This Costco Find Can Upgrade Your Outdoor Lighting

Costco is a great place to pick up all kinds of attractively priced finds, some of which are hidden gems, and some of which are customer favorites. The Koda Outdoor Wall Lantern is a bit of both, since it's currently an online exclusive that in-store customers won't know about, but it's still consistently well reviewed by buyers. At the time of writing, it has amassed more than 2,300 reviews on the retailer's website, with a commendable average rating of 4.7 out of five stars.

It's available in two colorways, black and bronze, and it's an affordable way to upgrade your outdoor lighting since it retails for $59.99. The body of the lantern is built from aluminum, and so it won't rust, and an LED bulb is included so there's no need to buy one separately. However, if you're not a fan of the LED bulb's appearance, you can choose to swap it out for a 60W incandescent bulb, since the lantern is compatible with both bulb types.

A single lantern delivers 800 lumens of illuminating power, and it will switch on and off automatically when its built-in sensor detects darkness and daylight. A motion sensor also enables the lantern to turn on automatically when you walk by. Koda says the included bulb should last up to 25,000 hours before needing replacement. As standard, all of Koda's hardwire lights are covered by a five year warranty, and if you want to return the item to Costco, you can do so at any of the retailer's warehouse locations.

There are some items at Costco that might look appealing at first glance, but reviewers say to steer clear of them. The Koda lantern isn't one of them, with more than 1,900 of its roughly 2,300 total reviews giving it a five-star score. Some reviewers have noted that the bronze finish on the lanterns appears more of a purple-tinted brown in certain lights, but most were still happy with their appearance. Others claim that the finish of the lantern body can make the lanterns appear slightly plasticky at close range, even though they're made of metal.

Many of the negative reviews allege that there can be some quality control issues with the lanterns, with some reviewers reporting a lifespan that was much shorter than advertised for the bulbs or sensors. However, these reviews form only a tiny fraction of the overall feedback from buyers, with most buyers being satisfied with the lights' appearance and functionality. 

Once you've finished upgrading your home's outdoor lighting, it might also be worth investing in a set of security cameras. Costco sells a wide range of cameras, many of which sport reviews that are just as consistently positive as the Koda lanterns.