12 Of The Best Camping Lanterns For Every Budget

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As you probably already know, a camping lantern is a portable light source for camping. Traditionally gas-powered, they now mostly run on batteries or solar energy — and they do something a headlamp or flashlight can't. Specifically, they throw light in all directions. They will illuminate the space around you as opposed to pointing a beam directly at something. This alone makes it a must-have gadget for backpacking and camping. Crucially, they also make reliable emergency backup light sources. Ask any seasoned camper, and they will tell you not to head into the field without one.

We've turned to reputable outdoor publications to find lanterns covering all budgets. Affordable lanterns cover the essentials: reliable light, decent runtime, and basic weather resistance. Mid-range options add features such as rechargeable batteries, color modes, and improved weatherproofing. Premium picks are a bit rarer among camping lanterns, but we've found a couple of good ones. We've also tried to cover as many types as we could. We have rechargeable, battery-, solar-, and fuel-powered models.

But before buying, you need to consider your personal needs. Ask yourself how bright you need it to be, how long it should run, how easy it should be to carry, and which power source best suits your trip. You also need to consider the weather you expect and prepare for it accordingly. With that in mind, here are 12 of the best camping lanterns we could find.

The BioLite AlpenGlow 500 sits in the mid-range pricing bracket and is a lantern that will take your glamping trip to the next level. It outputs up to 500 lumens, which gives you around 5 hours of runtime. Drop it down dimmer, and you'll get up to 200 hours. There are four main modes. Cool white is perfect for tasks like cooking. Then there are single-color settings for atmosphere, but if the kids decide to take over camp, you can switch it to multicolor party or fireworks mode. Warm white is a nice choice for relaxing, and it's complemented by a candle flicker that unlocks with a simple shake. It mimics a real flame and is a nice touch for van lifers seeking flexible ambient light.

There's a one-hour reserve in the battery for when it's nearly spent, and it recharges via micro-USB. It'll take around three hours to refill, but you also get the convenience of pass-through charging, so you can plug in your phone and your lantern simultaneously. The AlpenGlow 500 also carries an IPX4 rating, so it'll take on a spill or a bit of light rain, but make sure to get it to safety if the heavens open. That resilience extends to the impact-resistant plastic build. As a durability test, GearJunkie knocked it off a truck tailgate repeatedly and found it "yielded little damage, and the lantern kept on ticking well into the evening." At 13.4oz, it's lightweight, too. You won't feel this lantern too much when you pack it in a bag or clip it to your pack.

You can recharge the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 in three ways. There's a USB port for faster charging and a solar panel for when you're off-grid. However, there's also a hand crank for emergencies. If you're out in the wilderness and you run the battery dry after dark, a single minute of cranking gives you ten minutes of low-power light. Outdoor GearLab reckons it's a feature that "really makes this model stand out from the crowd" — and it's difficult to go against that. The Lighthouse 600 genuinely offers an extra level of reliability.

Emergency use aside, at 600 lumens, it throws enough light to keep a campsite well illuminated into the evening. There's even a dial on the front that lets you switch from 360-degree coverage to a tighter 180 degrees, should you want to conserve power. At full beam with both sides lit, Goal Zero puts the lantern's runtime at 2.5 hours, but in GearLab's testing, they recorded 3 hours and 15 minutes. A final bonus is that the USB port is both input and output, so you can use the lantern to top up a phone or a headlamp — and you get all of that at an agreeable mid-range price.

While the Lighthouse 600 offers three ways to recharge the battery, the budget-priced Black Diamond Apollo takes a different approach to emergency power supply. The built-in 2,600mAh lithium-ion cell is the main source, but if it runs flat when you're returning from a hike after dusk, three AA batteries kick in automatically. On any long trip away from a charging point, that fallback keeps the light on and ensures the Apollo remains an excellent choice for emergencies.

It may not be as bright as the Lighthouse, which Black Diamond advertises at 250 lumens. However, in Camping Guidance's independent testing, they measured 362 lumens, considerably more than the spec sheet claims. They note that this is bright enough to fill a six-person tent, and the reviewer, who had owned the Apollo for a long time, called it their "high-quality, reliable camping lantern for years."

The outdoor publication also recorded a runtime of around 20 hours on the brightest setting across both power supplies, which is slightly less than the manufacturer's claims. It's lightweight at 12.1oz, and the IPX4 rating offers resistance to splashes and light rain. It also features patented digital lockout technology that prevents the lantern from accidentally turning on in a bag, and there's a double hook for hanging it from a tent loop.

There are plenty of lighting gear options to brighten your camping trip, and for one of the more stripped-back choices, consider the Black Diamond Moji. In fact, this lantern is about as stripped-back as a camping lantern gets. It has a single button that handles everything, from turning it on to adjusting the brightness. Wait, that's all it actually does. But it is roughly the size of a tennis ball and priced under $30, so you can't expect much more. 

