There are few things more frustrating than a power outage. We rely on electricity for so many facets of our daily life, and having it taken away from us can really throw a spanner in the works of our daily routines.
Sometimes, power outages can be more than just a nuisance when they occur for days on end because of a natural disaster or a power plant failure. Luckily, there are many tools and gadgets we can use to make power outages more bearable.
Overall best pick:
Pop-Up Light Solar Lantern By Frog & Co
Pop-Up Solar Camping Lantern & Pocket Flashlight A versatile solar and USB rechargeable light that's not only great for camping but doubles as an essential survival tool. Features A portable, multifunction LED light: extends to become a bright camping lan
In this overview, we will go over some of the best emergency lanterns for power outages so that you can find one that will make sure you’re not left in the dark when the power goes out.
Contents
- Why Have Emergency Lanterns For Power Outages?
- What Is The Best Source Of Light During A Power Outage?
- Are Emergency Lanterns Worth It?
- Factors To Consider When Looking For An Emergency Lantern
- 12 Best Emergency Lanterns For Power Outages
- 1) Frog & CO Pop-Up Solar Lantern — Best Overall Emergency Lantern
- 2) Luci EMRG Solar Lantern — Runner Up & Best Lightweight Lantern
- 3) ROTHCO 6-BULB LED SOLAR — Best Collapsable Emergency Lantern
- 4) AYL Starlight 700 — Best Shock Proof Lantern
- 5) Energizer Folding LED — Best Foldable Emergency Lantern
- 6) IODOO Portable LED — Best High Lumen Emergency Lantern
- 7) ENERGIZER 360 Pro — Best Emergency Lantern for Camping
- 8) Internova Lantern — Best Water Resistant Emergency Lantern
- 9) Duracell 1000 Lumen (2 Pack) — Best LED Lantern For Power Outages
- 10) LE LED Mini Lantern — Best Emergency Lantern for Tents
- 11) V&O Oil Lantern — Best Kerosene Lantern
- 12) Lichamp LED (4 Pack) — Best Multipack Emergency Lantern
- The Bottom Line
Why Have Emergency Lanterns For Power Outages?
When the power goes out, one of the worst aspects can be having no light at night. Things get infinitely more frustrating when you’re fumbling around trying to find matches or other tools you may need. We have seen before why it’s important to be prepared for disasters, and access to lighting can be very important.
You may not have any lights or gadgets charged up, which is why an emergency lantern is always a good thing to have around. There will still be frustration during a power outage, but with an emergency lantern lack of light won’t be one of them.
What Is The Best Source Of Light During A Power Outage?
During a power outage, your main goal with a light source should be one that is bright while consuming as little power as possible. You want to be able to see as much as you can while also maintaining that light for a good long while. Emergency lanterns can be a great solution, providing both of these aspects.
In the past, we have also looked at other tools you can use to be prepared for an emergency, so that’s well worth reading.
Are Emergency Lanterns Worth It?
An emergency lantern is a great item to have for anyone. Even if you rarely have power outages, they are always possible, and it’s good to be prepared. Plus, they can also be used for camping or outdoor activities.
Factors To Consider When Looking For An Emergency Lantern
Power Source
The source of the lantern’s power is one of the most important things to consider. Some lanterns have power sources like hand cranks or solar panels so that you could, in theory, use them indefinitely.
If a lantern is powered by a battery or by charging it via a wall outlet, the usage time becomes quite limited, so having a power source you can replenish yourself is always a plus.
Brightness (Lumens)
The brightness of a lamp is another important aspect to consider. You will see the term lumens a lot when looking at brightness specifications. This is used to measure the brightness of your light source, so the higher the better.
The whole point of an emergency lantern is to be able to see in the dark, so you want as much brightness as you can get.
Size And Convenience
During an emergency, convenience is not just a luxury. If you need light fast, you don’t want to be fumbling around with a complex lantern that is huge and bulky.
That’s why it’s good to look for a combination of small size and convenience when you’re choosing a lantern.
Durability
Things can get chaotic in an emergency, especially when there is not much light. It’s easy to knock things over or drop them, so you don’t want your lantern to shatter into pieces at the slightest bump.
You should always prioritize options made of durable materials so that it will take some punishment in a bad situation.
