CBS News
The best outdoor smart lights for 2024 can turn night into day
Amazon/Govee
Raise your hand if you’re ever stumbled over a rock or tree root in your backyard at night. Now raise your hand if you did anything about it. You should have added some outdoor lighting to your space then. But now’s a great time too, especially since spring is here and you’ll spending more time outside. So go, frolic in your backyard — but do it safely this year with the best smart lights for outdoors.
You can outfit your backyard and patio right now with helpful, great-looking lights that’ll make your patio a nighttime paradise. Even if you haven’t dabbled in smart home technology, now’s the perfect time to grab some and get to work.
But which smart light is best for you? What’s ultimately going to make your yard easier to navigate if you have to take the dog out for a midnight bathroom break? We’ve done all the hard work for you. Shop our top picks for the best outdoor lights in 2024 below.
The best outdoor smart lights in 2024
Philips Hue Lily White & Color outdoor spot light base kit: $320 (6% off)
Amazon
Versatility, efficiency and smart-home compatibility make this Philips Hue base kit one of the best outdoor lighting options for most situations.
You get three spotlights with 16 million color options and dimmable white light, so you can create the ideal atmosphere for any occasion.
The base kit is compatible with smart-home systems such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant, which lets you add voice control seamlessly into your smart home setup.
In addition to bright lighting even on the darkest night, this light boasts reduced energy consumption, making it an eco-friendly and cost-effective option.
Feit Electric PAR38 smart light bulb: $16 (34% off)
Amazon
Don’t need any bells and whistles, just a simple smart light to use outside as you please? This budget-priced light is just the thing.
It’s a floodlight that you can get for less than $20, but it outperforms even more expensive competitors when it comes to overall brightness. It doesn’t require a smart hub to set up, and offers a variety of settings to choose from, including scene control, fun lighting effects, and additional colors to choose from beside white.
If all you need is a reliable, bright light that can come on when someone passes by or at a certain hour of the day, this bulb is your best bet. Plus, it’s affordable enough to get a few, so you can completely illuminate your yard if need be.
Plus, this bulb is discounted right now during the Amazon Big Spring Sale. You can get it for just $16, or 34% off.
Philips Hue Smart outdoor light strip: $92 (29% off)
Amazon
The Philips Hue Smart outdoor light strip is a great choice for adaptable and customizable outdoor lighting. Because of its flexibility, you can shape and cut the strip to fit any outdoor space.
You get a 7-foot strip to work with here, so you’ll need to buy multiple if that isn’t enough length. Each LED is capable of 16 million colors and adjustable white light, allowing you to create the perfect ambiance for any occasion. It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant, and supports voice commands.
Overall, it’s the best strip light option you can find. Philips Hue can help you turn a drab outdoor space into a fun and inviting one.
Govee Outdoor string lights: $65 (20% off + $15 off coupon)
Amazon
Who doesn’t like hanging lights – especially those with cost- and energy-efficient LED bulbs?
Govee outdoor string lights offer warm white light, multiple colors and dynamic effects, so you can customize your outdoor lighting situation for parties, hangout sessions and more formal occasions, too.
The lights’ Bluetooth app lets you change modes, brightness and set timers from your smartphone. They also boast an IP65 waterproof rating, which means they can withstand various weather conditions.
Right now, these string lights are on sale for $65, thanks to Amazon’s 20% off sale and an additional $15 off coupon. Don’t forget to clip the coupon to get the biggest discount possible here.
Govee Outdoor flood lights: $75 ($25 off coupon)
Amazon
These fun floodlights are quirky little square-shaped lighting options with a wide range of color temperatures (2700-6500K) and RGB color options.
Designed for seamless integration with smart-home systems, these floodlights are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant — they can be controlled with your phone or your voice.
With a few taps, the dedicated Govee app lets you set schedules, adjust brightness and change colors. The flood lights come with an IP66 waterproof rating so they work in rain, sleet and snow.
You can get a set of these flood lights for just $75, thanks to an on-page $25 coupon. Be sure to clip it when checking out.
Govee Outdoor ground lights: $60
Amazon
The Govee outdoor ground lights are great for giving your outdoor spaces a splash of fun and color.
They’re a top choice to spruce up your garden or backyard, especially if you like funky hues. They’re designed to withstand a variety of weather conditions and have an IP65 waterproof rating, so they’re good to go even in the elements.
Whether you want to highlight particular areas or set the mood for outdoor get-togethers, these multi-color LED lights have your back, especially with their included app, which lets you set timers and schedules.
While the lights aren’t currently on sale, keep an eye out – Govee lights are often discounted or see coupons available often.
Ring Solar Pathlight: $30
Amazon
The Ring Solar Pathlight is an eco-friendly solution for lighting up those darker areas around your yard.
