Way Day solar light deals – how to get a good discount on solar lighting

Solar lights don't have the best reputation. Some of it is deserved – as a product tester, I've tested a lot of bad sets of solar lights. When I saw that Wayfair was dropping its prices on solar lights during the last Way Day, I wasn't particularly interested.

However, when I was trawling through the site to see if there was anything worth buying I spotted my favorite festoon lights on sale. I love them – I first tested them for another magazine a few years ago and they still switch on the same way every night, when the other lights I tested have long since stopped working.

There were also lots of other great lights on sale, with more than half off stylish solar lanterns and lamps that look a lot better than those you might find on Amazon.

Best Wayfair solar light deals

If you just want to get to the deals, here's what we're seeing so far:

• Amazon solar light deals - solar light discounts for Prime members
• Target solar light deals - up to 30% off for Target Circle members
• Walmart solar light deals - solar light deals starting at $2.39
• Wayfair solar light deals - up to 52% off solar lights and lamps

When is the best time to get a solar light deal?

Prime Day and Black Friday are the best times to buy solar lights. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that the two events generally see the cheapest prices throughout the year. The second is that garden equipment and decor see the lowest prices in winter. Because it's cold, and because there's little to do in the garden at that time of the year, demand for these products is low, but supply is high because the companies have bought lots of stock after the summer. Big brands want to get rid of their summer garden equipment to make way for new stock, so you often find the best prices on garden products during these fall and early winter sales.

How can you tell if you've found a good solar light deal?

Solar lights are already cheap, so look for deals that give at least 30% off - anything else isn't really a deal, because the the price fluctuates so much throughout the year that a 10% saving is probably similar to the price the lights were sold the year before.

More important is to learn how to buy good solar lights. If you want practical lighting, buy lights of at least 100 lumens to ensure they're bright enough to provide practical lighting. Try to buy lights with at least IP65 weatherproofing, but choose IP68 for the very best protection.

What's a good price for solar lights?

There are lots of different types of solar lights. For solar security lights, pay between $30-$50. If you want string lights, aim to pay between $20-$40. For solar spotlights, expect to pay around $30-$40 for two lights.

Solar lights are far from the only game in town. We're weeks out from Black Friday but lots of retailers are already offering big discounts on outdoor decor. There's even some surprisingly stylish outdoor furniture on Amazon, on sale for Prime Big Deal Days