Utility
Naturally, the main function of your lamp should be to light up the area around you. That doesn’t mean that other features aren’t appreciated, however. Many emergency lanterns will have extra features to make them even more essential in a blackout.
We will see some of these features throughout this overview, but any extras are always a plus.
In the face of natural disasters and unexpected emergencies, which have been on the rise with over 100 significant events recorded in the U.S. alone in 2023, having a reliable source of light like an emergency lantern is crucial. Power outages, often resulting from these disasters, can leave families vulnerable. A dependable emergency lantern ensures that even in the darkest times, you can maintain visibility, safety, and a sense of security, making it an indispensable tool in any emergency preparedness kit.
– Eddie Penney Emergency Prep Expert
Light Life
As we mentioned before, different lanterns will have different power sources. That’s why it’s important to know how long your lantern will stay alight with a single charge or with a refill of fuel.
If it’s solar powered, then you can consider how long it will need direct sunlight to charge and then how long it will shine for once charged.
12 Best Emergency Lanterns For Power Outages
1) Frog & CO Pop-Up Solar Lantern — Best Overall Emergency Lantern
Our first pick for an emergency lantern would be the Frog & CO Pop-Up Solar Lantern. This lantern has all of the features we spoke of earlier and is small enough to be taken anywhere.
Let’s look at some of the key features of this device.
Key Features And Benefits
This lantern has two usage modes. It can be compacted to become more of a flashlight, or you can extend it to make a more traditional lantern.
It has a solar power panel for charging, but can also be charged via a USB connection. You can even charge your phone from the lantern, but this will only replenish a small amount of the phone’s charge.
It can be folded to a small size, making it ideal for carrying, and it has a light life of 3-6 hours with multiple light modes.
Ease Of Use
The lamp has a simple, robust design with intuitive controls and charging panels, along with indicator lights. It’s incredibly easy to set up and operate, making it ideal for emergencies or simple camping.
Pros And Cons
The main benefits of this lamp would be its small size, multiple modes, and different ways of charging it which make it a great overall emergency lantern.
In terms of cons, it may be too small to light a larger area, and the solar charging feature is more for emergencies than a viable way of keeping it consistently charged.
2) Luci EMRG Solar Lantern — Runner Up & Best Lightweight Lantern
Our second pick for the best emergency lantern would be the LUCI EMRG Solar Lantern. This lantern is fairly similar in concept to the previous one, but it has a few differences that we will cover now.
Key Features
This solar-powered lamp has a unique feature in that you can inflate it to be larger. Not only that, but it’s also waterproof up to 3 feet, meaning you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.
It is solar-powered primarily, and it will last for around 7 hours after 8 hours of sunlight. It has 4 LED lights with a total of 25 lumens, giving it impressive light capabilities, all in a lightweight and durable form.
Ease Of Use
Once again, this lamp has been designed to be simple and easy to use. All you need to do is inflate it, and then choose your setting with the easy controls. When it is deflated, it will fit into any backpack or storage container with ease.
Pros And Cons
The pros and cons of this lamp are quite similar to the previous one. It has a compact design, multiple light modes, and can be powered entirely by the power of the sun.
The downsides include a rather long charging time if using the solar capability, and it doesn’t have much in the way of extra features.
3) ROTHCO 6-BULB LED SOLAR — Best Collapsable Emergency Lantern
Our next lantern is the ROTHCO LED Solar Lantern. This is another solid lantern choice that is maybe a bit sturdier than the previous ones we have looked at. Let’s take a closer look at some of the features of this lamp.
Key Features
This lantern has a nifty feature where you can choose to have it function either as a flashlight or a normal lantern, similar to what we saw with the first lantern.
It is solar-powered and has a light life of around 4 hours. The built-in handle makes it easy to carry around and hang as well.
Ease Of Use
As we mentioned before, the lantern has a collapsible handle that makes transporting it easy. The controls and setup are also very basic and easy to operate even in a panicked emergency scenario.
Pros And Cons
The ROTHCO lantern is a really basic emergency lantern. Its two modes are great, and the handle plus the sturdy form factor give it some great practical use.
It is very limited in terms of extra features, and the 4-hour light life would possibly be problematic in a longer power outage or on a camping trip.