Its solar-powered design harvests sunlight during the day so you have plenty of power at night for all your outdoor get-togethers. This light also features an integrated motion sensor, which detects movement and automatically turns on the light to help you find your way.
You can hook this light up to the Ring Bridge as well and manage it through the Ring app, making it easy to fit in your Ring ecosystem if you already have the brand’s other products.
Ring products often go on sale at Amazon, so keep checking back for potential discounts going on during the Amazon Big Spring Sale, which is happening now through March 25.
How to choose the best outdoor light
Setting up outdoor lighting can be difficult, but it’s well worth it. See where you’re going in your yard at night, set the mood for parties, or just create a great-looking space. Like most smart lights, they can be controlled via a variety of methods, including an app, remote control or vocal commands.
You should consider how you would want to control your new smart lights. Would you prefer an app or voice-based control with support for smart home assistants, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit?
A voice-activated outdoor light enables you to adjust your outdoor illumination by speaking. It connects to a digital device that “listens” to commands, such as a speaker. When an order is received, an audio sample is sent to a remote server to “understand” the request. The instructions are then transmitted back to the smart device to execute the command. Using Google Assistant on a device such as a Google Home, for example, you could say, “Hey Google, turn on the porch light,” or something similar. Typically, these lamps are linked via Bluetooth, a smart light switch, or a smart hub.
You must also consider whether your outdoor lighting design requires a smart plug or a hub. Some outdoor lighting is Bluetooth-enabled and can be controlled directly. Others, however, may require a hub for complete functionality, such as scheduling, dimming options, and color adjustments.
The rest of the setup is really up to you. Popular lighting additions include security floodlights, path lights to illuminate your yard and general mood lighting. You can be creative as you want. It’s your space, after all.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Long before comic book characters dominated movie screens, actor Christopher Reeve made the world believes in superheroes with the 1978 classic “Superman.”
Reeve died in 2004, nearly a decade after an accident re-shaped his life. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is using interviews with family and friends and never-before-seen home videos to explore his real-life heroism.
Reeve started his career on the stage, studying at the prestigious Juilliard School and living with comedian Robin Williams. The pair had a friendship that was “more like a brotherhood,” said Reeve’s son Matthew. Reeve was in awe of Williams’ energy and versatility, Matthew Reeve said, but audiences quickly clued into Reeve’s own star power when he took on the role of the Man of Steel.
Warner Bros. Pictures / Getty Images
To his children, though, he “was just dad,” Matthew Reeve said. The documentary explores how Matthew Reeve and his sister Alexandra Reeve Givens grew up watching their dad take the stage as Superman. “Super/Man” also reveals their heartbreak over their parents’ breakup and the joy they found when Reeve re-married. He tied the knot with Dana Reeve in 1992, and the pair welcomed another child, William Reeve, later that year.
“Dana was sunshine,” Alexandra Reeve Givens recalled. “She just brought joy with her wherever she was and could find it even in the darkest moments.”
Those dark moments came suddenly, when in 1995, a near-fatal horseback riding accident left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down. The documentary allows viewers to see, for the first time, what went on out of the public’s view. Reeve can be heard talking about how he “ruined (his) life and everybody else’s,” but in a touching moment, old friend Robin Williams is seen visiting him in the hospital.
“Robin showed him ‘Hey, you’re still you,'” Alexandra Reeve Givens said. “‘You still have this foundation of friendship and people around you, who adore you. And you’re going to find those fun moments in life again.'”
That support from friends and family re-ignited Reeve’s legacy of activism. He made appearances at the Democratic National Convention and the 68th Academy Awards in 1996, about a year after the accident. Matthew Reeve said watching his father address his industry peers at the Oscars was “one of (his) most proud moments.”
“It was just a production for him to get out of bed every morning, let alone get across the country and go out in public for the first time,” Matthew Reeve said. “It was a big deal. It was a big deal to him, but it was also a big deal to the entire disability community. We stayed up in London till like three in the morning to watch that live. It’s a fond memory.”
Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images
Reeve also went on to launch what would become the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing research into spiral cord injury and help individuals and families impacted by paralysis. It was his dad’s mission to find a cure, Matthew Reeve said, while his stepmother wanted to focus on improving the lives of paralyzed people and their families. The foundation and Reeve’s platform helped bring unprecedented attention and funding to spinal cord injury research.
Reeve even kept acting and realized his lifelong dream of directing with the 1997 HBO movie “In the Gloaming.” Reeve died in 2004 from heart failure at 52.
“There is a huge amount of great actors and actresses out there, where their filmography might be amazing and what they achieve on a cultural level might be amazing, but have they actually achieved anything really as a human that moves the needle for our society?” said filmmaker Ian Bonhote, who made the documentary with Peter Ettedgui. “And Chris has done both things.”
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” will open in theaters on Friday, Oct. 11.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
