You spend tons of time on your lawn. It’s beautifully landscaped with the perfect flowers for our tastes. You love entertaining in your yard, and why not? It’s a little slice of paradise. There’s just one thing missing – decorations.
Metal lawn ornaments are the perfect finishing accessory to a beautiful garden. Whether you want to add some birds to a pond, some color to your trees, or some illumination through your paths for the evening, this guide highlights some of the best options!
After that, we detail all the different features to look for and consider when buying your lawn ornaments.
Looking for a bit more to complete your garden’s look? Take a peek at our reviews of the best umbrellas and statues for your outdoor space.
Best Lawn Ornaments
We took a look at a ton of different yard ornaments. We have evaluated them for quality and to determine whether or not they will function in a variety of climates. These reviews detail the best features and weaknesses of each ornament so you can shop with confidence knowing you’ve got the full picture.
Kircust Outdoor Crane Statues and Sculpture
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
What’s great about this outdoor crane statue:
- Textured metal and hand-painted finish offers lifelike bird replica
- Multiple poses for bowing or stretching bird
- Larger feet and optional U-shaped stake make for a stable base
- Finished with weather-resistant paints for longer life span
- Easy to assemble
- Includes 1-year warranty and 30-day free return policy
What’s not so great about this outdoor crane statue:
- Annual polyurethane coating recommended for protection against the elements
- May rust if exposed to water for prolonged periods of time, so not ideal for rainy or snowy climates
- Not as affordable as other decorations
Youkood 18 Inch White Swan Garden Decor
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5
What’s great about this white swan statue:
- Very affordable yard ornament
- Steel and iron statue with rust-proof hand-painted finish
- Will not deteriorate in extremely rainy climates and will not fade with exposure to the sun
- Very detailed ornament of standing swan about to take flight
What’s not so great about this white swan statue:
- Weighs less than 2 pounds, so may not stay standing in windy climates
- Comes in 2 sections so you need to put it together and it is obviously not all 1 piece once assembled
- Awkward proportions in the head and beak compared to rest of body
Heron Sculpture Metal Yard Art Decorative Lawn Ornament Crane Pair
Overall Rating: 4.7 out of 5
What’s great about this heron sculpture metal yard art:
- Price includes 2 statues, so you get a pair of herons!
- Handcrafted 3D sculpture
- Includes 2-yard stakes for stability
- Each statue weighs 4 pounds so they are capable of standing in windy situations
What’s not so great about this heron sculpture metal yard art:
- Metal rusts quickly because it’s made of tin and not iron
- Not as sturdily constructed as similar options
Treasure Gurus LLC Metal Duck Garden Statue
Overall Rating: 3.9 out of 5
What’s great about this metal duck garden figurine:
- Extremely affordable garden ornament suitable for decorating ponds or yards
- Quacking duck is posed facing the sky
- Weighs 3 pounds so it is sturdier than other options
- 100% customer satisfaction guarantee
- Durable cast iron statue
What’s not so great about this metal duck garden figurine:
- Very simplistic monochromatic design isn’t as aesthetically pleasing, detailed, or colorful as other options
- Only 9.5 inches tall, so not as noticeable as other options
Take Me Metal Owl LED Decorative Garden Solar Powered Stake Lights
Overall Rating: 4.9 out of 5
What’s great about these metal owl solar powered stake lights:
- Very affordable garden decorations
- Solar-powered: collect sunlight to charge batteries during the day and automatically turns on at dusk for 8 hours of evening illumination
- Adorable multicolored design with metal and glass owl
- Stakes are micro-LED lights with weather-resistant metal for year-round use
- Eco-friendly lights: no power cord, no electricity bill, and no energy consumption required.
- Durable: waterproof, corrosion-resistant, and works in the rain
What’s not so great about these metal owl solar powered stake lights:
- Some assembly required
- Need direct sunlight for 6 to 8 hours to fully charge
- Can get expensive if you want more than 1 of them
- Batteries required and can corrode in rainy environments
Youki Metal Peacock Yard Ornaments – Set of 2
Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5
What’s great about this set of metal peacock yard ornaments:
- Price includes 2 peacock statues
- Tall statues stand nearly 32 inches!
- High-temperature paint is very vibrant and treated with rust-proof coating for outdoor use
- Stable enough to be freestanding, so no need to insert into the soil or fix with a stake – just put it anywhere you like!
- Leg height can be adjusted and tail can be removed for completely customizable specifications!