4) AYL Starlight 700 — Best Shock Proof Lantern
Next up, we have our first lantern that does not have solar power charging, the AYL Starlight 700. While that is unfortunate, it more than makes up for it in other ways, which we will look at now.
Key Features
This lantern is probably the sturdiest one so far. One of the features that made us choose it for this list is that it is shockproof and water-resistant. This would make it great for even the toughest survival situation or intense camping trips.
While not solar-powered, it has a light life of up to 6 days with a set of 3 “D” batteries, so it should last long enough for most users. It has an output of 1300 lumens and has 3 light modes for you to choose from.
Ease Of Use
The lantern has a simple setup with a single button and indicator light. The handle is also simple yet functional, and would allow you to hang it or place it anywhere you need it.
Pros And Cons
The AYL lamp features bright light with an impressive light life of up to 6 days. The simple, sturdy design would mean you don’t have to be too precious with it when carrying it around, and it would be perfect for power outages, emergencies, or camping.
The lack of solar or alternative charging could be an issue for some, as you would need to have extra batteries on hand for long camping trips or outages.
5) Energizer Folding LED — Best Foldable Emergency Lantern
Energizer is one of the top names in battery products, and that same eye for quality has extended to the Energizer Folding LED Lantern.
The foldable design makes it even more versatile, and it has some great features we will cover now.
Key Features
As mentioned before, the lantern can fold out in a unique way that allows 360 degrees of light cover. It’s another non-solar powered lantern, but it can last for up to 350 hours on the low setting when powered with 4 D batteries.
Lastly, it has 3 light modes and a water-resistant, durable design.
Ease Of Use
The lantern features a simple sliding button design to choose between the various settings, meaning it is simple and intuitive to use. The fold-out feature is also really easy to set up.
Pros And Cons
Similarly to the previous design, this lantern features good brightness, a durable design, and long light life.
The battery reliance is another potential downside, but otherwise it is a great emergency lantern.
6) IODOO Portable LED — Best High Lumen Emergency Lantern
If high brightness levels are what you’re looking for, then the IODOO Portable LED lantern would be an excellent choice. We will show you why as we look at some of the features of this lamp.
Key Features
This lantern has an output of 4000 lumens, meaning it is really bright for all usage scenarios. On the highest brightness setting, it will last around 24 hours when on continually. On the lowest setting, you can expect up to 100 hours.
It also functions as a portable charger with a 10000 mAh power capacity, so that’s a great feature to have. It is also weather and shockproof, making it ideal for many situations.
Ease Of Use
The lantern’s settings and mechanisms are a bit more involved than many of the other lanterns on this list, but it is still pretty easy and intuitive to turn on and set as you wish.
Pros And Cons
This lantern’s main draw is its impressive brightness and long light life. It would be ideal for camping, power outages, or any emergency scenarios.
It is reliant on its rechargeable battery, however, so you will need an outlet to prepare it for use. There are products such as this solar power bank we have looked at before that could be used with lanterns such as this one.
7) ENERGIZER 360 Pro — Best Emergency Lantern for Camping
We have another lantern from Energizer with the Energizer 360 Pro. we chose this lantern because of how ideal it would be for camping and emergency scenarios alike.
Key Features
The lantern has an output of up to 500 lumens depending on the setting, and it can last for up to 150 hours. It has a 360-degree lighting range, is weatherproof and shockproof, and can be used for emergency charging for mobile devices.
Ease Of Use
The lantern is another example of one that is simple and easy to use. One great feature is that the power switch is glow in the dark, meaning you can operate it easily even in an unexpected power outage.
Pros And Cons
In terms of benefits, this lantern has a decent brightness output, intuitive controls, good durability, and can function as an emergency charger.
It will need 3 batteries that are not included, which is worth noting.
8) Internova Lantern — Best Water Resistant Emergency Lantern
The Internova LED lantern is our next pick, specifically for its water-resistant design. We shall show off more of what it has to offer now.
Key Features
This lantern includes many of the features we have come to expect from an emergency lantern. It outputs a maximum of 2000 lumens and can function for up to 31 hours depending on the setting.
Speaking of settings, it has four light settings to choose from. The lantern has been specifically designed to be resistant to the harshest of weather conditions, making it great for even the most intense scenarios.
Ease Of Use
The lantern has a single-button dial for turning on the unit and choosing your power modes. It has an attached rubber handle for hanging or carrying and is very easy to set up.
