If you’re looking for the top camping lanterns in the market right now, look no further. We’ve listed down ten of the best lanterns that every camper should have. In fact, every home should have at least one camping lantern to use when you go on an outdoor adventure or during emergencies.
To determine the top camping lanterns of 2019, we must first know what you should look for in one. Portability is an important factor. Under this category, you should consider the weight and size of the camping lantern.
According to t3, the two things you should look for in a camping lantern are portability and battery run time. Lumens and water resistance are also important factors, according to Back Country. Other things you may consider include durability, functionality, ease of use, and price.
You want your camping lanterns to be lightweight and small enough to pack and carry without hitch. Lugging heavy lanterns while hiking through the woods or climbing up a mountain will do more bad than good, particularly on your back and legs. Even if you’re car camping, bigger camping lanterns take up space in your vehicle.
(Related: Car Camping Tips: What to Bring, What To Do and Where to Park)
They should also be bright enough to light up a large area while being efficient enough to not waste too much energy, whether from the sun or from batteries.
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Vont 4 Pack LED Camping Lantern
With more than 9,600 reviews on Amazon, the Vont LED lamp is definitely one of the top camping lanterns in the market today. Vont boasts of having the “most compact, versatile and brightest LED lantern.”
Vont is the first to use the collapsible design, which is now quite common. In fact, some of the other top lanterns in this list utilize the collapsible design or some version of it. The Vont weighs 9.14 ounces and is as big as a smartphone when closed.
Pull the foldaway metal handles halfway up to get dimmed light. Pull further and you have the full 360 illumination courtesy of the 30 LED light bulbs inside.
The Vont LED Camping Lantern is made of aircraft-grade materials and already comes with 3 AA batteries unlike other top camping lanterns. The battery runtime lasts for more than 12 hours.
MalloMe LED Camping Lantern
You’re definitely getting your money’s worth when you choose the MalloMe LED Camping Lantern. Each purchase includes not one but two camping lantern that come in two different colors. The set also includes six AA batteries and, interestingly, an ebook on how to roast marshmallows and make smores. Neat!
The 146 lumen camping lamps use the collapsible design, which controls their brightness. Similar to the Vont camping lanterns, you just have to pull up to turn on the light. The height determines the brightness of the light emitted.
Another reason why the MalloMe are among the top camping lanterns today is their durability. Each lamp is made of military grade ABS plastic alloy. It’s built to withstand harsh weather though it can’t be submerged in water.
Rayovac Sportsman 3D Camping Lantern
MetaEfficient considers the Rayovac Sportsman SE3DLN as one of the top camping lanterns today mainly because of its brightness. It provides 305 lumens of light, which is bright enough to let you see clearly inside your tent, in your home during a blackout, or outside when it’s dark.
Like the others, you can change the light mode by just pressing a button. You can choose high, low or energy saver, and strobe modes depending on what you need. Runtime lasts for an impressive 140 hours on energy saver and 70 hours on high. The beam distance, meanwhile, can reach 15 meters.
The Rayovac Sportsman Camping Lantern is made of ABS material and built to be water resistant. It’s also impact resistant up to 2 feet. There are rubber hooks on the top and at the base of the lantern.
(Related: Top Outdoor Gear You Didn’t Know You Need)
StreamLight 44931 Siege Compact Camping Lantern
One look at the StreamLight Siege and you know you’re getting a rugged and sturdy camping lantern. The name itself makes it even tougher.
It is made of polycarbonate thermoplastic with elastomer housing. The elastomer overmold protects the lantern from impact in case you drop it. The Siege has a two meter impact resistance. That’s more than 6 feet, in case you’re having a hard time picturing how it was dropped during tests.
The base is made of rubber for better stability. The polycarbonate lenses are pretty tough, too. In fact, they’re unbreakable.
The Siege achieved an IPX7 waterproof rating up to one meter under water thanks to the O-ring seals between the different parts of the lantern. You don’t have to worry about it sinking to the bottom though since it floats.
Like other camping lanterns, the StreamLight Siege features different light modes. This white light comes in high (340 lumens), medium (175 lumens), and low (33 lumens). There are a couple of red light modes, as well. The steady red light is great for night vision and can last up to 235 hours. while the flashing SOS red light is for emergency signalling.
When it comes to functionality, the Siege lantern is among the top camping lanterns in the field. It has a built-in handle that’s comfortable to the hand when you have to carry the lantern. The notch on the handle along with the D-rings on the top and at the bottom makes it easier to hang the lantern however you want to.
The StreamLight Siege LED lantern measures 7 1/4 inches and weighs 1 pound and 15 ounces with the three D cell alkaline batteries.
AYL StarLight 330 LED Lantern
If you’re looking for the top camping lanterns in terms of reliability, you may want to take a look at the AYL StarLight 330 LED lantern. A new set of D cell batteries will last up to 6 days without turning the lantern off. And that’s not the only interesting thing about the AYL StarLight.
Durability is another strong point of this camping lantern. Bustle described the StarLight 330 as “super durable and shock-resistant” that it will not crack even after dropping and banging it. That’s great news for all the clumsy campers out there.
