10 Best Pool Lights In 2018

Whether you just want to increase the level of safety around your pool, make the space look beautiful or if you’re just simply having a pool party then getting great pool lights can be essential.

Finding the best pool light is tough though as there are many different types with all different types of specifications. Thankfully here we have created a buying guide and looked through the pool light reviews to come up with a great list so you can find the top rated underwater pool light.

So read on, look at the facts then you’ll be able to find the best under water pool light to make your pool area look better than it ever has done.

How To Choose A Pool Light – Buying Guide

Installation and Maintenance

Installation of your pool lights can entirely depends on what solution you have decided to go ahead with. If you’re looking for a permanent solution whereby you always have lights available, than installation will be required to adapt your existing pool. Permanent pool lights require a housing where power will be connected.

Naturally there are other solutions available such as the ball lights where you can temporarily light up your pool for as long as the lights remain charged. This gives the added benefit of not requiring installation but obviously means that your pool isn’t lit up at all times and you either have to recharge regularly or replace a lot of batteries.

Maintenance of your pool lights is fairly easy due to how often you’ll have to change a bub. All the bulbs we have looked at here are LED and perhaps their greatest quality is their lifespan with most bulbs lasting over 10 years. Their higher price is offset by this lifespan meaning maintenance is very low for a long time. Even when they do need replacing, you’d be able to easily remove your housing an replace the bulb if you had them installed.

Longevity

Whether it’s a bulb in your car, in your home or by your pool one of the key features that matter more than most is how long they are going to last. You can see a figure on the side of a box of “65,000 hours” and not really know how that relates to real life and you don’t want to have to get your calculator out and try to figure out how long it’s going to last you.

To put that into perspective then, if you have a bulb that lasts for 65,000 hours and you use your pool lights three times a week for two hours at a time, then those pool lights will last you for 208 years. If you happened to be forgetful and kept your pool lights on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week then even then they’d last 7 years.

Simply put, the best LED pool light lasts for a very long time and it’s very possible that they’ll never need replacing once they are installed in your pool, especially if they’re not used constantly. Fiber optic lights generally last for about half as long as LED pool lights and if you’re using traditional incandescent bulbs, then you’ll have 10 times less efficient than LED.

Brightness and Visual Effects

When it comes to pool lights brightness is obviously one of the most important aspects when you come to buy a pool light. The brightness you will want depends on what you want to achieve, if you want to light up the entirety of your pool then you’ll be looking for a permanent LED solution that will be installed into your pool. That is the only way that you’ll be able to brightly light up your pool unless you had a large outside light.

There are other innovative solutions which will shine the area around your pool such as ball lights which would be able to go into the pool as well. These will be a great option to light up the area with great visual effects and keep you safe around the pool.

If longevity is the best feature of LED lights, then their visual effects potential is another great feature. These LED lights are able to shine in a variety of different colors which can be great for setting a mood or simply putting on a show. All these lights have some level of different colors options, with some having more colors than others. There are also the options of having a light show which can be a great additional feature if you’re having a party.

Safety

When it comes to electrics and the water when people are naturally wary when it comes to safety, these pool lights here though are extremely safe. Any pool light that isn’t mains connected would never pose a risk and installed lights are done so to the highest levels of safety and have backup features set in place to protect against anything bad happening.

Modern bulbs don’t ‘blow’ like they used to in the past, and even if they did, they aren’t free-standing so there would never be any danger involved. Incandescent lights have never been safer, but if you’re looking for the best floating pool lights than you’d want to be getting either fiber optic or LED pool lights, and these offer another level when it comes to light safety so this is an area that you don’t have to worry about.

Halogen

Incandescent light bulbs have come a long way since they were mass produced by Thomas Edison in the late 19th century, and they have never been safer and have never lasted for as long either. As with technology in all walks of life though, things move on and halogen lights can’t compete now with the other options available.

If you want bright outdoor pool lights that shine down on your pool then there’d be no problem with these being halogen lights. Halogen, of course, still holds a major advantage over its rivals and that’s the fact that it’s still so much cheaper than the competition. In all other areas though, halogen simply can’t compete. It doesn’t have the life expectancy or the range of color options that either an LED or fiber optic light has so therefore they aren’t the best choice when it comes to pool lights.

LED

When it comes to pool lights, LED holds an advantage over its rivals due to its distinct advantages. As stated previously, perhaps its best one is that long life span which means that you possibly won’t ever have to replace it. LED is the number one choice when it comes to pool lights for a number of reasons beyond this, they are also easy to maintain, have brilliant brightness and visual effects and are very safe too.

Fiber Optic

Fiber optic is a choice that is going to leave you with bright and beautiful pool lights and in many ways it can compete well with the more popular LED lights. There are a few major areas though where they have a disadvantage with the biggest one being cost. LED lights aren’t cheap but fiber optic lights can be around twice as expensive. They just don’t have enough advantages in other areas to overcome this negative.

