Outdoor Wall Lanterns

How to choose outdoor wall lanterns

Start with the glass, because it decides how the lantern looks once it is lit. Clear glass shows the bulb from every side, so a filament bulb becomes part of the design and the output should stay modest. Seeded, ribbed or water pattern glass breaks up the source and throws a softer sparkle. Frosted or white glass hides the bulb completely and turns the lantern into an even block of light, which suits a fixture at eye level beside a path.

Then match the frame to the house. A pointed roof, a finial and a scrolled arm belong on brick, stucco and older facades. A flat cap and straight bars read as transitional and sit well on siding and render. A box lantern with a slim frame and a ribbed or frosted body is the modern version and looks at home on concrete and dark cladding. Check the rating line on each product page against the exposure of the wall before you decide on a finish.

Size and mounting height for outdoor wall lanterns

These are the figures most US installers use on a standard 80 inch front door.

A flanking pair: each lantern about a quarter of the door height, so roughly 20 inches.
A single lantern: about a third of the door height, on the handle side.
Mounting height: center the lantern 66 to 72 inches above the threshold.
Gate pillars: set the lantern near the top so the light falls on the gate and the path.
Garage doors: one lantern on each side, or one per bay on a double garage.

Lanterns tend to look large in the box and right on the wall. If you are between two sizes on a main entry, the larger one is usually the safer choice.

Which power route for which wall

Power	Best in	What it does	Price here
Hardwired, screw base lamp	A front door, a garage wall	You pick the lamp, so you pick the tone	$139 to $269
Hardwired, integrated LED	A sealed facade, a coastal wall	Sealed body, no socket to let water in	$150 to $380
Wired or solar, chosen at order	A porch, a shed wall	Same body either way, cable or panel	$169 to $379
Solar only	A fence, a wall with no circuit	Charges by day and turns itself on at dusk	$300 to $720
Switch on the body	A side entry, a workshop door	Switched at the fixture, not from indoors	$280

Outdoor lantern ratings and fittings

IP65: IP65 means the body is sealed against dust and holds up to a jet of water from any direction. Most lanterns here carry it, which is the rating to look for on a wall that takes rain straight off a roof edge.
IP20: IP20 means protected against fingers but not against water. A few fixtures in this group carry it, and those belong under a deep porch or a covered walkway where rain never lands on the glass.
Back plate: The back plate is the flat part that meets the wall and hides the cable hole. Several lanterns here mount through it with screws into the siding, so the plate has to be wide enough to cover the box already in the wall.
E26 socket: E26 is the standard screw socket in the United States and the one most lanterns here use. Since you pick the lamp, the same lantern can run warm and low at a front door or bright and cool over a side gate.
Dimmable upon request: A few lanterns here are built to dim only when ordered that way. Outdoors it matters less than indoors, but a dimmed lantern beside a bedroom window stops the light reading through the curtain all night.

Questions about outdoor wall lanterns

Which bulb suits a lantern with clear glass?

A clear filament bulb at 2700K gives the warm glow people expect from a lantern and looks deliberate through the glass. Keep the output low, since every side of the lantern shows the source.

Can a lantern go on an uncovered wall?

Many can. Read the rating line on each product page. A covered porch and an open garden wall are different conditions, and the specification tells you which one each lantern is made for.

Black or a metallic finish?

Black gives the sharpest outline against pale brick, siding and render. Gold and antique bronze tones warm up stone and white walls and bring out carved or scrolled detail. Match the finish to the door hardware or the window frames so the entry reads as one design.

You may also want Outdoor Wall Lights, Black Outdoor Wall Lights, Solar Outdoor Wall Lights and Entryway Wall Sconces. This page is part of Wall Lamps.

What are those outdoor lights called?

The names describe the mount, not the style. A wall lantern or wall sconce fixes to a wall, usually beside a door or a garage. A post light sits on top of a post or a pillar, and a post cap light is the smaller version that caps a fence post. A bollard is a short column standing on the ground, used along a path or a drive. A path light is a low stake fixture that throws light downward onto the surface. And a flood or spot light is aimed, used for trees and facades rather than for walking.

How much does an outdoor wall lantern cost on this page?

Between $139 and $320 across 19 fixtures here. The median lands at $169 and nine in ten come in under $300. This is a narrow range, which follows from a consistent size and construction across the page. Shipping is free.

What rating do these lanterns carry?

IP65 appears across this range, which means sealed against dust and against water from any direction. That is what an exposed wall needs, including one facing wind driven rain with no porch above it. A fixture rated only IP44 is splash resistant and belongs under a roof. The rating is on the product page rather than implied by the glass or the finish, and it is the specification to check first for anything going outside.

Buying guide reviewed October 2026 by the OroDwell editorial team.