The water resistant AYL Starlight 330 provides 600 lumens of bright light courtesy of LED bulbs that will last for more than 100,000 hours of use. It has three lighting modes including low, high, and flashing mode for emergencies.
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Coleman Quad Special Edition Ultra Bright 190 Lumens LED Lantern
One of the most unique camping lanterns in this bunch, the Coleman Quad LED lantern comes with four detachable light panels. These panels can be used separately giving you four flashlights. This solves the problem of having one lantern in the tent and one member of the group needs to go out to pee-pee or something. Once done, he can simply snap the panel back on to the base and it will automatically charge.
Each panel has 47.5 lumens giving the lantern a total of 190 lumens. The water resistant Quad requires 8 D cell batteries that provide 75 hours of runtime. Each panel, meanwhile, has a runtime of 1.5 hours. The light range is an impressive 26 feet.
The whole Coleman Quad lantern has a main on/off switch and built-in handle that can also be used for hanging. Each light panel has its own switch and handle, as well. The camping lantern weighs 6.15 pounds and measures 6.5 x 11.7 inches.
Lighting Ever LED Camping Lantern
The Lighting Ever LED Camping Lantern has four light modes. There are the cool white light modes with 700 and 1,000 lumens plus the warm white light mode with 300 lumens. The fourth one is the 1000 lumens flash mode. You can adjust the brightness just by pressing a button.
The LE is one of the longest lasting camping lanterns available. It uses three D batteries, which lasts from 12 to 25 hours. It has garnered an IPX4 waterproof rating
The portable LE lantern comes with a handle that doubles as a hook. There’s another hook at the bottom so you can hang it upside down. This makes the LE a great outdoor gear to have when camping or if your car broke down and you need to look under the hood.
(Related: Car Safety Tips: What to Do When You’re Stuck in Snow)
LETMY 2 Pack Camping Lantern
LETMY is another one of the top camping lanterns that lets you enjoy more than one lamp in each package. It also comes with six AA batteries so you can use them immediately.
What sets the LETMY apart from other top camping lanterns is the Chip On Board (COB) LED bulb. This technology allows the lamp to produce light that’s two times brighter than other 30 LED lanterns. In fact, the LETMY camping lantern is packed with 500 lumens of power.
The lantern is made of durable ABS plastic. It is IPX5 waterproof, shock resistant, and crash proof. The lamp can also withstand heat.
There are a couple of foldaway metal handles for carrying and hanging. Pulling these handles will also expose the bulbs and turn the light on. It has three built-in magnets at the base that lets you stick the lamp to any metal surface. This is an extremely useful feature, especially if you need to do some repairs on your car.
SUAOKI LED Camping Lantern with Solar Mobile Charger
Portability is one of best qualities of the SUAOKI LED Camping Lantern. When compressed, the lantern looks like an over-sized yo-yo that still fits in the palm of your hands. When you pull out the lantern, it stretches from 1.7 to 4.7 inches, which is still pretty decent.
In lantern mode, the SUAOKI camping lantern can be set down on ant flat surface. Release the handle with a simple flip and you can carry the lantern around. You can also get an overhead light by hanging or suspending the lantern on a tree or in your tent.
In its closed mode, the LED camping lantern acts as a flashlight. Simply unfold to turn it into a camping lantern and illuminate the surrounding. There are three light settings for both torchlight and lantern modes — low, high, and flashing emergency light.
Like many outdoor gear, the SUAOKI camping lantern serves more than just one purpose. Aside from providing light, it also doubles as a charger for small devices such as phones and digital cameras. You can charge the lantern itself using the built-in USB port and the cable included in the box. Better yet, leave it under the sun and let the solar panel take in as much energy as it can.
The lantern is made of plastic with a few rubber features, which make it not as sturdy as its metal or steel counterparts but durable enough to take it outdoors. Still, at its price of only $16.99, you’re getting a quality portable camping lantern.
Watch this video to see the SUAOKI LED Camping Lantern with Solar Mobile Charger in action.
SUAOKI Collapsible Clover Style 18 LED Camping Lantern
Another entry from SUAOKI, the collapsible clover-style LED lamp made it I this list of top camping lanterns partly because of its unique design but moreso for its amazing features.
The clover-style lantern comes out of the box with its “leaves” folded. This makes the device compact and more portable. Simply unfold the three solar panels to expose the backside, which has six LED lights each.
There’s a hook hidden at the base, which you can use to hang your SUOAKI collapsible lantern for some overhead illumination. You can also fold the panels a bit so they can act as tripod legs. Just set it on a table and you have an instant desk lamp.
There three light modes, particularly the low, high and flashing SOS modes. You can charge the device using the solar panels or by sticking the USB cable to a wall socket or even to your laptop. It comes with a Smart Protection Chip that keeps it from overcharging and over-discharging.
There you go, ten of the top camping lanterns in the market right now. If you think we missed something, please feel free to share in the comment section. You can also follow us on Gentleman Pirate Club and stay updated on what’s new regarding outdoor gear and other products related to survivalism, prepping, and homesteading.
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