Pros And Cons
With this lantern, we have another robust product that is durable, bright, and easy to use. Once again, it does require 4 D batteries to function, which could be a downside for certain situations.
9) Duracell 1000 Lumen (2 Pack) — Best LED Lantern For Power Outages
Duracell is another top name in battery technology, and next up we will be showing their Duracell 1000 Lumen 2 Pack.
Key Features
This lantern set offers a simple feature set with not many frills or extras. It has 3 settings and can output a maximum of 1000 lumens.
It can also provide emergency charging for mobile devices, allowing you enough charge for an emergency call or text message.
Ease Of Use
These lanterns are incredibly simple to use with a single power button that can be used to turn on the lantern and choose between the power modes.
Pros And Cons
This pair of lanterns is pretty simple and does just about what you would expect. It has decent light output, and they are simple to operate. Having two also means you can have a backup or light a larger area.
Once again, we have to note that battery requirements can be a bit of a downside, and it would be nice to have a few more features.
10) LE LED Mini Lantern — Best Emergency Lantern for Tents
The LE LED Mini Lantern is one that caught out eye because of how ideal it would be for camping as well as emergency scenarios. Now we shall see what this compact little lantern has to offer us.
Key Features
This lantern may be small, but it packs some great features. It has 5 different light settings, can be recharged, and can also function as an emergency power bank.
It can last for up to 24 hours on the lower settings, and it has magnets and a small handle attached so that you can place it pretty much anywhere you wish. It features an output of 310 lumens on the highest setting.
Ease Of Use
This lantern is easy to operate, and its compact size makes it perfect for carrying around. The magnets and handle we mentioned earlier make it great for lighting up many different spaces.
Pros And Cons
The benefits of this lantern include its portable size and how easy it is to secure it to different surfaces. The fact that it has so many power settings and can be recharged via USB are all great features too.
The USB charging requirement could be a downside to some in certain situations, however. While the 24-hour light life is certainly good enough for most, some people may prefer the longer light life of some of the other lanterns we have looked at.
11) V&O Oil Lantern — Best Kerosene Lantern
For something a bit more traditional, we have the V&O Oil Lantern. This is a very basic lamp for people who don’t like relying on electricity at all. Let’s see what this lamp has to offer.
Key Benefits
There are no two ways about it: this is a very basic lamp. You have a few options for fuel, including kerosene, lamp oil, paraffin, or citronella. With your chosen fuel, you simply fill it up and can use it as a lantern.
It could also repel certain insects depending on the fuel you use.
Ease Of Use
This may be a simple lantern, but that also means it’s simple to use if you’ve ever used a kerosene or oil-based lamp. A simple dial is used to control the intensity of the flame once you have burned the wick.
Pros And Cons
This lantern is a solid option for anyone who prefers using traditional lantern oil. It would mean you don’t have to rely on electricity or charging, and you would merely need to have a good stock of fuel.
The lantern can get quite hot, however, so that is something worth considering. It’s also certainly not as hardy as some of the other lamps and may be a bit too fiddly for unexpected emergency situations.
12) Lichamp LED (4 Pack) — Best Multipack Emergency Lantern
Our final lantern pick would be the Lichamp LED 4 Pack. These little lanterns provide great value for money and serve as great basic emergency lanterns.
Key Features
The lanterns are quite simple, focusing on lighting with no other features. They have a 360-degree lighting range and can output 250 lumens.
They will each require 3 AA batteries to operate.
Ease Of Use
The simplicity of the lanterns means they are equally simple to operate. They also have convenient handles for hanging and carrying.
Pros And Cons
The main benefit of this pack is the fact that you get 4 in one. This is great for backups, and it can light a much larger area if you’re in a large group. They are also made of military-grade materials, meaning they will be durable and reliable.
As for downsides, they are pretty bare bones in terms of features, and you will need 12 batteries total to have all 4 ready to go.
The Bottom Line
In this overview, we tried to present you with a wide range of options depending on what you need. You will need to decide whether you value brightness, light life, portability, extra features or a combination of these the most.
No matter what you may need, we are sure that one of these lanterns will fit your needs, and you can rest assured that any of them would be a great choice!
Here are all the lanterns featured in this article, sorted by price:
