Winter comes early, the dark arrives by dinner time, and suddenly the front steps feel like a stunt course. Here is the good news: you can light a path, a patio and a front door beautifully in an afternoon, and you can run all of it from your phone.
Quick picks: which Smart & Green light for which spot?
| Product | Best for | Key spec |
|---|---|---|
| Tower cordless LED column | Lining a path or driveway | 5 heights, 7 in to 42 in |
| Rumba cordless LED planter lamp | Flanking the front door | Up to 43 in tall planter |
| Ball and Globe cordless LED spheres | Lawns, steps and patios | 4 sizes, 14 to 32 in |
| Lantern waterproof, shock-resistant LED lantern | Hanging by the back door | Shock resistant, hook-on |
| Amande Corde cordless LED lamp | Terrace tables, indoors too | 11 in and 15.6 in |
| Bass illuminated coffee table lamp | Fire-pit corner table | 24 or 32 in square |
| Vessel cordless LED light with retractable wooden handle | Carrying in and out | Retractable wooden handle |
| Zen stacked-stone floating LED lamp | Garden beds, pool edge | Floats, IP 68 |
Why choose cordless, waterproof lighting for winter?
Hardwired exterior lighting means trenches, conduit and an electrician. Cordless lights skip all of it. Each lamp has a built-in rechargeable LED light engine, so you charge it, pair it and put it where you want it. If you rent, you take it with you when you move. If you own, you can reposition it for the holidays and again for spring.
Honesty note: our product data states a weather rating and run times, but it does not give a cold-weather battery figure. In freezing temperatures it is sensible to charge during the day and bring lights indoors on the coldest nights.
What does an IP 68 rating mean?
An IP rating comes from the international standard IEC 60529. The first digit is protection against dust and the second is protection against water, and 8 is the highest water rating, meant for lasting immersion. In our product data most lamps in the range list a weather rating of IP 68 for indoor and outdoor use, and the 20 in Globe, Flatball (in the sizes made for it) and Zen are described as floating, which is a fun bonus for a pool or a pond. Hokare is the exception, with a lower IP 44 rating, so we left it out of this guide.
Which lights are shock resistant?
Lantern is listed as unbreakable, watertight and shock resistant, and Pearl is also listed as shock resistant, which makes them the sensible picks for kids, dogs and busy back doors. We state shock resistance only where our product data does, so we would not promise it for the others.
How do I control them from my phone?
Smart & Green lamps use the SmartMesh app over Bluetooth Mesh. In the app you can choose from 160,000 colours or 7 preset colours, pick one of 3 brightness levels and link several lamps so that a whole line of towers or a row of planters changes together. For winter that means warm white for a quiet evening, deep red and green for the holidays, and a single tap to dim everything.
Who is Smart & Green?
Smart & Green is a French lighting brand built around cordless, rechargeable light. In the brand's 2025 catalog, General Manager Peter Wildhorn says the idea is that light should be nomad. Our listings describe every piece as designed in France, and the range is built around a simple idea: a lamp should go where the people are, from the dinner table to the terrace to the pool and back inside.
How do I light the entry, the path and the patio?
- Front door and entry: two Rumba or Tango planters, one on each side of the door, with Rock by the steps.
- Path or driveway: Tower in matching heights, evenly spaced. As a rule of thumb, about 4 to 6 feet apart gives a continuous glow.
- Patio and fire pit: Ball spheres in two or three sizes, Bass as a glowing table, Flatball at the edges.
- Back door and gate: Lantern on a hook, with Pearl on a ledge.
- Holiday table: Fresh as a glowing ice bucket and Olio with a single stem.
All the Smart & Green lights worth knowing
Amande Corde cordless LED lamp
Key specs: Amande Corde S is 11 in and Amande Corde L is 15.6 in; cordless, rechargeable, made for tables, terraces and the pool; 90 lumens (S). IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A soft, egg-shaped glow you can carry from the dinner table to the terrace. It is the one we would put out first, because it looks as good lit as it does switched off.
Ball and Globe cordless LED spheres
Key specs: Four sizes: Ball 14 in, Globe 20 in, Globe L 26 in, Globe XL 32 in; 120 lumens (Globe, Globe XL); IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge; the 20 in Globe floats.
Group two or three sizes on the lawn or beside the front steps and you have landscape lighting with no trenching, no wiring and no electrician.
Bass illuminated coffee table lamp
Key specs: Bass S 24 x 24 x 18 in and Bass 32 x 32 x 20 in; Plexiglass tray; 120 lumens (Bass); IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A low table that glows. Put drinks on the tray and it becomes the centre of the patio fire-pit corner.
Cube cordless LED light
Key specs: Cube 14 in and Big Cube 17 in; 120 lumens; IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A glowing cube works as a stool-height accent, a plant stand or a side table, indoors in winter or out on the terrace.
Dew droplet cordless LED lamp
Key specs: 12 in droplet-shaped lamp, 120 lumens; IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A droplet shape reads as sculpture on a doorstep or a console even in daylight.
Dice small cordless LED light
Key specs: Dice S 6 in and Dice 10 in; softly rounded cube; 90 lumens; IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
Small enough to line a step or tuck into planting, and bright enough to read as a cluster.
