10 Best Motion Sensor Lights in 2022
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Motion-sensing lights have a lot of useful applications, from convenient hands-free lighting to a makeshift security system. However, regardless of why you are getting them, they are not just like any old lamp – there can be a lot of different features to consider, each with their own upsides, downsides and special purposes that can completely change how they are supposed to be used.
Even then, a light that is great for one situation might be terrible for another, and they are not always easy to swap out or adjust on the fly. If you are buying one, even just as a temporary measure, you will want to make sure that it is going to do its job properly – a broken or damaged light can end up being annoying, unreliable, or even outright dangerous.
Here are ten motion sensor light sets and kits that might be perfect for your needs, all with their own designs and ideal purposes.
View the Best Motion Sensor Light, Below.
- BAXIA Solar Motion Sensor Lights
- LEPOWER Security Outdoor Motion Sensor Light
- Heath Zenith HZ-5411-WH Motion Sensor Light
- LITOM Wireless Motion Sensor Lights
- AUVON Plug-in LED Motion Sensor Night Light
- Aukora Motion Sensor Light Bulbs
- Mr Beams MB360 LED Spotlight with Motion Sensor
- Mr. Beams MB 723 MB723 Motion-Sensing LED
- Hyperikon Security Light with Motion Sensor
- Mr. Beams MB310 Wireless Motion Sensor Mini Spotlight
1. BAXIA Solar Motion Sensor Lights
This set of 4 solar-powered lights uses 28 strong LEDs to provide plenty of illumination in a 120-degree cone, allowing them to easily light up an entire garden or yard. The efficient design means that they are able to fully recharge in only eight hours of sunlight, and they automatically turn on when they sense motion up to five meters away.
Not only that, but these motion sensor lights are waterproof and temperature-resistant, making them perfect for bad weather and rougher climates. You can leave them fully exposed on an outside wall with minimal maintenance needed, and they have been designed for the longest functional lifespan possible thanks to the removal of a “Dim” mode or anything other than “On” and “Off” states.
These motion sensor lights will be useful almost anywhere, but the fact that they are completely wireless and self-powering makes them ideal for hard-to-reach or wide-open areas, such as above garage doors.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. LEPOWER Security Outdoor Motion Sensor Light
These wide security lights each have three super-bright heads that combine high light intensity with low power usage, automatically switching on when they sense motion up to 50 feet away in a 180-degree area. You can angle each part of the design separately, rotating the heads to point in certain directions or adjusting the sensor piece to aim at corners and doorways.
Each motion sensor light is extremely waterproof and can withstand most regular weather, including snow, while having enough durability to survive bumps and bashes without being disabled. The average lifespan of 50,000 operational hours means that it will take a long time to break or wear out, and the fact that there is no permanent ON mode stops it from wasting power.
A very bright light level combined with great durability, makes these motion sensor lights perfect for illuminating problem areas, especially exposed surfaces that need to deal with constant abuse from the weather.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. Heath Zenith HZ-5411-WH Motion Sensor Light
These heavy-duty motion sensor lights act more like floodlights, using two bright and durable lamps that provide excellent lighting to outdoor areas. The metal and plastic used in each light’s construction offer much more durability than other designs, but still allow the lights and detector to be adjusted to almost any angle. Speaking of the detector, its 70-foot detection range means that it can easily cover wide areas.
However, you also have the option of adjusting the sensitivity of the detector, as well as changing the timer of the lights up to a maximum of twenty minutes. This lets you customize each individual light for maximum security and efficiency at all times.
These motion sensor lights are strong, bright and very customizable, making them ideal for late-night security and illumination on larger properties where you don’t want animals or trespassers slipping through any cracks.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. LITOM Wireless Motion Sensor Lights
The high-powered LEDs used in these motion sensor lights let them illuminate up to 200 square feet at once, giving them a wider coverage in a wide-angle. The built-in energy management chip helps reduce how much power they use while maximizing the power they can get from sunlight, shutting off after 20 seconds of no motion to conserve power. They also come with three different modes: regular light, dim light, and a sensor mode.
The body of each motion sensor light is made with high-impact materials, including ABS, which provides waterproofing and physical protection to ensure that they will keep working in bad weather. The 120-degree detection angle, combined with the 26-foot range, adds to its area coverage even further.
