Product Review - The Best Camping Lanterns

La Redoute Fanosa Indoor Outdoor Lantern with Handle

La Redoute

There’s no reason to scoff your campfire meal in the darkness with this table-top lantern on side. Complete with a cute jute handle, the design is IP44 waterproof, making it great for outdoor use as well as inside. It’s powered by a pair of AA batteries and emits a gentle warm white glow from its LED bulb. There’s also a timer which can be set for six hours.

Pacific Lifestyle Cosiscoop Fire Lantern - Green

Pacific Lifestyle

More for home garden use or your next glamping adventure, this portable fire lantern is the perfect way to create ambience after sundown. It works on a 190g gas cartridge, which will give six hours of burn time, with the glass chamber magnifying the flame to increase the glow.

Hi-Gear Solar Rope Light

Hi-Gear

If you’re fed up of tripping over guy ropes after coming back from the main stage, low and behold - solar power operated rope lights. Tiny LED bulbs sit safely in a clear PVC casing and give eight hours of warm white illumination (choose from on, off and flashing modes) from an all-day charge through the attached solar panel. Wrap them around your tents ropes and tuck the panel by side so it won’t get trampled on. Free pretty lights to enjoy all night long.

Luci Outdoor 2.0 Pro Solar Camping Light

Luci Outdoor

Camping lanterns often fall by the wayside when it comes to packing, mainly because of their bulk. However, no such trouble with this design: it’s inflatable! It folds flat when not in use and offers a soft but bright glow when you need it.

What’s more, not only is the camping lantern lightweight, but it’s solar charged and it can juice up your phone when your battery is low too. Don’t worry, there’s a USB cable power option if the weather doesn’t play ball.

Blukar Camping Light LED

Blukar

Small but mighty, this compact camping lantern packs a lighting punch without the weight, making it perfect for festival use and for kids to handle alike.

Powered by three AA batteries, it lasts for 17 hours straight even on the brightest setting and comes equipped with a magnetic base as well as a hook to allow you to hang it on your kit or attach to the side of your car in case of light night punctures or emergencies.

The palm-sized gadget brings lightness with five high-quality LEDs, offering a strong yet soft light in a 360 beam.

Biolite Sitelight

BioLite

Make your campsite the zen space it should be with the help of Biolite’s set of two disc-lights. The clever sphere shape makes it simple to manage the 10ft of cord easy to transport, and they stick together with magnets. To use, simply connect the Sitelite to a power bank using the 2.5mm jack and enjoy a golden glow well into the evening.

LE Camping Lantern

LE

If you’re after a powerful lantern that can handle pretty much everything the outdoors can throw at it, look no further than this 1000 lumen light which can last 12 hours, even at the highest setting.

Perfect for camping and fishing trips, the IPX4 waterproof design means you don’t have to worry about leaving it out overnight. Use it in the tent to avoid rummaging around in the light of your handset (thereby draining precious battery) or keep it by your side as your pore over the festival map. It comes with a handle which you can use to hook into your tent and has four modes to choose from: daylight, warm white, combined, flashing. You can even adjust the brightness so you’ll never be caught like a deer in headlights. Powered by three D alkaline batteries.

BioLite SunLight100

BioLite

No sun? No problem. Have strong light at your fingertips with this unassuming little square from Biolite, powered by an integrated solar panel. It takes seven hours of sunlight to fully charge but there is also a USB charge for a quicker route which will only take two hours.

It’s perfect for illuminating the inside of the tent and can stay upright thanks to the little kickstand at the back. We also like the cycling ‘party mode’ - perfect for creating the right vibe at festivals.

Harper Living Rechargeable Camping LED Retro Water Resistant Lantern

Harper Living

We’re not in the business of dishing out ‘best looking’ awards for camping lanterns, but if we were, this sleek retro design would be a real contender. With polished chrome, a wooden base and an elegant black finish, it’s got the looks but it can walk the walk too. The rechargeable lamp is ultra long-lasting with up to 75 hours of continuous use if you need it and can also be used as a power bank if your devices need their batteries charged up.

It’s lightweight at just 600g but robust and is IPX4 waterproof, which means it’s protected against splashing water, no matter the direction. Lightwise, you can expect 370 lumens from this lantern, and the illumination is dimmable too.