Flatball cordless LED light
Key specs: Flatball XXS 7 in, Flatball 14 in, Flatball L 20 in, Flatball XL 26 in; flattened sphere that sits steady on a patio or floor; floats in the sizes made for it; IP 68 weather rating.
The steady, low profile makes it perfect for a paved patio or a pool edge where a taller light might tip.
Fresh glowing ice bucket
Key specs: Fresh 14 x 11 in and So Fresh 17 x 14 in; holds bottles and ice; 90 lumens; IP 68 weather rating.
A party piece and a light in one, for winter gatherings on the terrace or the holiday bar cart.
Lantern waterproof, shock-resistant LED lantern
Key specs: Cordless, rechargeable, unbreakable, watertight, hook-on and magnetised; listed as waterproof and shock resistant; IP 68 weather rating; 90 lumens; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
Our one to hang from a hook by the back door or clip to a metal gate. The shock resistance is right there in the listing.
Olio flower-recess cordless LED lamp
Key specs: Small cordless, rechargeable LED lamp with a recess that holds a single flower; 90 lumens; IP 68 weather rating.
Add one stem and you have a table centrepiece that survives the weather.
Pearl small cordless ball lamp
Key specs: The smallest ball lamp in the range; listed as waterproof, cordless, rechargeable and shock resistant; Bluetooth control.
Pearl is the little glowing ornament for window ledges, plant shelves or the garden table. It is listed as shock resistant.
Point and Egg cordless LED table lamps
Key specs: Point 4.5 x 5.5 in and Egg 6.3 x 8.3 in; 90 lumens (Point); IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A tidy pair for a bistro table or the side of a hot tub.
Rock cordless LED light
Key specs: Stone 10 in, Rock 12 in and Rocky 20 in; 120 lumens (Rock, Rocky); IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A pebble that glows. Place it by the steps for a soft, organic landing light.
Rumba cordless LED planter lamp
Key specs: Rumba 14 x 20 in, Rumba L 16 x 32 in, Rumba XL 18 x 43 in; garden pot that glows in any colour; 120 lumens (Rumba L); IP 68 weather rating.
A planter you can glow from the app. Flank the front door with two for a welcome that is both lit and landscaped.
Tango cordless LED planter lamp
Key specs: Tango 14 x 20 in, Tango L 16 x 30 in, Tango XL 18 x 43 in; garden pot that glows in any colour; 120 lumens (Tango); IP 68 weather rating.
Slightly narrower, so it tucks into tighter entries and balconies.
Tower cordless LED column
Key specs: Five heights: XXS 7 in, XS 11 in, S 14 in, Tower 28 in, Tower L 42 in; 90 lumens (XXS) to 120 lumens (Tower); IP 68 weather rating.
Line them along a gravel path and you have wayfinding that looks like a gallery installation.
Vessel cordless LED light with retractable wooden handle
Key specs: Vessel 2S, Vessel 2 and Vessel; retractable wooden handle follows you from room to terrace; 120 lumens (Vessel 2S, Vessel 2); IP 68 weather rating.
The handle is the trick: carry it indoors at night and back out in the morning.
Zen stacked-stone floating LED lamp
Key specs: Made for interiors, terraces and the pool, and it floats; 120 lumens; IP 68 weather rating; 6 to 8 hours per charge.
A stack of glowing stones for the garden bed or a quiet corner indoors.
Why it's worth the investment
Outdoor lighting usually means a one-season string of lights that fades by spring. These are different: each lamp is a design object you can use indoors and out, all year, and every one runs from the same app. A weather rating of IP 68, a rechargeable battery and no cable make them honest, practical and good-looking, and because they are cordless you reuse them for the holidays, the summer party and the next apartment.
You can build your set one piece at a time. Start with a pair of planters or a few towers by the entry, then add a Ball sphere and a table for the patio.
Frequently asked questions
Are Smart & Green lights really waterproof?
Most Smart & Green lamps in our range carry a weather rating of IP 68 in our product data, and our listings describe them as made to stay out in rain and splashes. Lantern and Pearl are also listed as shock resistant.
How do I control Smart & Green lights from my phone?
The lamps use the Smart & Green SmartMesh app over Bluetooth Mesh. In the app you can pick from 160,000 colours or 7 presets, choose from 3 brightness levels and link several lamps to set them together.
How long do the batteries last?
Our listings state 6 to 8 hours of light per charge for most models. They recharge with the matching BULB or BULBLITE charger, which is a separate accessory.
Can I use them indoors as well as outdoors?
Yes. Many listings say indoor and outdoor, and Ball, for example, can be brought inside as a floor light. Because they are cordless there is no cable to hide.
Do I need an electrician to install them?
No. They are cordless and rechargeable, so there is nothing to wire. Charge, pair with the app and place.
Related reading
Love cordless light? See are cordless lamps worth it, lighting a rental without an electrician and lighting a bedroom with no overhead light.
Next step
Browse the full Smart and Green collection or all cordless and rechargeable lamps, or ask our team for a plan at design help. Sources named in plain text: Smart & Green product data and the IEC 60529 IP rating standard.