Outdoors, match the rating to where the rain lands: IP44 for a sheltered wall (porch, deep eaves), IP54–IP65 for an exposed wall that takes rain head-on, IP65 or higher for low fittings that get splashed, and IP67/IP68 for anything set in the ground or in water. A PIR sensor switches on when it detects moving body heat; set its lux dial so it works only after dark and its timer to 1–2 minutes. In England, adding a light to an existing circuit usually isn't notifiable under Part P; a new circuit is.
An outdoor light lives a harder life than anything indoors. Rain arrives sideways, frost gets into the joints, the sun bakes the finish, and at some point a neighbour will want a word about the floodlight. None of that is a reason to leave the garden dark. It is a reason to understand three things before you buy: what the IP number on the box actually covers, how a motion sensor decides to switch on, and which parts of the job the rules hand to an electrician.
What IP rating do outdoor lights need?
An IP rating is two digits: the first for solids like dust and grit, the second for water. Our bathroom zones guide explains how to read them; outdoors, the second digit does most of the work. 4 means splashing from any direction, 5 water jets, 6 powerful jets, 7 temporary immersion and 8 continuous immersion, under conditions the manufacturer states. On the first digit, 5 is dust-protected and 6 is dust-tight, which is worth having wherever soil and grit get kicked up.
There is no single legal IP number for "outside". The wiring regulations ask for equipment suited to where it is installed, so the minimums below are common practice rather than a quoted rule. They are also the ones we would follow on our own houses.
| Where the light goes | Suggested minimum | Example from the range |
|---|---|---|
| Covered porch, recessed doorway, wall under deep eaves | IP44 | Corben half lantern (IP44, £29), Venice (IP44, £80), Mirage wall lantern (IP44, £80) |
| Open wall that takes rain directly, gable end facing the weather | IP54–IP65 | Renzo adjustable wall light (IP65, £85) |
| Path lights and posts with the lamp well above the ground, away from sprinklers | IP44 as a floor; IP54+ is better | Tokyo path light (IP44, from £58), Mirage path light (IP44, £120), Dark path light (IP54, £110) |
| Low bollards in beds, beside lawns, anything hosed or splashed | IP65 or higher | Torino bollard (IP65, £120) |
| In-ground uplighters, deck lights, ponds and water features | IP67 in the ground, IP68 under water | Specialist fittings: follow the maker's drainage and installation instructions |
Most decorative lanterns, including every IP44 fitting in the first row, are made for a porch, a covered doorway or a wall tucked under the eaves. Put the same fitting on a bare gable facing the prevailing wind and you are asking a splash rating to do a jet rating's job. One more thing the number on the box can't promise: a fitting is only as watertight as its cable entry, so the gland and seal an electrician fits matter as much as the rating itself.
Torino Bollard · IP65
Dust-tight and jet-proof at 50cm tall, so it can stand in a watered border or beside a lawn sprinkler, and its light goes down onto the path rather than up into anyone's eyes.
What about coastal and exposed gardens?
Salt air is harder on outdoor lights than rain. Near the sea it settles on every surface and works at any scratch in the finish, so materials matter more than usual: stainless steel (ask whether it is marine grade, usually called 316), die-cast or powder-coated aluminium, and glass or polycarbonate rather than painted steel. Our Tokyo and Dark path lights are stainless steel, and the Corben is die-cast aluminium with a five-year anti-corrosion guarantee. If you live on the coast, read the terms of any guarantee to check they cover your location. A rinse with fresh water every few months helps any finish. On a hilltop or an open, windswept site, go one step up the table above: driving rain finds its way into places that ordinary rain never reaches.
How does a PIR sensor light work?
PIR stands for passive infrared. The sensor emits nothing; it watches for changes in heat across a set of zones in front of it. A warm body moving from one zone to the next triggers it, and the light stays on until the timer runs out after the last movement.
That has one practical consequence people rarely hear about: a PIR detects movement across its field far better than movement straight towards it. Someone walking along the front of the house crosses zone after zone and is caught early. Someone walking straight at the sensor stays in much the same zones and may not trigger it until they are close. Every sensor's spec gives a detection angle and a range in metres. The Lyon and the Mayson, for example, both cover 120°. Real range also depends on mounting height and how warm the night is.
