Collection: MAXSA

Picking the right MAXSA light

MAXSA's range splits by the job the light is doing, and the three jobs want quite different fixtures.

Security: motion-activated spotlights

Dual-head motion spotlights sit high, cover a driveway or side approach, and stay dark until something moves. Sudden bright light is a more effective deterrent than constant light, and keeping the fixture dark most of the night is what lets a solar battery carry it through to morning. Aim the heads to cover the approach rather than straight down, and set the sensor so passing traffic does not trigger it all night.

Definition: post cap and fence lights

Post cap lights mark the edges of a deck, fence line or driveway. The job here is showing where things are, not illuminating them, so modest output is correct — and it is what allows these to run dusk to dawn every night.

Safety: deck and step lights

Step and deck lights wash a tread or a level change with low light so nobody misjudges it in the dark. Mount them to graze across the surface rather than pointing at eye level, which lights the hazard without dazzling.

The one thing that decides success

Sun on the panel. A solar fixture needs several hours of direct, unobstructed sun, and the winter sun sits far lower than the summer one — a position that is clear in June can be shaded by a roofline or a fence in December. Check the intended spot at the time of day and year that matters, and clean the panel occasionally; dust and pollen cut charging more than most people expect.

What to expect in winter

Shorter days and colder batteries both reduce runtime, so a fixture that lasts until dawn in summer may fade earlier in midwinter. Motion-activated models cope with this far better than always-on ones, because they spend most of the night drawing nothing.