5 Best LED Lanterns
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Tents, sleeping bags, and food supplies may be top of your camping checklist, but an LED lantern can’t be overlooked whenever you are planning an upcoming camping trip. While most campgrounds will have electric hookups and a provision for lighting, having the best LED lantern ensures that your tent is well-lit during the night. Even for campgrounds that lack lighting, you won’t be dreading nightfall as your LED lantern will have you covered throughout the night.
Besides their lighting abilities, LED lanterns are portable and can be used virtually anywhere – you can carry them along when getting water from the water points or going to the campsite loos without falling over in the mud. And if you or your friends notice a sound outside the camping tents, you can easily grab your LED lantern and clear any suspicions.
1. LE LED Camping Lantern
A super bright, lightweight, and waterproof lantern with a pair of in-built rechargeable batteries.
Specifications
- LED Power: 10W
- Battery: Two 3.7V, 2200mAh batteries.
- Brightness: 1000 Lumens.
- Discharging Time: 6.5-12 hours, depending on lighting mode.
- Charging Time: 8 hours.
- Weight: 548g.
The LE LED camping lantern is perfect for the all-rounders. It is dimmable, with four lighting modes, which make it suitable for various environments. By pressing the lamp’s switch, one can adjust between white light, warm light, combined light, and flash mode. Long pressing the switch helps adjust the brightness to the desired level.
The 4400mAh camping lantern offers up to 12 hours of run time, so you don’t have to worry about being in the dark on your camp night. Its design and weight make it portable and convenient for virtually any application, and a hook on the top and bottom ensures that you can hang the lantern in your tent if you need to go through a few lines of your favorite book.
With 1000 lumens and a 360-degree beam angle, this lantern gives off bright light, making it ideal for reading, fishing, camping, and even car repairing. Its IP44 product rating means that it is resistant to splashing water from all angles, making it the perfect lantern for camping, hiking, hurricane emergency, and home use.
The LE LED lantern also doubles up as a power bank. It can be used as a power source for gadgets that might need extra juice, including your smartphone, helping you stay connected even when out camping in the woods.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Dimmable
- Doubles up as a power bank
- Affordable
Cons
- Relies on electricity only for recharging.
- May not withstand heavy downpour
2. MalloMe LED Lantern
A lightweight, collapsible LED lantern that offers long-lasting illumination.
Specifications
- Power: 3 AA batteries
- Brightness: 146 lumens
- Discharging Time: ~30 hours
- Weight: 255g
Unlike the rechargeable LED lanterns, the MalloMe LED lantern uses three AA batteries. Think that this compromises the lantern’s brightness? Well, think again! This lantern boasts 146 lumens of power that provide unbeatable illumination in your tent, around the campground, or in your backyard.
Made with military-grade ABS material, the lantern is meant to withstand the toughest conditions and is therefore excellent for general outdoor use. With its collapsible design, this lantern can easily slip it into your bag when packing. Its design and material ensure that the lantern doesn’t submerge, whether fully or partially, making ideal for fishing in the dark or midnight kayaking adventure.
The collapsible design also allows you to regulate the lantern’s brightness, making the lantern fit for use in any environment. The lantern is also available in various colors, including black, blue, gold, and jungle green. This lantern also offers long-term reliability as its LED light bulbs have a life span of more than 100,000 of continuous use.
Pros
- Sleek, collapsible design for brightness adjustment.
- Long run time on 3 AA batteries.
- Affordable.
- Lightweight.
Cons
- May be susceptible to damage by water.
- May not be the brightest lantern.
3. Streamlight 44931 The Siege Lantern
Streamlight 44931 Siege Compact, Cordless, 7.25Buy Now From Amazon
A compact, rugged, alkaline-battery powered lantern that provides 360 degrees of soft and even light.
Specifications
- Power: 3 AA batteries.
- Brightness: 540 lumens
- Run time: 30 hours
- Weight: 430g
- Height: 7.25 inches
- Keyed battery door
Another LED lantern that uses alkaline batteries for powering, this lantern from Streamlight, is a compact, cordless lantern with five lighting modes, thanks to its C4 power LEDs: four white and one red. The lamp has a power level indicator to ensure you know how your batteries are doing.
With the lantern, you can use the white LED with the lantern cover removed. The lantern can be set to high for the brightest light (540 lumens) and can run up to 30 hours in this mode. The medium mode offers bright light (275 lumens) and longer run times of up to 70 hours. The low mode is perfect where low light is needed (55 lumens) and offers extended run times of up to 295 hours.
If you wish to use the red LED, you can set it to steady mode or the night vision preserving mode (10 lumens) with run times of up to 235 hours. The flash SOS mode can also be used for emergency signaling (10 lumens), with run times of about 430 hours.
The Siege lantern by Streamline is built to last, thanks to a sturdy polycarbonate thermoplastic construction and unbreakable polycarbonate lenses. Its rubber base also provides stability on uneven and slippery surfaces. This lantern is IPX7 waterproof up to one meter. It also floats, making it suitable to carry along for water adventure activities. Its design also incorporates D-rings and an ergonomic handle, enabling the lantern to hang upside-down for large area lighting needs, or upright position.
Pros
- Multiple lighting modes
- Lightweight
- Waterproof
- Long run times
Cons
- May not be the brightest lantern.
