Outdoor lighting buying guide
Outdoor lighting, also called exterior lighting, has to do three jobs at once: light the way, make the house look good after dark, and survive the weather. This page holds the weatherproof lights in our range, mostly aluminium wall, ceiling and down lights rated IP65, with a few other fittings. The guide below covers how to choose an IP rating for the place where the light will hang, what salt air does to a fitting, and how high to mount a light by the front door. It also covers how to plan the layers of an outdoor scheme and what to read on a listing before you order.
Where outdoor lights go
Retail guides split the outdoors into a handful of places, and each place has a different need.
The front door is the first place most people light, and a pair of wall lights either side of it is the usual answer. One retailer points out that if there is room for only one, it goes on the handle side. Garages and carports take lights on either side of the door, and the same retailer suggests downward facing fittings for the walls beside it. Alfresco areas, verandahs and decks need soft light for sitting, and guides suggest wall lights, pendants over an outdoor dining table, and lamps for patios and balconies. Paths, steps and garden beds call for low level light from bollards, spike lights or in-ground fittings.
The fittings on this page suit the first three places: walls, eaves and covered ceilings. For the garden, a manufacturer guide on outdoor lighting suggests bollards for paths, spike or post lights for planting and garden beds, and in-ground lights for steps and feature walls.
What an IP rating tells you
An IP rating is a two-digit code. The first digit covers protection against solid particles such as dust, and the second covers water. One guide explains that an X in place of the first digit means the fitting has been rated only for water. For outdoor use, the water digit does most of the work.
One retailer describes IP44 as splash-proof and suited to general garden, path or alfresco use, and describes IP64 and IP65 as better for full exposure because they resist dust and water. Another describes IP55 as dust-tight and protected against water jets.
Choosing the rating by exposure
Australian guides tie the rating to how exposed the light is. They agree on the pattern and differ on the exact figures.
- Covered decks, porches and deep alfresco areas: IP44 is the usual minimum. These spots can still have humid or salty air.
- Under eaves or narrow overhangs: IP44 or higher, because wind-driven rain and splashing are possible. In high wind or coastal areas, a higher rating is advisable.
- Pergolas with partial cover: one guide wants IP54 or IP65.
- Fully exposed spots such as garden bollards, uncovered wall lights and gate pillars: IP55 at the least according to one retailer, and IP65 according to others.
Another retailer's wall light guide splits it by position: IP44 or higher under deep eaves or a verandah, IP54 to IP65 on walls that face the weather, and IP65 where a fitting is fully exposed or hosed down. That page gives IP55 for exposed walls in its FAQ, which shows how close the figures are. The sensible reading is that the more exposed the position, the higher the number, and that IP65 is the safe choice anywhere that rain reaches the light.
The fittings here are mostly IP65, and the listings state the rating in the specification. The Telbix Masto is listed at IP54. Match the rating to the position before you match the style, and ask a licensed electrician to confirm the choice, as the retailer guides themselves advise.
Salt air and coastal homes
An IP rating does not measure resistance to salt. A lighting retailer says that if you live within about 5km of the ocean, even a highly rated fitting can corrode when the material is wrong, and it recommends solid brass, concrete or 316 stainless steel for salty conditions. That advice comes from one supplier, and the guides do not cite a standard for the distance, so take it as a practical rule, not a regulation.
The listings here show the choices. Most of the Fremantle fittings are aluminium. The up and down light is copper, and one wall light is stainless steel. Check the construction line in each listing against where the light will hang, and see Telbix Penros lighting for a 316 stainless steel option.
How high to mount an outdoor light
An Australian retailer gives mounting heights to the centre of the fitting.
- At the front door: 1500 to 1700mm above the ground, and 150 to 300mm from the door frame.
- At a garage or carport: 1700 to 1800mm, on either side of the door.
- In an alfresco area or on a verandah: 1600 to 1700mm above the deck or paving.
