Are the cheap multi-packs on Amazon worth it, or should I spend more?

Verified-purchase reviewers and specialist subreddit users converge on the same trade-off: $3-4-per-light packs work fine for one to two seasons; $8-12-per-light sets with glass tops and replaceable batteries are the ones that last multiple years. If you want a true buy-it-for-life solution, neither tier of Amazon pathway lights is what specialist communities recommend.