11 The Best Outdoor Pendant Lights of All Kinds 2025

On nights when a full moon or crackling fire aren’t enough to create a flattering nighttime glow, the best outdoor pendant lights can offer an appreciated assist in creating an ambient setting. Weather-resistant light fixtures haven’t always lived up to the verve we’ve come to expect in the interiors of our homes, but times are changing, as designer-beloved lighting specialists such as Lulu & Georgia and Serna & Lily are extending their capacities—and stylish silhouettes—to the outdoors.

Whether you’re planning a front porch with midcentury-modern charm, old-world elegance, or contemporary cool, there are several outdoor hanging lights to choose from. Our picks include bohemian woven lamps to modern metal lights, craftmade antiqued lanterns and industrial-chic pendants. From here, all that’s left to pick out are the light bulbs.

Our Top Picks for the Best Outdoor Pendant Lights

Bring your love of modern farmhouse decor outdoors with this weather-friendly interpretation of a classic lantern. The metal shade’s champagne-colored underside is an unexpectedly playful colorblocking moment that lends an element of surprise to anyone gathering underneath it.

Give your outdoor dining area some bohemian ambience with this hand-woven rattan pendant that has a modern, rounded shape. Play matchy-matchy with some coordinating wicker furniture, also in a darker color palette.

Pottery Barn’s antique bronze Sloan pendant will blend in seamlessly with anymid-century modern theme you’ve curated for both your indoor and outdoor space. We envision pairing its subtle brass finish with a sculptural fire bowl, as well as a few chairs to round out an outdoor conversation pit.

This mixed-material light leans coastal with an industrial edge. Play up the black metal detail with a matching aluminum-framed outdoor sofa or swing the other direction and opt for a more clean, neutral palette to complement the seaside vibe.

The scalloped edges on this rattan design add a touch of whimsy to your space. It’s a great size to create a more diffused lighting situation with multiple pendants and even available in a sconce, should you be looking to create an outdoor wall light installation.

This Hinkley design is rustic without feeling dated. Suspend it near your doorway so you’ll never have to fumble with your keys in the dark again or even use it to create a makeshift post light for your walkway.

This retro, industrial-style pendant will be a delightful dose of color to your patio or pergola. Opt for matte black for a modern farmhouse look, or get cheeky with a glossy green.

The classic globe silhouette—but make it weather-friendly wicker. That was the thinking behind Serena & Lily’s Pacifica Outdoor Pendant, a design statement whether suspended on its own or in a set. (We love Serena & Lily’s own styling against a white rattan dining set.)

Bamboo textures make for an intriguing and stylistically versatile light fixture frame—and we especially love that this outdoor chandelier subtly shimmers in a champagne finish. Though the product is UL-approved for a covered outdoor setting, it’s also chic in a dining room or living room, and can be installed on a sloped ceiling.

Ralph Lauren Home’s bronze Ollie Lantern with LED illumination takes its hurricane lamp inspiration beyond just its clear glass shade design, emitting a soft candlelight-like glow.

Select from a copper or galvanized silver reflector in this cast brass pendant, which comes with a wire guard-covered shade (available in frosted or clear glass) that is handblown in Original BTC’s Oxfordshire factory.

Where To Put An Outdoor Pendant Light

Much like indoor pendant lighting, the outdoor varieties are at their best when considered in dialogue with their surroundings. “Depending on the space it is used in, I really like to use pendants as an exciting statement piece in a room, almost as though you are looking at a unique piece of art or sculpture,” designer Amy Lau previously told AD of her selection process indoors, adding that they work well in groupings that feel in conversation with one another. The same goes for outdoor ceiling lights placed at the entryway, on the front porch, or in a gazebo or cabana: Selecting your lighting based on the architecture helps make for a more cohesive setting.