Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review

Super sensitive motion-activated floodlights with an angled design

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights
(Image: © Aootek)

Tom's Guide Verdict

Super sensitive motion-activated floodlights with an angled design

Pros

  • +

    Super Bright

  • +

    Holds up to the elements

  • +

    Reliable motion sensor

Cons

  • -

    Nonadjustable solar panel angle

  • -

    Hard to adjust settings after installing

  • -

    Lights don't stay on long

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Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights: Specs

Color: Black
Lights included: 2
Rated brightness: 128 LEDs
Estimated battery life: 2200 mAh
Weather resistance rating: IP65
Size: 3.8 x 3.9 x 8 inches

If you live in a rural setting and are in the market for solar-powered security lights, you can’t go wrong with Aootek’s Solar Outdoor Flood Lights. Once installed, which is admittedly a little challenging, these lights are more than capable of lighting up even the darkest corners of a driveway, and they reliably worked under various weather conditions.  

As you will find out from our Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review, these are a versatile option for solar security lights. Available in packs of 2 or 4, it’s easy to set up these lights around your driveway and your property. While they have three illumination modes, those living in urban areas might find the lights too bright and the motion activation too sensitive. 

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review: Price and availability

The Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights are available at Amazon starting at $29.95 and at Walmart starting at $37.95. They are available in a 2 or 4 pack.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review: Design

Angular and Art deco-ish in style, these lights will fit in with a variety of home styles, from ultra-modern to even older homes. Yet, while the overall style of the Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights is excellent, the design feels awkward at times. The button to turn on the lights and adjust the settings is on the back, making it difficult to access after installation. 

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Because you can’t adjust the angle of the lights or its solar panel, it can be awkward to install in certain places. It also seems like because the solar panel is at an angle, it doesn’t allow for very efficient charging. Still, the lights with their wide-angle illumination and high-quality LEDs are very functional.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review: Setup

Aootek’s Solar Outdoor Flood Lights come nicely packaged and are easy to install. However, you will need a drill or at least a screwdriver to mount them to the wall. And whatever you do, make sure you pick the lighting mode you want — on all night, but turns brighter with motion, on all night, or a motion sensor which switches them on and off  — before mounting them. Otherwise, you’ll have to unscrew them to change the setting; it might be best to test out which is best before deciding. Some online reviewers suggested using binder clips and a cable tie to secure them to gutters, although that seems like a lot of work. 

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review: Lighting performance

The Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights are bright, with a rating of 2500Lm — possibly a bit too bright for those living in an urban environment. The lights come with three operating settings: a security light mode that only turns on for 15 seconds when it detects motion at night, an on all night mode that automatically turns on at dusk and stays on until dawn, and a smart brightness control mode where the light stays on all night but gets brighter for 15 seconds when it detects motion. I found that even in the smart brightness control the base light was still pretty bright. Thanks to its angled design, one of these lights effortlessly illuminates a standard-size driveway.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights over garage

(Image credit: Aootek)

The motion sensor, which can detect movement up to 26 feet within an angle of 120 degrees, worked reliably and was very sensitive. When placed on my garage, it seemed to go off anytime anyone walked by on the street — and I have a pretty long driveway.

While the length of time the light lasts depends on the setting you choose and how much sunlight the area you place it gets, I found that on average, even in the smart brightness control mode, the light stayed on reliably for 8 hours.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review: Durability

Composed of heavy-duty plastic and silicone and designed to be waterproof (they have a waterproof IP65 rating) and heatproof, Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights will work for consumers living in a variety of climates.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights water resistant

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

These lights sailed through all of our durability tests with flying colors. They held up to rain, to time in the freezer, to hot and humid days, and under a shower. There was no delay in the lights going on afterward. The lights even stayed on during cloudy and rainy days and then continued to stay on for much of the night.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights water resistant

(Image credit: Aootek)

While I didn’t notice any issues with leakage, a few online reviewers did mention that after a couple of years of use, the lights started to separate from the housing units and that the lights could start to look a little cloudy, almost like a car headlight.

Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights review: Verdict

If you’re looking for solar-powered security lights, the Aootek Solar Outdoor Flood Lights are one of the best options on the market. Not only are the lights bright, but they’re motion-activated. But, keep in mind if you live in a more urban environment, the motion sensor might be too sensitive. Still, they stay on longer than similar lights on the market such as the Link2Home lights. With incredible durability, they worked during a tropical storm; these lights are highly reliable for the price.