It fits easily in a coat pocket, and at that price, it's affordable enough to purchase a couple. You could keep one in the car and one in the tent, or have them dotted around the RV for reliable nighttime lighting. The beams pass through the lantern's frosted globe, and the 200 lumens scatter evenly. There's no harsh glare, and, according to Wirecutter, it's powerful enough to illuminate "a small area, like the inside of a two-person tent or a campsite picnic table." Three AAA batteries are all it needs to run for 120 hours, and digital lockout tech ensures it won't switch on inside a bag and drain the batteries.

The Black Diamond Moji R+ arrives in the same pocketable form as the standard Moji. It also provides the same 200-lumen beam, the same IPX4 splash resistance, the same fold-out metal hooks, and the same digital lockout tech that prevents accidental power draining in a bag. So what's the point in paying the extra $20 or so? Well, there are some meaningful features that might interest you. 

For a start, it has magnets embedded in the base that allow you to snap it onto any steel surface, like a car hood or a metal camp table. It's also a more colorful little lantern. The Moji R+ enhances the standard Moji's white-only output with a palette of solid colors, adding a touch of atmosphere to your campsite or tent. Rainbow Mode takes that up a notch as it drifts slowly through every hue, and there's also a strobe light for emergencies. 

Another notable difference is the rechargeable 1,500mAh lithium-ion battery. It powers the light for 5.5 hours on high and 16 on low and tops up via micro-USB. But at 5.8oz, it's a bit heavier than the original. In fact, Outdoor GearLab notes it's heavier than most other mini lanterns. But after testing multiple compact models, they concluded that it is "because it's simply built better."

This is not a tabletop lantern. At 14 lbs and just shy of $400, the Goal Zero Skylight is a premium investment, and, according to GearJunkie, it's best suited to "people who live the van life, in an RV, or overland" — regular tent campers will not need this light. It's a telescoping area light that extends up to 12 feet and features six individually adjustable LED petals that pivot 180 degrees so you can aim them exactly where you need them. Unlike most other outdoor LEDs, the Skylight emits a warm 3,250K light across all settings. This is much easier on the eyes after dark than a harsh, cool-toned beam, and it helps create a nice, relaxed camp atmosphere.

Its four brightness settings range from a 400-lumen low to a 6,000-lumen boost, should you ever need to light up a small village. Keep the setting on low, and the internal battery can last up to 8 hours. You can also connect it to a power station via the 12V plug, and it's easy to set up. In fact, you'll have it lighting up the campsite in minutes. Finally, it comes with a hard-shell carry case for storage and transportation, so if you need a premium light to flood a wide area after dark, leave the torches at home and bring this instead.

The Fenix CL27R combines a floodlight and a spotlight in the same unit. You can run them separately or combine them for maximum luminosity; they reach a peak brightness of 1,600 lumens. It should be noted that once you hit the brightest mode, it automatically drops to around 720 lumens after a minute, which is common in compact, high-output lights that require thermal management. Lighting gear publication 1Lumen says, "Lights like this have as many uses as your creativity allows." You can use it during power outages, while fishing after dark, or around the campsite, freestanding on a picnic table or mounted on a tripod for overhead coverage.

It's even ideal for nighttime photography. In fact, it's one of those non-camera gadgets photographers should have. This is largely due to the floodlight's versatility; it has a color temperature ranging from a warm 2,700K to a stark 6,500K, while the spotlight is fixed at a cool 5,700 K. What's more, it carries an IP66 rating that offers dust protection and better weather resistance than you usually get with lanterns in the mid-range pricing bracket. And considering what's packed in, it's lightweight at 10.6oz, and the rechargeable 5,000 mAh battery is user-replaceable.

The name is a bit of a giveaway, but the Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro does exactly what you would expect. It runs for a full 30 days without needing a battery change. That 30 days is, of course, at the lowest setting, but it should easily last through an entire camping trip at a higher setting and still have life remaining. Even with continuous use at its 1,000-lumen highest setting, you'll manage around nine hours (12 if you listen to the manufacturer). UST also claims 30 hours of power at 400 lumens, which is bright enough for most needs, and there's an amber candle flicker for a bit of atmosphere, as well as an SOS that pulses in actual Morse code.

It's powered by three D batteries (not included) and is powerful enough that one Amazon customer said it "is perfect for making dinner at camp in the dark." The Duro weighs 1.9lbs, and it's housed in a rubberized, impact-resistant body with an IPX4 water-resistance rating. There's a hook built into the base that lets you flip it upside down to use it as a downlight, and the best part is you get all this at a surprisingly low price, usually under $40.

