Solar lights · Our pick
Which solar lights work without direct sunlight?
Buy the APILAB shed light if your spot is in shade. Its panel comes with two cables, 16.4 ft and 9.8 ft, so the panel can sit in the sun while the light stays under cover.1 No maker gives a charge time for shade.1–4
Our picks
Best when the light is under cover
APILAB solar shed light, 2000 lumens, pull string
It comes with two panel cables, 16.4 ft and 9.8 ft, and a stated 6000 mAh battery, so the panel can sit in the sun while the light is in a shed or on a covered porch.1
Watch for: The listing says charging is for direct sun, 6 to 8 hours. It also says the battery box is not waterproof, so keep it dry.
$29.99 on Amazon
Says 'light in shade, panel in sun'
ONLYWIN 170-LED solar flood light with 16.5 ft cable
Its listing tells you to put the light under a shaded roof or eave and the panel in direct sun, on a 16.5 ft cable.3
Watch for: The listing gives the battery as '1500' with no unit, so we cannot say if that is mAh.
$20.99 on Amazon
Two-pack with remote panels
SUPERDANNY 2-pack solar flood lights, 16 ft cable
Two lights with panels on 16.4 ft cables, built to go on a roof, wall or eave.2
$29.99 on AmazonEvery solar light we checked for shade
Rows marked "Panel on a cable" have a panel that can sit in the sun while the light is in shade. We read each listing for panel, cable and charge time, because the title never says where the panel goes.
| Product | Panel away from the light | Panel cable | Charge time | Backup charging | Battery | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APILAB solar shed light, 2000 lumens, pull string1 | Panel on a cable | 16.4 ft + 9.8 ft | 6-8 h of direct sun | None stated | 6000 mAh | $29.99 |
| ONLYWIN 170-LED solar flood light with 16.5 ft cable3 | Panel on a cable | 16.5 ft | 4 h | None stated | 1500 (unit not given) | $20.99 |
| SUPERDANNY 2-pack solar flood lights, 16 ft cable2 | Panel on a cable | 16.4 ft | 4-5 h of sun | None stated | Not published | $29.99 |
 Skoiuc 100 ft solar + USB-C string lights5 | Not stated | Not published | Not published | USB-C | Not published | $29.99 |
 Tuffenough 2-pack solar flood lights, 2500 lumens4 | Not stated | Not published | 2-3 days in sun after cloud | None stated | 1800 mAh | $24.67 |
 REOLINK Solar Floodlight Cam (2-pack)6 | Panel on the light | Not published | 1 h of sun a day (claim) | Not published | Not published | $169.97 |
 DenicMic 10-pack solar path lights7 | Panel on the light | None (panel on each lamp) | 6-8 h | None stated | 250 mAh, replaceable AAA | $22.99 |
Prices on Amazon, November 2, 2026.8
Listings that need sun on the light itself
Skoiuc 100 ft solar + USB-C string lights
It is a string light, not a flood or path light.5
REOLINK Solar Floodlight Cam (2-pack)
A camera light, not a plain solar light. Its maker says the panel is built in.6
Tuffenough 2-pack solar flood lights, 2500 lumens
The listing says to switch the light OFF on cloudy and rainy days and charge it facing the sun for 2 to 3 days. It names no shade option.4
DenicMic 10-pack solar path lights
The panel is built into each lamp head and the listing offers no cable option.7
Do solar lights work in the shade?
They charge slowly or not enough when the panel sits on the light in shade, and no maker gives a shade charge time. Most charge times on these listings are for direct sun, from 4 to 8 hours.1–3, 7 The DenicMic path light says to install it anywhere that gets sunlight.7
The fix is a separate panel on a cable. Put the panel where the sun lands and the light where you need it.
Do solar lights charge on cloudy days?
No maker gives a charge time for cloud. The Tuffenough listing tells you to switch the light OFF on cloudy and rainy days, then charge it facing the sun for 2 to 3 days.4 Of these lights, only Reolink states a low-sun number, 1 hour of sun a day, and it is a camera light.6
How long a cable do you need?
APILAB comes with two cables, 16.4 ft and 9.8 ft.1 ONLYWIN has 16.5 ft and SUPERDANNY has 16.4 ft.2, 3 ONLYWIN's listing says to mount the light under a shaded roof or eave and put the panel in direct sun.3
Measure from where the light will hang to where the sun lands, and pick a cable at least that long.
Can you charge a solar light with USB?
Only one listing here says so. Skoiuc has solar charging plus a USB-C backup for cloudy, rainy or low-light days.5 It is a string light, not a flood or path light. No flood light in this check states a USB backup.
Questions people ask
Which solar light is best for a shady spot?
The APILAB shed light. Its panel comes with two cables, 16.4 ft and 9.8 ft, and its battery is listed at 6000 mAh.1
How much sun does a solar light need?
The makers say 4 to 8 hours of direct sun for a full charge.1–3 Reolink says 1 hour a day, but it is a camera light.6
Does any maker say how long a solar light takes to charge in shade?
No maker gives a charge time for shade. Tuffenough says 2 to 3 days of sun after cloud, and Reolink says 1 hour of sun a day.4, 6
Which solar lights have a separate panel?
Of the lights we checked, only APILAB, ONLYWIN and SUPERDANNY say so, with cables of 16.4 ft plus 9.8 ft, 16.5 ft and 16.4 ft.1–3
Sources
- APILAB's Amazon listing, read November 1, 2026.
- SUPERDANNY's Amazon listing, read November 1, 2026.
- ONLYWIN's Amazon listing, read November 1, 2026.
- Tuffenough's Amazon listing, read November 1, 2026.
- Skoiuc's Amazon listing, read November 1, 2026.
- Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam product page, read November 1, 2026. Quote: “No subscription required for local storage ... The built-in solar panel already provides reliable power in various lighting conditions.”
- DenicMic's Amazon listing, read November 1, 2026.
- Prices and photos: Amazon product data, read November 2, 2026.