Meribel 3.5W IP54 Post Light 20cm Long - Graphite

Solar power and an integrated LED do the work here, which keeps the whole thing self contained. The head gives a soft warm white at 3000K, enough to pick out a path edge or the line of a step without dazzling anyone coming up to the door. A touch switch on the body handles both switching and dimming, and there is a sensor as well, so it can be left to get on with things. Output is a modest 3.5W, and the footprint a neat 20cm square.

We like these along a garden path, at the top and bottom of steps, or grouped across a patio where a taller lantern would look top heavy. They sit well on the flat top of a low wall, a gatepost or a pillar too, marking a boundary once the light goes. The graphite reads as a shadow by day and settles back into planting, which suits a garden you would rather look at than flood with light. It is made to cope outdoors with rain and windblown dust.

The graphite finish carries evenly over the body, matt rather than shiny, so it does not catch the sun awkwardly on a bright afternoon. Care comes down to the top surface: give it a wipe with a damp cloth every few weeks, since leaves, pollen and a film of dust will slow the charge faster than anything else, then dry it off. It carries a three year warranty. The wider Meribel range keeps the same graphite across wall lights and a taller pedestal, one of them solar as well, so a path and a doorway can be dressed to match.

How bright is it?

It produces around 300 lumens from a 3.5W integrated LED, aimed as a pool of light rather than broad area lighting. Think path edges, steps and boundaries rather than lighting a whole lawn.

Can the brightness be adjusted?

Yes. The touch switch on the body both turns the light on and dims it, so you can drop the level down for a quiet evening outside. No separate dimmer is needed.

What colour is the light?

Warm white at 3000K, with a slight tolerance either side. It is a soft, yellow-leaning light that flatters brickwork, timber decking and green planting.

How big is it?

The base measures 200mm by 200mm and it stands 245mm tall, weighing a little over 2kg. That is small enough to sit on a pillar top or a wall without crowding it.

Do I need to buy a lamp for it?

No, the LED is built in and the driver comes with it. The unit is rated for roughly 30,000 hours of use.

Will it survive a British winter outside?

It is protected against dust and splashing water from any direction, so rain and damp are no problem. Clear snow or heavy leaf fall off the top so it can keep charging.