Gigalumi Solar Deck Lighting review - Keeping the glow alive

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REVIEW – When upgrading the outdoor space of your domicile, lighting can quickly transform a space. Extending sitting time into the dusk and evening, setting a mood, making unseen steps or other dangerous areas visible are just a few of the reasons to consider lighting. But until relatively recently, wiring those lights was much of the hassle, and a lot of the installation and upkeep costs. Solar solutions have taken off now, however, and we have been offered loads of updates that exceed the performance of systems just a year or two old. I was sent a box of deck railing lights from Gigalumi which are “on at dusk, off at dawn” type lights that affix to horizontal surfaces. Let’s see if they make a large difference in the look or ambiance of my outdoor space.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $26.99 for 16-unit pack
Where to buy: Amazon

What is it?

A set of solar lights that mount on the edge of a railing, fencing, or other horizontal edge to provide light after dark.

What’s included?

Solar lights (several different sized multi-packs are available)
Screws and wall anchors
Sponge tape strips

Tech specs

【WARM LED LIGHT】Warm white deck light, just the right amount of warm glow which is safer for the whole family to go downstairs at night.
【Waterproof and Wide Use】With hard ABS shell and high quality solar panel, the solar fence light is designed to withstand rain, wind, or small snowy days. Which is perfect for illuminating decks, stairs, paths, gardens, fences, railings.
【Auto On/Off】This step light has no switch, just pull out the insulator sheet then put into use. On sunny days, it only takes about 4-5 hours to fully charge and can automatically turn on at whole night.
【Easy Installation】Mounts along any edge, you can fix this deck step lights with 3M tape or the screws included. The size is subtle enough to blend in easily to deck,no worry about tripping.
【Warranty】In any case you have problem, just contact us, we will help you solve the problem as soon as possible

Design and features

The lights are a simple angle made of ABS plastic in a variety of colors. They measure 3” x 1.75” on the top surface, and have an overhang depth of 1”. The lighting element drops down from the surface 1.75” and sticks out only .5” from the edge. On the top surface there is a solar panel 2” x 1.25”. The unit rests on an edge, and sticks up only .25” above it.

GigaLumiDeckLights 4 e1743285228309 — Bottom of the deck lighting. This will be facing down when mounted.

There is no switch or motion activation. When the sun goes down (or it gets dark enough), the lights come on and they run until the battery is depleted. (More on this later.) There are two screw holes on either side of the solar panel inset. The bottom of the angle is flat and able to adhere with the enclosed 3M foam tape strips, if you don’t want to put holes in the surface.

GigaLumiDeckLights 3 e1743285137542 — Under side of deck lights. Note the thin, clear tape near my pinkie. Pull that and it’s on forever.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

The lights come completely assembled with a small power charge. To install, either stick them in place or screw them to your desired surface. A clear tape is inserted into the bottom of the lighting unit. Pulling it out will engage the battery to the bulb and the unit lights up. There is no way to re-insert the tape strips to turn the light off. It’s like pulling the string on a self-inflating life raft – be ready for it.

Performance

I received the lights and opened them at about 4 o’clock one afternoon, unpackaged a few of them and took a few photos. I walked out on the deck to think about where to put them, but within 15 minutes had gotten the drill and tape measure and placed them around my small deck area on 30” centers. That night, I kept opening the door and walking out, just to see the newly illuminated area. I like it.

Over the next few weeks, there were some issues that I began to see. The day after I installed them, it snowed, so no light got to the sensors for a few days. But as soon as the sun came through again, they started to glow a little bit at night.

They aren’t bright like a floodlight or area lamp, but they do give a comforting aura and can let you see that there are places you need to consider. When two or three are together, the light increases, obviously, so if you want more “useable” light, put them closer together. I just wanted some ambiance on my deck, but as the summer wears on, I may decide to put in more.

You’ve really got to have bright, direct sun for the Gigalumi Solar Deck lighting units to stay on more than a few hours, so they are not going to serve as security lights at 3 AM. But if you’re sharing drinks and snacks and conversation, they are a great enhancement to your outdoor space.

Final thoughts

Even though, as mentioned above, they can hang on to a little glow well past midnight, they will not last all night. If all you want is a glowing atmosphere, these lights are easy, cheap, and fun. You can’t read by the light, but with your night vision, you can kind of make out facial expressions and shapes.

If you could turn them off, you’d be able to save the light for later, if an after sunset party is imminent. Then they would last longer. Oh well.

What I like about the Gigalumi Solar Deck Lights

Really simple installation
No wires, switches, or controls
colors to match your deck

What needs to be improved?

I’d love to be able to turn them off.
Short battery life means the party has to end before dawn

Price: $39.99 for 16-unit pack
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Gigalumi. Gigalumi did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.