The Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights of 2023

If the goal is to light up a large area, such as a home's entry, the Ring Smart has plenty of intensity—plus, it features the latest innovative technology. The light comes with a Ring Bridge, a wireless hub that allows the lights to connect and communicate with other Ring devices, such as doorbells and security cameras.

This model requires hard wiring, so we installed it under a roof eave where we already had a wired exterior light. The light came with all the tools, screws, and wire nuts needed for connecting it as well as excellent step-by-step instructions. If new wiring needs to be run, however, it's probably a job for an electrician.

We downloaded the Ring app on our smartphone and followed the steps to connect the Ring light to our Wi-Fi network via the included Ring Bridge. It connected quickly, and once it was synched, we were able to turn the light on and off using our smartphone or Alexa voice commands—a handy option for someone who wants to operate the light remotely.

The Ring has a powerful motion detection range—we couldn't get any closer than 55 feet without triggering the light. The illumination range was quite large, lighting up the ground for about 65 feet. It features two flood lights that can be adjusted to focus the beams in any direction within a 180-degree radius. Using the app, we adjusted light duration from 30 seconds to up to 5 minutes after we exited the detection range.

This is one of the brighter, more powerful lights we tested—a result of being hardwired—but its primary benefit is the ability to control it remotely by voice commands or from a smartphone.

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Get the Ring outdoor motion sensor light at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Ring.