What to look for in a good solar lantern?
I know I've posted about this before and we've discussed it before, but I'm trying to figure out if I should buy a solar lantern for the fence post at my house. I have a lovely cast iron plant hanger attached to the post that was designed by a friend. But it is an odd shape and I'm having a difficult time finding a hanging basket that looks right with it. Right now I have a battery powered fake candle lantern hanging from it. Usually I do a hanging basket but they are expensive and tend not to look very good after a short while in the blazing sun of this spot. The candle lantern was for winter and is covered by real greens that are now real browns. I was at TSC yesterday and saw some solar lanterns and almost bought one. But my experience with cheap solar lights is they haven't worked AT ALL.
What should one look for in a solar lantern that will ensure it works? I don't need bright light, just some to show off the lantern in the evenings. Does anyone have a solar lantern they've been happy with over time?
Here's the list of ones they sell at TSC. The one I saw at the actual store isn't among these, but similar.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/solar%20lantern?
I'm thinking maybe get this one, it will look good during the day too, but I'm skeptical of it's solar abilities. Description says you can put a battery light inside . . .
Here's one very similar to the one in the store I almost bought. This style not as flexible to make battery powered.
Comments (11)
woodrose
last yearlast modified: last yearl pinkmountain
last yearHere's a shot of the post and hanger. Hose goes on the other side.
I'm thinking maybe do the stained glass hummingbird one. I looked around some more at some local home and garden shops and all the solar lanterns look rather flimsy to me. I don't need more broken junk around.The stained glass one is the same size as my other lantern, 6x6x11+. On the plus side of that one is I can fill the lantern box with a battery powered light set if the solar one goes bust. I have a set of small battery powered lights that I use for an outside wreath at Christmas. Also it will look good during the day when not lit. Plus I like the idea of a hummingbird. I could hang an actual hummingbird feeder there, I've tried that, but the hummingbird that inhabits our yard is so aggressive it will chase any other hummers away from anything in both the front and back yards. I know they say if you space them you will avoid this and I've seen other places awash with hummers. We just happen to have a particularly badass hummingbird I think . . . so we have our feeder in the back where we can watch it almost all the time. I tried one in the front and one in the back. I could see that hummingbird swoop over the roof to chase any other hummingbirds that were thinking about coming around right out of the yard.
On the downside, it might be too busy with the rabbit and the bird and all the designs. I think it might be OK though . . . I'm open to other designs. I think a cut painted steel one would be too close to the cast iron look. That might even be a worse pattern overload.Related Discussions
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arcy_gw
last yearlast modified: last yearfunctionthenlook
last yearI've had different kinds and they only last a couple years. Then I started buying replacement rechargeable batteries for them and they only lasted a couple years. Between both places I have 14 solar lights. I started retrofitting them with the dollar tree solar lights. Even if I have to buy new ones every year it is still cheaper than buying the rechargeable batteries. For the lanterns I just hacksaw the bottom of the clear part so they sit flat in the lanterns.
nicole___
last yearlast modified: last year
I purchased 2 of these. AWESOME! I have a rental house, the previous owner put one on a fence post in 2013, it's still going!nekotish
last yearl pinkmountain
last yearlast modified: last yearI've decided to go with the stained glass hummingbird one, due to it's flexibility for adapting if the solar doesn't pan out. This one below was a serious contender, due to a slight "Peter Rabbit" reference to geraniums, plus they were a favorite flower of my grandmother. I almost bought some geraniums for a hanging basket there this morning, but the lantern will be much less work. I have a gazillion planters and gardens to take care of, I like the idea of designating this to a limited-maintenance element.
ratherbesewing
last year
Annie Deighnaugh
last yearlast modified: last yearHU-977136802
last year
LynnNM