4. TANSOREN LED Camping Lantern
A versatile, compact LED lantern with solar, rechargeable batteries, and 3 AA batteries for power supply.
Specifications
- Power: In-built rechargeable batteries (using DC power or solar cells) or 3 AA 1.5V batteries.
- Brightness: 60 lumens
- Weight: 330g
- Run time: ~8 hours
The TANSOREN LED lantern is the epitome of versatility, offering powering options and two charging options. The lantern is primarily powered by in-built batteries, which can be recharged using a 5V direct current or solar panel at the top of the lantern. It also uses 3 AA batteries, which as the backup power source when there is inadequate sunshine or no power hookups in the campground.
The lantern features a compact, collapsible design that makes it portable and easy to carry around. It is also made of military-grade, water-resistant plastic, which makes it waterproof and applicable for virtually any indoor and outdoor activity. Its collapsible design allows for brightness adjustment depending on the lighting needs.
This lantern also doubles up as a power bank, with a USB port through which you can charge your smartphone. Sorry to the Apple phone users – this one won’t charge your phone! Users should take precautions when charging using direct current; turn off the power to avoid damaging the LEDs.
Pros
- Alternative power and charging sources.
- Lightweight
- Waterproof
Cons
- Limited run time.
5. GearLight S1300 Lantern
Large, compact, powerful LED lantern suitable for any lighting needs.
Specifications
- Power: 3 AA batteries
- Weight: 453g
- Run time: 72 hours
GearLight LED camping lantern offers 360-degree illumination of camping tents or attics. It operates on three modes: high and medium for white light, and warm yellow mode, which allows the user to switch between the modes in different situations.
This lantern is made for the roughest conditions and is suitable for indoor, outdoor, emergencies such as hurricanes, fishing, and camping. It comprises a foldaway handle and a base hook to allow for overhead illumination by attaching it to your tent.
Pros
- Compact yet lightweight
- 3 lighting modes
- Long run times
Cons
- Single power source
What Is An LED Lantern?
LED lanterns are lamps that provide light produced by one or several light-emitting diodes (LEDs), hence their name. The lamps are designed to be compact, portable, and illuminate spaces better.
Why Buy An LED Lantern?
LED lanterns can be purchased for various lighting needs, and are mainly preferred for their portability and versatility. They produce better and brighter light than conventional flashlights and therefore come in handy in many applications.
Besides, most of them operate in various lighting modes, including normal (white light), bright light, flashlight, red light, warm yellow, and even SOS mode. Their design also allows them to be placed virtually anywhere: on rugged and uneven surfaces, metal surfaces (for those with a magnetic base), flat surfaces, and can also be hung inside tents or on tree branches.
LED lanterns also offer versatility in terms of powering and charging options. Most are powered by in-built Lithium-Ion batteries while others by dry cells (mainly AA batteries). For recharging, some have a solar panel at the top while others recharge via direct current. This makes them excellent light sources, even for emergencies.
Guide To Buying an LED Lantern
With your camping trip fast approaching, how do you about shopping for the best LED lantern? There are various factors you can’t overlook when choosing an LED lantern, and these will guide your choice. Here are some of those factors:
- Brightness: LED lanterns are mainly used for outdoor activities such as camping, or in emergencies. In such cases, you need the brightest light source you can get. When looking for an LED lantern, it is essential to consider technical features such as lumens, which is a measure of the lantern’s brightness. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light produced.
- Battery Life: A proper LED lantern should keep your campsite lit for the longest time. You should consider one that has a longer run time since it can be used over a long time before recharging.
- Durability: Most manufacturers will use sturdy, military-grade material to ensure that their LED lanterns withstand the toughest outdoor conditions. By purchasing one made of durable plastic, you don’t have to worry about replacing whenever your lantern falls on rocks or a hard surface.
- Size and Weight: One of the reasons for choosing an LED lantern over conventional flashlights or traditional lanterns is portability. When choosing your LED lantern, look out for one that is designed to be easily portable for the obvious reasons. Besides the design, it should be low on weight – you don’t want to have bulky items in your list of items, especially if you are backpacking.
- Ease of use: The last thing you want is purchasing an LED lantern that will trouble you when operating. Your preferred LED lantern should be easy to use, with the power button easily accessible. What’s more, it should be easy to switch between the various lighting modes depending on your lighting needs.
- Additional Features: Who said LED lanterns should be ordinary items? Brands have found innovative ways of incorporating additional features and gadgets into these lanterns to heighten your experience. However, when it comes to additional features, consider only those that really count. As such, LED lanterns with USB power ports and wireless speakers would be great choices.
- Charging options: Different LED lanterns are recharged differently. Some solely use direct current, while some combine this with a solar panel option. If you can get one with both options without denting your pocket, then why not?
- Price: LED lanterns are available in a wide price range. It is therefore advisable to choose one that is within your budget without compromising on the quality.
For Our Visitors From Australia
If you are in Australia and looking for a local vendor you can check out our friends at Bright Camping.
LED lanterns are essential items for lighting various spaces. They are versatile, portable, and mostly lightweight and therefore come in handy for both indoor and outdoor use. When shopping for an LED lantern, it is advisable to stay within your budget while considering other important considerations such as weight, battery life, and charging options.