These motion sensor lights conserve power and only use as much as they need to, meaning that they are perfect for people who want to save energy. The wide spread of light also means that they can illuminate open spaces really well.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. AUVON Plug-in LED Motion Sensor Night Light
These motion sensor night lights make for great interior lighting at night, saving plenty of energy and giving you three different modes to work with: on, off, and automatic. This means that you can quickly turn off the night light when needed without having to unplug it entirely or leave it permanently on if you want consistent light in one room. There are also two brightness modes to give you extra light if you need it.
The 120-degree sensor angle and 12-foot sensor range mean that a single light can cover a hallway and most small-to-medium-sized rooms, but you can combine multiple together if you want to cover a larger area quickly.
These motion sensor night lights offer great light coverage and a very simple set of controls. They are at their most useful in corridors or on stairs that may need to be lit up late at night.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. Aukora Motion Sensor Light Bulbs
These bulbs, when placed into a regular lamp or light socket, automatically detect motion and activate the light for 60 seconds. This means that they can be placed almost anywhere that supports standard bulbs – since they can withstand quite high changes in temperature, they work well outside as well as indoors. The sensor automatically turns off at dawn, saving power and ensuring that it doesn’t wear itself out quickly.
When installed at a height of around thirteen feet, it can create a 120-degree cone of light, covering quite a wide area and providing great illumination without needing its own mounting point. You can even install it in open lamps and slightly angled sockets to get some extra directional light.
These bulbs can help you convert an old lamp or socket into a sensor-based lighting system, giving you much more freedom over how you set up and position each light.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. Mr Beams MB360 LED Spotlight with Motion Sensor
This battery-operated motion sensor light can be installed quickly and doesn’t require any wiring or extra setup, instantly providing a nine-meter sensor and fully-adjustable angled light source. The single built-in LED provides plenty of illumination without using more power than necessary, and the floodlight-style design means that you set it up in the exact direction you want it to face.
The lightweight and strong plastic used for this motion sensor light’s body means that it is not hard to get into place, and it won’t fall easily, meaning that it can work as both a temporary and permanent solution. It is fully weather-and-water-proof and can be mounted with simple screws, making it very simple and reliable in outdoor locations.
These motion sensor lights are great as both a temporary option and a long-term light source, using a simple design that offers great lighting without seeming weak or unreliable.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. Mr. Beams MB 723 MB723 Motion-Sensing LED
This other set of Mr. Beams lights offers three different battery-powered motion sensor lights, each of which can be mounted with nothing but adhesive or tape if needed. The 4-meter sensor range makes them perfect for corridors and small rooms, and the single LED means that it won't waste power, creating unnecessarily strong light levels.
As you might expect, these motion sensor lights are very easy to install and can be mounted onto any suitable surface for maximum efficiency. You can even attach them to ceilings or angled positions to have the light shine in a certain direction, and they won't suffer from performance problems if they are placed upside-down or in an unconventional spot.
Being able to place a night light anywhere opens up a lot of opportunities with how you use your lights, and you aren’t forced to use up a valuable socket or plug spot if you want them to keep shining.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. Hyperikon Security Light with Motion Sensor
These security lights provide plenty of light at a wide-angle, using two separate LED bulbs that can be angled in different directions. You can also angle the detector to point it directly at a door, entryway, or important spot, even if it is not angled in that exact direction. The main body of this motion sensor light is designed to be as weatherproof as possible, preventing rain, water, and snow from damaging the internal parts.
The installation process is really simple, and this motion sensor light can be mounted to almost any wall or surface easily. The wiring doesn’t take very long, and the built-in controls mean that you can choose exactly how bright the light is, how long it lasts and how far the detection range should extend.
These motion sensor lights are tough, reliable and very customizable, meaning that you can set them up to work as floodlights or use them as a security measure to scare trespassers and animals that get too close.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. Mr. Beams MB310 Wireless Motion Sensor Mini Spotlight
This miniature spotlight is designed to provide targeted illumination the moment it detects motion, working as both a ground-based and wall-mounted light. Regardless of where you put it, it is completely wireless, allowing it to be installed in minutes and powered with regular batteries. The 30 meters of coverage ensures that it can light up a wide area with ease, and multiple of these lights can even be used to keep an entire garden well-lit.
