Hinkley

For more than a century, Hinkley has been designing lighting that brings warmth and character to the home. Still family-owned, this American brand is known for considered design, quality materials and finishes made to last, from heritage brass and polished nickel to textured black.

Our Hinkley range spans statement chandeliers, pendants, wall sconces, picture lights, flush mounts and exterior lanterns. Many of the outdoor pieces are coastal-rated for New Zealand's seaside conditions. Whether you're building, renovating or refreshing a single room, Hinkley offers timeless designs that work across classic and contemporary homes.

Need help choosing sizes or finishes? Our team is happy to help you plan your lighting.

Why buy genuine Hinkley?
Hinkley
A kitchen with a pair of brass Hinkley globe pendants above a marble island

The Hinkley story

A family business from Cleveland, Ohio, since 1922

Phil R. Hinkley started making outdoor lanterns in Cleveland in 1922, and the company became known for its solid copper fixtures. In 1937 Stanley Wiedemer, a travelling salesman from Kansas City, took over. His family still runs Hinkley today, now in its fourth generation.

Hinkley designs its own collections. Its product team travels to shows such as Euroluce in Milan for ideas, and the company is still based in Ohio, in Avon Lake, just west of Cleveland.

  • Designed in-houseCollections are developed by Hinkley's own product designers in Ohio.
  • Built for the coastCoastal Elements outdoor lights use a weather-resistant composite that Hinkley says resists rust, corrosion and fading.
  • Backed by HinkleyHinkley's warranty covers lights bought through authorised distributors. We're an authorised New Zealand stockist.
  1. 1922Phil R. Hinkley founds the company in Cleveland, making outdoor lanterns.
  2. 1937Stanley Wiedemer becomes sole owner. His family still runs Hinkley.
  3. 1987Hinkley Landscape Lighting launches.
  4. 2009A new head office and distribution centre opens in Avon Lake, Ohio.
  5. 2015Jess Wiedemer becomes President.
  6. 2022Hinkley turns 100 and launches its Lark brand.
Hinkley's Cleveland factory, from the company archive
Hinkley's Cleveland factory, from the company archive
Metal presses on the Cleveland factory floor
Metal presses on the Cleveland factory floor
A Phil R. Hinkley Co. catalogue from the 1940s
A Phil R. Hinkley Co. catalogue from the 1940s

Photography courtesy of Hinkley

Why buy genuine Hinkley

In a listing photo, a lookalike can pass for the real thing

What the photo doesn't show is who designed it, whether it suits New Zealand's power supply, and who stands behind it.

GenuineRepublic Small Exterior Wall Lantern by Hinkley

Republic Small Exterior Wall Lantern

Hinkley · Coastal Elements · from $587

  • Designed byHinkley, Ohio
  • Sold in NZ byStorey Collection
  • PowerConverted for NZ's 230 V supply
  • PaperworkSupplier Declaration of Conformity
  • WarrantyHinkley's, via an authorised stockist
  • RecallsWe can contact you if it's recalled
LookalikeIllustration

Lookalike lantern

Bought from an overseas website

  • Designed bySometimes not stated
  • Sold in NZ byNo New Zealand supplier
  • PowerCheck it's rated for 230 V
  • PaperworkNo NZ importer's declaration
  • WarrantyHarder to enforce overseas
  • RecallsNot on NZ's recalls website

Sources for this comparison4, 5, 6, 7

What happens when someone checks

Share of lighting products that met key compliance requirements, by where they were sold

  • Specialist lighting suppliers and major lighting retailers80–100%
  • eBay12%
  • Amazon8%
  • AliExpress0%
  • Temu0%

131 lighting products sold to Australian consumers, checked March–April 2026 by Lighting Council Australia, an industry body. 61% came from suppliers with no registration to sell electrical equipment in Australia.1

Your electrician will ask for the paperwork

New Zealand's Electrical Workers Registration Board advises electricians to be prepared to say no to fittings a client supplies, and not to install them without a valid Supplier Declaration of Conformity. Ours come with one, and your electrician can rely on it.2, 3

  1. Lighting Council Australia, Online Marketplace Compliance Exercise, 3 June 2026
  2. Electrical Workers Registration Board, Electron issue 104
  3. EWRB, Why are SDoCs important?
  4. WorkSafe NZ, medium-risk product list: lighting (SDoC required)
  5. WorkSafe NZ, core requirements (230 V rating)
  6. Consumer Protection (MBIE), know your rights when shopping online
  7. Product Safety NZ, product recalls information

About the brand

Hinkley Lighting in New Zealand

Every Hinkley fitting we sell is factory-converted to meet AU/NZ electrical safety standards, with Supplier Declarations of Compliance available. Most take a standard E27 bulb. Candle-style designs usually take the smaller US E12 candle bulb, which an E14 bulb won't fit. Each product page lists the bulb it takes, and we stock E12 LED bulbs.

Hinkley's outdoor range includes its Coastal Elements collection, designed for homes exposed to salt air and harsh sun. See our coastal-rated outdoor lights.