Top 5 compared
The best camping lanterns
Light all around you in the tent, at the campsite or at home when the power goes out.
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The top 5 at a glance
A lantern lights the whole tent, picnic table or kitchen rather than one spot like a flashlight, which is why so many end up in the hall closet for storm season as well as in the camping box. There are two kinds: lanterns that run on AA batteries, often sold in packs, and rechargeable ones with a built-in battery that charges from a USB cable.
AA lanterns can sit in a drawer for months and work the moment the power goes out. Rechargeable ones save on batteries and run for days on their lowest setting, but they need charging before they’re needed; the Glocusent can also charge a phone, like a small power bank.
What matters
- Run time on the setting you’ll actually use.
- Batteries included, if it’s an AA lantern.
- Water resistance (IPX4 or better) if it goes outside.
- A hook, handle or magnet to hang it where the light’s needed.
#1Etekcity LED Camping Lanterns (4-pack, batteries included)
$20–$30
Four pop-up lanterns and the 12 AA batteries to run them: pull the top up to switch on and set the brightness, push it down to switch off and pack it small. Each gives 360-degree light for up to 50 hours on a set of batteries, enough for the tent, the picnic table, the car and the kitchen drawer.
What owners say: Owners keep them for blackouts as much as camping, and like that they’re easy to switch on by feel in the dark and came with batteries that are still going.
A closer look: The compartment in the top takes spare batteries, so a fresh set stays with the lantern rather than lost in a drawer. Lanterns that sit in a closet between storms are best kept with their batteries out, stored in that same compartment, so a leaking cell can’t ruin the contacts.
- Pull up to switch on
- Collapses small for packing
- Spare-battery compartment in the top
- 360-degree light
Best for: Campsites and power outages
- Brightness
- 154 lm
- Power
- 3 x AA each
- Run time
- Up to 50 hrs
- Charges a phone
- No
- Water resistance
- Water-resistant
- Hangs or sits by
- –
- In the box
- 4 lanterns, 12 AA
#2Eveready 360 PRO LED Camping Lantern (3-pack)
$20–$30
At 350 lumens it’s the brightest of the battery lanterns here, and a button turns each one into a flashlight with a beam that carries about 330 ft. Magnets in the base hold it to a car hood or a steel shelf, and latching handles stop it from switching on in a bag.
What owners say: The red emergency light and the magnetic base get the most praise, one owner finding it stays put on any metal surface, and people like having a lantern and a flashlight in one when the power goes.
A closer look: With a flat tire on the shoulder at night, it earns its keep: stick it to the side of the car by its magnets and set it to red flashing so passing drivers see you. A set of AAs gives about 16 hours, so pack spares for a long weekend away.
- Turns into a flashlight
- Beam carries about 330 ft
- Red flashing and SOS modes
- Latching handles stop accidental switch-on
Best for: Outages, garages and the car
- Brightness
- 350 lm
- Power
- 3 x AA each
- Run time
- Up to 16 hrs
- Charges a phone
- No
- Water resistance
- IPX4
- Hangs or sits by
- Hook, handles, magnetic base
- In the box
- 3 lanterns (batteries not listed)
#3Eveready X-250 LED Camping Lantern (2-pack, batteries included)
$10–$20
Two small, tough lanterns that run for up to 100 hours on area mode and take either two or four AA batteries, so whatever’s left in the drawer still keeps one going. Each is rated IPX4 and built to survive a 3 ft drop.
What owners say: Owners like that the light isn’t blinding, that it stores easily, and that it runs on two AAs or four; it’s the one they grab for the tent or the next storm.
A closer look: Hang it by the top handle from a tent loop or a branch over the picnic table, and keep the second one in the kitchen for the next outage. The batteries come in the box, so both are ready to use the day they arrive.