The same guide gives a way to size the light against the door. For a pair, each light should be about one quarter of the door's height, and for a single light about one third. On a standard 2040mm door that works out at roughly 510mm for each light in a pair and 680mm for a single light, and the guide says to choose the larger size if you are torn.
The fittings on this page are on the small side. The Fremantle wall lights are listed at about 7cm wide, so for a front door pair, check the listed dimensions against the sizing rule before you choose. The ceiling versions run longer, from about 28cm to about 64cm, as the number of heads rises.
Layer the lighting
A manufacturer guide recommends planning outdoor lighting in layers instead of lighting everything with one fitting. It lists the order as: light the entrances, paths, steps and places where visibility matters, add garden lighting, pick out architectural features with wall and in-ground lights, and then add atmosphere with warm light of about 3000K. A retailer makes the same split: layer the lights for safety, ambience and task, with walkways, entrances and steps first.
The same guide says that wall lights suit doors and entertaining areas because they spread a soft light across the wall, and that directional or sensor lights suit driveways. It also notes that low voltage 24V fittings give more flexibility in a garden, because they are easier to place without running mains cable. If you are lighting a garden, treat the fittings on this page as the wall and eave layer and plan the low level layer separately.
Integrated LED or a globe you choose
A retailer compares the two routes. An integrated LED has the light source built in, and a fitting with a replaceable globe lets you change the light source later. The same retailer advises comparing lumens and beam spread, not wattage alone, and checking the lamp type, voltage, size and finish.
The listings here lean toward the globe route. Most of the Fremantle fittings take a GU10 globe, and the listing states that the globe is included, so the box holds the light, its globe and the instructions. The Telbix Masto has the LED built in and is listed at 3000K. The Fremantle listings state a light output of about 400 lumens and a maximum of 5W, and they state that the light is not dimmable. If you want a dimmed outdoor scheme, check the dimmable line of each fitting first.
For more about globes, see light bulbs and globes.
Light direction: down, up and down, adjustable
The range here covers three directions. The downlighter puts light straight down, which suits the wall beside a garage door or the space under an eave. The up and down light throws a wash both above and below the fitting, and a buying guide notes that up and down fittings are especially useful outdoors. The adjustable heads on the wall and ceiling lights let you aim the beam at a path, a door or a feature.
A manufacturer outdoor guide describes the up and down look as architectural, a soft projection of light above and below on an exterior wall, at an entrance or in an entertaining area.
Ceiling fittings for covered areas
Verandahs, pergolas and covered patios often need a light overhead. The Fremantle ceiling lights come with two, three or four adjustable heads, so a single fitting can light several spots. The listings give the length of the fitting by the number of heads, and the box contents list the ceiling light with its globes. See outdoor ceiling lights for the wider group, and Eglo Fremantle outdoor lighting to compare the whole range in one place.
Finish and colour
The finishes here include black, white, grey, silver, titanium, stainless steel and copper. A retailer advises choosing the finish to suit the exterior. That is a style call, so look at the wall colour, the door and the window frames, and pick the finish that repeats one of them. Black lighting, white lighting and stainless steel lighting gather those finishes across the lighting range.
Types of outdoor fitting
Retail guides list the outdoor range by where the fitting goes. Wall lights include up and down, coach, lantern and bunker styles. Garden lights include garden bollards, spike and post lights, step lights and in-ground fittings. Festoon lights and gate pillar lights, outdoor pendants, ceiling lights and outdoor lamps and floor lamps complete the list. One retailer adds floodlights, security lights and solar lights. A second describes the 12V garden range as bollards, garden spotlights, step lights and spike lights.
This page holds mostly wall, ceiling and down lights. If you are planning the whole garden, the other types sit alongside them, and the layers section above shows how they fit together.
Mains, low voltage and solar
Outdoor lights run on different supplies, and the supply decides how you install them. One retailer lists the voltages across its range as 240V mains, 12V, 24V and solar. A manufacturer guide explains the practical difference. A solar wall light has no cable to run, which suits a patio, a path or an entry where wiring is awkward, and the example in that guide is rated IP54 with a warm 3000K integrated LED. Low voltage 24V garden fittings are described as flexible to place, and the same guide lists a bollard that can run on either 24V or 240V, an in-ground light rated IP65, and an adjustable height spike light, also IP65.