The small size of this motion sensor light’s body enables it to be used in creative ways, like tucking it behind decorations or next to a pathway, without sticking out and ruining the way things look. It is waterproof, too, so rain and other sources of water won’t damage it.
These motion sensor floodlights are small but powerful, giving you a directional light source that can go almost anywhere and light up almost anything. Even one is enough to keep a door or garage lit up well.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Motion Sensor Light Buyer’s Guide
Buying a decent motion sensor light is very similar to buying a normal light, but there are so many on the market that it can be tricky to actually narrow down the type you want. There are motion-activated bulbs, wall-mounted LEDs, night lights, spotlights and dozens of other types, all with their own uses and technical differences. Even beyond that, you will have to compare things like the power source and the level of lighting they provide, and things can get confusing quickly.
Sensor Range
The main draw of most motion-activated lights is the sensors themselves, but one motion sensor light might have a different range compared to another. A short-ranged sensor is fine for compact spaces or smaller areas, but the larger a space gets (especially if it is outdoors), the harder it will get to cover everything. For example, most night lights have a range of a few feet to three or four meters, which is enough for most corridors but won’t cover an entire garage.
On the other hand, too much range can sometimes be a bad thing. If you have a small garden, a long-range sensor might get triggered by people walking past, even if they are beyond a fence or behind a hedge. In a worst-case scenario, you might even end up with an indoor light that triggers based on something happening outside through a window, which can become extremely annoying.
Certain designs will let you adjust the range, which can be helpful, but you will still want to test it out yourself if you can. This might take a while, but it is worth it, especially if it stops your lights from turning on early or activating too late.
Sensor Angle
Angle also matters, for similar reasons. A wide-angled sensor is much more likely to activate if something’s in the ‘peripheral vision’ of the light, as opposed to only activating when something’s directly in front of it. This can have multiple side-effects, both good and bad.
To start, it will mean that the light turns on when you are off to its side, so you won’t need to walk straight in front of it to trigger it. This can be really useful if you want an area (such as a door) to be lit up without shining a bright light straight at it. In terms of security, it will also be more likely to catch animals, trespassers and other risks that would otherwise slip past unnoticed.
However, a wider angle also means that more things are likely to trigger it. For example, if your light is pointing at your front door, a wider angle might mean that the sensor can “see” into the front window, meaning that it will turn on whenever you walk past. This can result in the battery life draining faster as a result.
Power Source
Different power sources have their own advantages and disadvantages, and none of them are exclusive to a motion sensor light. However, they still come into play very often, especially if you are setting up a lot of lights at once. Wireless lights that use batteries and/or solar power are the most versatile options since they can be placed almost anywhere and don’t have the restrictions of needing to be plugged in or wired up.
They also won’t go out if the power shuts off, meaning that they can be used as emergency lighting if something goes wrong. However, they also need either a constant supply of batteries or exposure to the sun, both of which can make them unsuitable for certain places: if you can’t reach them without a ladder, you can’t change the batteries easily, and a solar light that is placed near a wall might only get a few hours of sunlight rather than a full day.
Wired and cable-based lights are more restricted, but still, offer some freedom, and will stay powered as long as they are connected. They can often even be wired up on the same circuit – some DIY electricians will create breakers that can turn off all of the lights at once, letting them save power without having to shut off each light individually.
Nightlights and bulbs that need to be placed into a certain plug or socket are almost always stationary, especially if they can’t be connected to any kind of extension or lamp. These provide light in the immediate area, but can’t be moved around easily, and often can’t be adjusted or angled easily without having to make some major DIY changes. This isn’t always a bad thing, but they can’t be used freely, like battery-based lights.
It is up to you which type you prefer, and all of them are useful in different situations, so don’t be afraid to mix them around and get multiple of each type if you need to. As long as they have power, they will work, regardless of how that power is given to them.
Expert Tip
If you have experience as an electrician, it is possible to connect multiple lights together, meaning that they will all turn on based on one sensor. This can be useful if you want an entire room to light up when somebody’s inside, rather than just the nearest lights.
Did you know?
Many motion sensor lights can be integrated into existing security systems – for example, if you have a camera, a light can help illuminate nearby trespassers or wild animals and make them easier to see on the recording. If they are placed in a way that projects light from inside the house, it can also deter burglars by implying that somebody is awake.