Outdoor Post Lights & Exterior Post Lanterns
Showing 0 of 0 products
No products found
Use fewer filters or clear all
Post lights don't lean on anything. No wall, no eave, nothing to hold them up but a pole set into the ground. That's really the whole point of them. Where a wall fixture runs out of wall, a post light just keeps going, down a driveway, along a path, out to wherever the light needs to be.
The Anatomy of an Outdoor Post Light
Three parts, really.
The post: Usually three to eight feet tall. You'll see aluminum, steel, fiberglass, even wood, but aluminum wins most of the time because it doesn't rust and it's not heavy to install.
The base: Set into concrete, or bolted onto a surface plate if you're not pouring anything new. Depends on the job.
The lantern head: This is the light itself, sitting on top. Everything about the fixture's personality lives up there.
What to Actually Think About Before You Buy
Height first. Six to eight feet is the sweet spot for a driveway or an entry path, tall enough to do its job, not so tall that it looks out of place.
Then proportion. Bigger post, bigger head, generally. A good rule: the lantern should take up roughly a quarter to a third of the pole underneath it. Go smaller, and it looks lost up there.
Spacing matters more than people expect. Every 8 to 10 feet along a walk or drive keeps things evenly lit, no dark gaps, no blown-out hot spots.
Wired or solar? Wired is just more dependable, full stop. Solar sounds appealing until a cloudy week hits, or winter shows up and the days get short, and suddenly your path lights aren't pulling their weight.
Most post lights ship photocell-ready now, so they switch on at dusk without you touching anything.
And go LED. It's not really a debate anymore; these things run for hours every night. For a driveway or entrance, aim for 800 to 1,100 lumens. Garden paths need a lot less; 400 to 600 is plenty. Keep the color temperature around 2700K to 3000K near entryways; it reads warmer and more welcoming than a cooler white.
| Application | Lumens | Color Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Driveways and entrances | 800–1,100 lm | 2700K–3000K |
| Garden paths | 400–600 lm | 2700K–3000K |
Popular Styles
Classic and Modern
Some of these lean traditional, seeded glass, a bit of texture, that old-world feel. Others go sharp and clean, with more modern lines. Finish does a lot of the talking here: Soft Copper warms things up; Aged Iron gives it grit and age.
Gas-Style Post Lights
There's something about the flicker of a flame that electricity just can't fully copy, which is why these stay popular. Built in copper or brass, made to take years of weather without falling apart.
Tiered Lantern Lights
Low to the ground, stacked shades, almost pagoda-shaped. These aren't trying to make a statement at your front gate; they're for guiding feet along a garden path without flooding the whole yard in light.
Making Post Lights Match the Rest of Your Exterior
They don't need to match exactly. Honestly, trying too hard to match everything can look a little stiff. What matters more is the finish, the glass, the general silhouette: does it feel like it belongs with your wall lanterns and the rest of your outdoor fixtures? That's the real test.
Take a look at our full outdoor post lights collection, or browse the broader outdoor lighting collection if you're still figuring out the whole exterior, not just the post lights.