Where a listing gives a voltage input, it states 240V mains. That means a licensed electrician installs the light, and the wiring is part of the plan. The mains fittings here suit the walls and ceilings of the house, and the garden layer can be planned separately.
Brightness, beam and colour
A retailer advises comparing brightness and beam spread, not wattage alone. Lumens measure the light given out, and an LED guide gives a reference point: about 800 lumens matches an old 60W bulb. The beam angle decides where that light lands. Narrow beams suit focused lighting such as spotlights and a wall feature, and wide beams suit general lighting of an area. For outdoor atmosphere, the layering guide recommends warm light of about 3000K, which gives a softer, more inviting feel in entertaining and garden areas.
The same LED guide lists mistakes to avoid: choosing by watts instead of lumens, ignoring colour temperature, mixing colour temperatures in one space, using a non-dimmable globe on a dimmer, and setting everything to maximum brightness. All of these apply outdoors.
Materials and finishes outdoors
Outdoor fittings come in a wider range of materials than most people expect. A retailer's outdoor guide lists aluminium, concrete, antique brass with white glass, natural clay, natural ceramic, and stainless steel with acrylic. It offers an aluminium range for seaside conditions and a concrete wall light that suits a pool or garden. Another retailer's filters list glass, metal, ceramic, wood, plastic, stone and rattan as materials and show IP ratings from IP03 to IP67, which shows how wide the choice is and why the specification matters.
For the weather, the material and the rating come first, and the coastal rule above applies to whatever metal you choose. Finish is a second decision after both, and the finishes in this range are listed above.
Entertaining areas, balconies and pendants
Alfresco areas and balconies are where outdoor lighting becomes part of the room. A retailer's guide suggests pendants for balconies, decks, patios and gazebos, typically over an outdoor dining table, and portable lamps for patios and balconies, some plug-in and some battery-powered. A manufacturer guide suggests wall lights for entertaining areas, because they spread a soft light across the wall, with warm 3000K light for atmosphere.
The practical points are the same as for any outdoor light. Check that the fitting is rated for the exposure, and that a pendant suits a covered position. Hang wall lights at the heights above, and use the ceiling versions where the cover allows. For more ideas on ceilings, see ceiling lights.
Planning before you buy
Plan the layers first and the fittings second. Walk the places people go after dark: the drive, the door, the steps, the path and the seating area. Note which are under cover and which are exposed. Choose the supply for each, mains for the house walls and low voltage or solar for the garden. Then choose the rating from the exposure, check the material against the distance from the sea, and ask a licensed electrician to confirm the rating and the position. Lighting retailers offer the same advice: they recommend a certified electrician, and a check of the voltage, the IP rating and the materials in the specification before you buy.
Installing outdoor lights
A hardwired outdoor light needs a licensed electrician in Australia. The Eglo listings state class I high voltage with earth required, and some fittings on this page are listed as class II double insulated, which is a different electrical protection. The listing says which. Plug-in and low voltage garden lights are a different category and are not what this page holds.
Before the electrician arrives, decide the position, check the rating against the exposure, and check the globe line. The box for the wall and ceiling lights holds the light, its globe or globes, and installation instructions. Settle the wiring path and the switch position before the light arrives, since a switch or a sensor is easier to place when the walls are open.
A short way to choose
Start with the place and the exposure. Pick the IP rating from how much weather reaches the light, and add a coastal material if you live near the sea. Choose the direction of the light, then the size against the door or the wall. Read the globe line to see what is included, and the dimmable line if you plan to dim. Match the finish to the exterior, and let a licensed electrician confirm the position and the rating.
For more outdoor choices, see exterior wall lights, or the wider lighting collection and wall lights. For the Telbix range, see Telbix lighting.