- Survives a 3 ft drop
- 360-degree light
Best for: One for the tent, one at home
- Brightness
- 250 lm
- Power
- 2 or 4 x AA each
- Run time
- Up to 100 hrs
- Charges a phone
- No
- Water resistance
- IPX4
- Hangs or sits by
- Top handle
- In the box
- 2 lanterns, batteries
#4Glocusent C12 Rechargeable Camping Lantern (5,000mAh)
$20–$30
No batteries to buy: a 5,000mAh battery charges over USB-C in about 3.5 hours, runs up to 12 hours on high or 200 on low, and the same port charges a phone. Three color temperatures run from a warm 3000K to cool white, with a 1,500-lumen burst for lighting a whole site in a hurry.
What owners say: A charge lasts owners through a weekend’s camping, they say, and the five brightness levels and light weight win praise; some find it smaller than they pictured.
A closer look: Its memory brings it back on at the last setting, so a midnight trip out of the tent doesn’t start at full blast. The 1,500-lumen mode lasts only four minutes, so save it for hunting down a dropped key, and use the hook underneath to hang it upside down from the tent roof.
- Remembers your last setting
- Warm, neutral and cool white
- Five brightness levels
- Red SOS strobe
- Weighs 10.5 oz
Best for: Long trips and charging a phone
- Brightness
- Up to 1,500 lm (boost)
- Power
- 5,000mAh, USB-C
- Run time
- 12–200 hrs
- Charges a phone
- Yes
- Water resistance
- IP45
- Hangs or sits by
- Top handle, bottom hook
- In the box
- 1 lantern, USB-C cable
#5Blukar 116 LED Rechargeable Camping Lantern (K9156)
$10–$20
Four side panels fold out 90 degrees so it hangs like a small chandelier from the tent roof, spreading warm 3000K light into every corner, or stay folded for a more concentrated lantern. A 4,800mAh battery charges over USB-C and lasts 10 to 48 hours.
What owners say: Most owners use it as an overhead tent light and love the design for that, and they find the battery lasts a long time between charges; a few were surprised by how small it is.
Heads up: Blukar’s listing says it isn’t water-resistant, so keep it inside the tent or under the awning.
A closer look: One button steps through all seven modes, and a long press turns it off from any of them, so there’s no clicking past the strobe in the dark. It’s small enough to ride on a backpack strap by its climbing clip, lighting the path on the walk to the campground restrooms.
- Side panels fold out 90°
- Warm 3000K light
- Seven modes on one button
- Long press turns it off
- Battery level indicator
Best for: Lighting the inside of a tent
- Brightness
- No lumen figure (116 LEDs)
- Power
- 4,800mAh, USB-C
- Run time
- 10–48 hrs
- Charges a phone
- No
- Water resistance
- Not water-resistant
- Hangs or sits by
- Hook and climbing clip
- In the box
- 1 lantern, USB-C cable
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Etekcity 4-pack | #2Eveready 360 PRO | #3Eveready X-250 | #4Glocusent C12 | #5Blukar 116 LED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best rechargeable | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 |
| Brightness | 154 lm | 350 lm | 250 lm | Up to 1,500 lm (boost) | No lumen figure (116 LEDs) |
| Power | 3 x AA each | 3 x AA each | 2 or 4 x AA each | 5,000mAh, USB-C | 4,800mAh, USB-C |
| Run time | Up to 50 hrs | Up to 16 hrs | Up to 100 hrs | 12–200 hrs | 10–48 hrs |
| Charges a phone | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Water resistance | Water-resistant | IPX4 | IPX4 | IP45 | Not water-resistant |
| Hangs or sits by | – | Hook, handles, magnetic base | Top handle | Top handle, bottom hook | Hook and climbing clip |
| In the box | 4 lanterns, 12 AA | 3 lanterns (batteries not listed) | 2 lanterns, batteries | 1 lantern, USB-C cable | 1 lantern, USB-C cable |
| Best for | Campsites and power outages | Outages, garages and the car | One for the tent, one at home | Long trips and charging a phone | Lighting the inside of a tent |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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