Lyon PIR Wall Light · 120° sensor, IP44
A built-in PIR covering 120°, an E27 lampholder so the bulb stays your choice, and an IP44 rating that suits a porch or a wall under the eaves.
What settings should a PIR sensor be on?
Most sensors have two or three small dials underneath. LUX sets how dark it must be before the sensor will switch on; turn it towards the moon symbol and the light works only after dusk, towards the sun and it works in daylight too. TIME sets how long the light stays on after the last movement, typically anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. SENS, where fitted, adjusts the range.
Set them with a walk test. Turn LUX to the sun and TIME to minimum so you can see what is happening in daylight, then walk the routes you want caught, and the pavement you don't. Adjust the sensor head until only the right routes trigger it. Then turn LUX back towards the moon and set the timer: one to two minutes suits a front door, a little longer suits a drive where you are unloading the car.
Placement does the rest. Mount the fitting at the height the maker gives (1.8–2.4m for both the Lyon and the Mayson) and aim it across the approach, not down it. Keep it away from anything that moves or breathes warm air: the road and pavement, trees and shrubs that sway in the wind, boiler flues and extractor vents. It will not see through glass, and cats and foxes will trigger it. Choose the control to suit the job:
| Control | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dusk-to-dawn photocell | On when it gets dark, off at first light | The front door and house number, a welcome that is always there |
| PIR motion sensor | On when it detects moving body heat, off when the timer ends | Side returns, bins, drives, back doors |
| Switch or timer | On when you choose | Patios, seating areas, feature lighting |
For a sensor at the door with a more generous glow, the Mayson (£78) has a built-in 853-lumen, 3000K LED. On a path, the Dark (£110) puts the sensor at bollard height. Our garden path guide covers where sensors belong on a route and where a steady glow is better.
Do I need an electrician to fit an outdoor light?
For anything wired to the mains, yes: use a registered electrician. What varies is the paperwork. In England, fitting a new outdoor light to an existing circuit, or replacing one, has generally not been notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations since the 2013 changes. It must still be done to BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and your electrician should give you a certificate for it. A new circuit, such as a dedicated supply run out to the garden, is notifiable: a registered electrician self-certifies it, or building control must be told before work starts. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Three principles apply wherever you live. Outdoor lighting circuits need RCD protection (a 30mA RCD, standard in modern consumer units, which an older board may lack). Cable buried in the garden has to be the right type, typically steel-wire armoured or run in a suitable duct, laid deep enough to stay clear of spades and forks, with warning tape above it and the route recorded. Your electrician will set the depth and the route. And every fitting must be earthed or double-insulated as designed, with weatherproof connections. The only job that sensibly stays DIY is a like-for-like swap on the same fixing, with the circuit isolated, and only if you are confident making a weatherproof connection.
Can a neighbour complain about my outdoor light?
Yes. Since the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 amended the Environmental Protection Act 1990, artificial light from a property can be a statutory nuisance in England and Wales. Your council's environmental health team can investigate a complaint and, if it agrees, require you to deal with it. In practice it rarely comes to that if you aim every fitting down, keep bright sources out of neighbours' windows, choose shielded or downward fittings over bare floodlights, and put working lights on a sensor rather than burning all night. Check the view from the pavement after dark: if you can see the bulb itself from next door, it is glaring. The same restraint is kinder to bats and moths, and to the look of the garden itself.
What if there's no cable outside?
Then a rechargeable or solar light is the honest shortcut: no wiring, no electrician, no paperwork. The Sentry (£50) charges by USB-C, screws to the wall and offers low, high and motion-sensor modes. Be realistic about output, though: its 85 lumens make it a courtesy light for a step or a porch, not a floodlight, and at IP44 it belongs in a sheltered spot. Solar lights charge by day, so a short, grey December gives them much less to work with than June. For renters, battery lights are often the only outdoor option. Our renters' guide covers what you can change without the landlord.
Browse the full range of outdoor wall lights, outdoor bollards and garden lighting. The IP rating is listed on every product page.