- 100% satisfaction guarantee with a 6-month warranty, 30-day money-back guarantee, and 24-hour online customer service
What’s not so great about this set of metal peacock yard ornaments:
- The tail looks sparse and metallic for a peacock
- The color scheme only has blue and yellow for the body and tail feathers – not as vibrant as true peacock designs and patterns
- Nothing to secure it to the ground in windy climates
Aslion Metal Weather Vane with Rooster Ornament
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
What’s great about this rooster weather vane:
- Traditional country yard ornament – rooster with a weather vane
- Very colorful and whimsical
- Useful for determining which direction the wind is blowing
- Crafted from caged metal for lifelong use and durability
- Includes garden stake for easy installation
What’s not so great about this rooster weather vane:
- 68 inches is not a small installation
- A relatively new product so there isn’t much information available regarding durability and customer satisfaction
Eonmo 8 Foot Weather Resistant Yard Garden Windmill
Overall Rating: 3.6 out of 5
What’s great about this weather-resistant garden windmill:
- Stands 8 feet tall so you can clearly see it
- Made of durable steel with a sturdy 4 leg design to keep it in place
- Can determine wind speed and direction
- Roller bearings keep the wheel turning quietly and smoothly in the wind
- Weather-resistant for all-season use
What’s not so great about this weather-resistant garden windmill:
- Some assembly required
- Strictly wind-powered – can’t make the wheel turn with batteries or electricity
Smarty Gadgets Steel Red Ant Figurine with Solar Powered LED Lights for Yard
Overall Rating: 4.1 out of 5
What’s great about this solar-powered steel red ant figurine:
- Adds a pop of bright color to any garden
- Easy to use – no wires or electricity thanks to solar-powered lighting
- Highly portable design can be placed barely anywhere by adjusting wire legs and spring neck
- UV resistant high-quality paint won’t fade in sunlight or rush and corrode in rain
- Eco-friendly – powered with 100% renewable energy and make from 95% recyclable materials
- Very affordable decoration
- Lights automatically activate at dusk thanks to sensor
What’s not so great about this solar-powered steel red ant figurine:
- Designed to look like an ant
- Requires 5 to 8 hours of direct sunlight to provide power – can’t be placed in the shade
- Very lightweight – may not be ideal in windy climates
Topadorn Floral Garden Stake Outdoor Glow in the Dark Metal Flower for Lawn
Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5
What’s great about this glow in the dark metal flower stick:
- Very affordable yard decoration
- Steel stake and heavy glass ball never needs replacing: corrosion-resistant, weatherproof, and crack and chip resistant
- Works in any season or climate – including rain, wind, sunshine, and snow
- Glows in the dark to illuminate your garden without needing any electricity or direct sunlight to work
- 1-year warranty with customer service and free tech support
- Spring on back of flower means it will start to nod in the wind
What’s not so great about this glow in the dark metal flower stick:
- Only 12 inches tall
- Many people have mentioned that the glow is very dim and not very noticeable
Buying Guide for Lawn Ornaments:
Now that you’ve seen some great options, here are some of the features to consider when you buy your metal lawn ornaments.
Quantity
Most metal lawn ornaments are sold individually. Some of them are sold as pairs, and a small few are sold with several stakes. As a general rule of thumb, the more that are included in your purchase, the smaller they are or the more they cost.
If you have a large yard, you may want to consider more than one lawn ornament so that all of your lawn is decorated. If you have paths, you should consider whether you want several solar-powered LED lights along the path rather than a single stake with 1 dimmer light.
Aesthetic
Obviously, you need to consider your personal tastes. Are your ornaments purely decoration, or do you want them to serve a purpose? Windmills and weather vanes are frequently used as metal lawn ornaments because they serve a functional purpose as well as an artistic one.
If you go for strictly aesthetic value, you should determine how large you want them to be. Are you looking for giant, bulky, wide ornaments or do you want them to be small and cute? Do you want a rustic metal color, a realistic paint job, or bright and vibrant colors?
Are you interested in birds, other forms of animals, or just purely decorative and ornamental geometric shapes and patterns? Determine your personal preference for color, size, and style of ornamentation to narrow down your selection.
Climate
You also need to consider your climate. If you live in a very windy area, then you will need to purchase sturdy and heavy metal lawn ornaments. If you don’t, then you need the type of ornament that comes with a stake to keep it attached to the ground and standing when the winds blow through and whisk away anything too light to withstand the power.
If you live in a very rainy climate that is overcast most of the time, you won’t want to buy solar-powered illumination ornaments for your garden because most of them need 5 to 9 hours of direct sunlight in order to power the batteries that operate the LED lighting system.
Rainy climates will also need to take care to purchase weatherproof materials. For example, if you don’t buy products with an anti-corrosive finish, then you may end up with metal lawn ornaments that get rusted and corroded at the first sign of moisture. These would just end up being a waste of money.
On the other hand, sunny climates need to consider the possibility of lawn ornaments that have a UV protective coating on them. This will prevent the vibrant colors of your lawn ornament from fading due to exposure to too much sunlight. These climates are also great options for the LED lights because they will get enough sunlight to power the LEDs at night and the warmer climate means you will be able to entertain outdoors at dusk when the sun has set.
Material
The material is an important element. It will tie together your aesthetic tastes with the needs of your climate conditions. A lot of different metals can be used in lawn decorations.
Cast iron is very popular. This metal is extremely sturdy and durable. It is significantly heavier than any other type of metal that lawn ornaments are made from, which a lot of people like. It does tend to be darker than other materials, so the colors won’t always be as vibrant.
Tin is another common yard metal. It tends to rust more quickly than cast iron, so the paint is often coated with anti-corrosion powders. A coat of polyurethane each year will help preserve its lifespan. These lawn ornaments typically come in much brighter and more vibrant colors.
A lot of metal lawn ornaments have become very eco-friendly. They use recycled metals and scrap metals to fashion unique pieces of art. A lot of these become flowers and owls, and many of them are designs that have hollow centers or wrapped pieces and glass added to let the light filter through in fun ways.