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solar lights argos
I killed three sets of solar lights before I figured it out.
First set came from Argos. £12 for six. Put them in the ground the same day. They glowed for two hours. Then nothing. I blamed the lights. Threw them away.
Second set cost £25. Same thing. Two weeks of dim light. Then dead.
Third set I got angry. £40 for four lights. I left them in the box for a month. Finally put them outside. Same result. Dead by midnight.
I called Argos customer service. The woman on the phone laughed. Not mean. Just tired of explaining the same thing.
She said “Did you charge them first?”
I said “They are solar. The sun charges them.”
She said “For two days. In direct sun. Before you stick them in the ground. Did you do that?”
I did not.
The thing Argos does not print on the box
Open any solar light box from Argos. You see the light. You see the little plastic stake. You see a tiny instruction sheet with pictures.
What you do not see is the most important step.
The battery ships with almost no power. Maybe 5% full. Stick the light in the ground and the battery drains completely the first night. Then it tries to charge the next day. But a drained battery takes two full days to recover. Not one. Two.
So night two comes. Your battery sits at 30%. Light turns off at 1am. Night three. Battery at 50%. Light off at 3am.
You think the light is broken. You return it. Argos tests it. The light works fine. They put it back on the shelf.
Here is what you do instead.
Take the light out of the box. Remove the plastic tab from the battery. Turn the switch to OFF. Put the light outside in direct sun. Leave it there for two whole days. Do not touch it. Do not turn it on. Do not stick it in the ground.
After two days, turn the switch to AUTO. Now stick it in the ground. Now it works all night.
I tried this. My fourth set from Argos lasted three years.
Why your neighbor’s lights stay on longer
You notice it too. Their driveway glows bright until morning. Yours dies at 2am.
Two reasons.
First, they spent more money. Not a little more. A lot more. A £30 set of four lights from Argos works better than a £12 set of six. Each light in the £12 pack costs £2. Each light in the £30 pack costs £7.50. That £5.50 difference buys a bigger battery and a bigger solar panel.
Second, they cleaned the panel. You did not. A dirty panel blocks 40% of sunlight. Your light runs at 60% power. Theirs runs at 100%. Clean your panel with a wet paper towel every two weeks. Takes ten seconds.
I clean mine every Sunday morning while my coffee brews. Set a phone reminder. Works perfectly.
The £8 mistake
Argos sells a pack of six solar lights for £8. Do not buy them.
I know £8 sounds good. £1.30 per light. But here is what happens.
The battery inside is the smallest one made. The solar panel is the size of a postage stamp. The plastic housing cracks in six months. The light output is weaker than a birthday candle.
You save £22 today. You waste £8 tomorrow when you throw them away.
Spend £30 to £45. VonHaus or Smart Solar. Not Argos own brand for the cheap ones. Argos own brand is fine for the mid range. Avoid the bottom shelf.
How to pick the right one at Argos
Walk into Argos. Go to the lighting aisle. Pick up a box. Flip it over. Look for three numbers.
Lumens. This is brightness. 100 lumens is dim. 500 lumens is bright. 1000 lumens is floodlight bright. For pathway lights, 150 to 250 lumens works fine. For security lights, 600 lumens or higher.
Battery size. Look for mAh. 600 mAh is small. 1200 mAh is medium. 2000 mAh is large. Bigger number means longer run time. Do not buy anything under 800 mAh.
IP rating. IP44 means rain safe. IP65 means hose safe. IP67 means you can drop it in a puddle. Stick with IP44 or IP65 for gardens.
If the box does not show these numbers, put it back. Argos hides the specs on cheap lights because they are bad.
The winter problem
December comes. Your solar lights turn off at 8pm. You think they broke again.
They did not break. Winter sun is weak. The battery only half fills. You get three hours of light instead of eight.
Here is what you do in winter.
Move your lights to the sunniest spot in your garden. Not where you want light. Where the sun hits. South facing wall. Middle of the lawn. Away from trees.
Clean the panel twice a week. Winter dust sticks more.
Angle the panel toward the low winter sun. In summer, the sun sits high. In winter, the sun sits low. Tilt your panel down.
Buy a winter mode light. VonHaus makes one. A button on the back drops the brightness by 30%. The battery lasts two hours longer.
Or do what I do. Bring the lights inside for winter. Store them in a cupboard. Put them back out in March. They last twice as long.
Fix them yourself
Do not throw away dead solar lights. Open them up.
You need a small Phillips screwdriver. Argos sells one for £3. Turn the light over. Unscrew the back. Inside you see a battery. It looks like a AA battery but smaller.
Pull the battery out. Walk to Argos. Buy a pack of rechargeable AA or AAA batteries. £5 for four. Put the new battery in. Make sure the plus and minus signs match. Screw the back on.
Put the light in direct sun for two days. Turn it on. It works again.
I fixed six lights this way. Cost me £10 in batteries. New lights would have cost £60.
What I use and recommend
After killing three sets, I finally found what works.
Pathway lights. Smart Solar from Argos. £35 for a pack of four. Metal stakes. Glass panels. Three year warranty. Had mine for two years. Still bright.
Security light. VonHaus twin head floodlight. £55. Separate solar panel on a 5 meter wire. Motion sensor works from 10 meters away. Lights up my whole driveway.
String lights. Lights4fun. £28 for a 10 meter string. Two year warranty. Hung them on my fence three years ago. Still going.
I tried Argos own brand for string lights. Died in eight months. Returned them. Bought Lights4fun instead. No regrets.
FAQs
Do solar lights argos work in full shade?
No. Do not bother. They need direct sunlight. Not indirect. Not dappled. Not morning only. Six hours of direct sun or they die by midnight.
Can I leave solar lights out all year?
Yes but they wear out faster. Winter cold and summer heat crack the plastic. Bring them inside during heavy snow or storms. Store them in a dry cupboard. They will last twice as long.
How do I know when to replace the battery?
Your light turns off earlier each night. First it died at 3am. Then 2am. Then midnight. That is the battery fading. Replace it.
Will a bigger battery make my light brighter?
No. Brighter comes from the bulb. Bigger battery makes the light run longer. Not brighter.
Why does my motion sensor floodlight turn on for no reason?
Wind moving a tree branch. A cat walking by. A car headlight from the street. Turn the sensor sensitivity down. There is a small dial inside the battery compartment. Turn it left.
Can I use solar lights indoors?
No. They need direct sunlight. Indoor light bulbs do not charge them. Not even bright LED bulbs. Sun only.
How do I return faulty solar lights to Argos?
Bring the light and your receipt or the card you paid with. Go to the customer service desk. They test the light in front of you. If it fails, they give you a refund or replacement. Takes five minutes.
What does the little plastic tab do?
It stops the battery from draining while the light sits on the shelf in the Argos warehouse. Some lights sit there for six months. The tab keeps the battery fresh. Remove the tab before charging. Throw it away.
summary
Stop buying cheap solar lights from Argos. Spend £30 to £45 on VonHaus or Smart Solar. Charge them for two full days before first use. Clean the panel every two weeks. Replace the battery every two years. Bring them inside for winter. Your lights will last five years.
