Power: For most outdoor lighting, you need to run a cable to a power outlet, so you will want an outdoor socket. If you don’t have an outdoor socket, it’s usually a pretty cheap and quick job for an electrician to install a weatherproof one. If an outdoor socket isn’t possible, consider running a cable indoors, but it can be tricky and messy if you have to drill through a wall. IP Rating: IP stands for Ingress Protection and determines how well a device stands up to water and dust, giving you a clear indication of how weather resistant it is. We have an IP rating explainer that focuses on phones, but all devices, including outdoor lights, use the same IP scale.