Where they do beat LED is with maintenance as a fiber optic bulbs will be stored out of the water as their light is transmitted to cables down into the pool. They can also be great for mood lighting, but lack the brightness that LED can offer. Also, even though they last for a lot longer than halogen bulbs, they still can’t come close to the lifespan of an LED light.

FAQs

Q: Why Should I Buy A Pool Light?

A: There are probably three main considerations when it comes to buying the best swimming pool lights. Firstly is an issue of safety. Being by the water is dangerous enough even when the conditions are good, but being by an unlit pool is just an accident waiting to happen. Having it lit up at night will allow for much more safety and stop anything bad drop happening. Of course as well it will allow you to see if there is anything in the pool and whether it needs to be cleaned.

Secondly, underwater pool lights will simply make it look better and you will enjoy your swim all that more if it is fully lit up. There is something beautiful and serene about a pool being lit up at night and you’ll be able to go for a relaxing swim where you are able to see everything below you. The likes of LED underwater pool lights as well can change the colors on of the pool and give it different moods at different times.

Thirdly, having pool lights are great for parties. If you have a pool in your yard for example it is probably the focus of the space and therefore people naturally gravitate around it. Having pool lights will give that visual aspect to your pool that colored pool lights bring, even if nobody is actually using it. There is also the added bonus of being able to have a light show as the likes of LED and fiber optic lights can shine in a variety of different colors.

The fact is that if you want to use your pool after the sun goes down, then you’ll need to buy some pool lights or at least an outdoor light that will shine down onto it. There are not many people who’d enjoy swimming in the dark and pool lights will keep you safe and your pool looking great as well.

Q: What Types Of Pool Lights Are There?

A: In terms of a bulb, there are three options currently available to you of incandescent halogen, LED pool light, above ground pool light, in ground pool lights, and fiber pool light. Naturally all of them will work in terms of lighting up your pool, and the best choice for you might come down to a few areas including budget.

A halogen pool light is the cheapest by far, but has major drawbacks. If you’re looking for a bulb for your home then the majority of people’s first choice is going to be halogen as it’s cheap, bright enough, produces a white light and if they are in your home then they are easy to replace.

Taking that into a pool situation though and those last three features lose their appeal when you’re outdoors. Halogen lights aren’t as bright as LED lights can be, LED and fiber optic lights can produce a vast range of colors and they both last for a lot longer which is important as lights in a pool are much more difficult to replace than in the home

As we’ve said, LED is the clear all-around winner. If you don’t have the budget though, then you can opt for halogen. If you’re richer and want the ease of use for fiber optics as well as the great mood lighting, then that could be your number one choice.

In terms of options, you can elect to either have a permanently installed solution or opt for something more temporary like ball lights. With a permanent solution this will require expert installation which naturally adds a lot to the cost. If you have a permanent inground pool, then this may be the best choice. If you have a temporary over ground then having an option such as the magnetic lights we reviewed her could be the ideal choice.

Q: How Difficult Is It To Install Pool Lights?

A: The answer to this is unfortunately very. Unless you’re an expert tradesman who is great with electrics, then you’re going to have to call in an expert in order to install housings into your pool for the lights. If you already have housings available, then putting in lights won’t be an issue at all. It takes time to replace an LED light in a pool, but it’s not a complex task and can be easily done.

If you’re looking for a more temporary solution, the installation won’t be required and with options such as ball lights it’s simply a case of either replacing batteries or charging them up before they are used. This is obviously the easier and cheaper option, but if you want your pool floor looking beautiful then you’ll be wanting some permanent lights.

Globo Surf Overview

Unless you live near the equator where it always goes dark late, then you’ll probably need the best pool lights. Even so you’ll probably want to host parties and have your pool be as visually stunning as possible. These pool lights will not only make the area safe, but they’ll make it look better than ever as well.

LED pool lights dominate the pool light market and it’s clear to see why as we have discussed today. While they are the clear number one choice for many, halogen and fiber optic lights can be great too so don’t be put off if your heart was set on them, or if you don’t quite have the budget for LED.

Professional installation is simply required if you want new bulbs that are going to light up your pool floor. Having that installation and using LED bulbs will seem like a big price to pay, but it’s an investment that will pay for itself over time. If you’re just simply looking for an easy option because you only use the pool after dark every now and again, then there are plenty of options out there for you as well. You can also check our pool related articles such as pool skimmers, pool pumps, pool filters, pool heaters and pool covers.

Whatever choice you make, hopefully this buying guide has helped you be more informed into making the right choice for your pool. Whether you’re looking into getting some late-night or early morning exercise in peace and quiet, or want to have a memorable part where people talk about your awesome pool, there is plenty of choices out there. These lights will make your pool look stunning, keep you safe and allow you to go for a swim at any time of the day.