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Best lantern for camping with lithium-ion batteries
Sofirn BLF LT1 lantern
| Rechargeable, 360-degree lantern, portable | Highlights: |
|---|---|
| Output | 5 – 570 lumens |
| Features | Rechargeable, 360-degrees lantern, portable |
| Battery configuration | 1-4*18650 batteries |
When you go camping regularly, it’s best not to go cheap. Get something durable and that lasts long, so you don’t need to take too many spare batteries.
The Sofirn LT1 is a great LED camping lantern with onboard USB-C charging. It uses regular 18650 type batteries. We’ve done an extensive review on it, so make sure you read the Sofirn BLF LT1 review to get all the details.
One of the great benefits of having a rechargeable lantern (with removable batteries) is the choice you have between taking some backup batteries along or charging it on the fly. You could charge it in your car or RV, but also from your laptop or even a solar panel with a USB port.
On top of that, the LT1 lets you use either 1, 2, 3, or 4 batteries. So, you don’t have to use all 4 batteries at the same time. This option is not just great for a long camping trip, it’s also great for emergencies. Buy here:
The Amazon link will take you to your local Amazon store.
Volterrex Led Pro
The Volterrex LED Pro Lantern delivers massive area illumination for camping, measuring over 4,000 lumens in 360° mode at both turn-on and 30 seconds, with sustained output above 3,000 lumens for more than an hour. This is unheard of. But you can also see its massive size.
This makes it ideal for lighting up entire campsites or group areas without hot spots or glare.
Multiple modes include infinitely adjustable 360° diffusion, 180° directional light, a forward-firing top flood (nearly 1,000 lumens for over 8 hours), and a safety flasher, all controlled by simple rotary knobs. The sturdy handle with detents, bottom hanger, and robust threaded insert offer versatile mounting; hang it from a tent pole, set it flat, or attach to a tripod.
It’s built pretty tough with ABS, a die-cast aluminum heatsink. And it has an onboard powerbank function with 5V/2A. The built-in 14.8V 7.8 Ah battery recharges in about 7 hours.
Buy here:
The Amazon link will take you to your local Amazon store.
Best LED camping lantern alternatives
Wurkkos TS27
| Specification: | Highlights: |
|---|---|
| Output | up to 3,300 lumens |
| Features | USB-C onboard charging, lamp light |
| Battery configuration | LiFePO4 battery instead of a lithium ion, 31240 size with 15,000mAh battery |
From our Wurkkos TS27 review
The main beam is really good. The SFT70.2 reaches out a fair way with a solid sized hotspot, while retaining over 1500 lumens of output for over 3 hours, and will do around 800 for a solid 8-hour work day without being switched off.
My most used feature is lantern mode. I’ve been using an HD02 with the wings as a stop-gap, and forgot how useful the TS27 actually is. It’s sat on my desk as a lamp as I type this review, it acts as a great night light for bathroom trips, turbo mode will reliably light up a work area for plenty of runtime, it’s got adjustable CCT with high CRI… It’s just great.
RGB modes I don’t have many uses for other than entertaining my toddler. He seems to enjoy them plenty, and if you’ve got an RGB theme going on in your life already, perhaps for a gaming setup or a home cinema media wall, it’ll fit in nicely.
Buy yours here:
What to know beforehand about campsite lanterns
Please be aware of Alkaline batteries. They leak and could damage your camp lantern. Plus, they are not powerful enough to maintain a consistently high output. Of course, alkaline batteries are fine to use during an emergency, but they shouldn’t be part of your everyday camping gear. If you want to stick to regular AA and AAA batteries, please use rechargeable batteries like Panasonic Eneloop.
Also, the lanterns we listed here are based on our testing. We don’t add lanterns, that we haven’t personally tested.
We also made a list of some of the best camping flashlights, in case you were looking for that type of light.
Some things to consider before buying a camping lantern:
- Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries run your camping lights longer than AA or AAA batteries!
- Don’t go camping often? Stay away from Alkaline batteries altogether
- Don’t like using replaceable lithium-ion batteries? Get a flashlight with onboard charging and a built in battery, so you can charge it on the fly. If you choose rechargeable AA or AAA batteries, buy the standard white Panasonic Eneloop batteries since they can keep their charge longer than any other NiMH batteries
- If you have to choose between a lantern running of AA or AAA batteries, always choose the flashlight running of AA batteries. They are only slightly larger but have 3 times the capacity (and therefore a much longer runtime)
- Don’t keep batteries inside your lantern/flashlight while storing them away
- Get a USB car charger, so you can charge the flashlight on the road, or anywhere with a USB connector if your car breaks down
- Try to recharge all your batteries at least 1 time a year (it also helps to spot any bad batteries)
- Get a cheap diffusor to use the flashlight as a lightbulb (diffuser spread the light into a wide area), or a red/orange cone to use as a warning signal. You can also use a plastic cup.
- Get a lantern long runtimes (the lowest modes should be below 5 lumens to last multiple nights on 1 battery)
- When you rechargeable AA batteries are empty (like an Eneloop) in an emergency use Alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries can run at low output for a very long time.
- Get a flashlight with a magnet in the tailcap, so you can stick it to metal, like the hood or the body of your car
- Get a flashlight with a beacon mode. This mode will blink once every few seconds and lasts long enough for a rescuer to locate your position if you are lost
- Don’t get a camping light with camouflage colors, but a bright color instead: you’ll be able to find it easier
- Keep in mind: two is one, and one is none