photo by ArtistGNDphotography via iStock
When you’re venturing out into nature for a camping trip, you know it gets incredibly dark at night. And while stargazing in the wild is fantastic, it’s also nice to be able to see where you are going without having to light a torch or be limited by your phone’s flashlight.
A camping lantern is an ideal portable light source that will come in handy during any trip and even at home during a blackout.
Because there are many camping lanterns to pick and choose from these days, we wanted to share with you our favorite ones. So whether you’re looking for a budget camping lantern, a search and rescue lantern, an LED camping lantern, or one that fits in your hiking backpack, we’ve put the best on this list for you.
Table of Contents:
- LE LED Camping Lantern
- The Coleman Lumens LED Mini Camping Lantern
- Collapsible Solar LED Camping Lantern
- MalloMe Battery-powered LED Camping Lantern
- Barebones Bronze Forest Lantern Vintage
- Wsky LED Rechargeable T2000 Camping Lantern
- More Camping Accessories You Might Need
LE LED Camping Lantern
This battery-powered camping lantern has four different light modes, and it provides up to 1000 lumens. It’s also dimmable to some more comfortable light levels making it suitable for reading or lighting up your entire tent. A short press on the button in the middle toggles the four different lighting modes, and it also has a flashing mode, making it easier to find you if you ever get lost.
This camping lantern is powered by three D alkaline batteries and lasts up to 25 hours, depending on the lighting mode you prefer to use.
You can quickly hook it to the top of your tent, RV, or outside because it is IPX4 water-resistant. In addition, the removable cap allows you to use it as a smaller light that is comfortable for your tent ceiling and weighs only 0.8 pounds.
Features
- 1000 lumens
- Four lighting modes
- It lasts up to 25 hours
- Flashing mode
- IPX4 water-resistant
- Battery-powered (3x alkaline D batteries)
- 0.8 lbs
The Coleman Lumens LED Mini
The Coleman Lumens LED mini lantern is actually a winner in three categories. Battery life, brightness, and size. The battery of this camping lantern will last up to 200 hours, depending on the brightness you set it to. That means you can use this camping lantern for weeks without changing the batteries; in theory, that is.
Besides having a fantastic long-lasting battery performance, this small lantern also packs a punch when it comes to brightness. You can, of course, tone it down to a dimmed light that is very comfortable to the eye during the evening hours at your campsite or use the middle of the three settings.
If you turn it up, you will bask in a sea of light with this 800-lumen camping lantern that will light up anything within a 50-foot radius from where it stands. Apart from that, it’s IPX4 water-resistant, and it’s smaller than you would expect.
Features
- Battery lasts up to 200 hours
- Up to 800 Lumens in brightness with three modes
- Battery guards save batteries from losing power while not in use
- Beam distance up to 50 feet
- IPX4 water-resistant
- Long-lasting LED’s
Collapsible Solar LED Camping Lantern
This collapsible solar LED lamp is pretty unique, and it only takes a single look to figure out what makes it special.
Its foldable structure ensures you can simply hook it to your backpack during the day, where the solar panel on the top will charge it right back up for you—leaving the battery full every night.
When you make camp, simply unhook it from your bag, inflate it and enjoy a colorful LED light that you can simply hook on to anything.
The led battery indicator will always let you know how much juice it has left, and thanks to its IP69 waterproof status, you can simply rinse it off if it ever needs cleaning after a camping trip.
This 250-lumen RGB LED camping lantern has a 4200mAh battery that will last up to 80 hours, so you don’t have to worry if you manage to find it not charging on a rainy day. This lamp is both fun and practical. And it weighs less than half a pound.
Features
- Battery lasts up to 80 hours
- 250 Lumens brightness
- IPX67 water resistant
- Foldable and inflatable
- RGB LED light
- Extremely lightweight
- Easily hooks to your backpack
- Solar panel on the top
MalloMe Battery-powered LED Light
The MalloMe battery-powered 146-lumen LED lantern is another camping lantern that wins in both budget and size.
This ultra-bright lamping light collapses to half its size with a single movement and easily hooks to any bag or into any tent with the two hooks on the top. This camping lantern is the size of a smartphone and can fit into any backpack.
The military-grade ABS housing ensures it won’t break if you drop it for any reason, and it’s waterproof enough to leave it out in the rain.
There is no dimming function on this LED camping lantern, but simply push it down partly to make it less bright as it will only turn off once it’s fully collapsed. In addition, it only weighs 2.38 pounds.
Features
- Battery-powered
- 146 Lumens brightness
- Military-grade ABS housing
- Collapsable
- Easy hooks to anything
- One of the most miniature camping lanterns out there
- 2.38 lbs
Barebones Bronze Forest Vintage Lantern
The Barebones forest lantern is another retro-styled rechargeable camping lantern that holds all the modern necessities inside a classic housing. The rechargeable 4400mAh Lithium-ion batteries fully recharge in 4 to 6 hours by USB port and, depending on the brightness, will last up to 80 hours.
This retro-style camping lantern provides up to 220 lumens and has an easy-to-use battery indicator. And you can simply adjust the brightness with a smooth dimmer on the front.
This lamp is mainly intended for table-top use and is relatively large. So it’s not suited to cram into a backpack but makes a great camping lantern addition to a van setup.
Features
- It lasts up to 80 hours
- 4400mAh USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Retro styling
- 220 Lumens
- 2.2 lbs
Wsky LED Rechargeable T2000 Camping Lantern
The name might confuse you as it is definitely not a drink but a rather sizable hand-held rechargeable camping lantern. And it’s one of the best camping lights available!
This lamp has a front and 360 lighting function and a handle to easily hold it making it stand out from other camping lanterns.
This camping lantern has six different lighting modes, and it comes with a high-capacity power bank for outdoor and emergency use. It’s also another excellent fit for the budget category as it’s cheaper than its competitors.
This camping lantern delivers a whopping 1800 lumens beam and even a red mode and an SOS mode making it the best search and rescue camping lantern you could buy on a budget.
The 4400mAh power bank even allows you to charge your phone if you need to, and the clip and hook will enable you to connect it to anything, quickly transforming it into a ceiling light if you put it on a lower lighting mode.
Apart from being extremely bright, this camping lantern is also water-resistant and can take a punch due to its partial rubber impact housing.
Features
- RED mode and SOS mode
- 1800 Lumens on the brightest mode
- Six modes
- Hand-held model
- 4400mAh power bank that charges your phone
- Waterproof
- Impact-resistant
More Camping Accessories You Might Need:
- Portable DC/AC Refrigerator
- First Aid Kit
- Camp Grill
- GMRS Radio
- Camp Chair
- Waterproof Tarp
- Camping Table
- Small Axe
- Solar Shower
- Camping Cookset