Designer tip
Quick picks: which Smart & Green lamp for which project?
| Project | Best lamps | Key spec (from our product data) |
|---|---|---|
| Garden border or lawn | Ball, Flatball, Rock | Spheres and pebbles from 14 to 26 in, IP 68 |
| Pool deck or water edge | Dew, Cube, Pearl | IP 68; Pearl is shock resistant |
| Cafe terrace or shopfront step | Tower, Hokare Tub, Lantern | Tower up to 42 in; Hokare IP 44; Lantern shock resistant |
| Path and steps | Rock, Point, Tower | Low, glowing marks along the route |
New here? Start with our winter patio, path and front door guide, then come back for the project plans below. Prefer to browse everything at once? Open the full Smart & Green collection.
Why do cordless lamps solve the winter lighting problem?
Winter takes the evening away. By late afternoon the garden is a black rectangle and the shopfront step is a trip hazard. Traditional landscape lighting means trenches, transformers and an electrician, none of which anyone wants to organise in December or when the ground is hard.
Smart & Green, a French brand, took a different route: a sealed, rechargeable LED lamp in an organic shape that you simply put down. Most models are listed at IP 68, which in the product data is described as waterproof. Two of them, Lantern and Pearl, are also listed as shock resistant. Each lamp is listed at 6 to 8 hours per charge (Pearl is listed at 10), and the charger is a separate accessory in the collection, so plan for it.
The result is lighting that behaves like furniture. You place it, you move it, you bring it indoors for a party and carry it back out. It is the cheapest way we know to make a winter terrace feel inhabited.
How do I light a garden in winter?
Think in pools of light, not floodlights. Group three spheres of different sizes (Ball comes in 14, 20 and 26 in) near a border, then repeat the group once further along. Flatball and Rock add a lower, softer note on lawns and gravel. Use a warm white or an amber preset most nights and keep the colours for the holidays.
How do I light a pool deck or water edge?
Dew, Cube and Pearl are shown on pool edges throughout our product photos. A calm rule of thumb: keep the brightest lamp away from the water line so it does not glare in the surface, and let two or three smaller lamps carry the shape of the deck. Always check the individual page for the IP rating and read the care notes before leaving a lamp in water.
How do I light a cafe terrace or shopfront step?
Tower is the project lamp: it runs from a table-top Tower XXS up to a 42 in Tower L that stands like a light sculpture, and a row of them marks a frontage clearly. Hokare Tub (single or pack of 6) and Lantern suit tables and canopies; Lantern is unbreakable, watertight, hook-on and magnetised. These are decorative accents. For legally required exit or safety lighting, follow your local code and use fixed fixtures.
How do I light a path and steps safely?
Low, repeated points of light read as a route. As a rule of thumb many lighting designers space path lights roughly every 6 to 8 feet, then tighten that near steps. Rock (Stone, Rock and Rocky sizes), Point and Tower give you three heights to play with. Keep every step edge visible, and avoid lamps where people will walk through them.
How does the phone app control a whole project?
The lamps use Smart & Green’s SmartMesh app over Bluetooth Mesh. Per our product data you can choose from 160,000 colours, 7 presets and 3 brightness levels, and one listing mentions grouping lamps and scheduling on and off. Our data gives no range figure, so test the layout before you commit. For a step-by-step setup, read the phone-control walkthrough. Planning for the holidays? the holiday entryway guide has the entryway version.
Which Smart & Green lamps should I choose? All 18 picks
Why is it worth the investment?
A good outdoor lamp is judged on three things: will it survive the weather, will it be used, and will it still make you smile in a year. These lamps are sealed and IP 68 on most models, they are designed in France with sculptural shapes that look good unlit, and they move with you, so one purchase works on the terrace in December, at the pool in June and in the living room for a party. Buy for the project you have now and add pieces next season; the app grows with you. It is a decision you can make with confidence. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your layout, our design team will gladly help.
Frequently asked questions
Can I light a garden or shopfront without an electrician?
Yes. Smart & Green lamps are cordless and rechargeable, so you place them and charge them. They are decorative accents; for required safety or exit lighting follow local code.
Are Smart & Green lamps waterproof?
Most models are listed at IP 68 on our product pages. Hokare is IP 44 (splash resistant) and the Gota pot lamp has no IP rating in our data, so check each page.
How long does a charge last?
Our listings state 6 to 8 hours per charge for most lamps, and Pearl is listed at 10 hours. The charger is sold separately in the collection.
Which lamps are shock resistant?
In our product data, Lantern and Pearl are listed as shock resistant.
How do I control several lamps from my phone?
Through the SmartMesh app over Bluetooth Mesh: colours, presets and brightness, and one listing mentions grouping and scheduling. Our data does not give a range, so test your layout first.
Ready for a plan? Browse the Smart & Green collection or ask our team at Design Help. You may also like our designer cordless table lamp guide.