One reviewer at Camping Guidance who bought and tested the Ledlenser ML6 called it "power-packed with everything you could possibly want and with very few cons to it." This is high praise, but the features back it up. A magnetic base, two hanging hooks, and a tripod thread mean it sticks securely to a car door, hangs perfectly in a tent, or even stands on uneven ground without issue. It puts out 750 lumens on boost, and while Ledlenser claims you'll get 240 hours of runtime on dim, Camping Guidance tested it at 269 hours before the battery gave out.

Impressively, there are sixteen light modes. You have the usual high, medium, and low, as well as a red light, strobe, and SOS, while Breathe Mode slowly pulses through the different brightness levels. It steps up the elemental protection with an IP66 rating. This means it's sealed against dust and protected against spray to the level of a powerful jet, and, with its USB output, it doubles as a power bank. The standout, however, is its seven-year warranty. This is much longer than most rechargeable lanterns, though you must register it; otherwise, that protection drops to two years. Another bonus is the replaceable battery, which may be a relief given its premium price of around $150.

What makes the LuminAID PackLite Titan stand out is that it inflates into a 6-inch cube. But there are no valves, and you don't need to huff and puff with your lungs. It inflates with a simple twist. This mid-range-priced lantern obviously floats, too. So, you would hope that it's waterproof. Well, its IP67 rating says it is, so it's ideal for late-night fishing, shower cubicles, and rainy nights under the awning. If you're taking it on a fair-weather trip or going off-grid, you'll be happy to know it also has a solar panel that charges in about 16-20 hours from direct sunlight. If you have access to power, you can fully charge the 4,000mAh battery via USB in about four hours.

The Titan has a 300-lumen output, and the light passes through frosted panels, scattering evenly in all directions. The Canadian outdoor specialists at Explore Magazine rate it highly, saying it can "brighten up a family-sized tent enough to play shadow puppets on the canvas wall." There are five brightness levels, with the highest providing up to 5 hours. Drop down to medium, which is enough light for most situations, and you'll get around 16 hours. You also have an SOS setting for emergencies and a red-light mode for night vision, while the USB output offers the added convenience of phone charging.

Much like the Packlite Titan, the Streamlight Siege floats. But it doesn't inflate. It floats thanks to its buoyant polycarbonate body. You can even submerge it in water up to 1 meter deep for up to half an hour, thanks to its IPX7 rating. But it's that polycarbonate thermoplastic construction, along with its molded rubber base, that takes the durability up a notch. The Siege is impact-tested to two meters, and the outdoor gear review site TopNotch Outdoor calls it "genuinely one of the most weatherproof and rugged lanterns."

Despite being budget-priced at under $50, it beams 540 lumens on high and runs for around 30 hours. Medium drops it to 275 lumens and 70 hours, while the 55-lumen low setting stretches things to 295 hours. There's also a night-vision-preserving red mode and an SOS, while D-rings on the top and bottom are there for hanging upright or inverted.

While Streamlight is known for making rechargeable flashlights for all your needs, the Siege takes three standard D-cell batteries. No charging is needed, so there's no risk of a dead battery leaving you in the dark, as long as you carry fresh cells to pop in whenever needed. It's a light you might want to reserve for emergency kits and survival caches, or, given its almost 2lb weight, keep at the campsite rather than taking it with you on nighttime activities.

If you're a backpacker or other outdoor adventurer, you might already carry cooking fuel. If so, you can share it with the Primus Micron lantern. It runs on the same isobutane fuel canisters used by most backpacking stoves, and the lantern itself adds little extra weight to your pack. With a stainless steel build and a 4oz weight, it's one of the most durable and lightest travel lanterns you'll find.

Another bonus of this mid-range-priced lantern is that, unlike battery or solar lanterns, the Micron generates heat. This can be very welcome on nippy nights in areas where open fires are banned. One camper on Amazon mentioned it "helped fight back the chill on 20-degree nights." It should be noted, however, that some reviewers talk about burning the lantern inside a tent. But the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns it should not be used there or inside any camper or other vehicle due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Not only that, but there's also the threat of fire.

The flame quality is warm and comforting, and with an output of up to 235 lumens, it can be bright enough for cooking and reading. Runtime from one canister is anywhere between 12 and 24 hours — significantly less if you constantly burn it at high. But if you need more runtime, the issue is resolved by a bigger canister.

To compile this list, we consulted outdoor gear publications, including GearJunkie, Outdoor Gear Lab, and Treeline Review; product testing outlets, such as Wirecutter and CNN Underscored; and lifestyle and travel publications, including Travel + Leisure. We used them to identify the most consistently praised camping lanterns on the market — with budget a consideration throughout. We have covered lanterns ranging from affordable to premium, and they all have positive reviews from credible sources, ensuring genuine quality.