you could use it to see what your pooch is up to in the dark, or to shine a light on steps and other hazards when you're using your yard after sunset. However you use it, most customers appreciate how easy this area light is to set up, and how brightly it lights their gardens. And as for how it compares to other solar-powered security products at Costco, its 4.8-star rating is the highest in the category. "This is by far the best solar light I've ever purchased," said one buyer. "It works great lighting up the dark parts of my backyard. I love how it will go to the brightest setting when something activates it. It holds a charge all night and is still on when I get up for work."

If you're looking for a more permanent fixture to elevate your home's nighttime appeal, wall sconces can give your lighting an intentional, built-in look. This Skyler Bubble Glass Sconce from Artika lends itself especially well to contemporary homes, although not in a way that feels clinical. Instead, while its minimal design and modern black frame feel pared back and classy, the bubble-glass casing lends the fixture what some users describe as "boho whimsy." It also punches out plenty of light, with adjustable settings that allow you to specify both cool and warmer whites.

Design-wise, it sets itself apart from the more traditional, vintage-leaning pieces that seem to dominate the sconce category at Costco. And it's precisely that clean, elevated, and minimal aesthetic that seems to have caught the eye of reviewers. "I recently bought these outdoor lights for my house, and they look absolutely beautiful," said one happy customer. "They add such a nice, warm touch to the exterior and really make the space feel cozy and inviting at night. The quality is great, and installation was super easy. I definitely recommend them if you're looking to upgrade the look of your home."

While the clean lines of Artika's bubble-glass sconce are an excellent fit for modern homes, they may fall somewhat short for those who favor a more traditional aesthetic. If you're after more of an old-world outdoor sconce style, Costco has a variety of traditional designs, including Koda's Outdoor LED Wall Lantern. Its vintage lantern design dovetails with modern, 800-lumen LED bulbs to generate plenty of lighting around your yard and entranceways. Dusk-to-dawn sensors ensure that the lantern turns on and off automatically, and the bulbs are designed to burn for up to 25,000 hours. 

This wall lantern is slightly lower rated than another, very similar product from the same brand, which has a 4.8-star overall rating. However, it's much more widely reviewed, with a drop in ratings of just 0.1 stars. Customers seem to like the ease with which this lantern installs, along with its heavy-duty construction. This Koda wall lantern is also widely praised for its elegant and traditional design, and for a price tag ($59.99) that offers exceptional value for money. "Gorgeous lanterns!" said one user, who bought five. "Love the dusk to dawn feature because it really lights up the surrounding area. On Walmart's website, these same lanterns are over $100 each. Thank you, Costco!"