The best solar water features in 2024
Eco-friendly, appealing and affordable, enjoy our pick of solar water features for your garden.
A water feature is a wonderful addition to the garden, bringing life, movement and relaxing sounds into your space and a solar water feature has the added benefits of being cable free, needing no outside power source plus they're better for the environment than their mains-powered counterparts, using clean energy that won't cost - or harm - the earth.
Solar power is one of the greenest sources of energy available, transforming light from the sun into electricity. It’s also much cheaper than other powered water features - not only are solar powered water features free-standing and need no electrical installation but solar power is free. A solar water feature won’t add to your electricity bills, simply put it in a sunny part of the garden and enjoy it for years, without additional cost.
Solar water features are also safer than an electric unit and you don't need any technical know-how to set one up. And once it's up and running they just need a regular clean. Solar pumps can last between two and four years, dependent on the amount of care it gets as well as how much sun and the material it's made of. And although solar water features will run through the winter, if only for a shorter amount of time, most people choose to store them in a shed or garage away from the worst of the winter weather to help increase their lifespan.
Moving water features are helpful for you and your neighbours, too. As well as their relaxing sound, the constant water movement means mosquitoes won't breed in it, reducing the chance of you getting bitten on warm summer nights.
Looking for other solar garden features? Have a look at our review of the best solar lights. And for more watering reviews, check out our tests of the best hoses, the best spray guns and our guide to water butts.
For summer decor ideas to put the finishing touch to your garden, see our guides to the best parasols, and best garden deck chairs.
Chatsworth Water Feature
Available from Amazon (£117.99), Crocus (£194.99)
For stately gardens, try this elegant water feature. Water trickles from the upper spout into a wide basin that will makes an excellent bird bath as well as a serene water feature.
Price: £194.99
Buy the Chatsworth Water Feature from Crocus
Smart Solar Pagoda Garden Fountain
Available from Amazon (£116.99), B&Q (£134.92)
A pagoda-inspired feature, this polyresin garden fountain is great for Japanese or East Asian style spaces. It has a calming bubble and its wide basin allows birds to also use it as a bath.
Price: £134.92
Buy the Smart Solar Pagoda Garden Fountain from B&Q
Budding Dahlia Solar Bird Bath
Available from Amazon (£167.98)
Give birds a place to drink and wash with this bird bath solar water feature. Not only can you enjoy the gentle trickle and soft lighting of this water feature, but birds can too. What’s more, the constant motion of the water means it doesn’t need replacing, keeping birds clean and hygienic.
Price: £167.98
Buy Budding Dahlia Solar Bird Bath at Amazon
Garden Mile Ceramic Royal Blue Solar Powered Garden Water Feature
Available from OnBuy (£79.99) and Amazon (£85.99)
This ceramic water feature with its cascading fountain is an Amazon bestseller. Bringing both colour and soothing sound, we think it’s best suited to smaller gardens or balconies.
Price: £85.99
Solar Water Fountain 4-in-1 Nozzle
Available from Amazon (£12.50)
This clever floating solar pump can turn any pool of standing water into a fountain. Simply place it in sunlit water and it will spray a gentle jet upwards. It has four different modes, so you can choose the display. A quick, easy solar powered water feature for those on a budget.
Price: £12.50
Solar Ceramic Terracotta Water Fountain Feature
Available from Amazon (£109.99)
This striking feature offers a bold splash of colour but still evokes tranquillity with its gentle bubble and flow of water. A simple way of introducing colour to paved or decked social areas.
Price: £129.95
Blumfeldt Ocean Planet Solar Fountain
Available from Amazon (£139.99), B&Q (£169.99)
This understated water feature is perfect for small gardens and patios and would look great combined with a container display or in a herb garden. What’s more, this feature has four LEDs and can operate for up to 8 hours at night, for gentle evening lighting.
Price: £169.99
Buy Blumfeldt Ocean Planet Solar Fountain at B&Q
Tipping Pail Water Feature
Available from Amazon (£116.99), OnBuy (£117.90), ManoMano (£132.99)
More traditional gardeners may appreciate this decorative water feature. It's more ornamental than many of the features on our list, with statues of two children collecting water from a pump.
Price: £199.99
Buy the Tipping Pail Water Feature from Crocus
Fairy Clam Shell Solar Water Feature
Available from Amazon (£82.98), B&Q (£82.99) and Debenhams (£82.99)
For woodland or fantasy gardens, try this fairy feature. Great for quiet corners, or adding a touch of magic to the bottom of the garden.
Price: £207.98
Buy the Fairy Clam Shell Solar Water Feature from Amazon
Stainless steel sphere water feature
Available from Primrose (£179.99)
With a bright metallic body, this stainless steel water feature would suit gardens looking to emphasise a modern aesthetic. Measuring 75cm wide and 50cm tall, the sphere is large enough to be the centrepiece of the garden. This solar water feature is also very easy to install, and just needs filling with water and the panel placing in direct sunlight.
Price: £399.99
Buy the Stainless steel sphere water feature from Crocus
This Product Guide was last updated in March 2024. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.
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