The Best LED Lanterns, According to Our Testing

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best LED Lanterns, According to Our Testing and hope the blog can help you.

Whether preparing for a power outage, an emergency, a camping trip, or a hiking trek, the best LED lantern can undoubtedly come in handy. Use this tested guide to find the right hands-free light for your needs.

Being left in the dark during a power outage, after a severe weather event, or while on an outdoor adventure can lead to injuries and trigger anxiety. And while flashlights are great to have around, sometimes they’re not the right tool for the situation—you might need both hands free for cooking, changing a flat, or gathering essentials.

The best LED lantern provides bright, hands-free light while being convenient to carry, store, and use. To find the models that promise to be reliable in conditions created during everything from camping to power outages, we performed extensive side-by-side testing of several different LED lanterns. Find out why the following models tested as our top options on the market.

1. BEST OVERALL: Lepro LE Super Bright LED Camping Lantern
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Lepro LE Rechargeable LED Camping Lantern Flashlight
3. UPGRADE PICK: Streamlight Super Siege Rechargeable LED Lantern
4. BEST LIGHTWEIGHT: Black Diamond Moji Lantern
5. BEST SOLAR-POWERED: Mpowerd Luci Outdoor 2.0 Inflatable Solar Light
6. BEST BURN TIME: Coleman 390L Twin LED Lantern

How We Tested the Best LED Lanterns

When deciding on our top picks for LED lanterns, we were careful to include a wide range of options across many categories, offering shoppers our favorites for a slew of different situations. Our list includes LED lanterns with a range of power options, from disposable batteries to rechargeable lithium-ion options. We even found an excellent solar-powered lantern. Our top picks come in a range of brightnesses since we know that not everyone needs a super-bright (and sometimes blinding) light. Some lanterns deliver a soft and gentle 75 lumens, whereas the brightest option uses an ultrapowerful 1100-lumen light to fully illuminate the darkness.

After selecting some of the top-rated LED lanterns on the market, we conducted hands-on tests to determine how well they each performed in real-life conditions. We took the lanterns into a near-pitch-dark wooded area and assessed whether they were bright enough for lighting tasks like cooking and setting up a tent. Since adjusting a lantern’s brightness to suit such different activities is important, we looked at the ability to dim each lantern as well as the quality of light they provided. To mimic the need for a lantern when electric lighting isn’t available, we also considered the battery life of each model, noting how long they stayed illuminated after a fresh charge or with new batteries. And since outdoor lanterns are often used in rugged conditions, we considered each lantern’s durability by repeatedly dropping them on a rocky area. We also splashed or submerged them in water to determine how well they lived up to the manufacturer’s water-resistance rating. Finally, we assessed the size and weight of each lantern to determine how convenient they were to store and transport.

Our Top Picks

We selected the following top picks according to portability, brightness, lighting modes, power source, burn time, and durability. Our list includes products with a variety of features to suit unique needs. Read on to discover some of the best LED lanterns on the market today for reliable lighting at home and on the go.

Best Overall

Lepro LE Super Bright LED Camping Lantern

See It

If the measure of a good lantern is brightness, one would be hard-pressed to find a brighter option than the Lepro LE super-bright camping lantern. Its 1000-lumen LED bulb with 360-degree illumination provides bright light in every direction, making it excellent for camping, power outages, or lighting dim spaces during DIY projects. Even on an overcast, near-pitch-dark night, we had no problem illuminating a large area with the Lepro LE.

The lantern includes four light levels: cool white, warm, white-warm combination, and flashing. We loved the ability to change the color temperature to suit the setting, and the flashing mode is great if you find yourself stranded on the side of the road.

Along with the ability to change the light temperature, we also loved the ability to dim this lantern by simply holding in the button on any of the light modes. This made the Lepro great for task lighting while setting up a tent, cooking, making a nighttime trip to the bathroom, or pre bedtime lounging around the campsite.

The Lepro comes equipped with a hook at the top of the lantern, which was perfect for carrying it, and one under the base, which we found ideal for hanging the light from our tent ceiling. We particularly liked the fact that we could remove the plastic shade to create brighter overhead lighting.

This lantern is powered by two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, giving it up to 12 hours of burn time. That’s impressive, given how bright it is. We also liked its USB port, which made a handy power bank for our smartphone. That said, we should note that the batteries are not removable, which means the whole lantern will need replacing once the batteries no longer hold a charge.

The Lepro LE super-bright lantern is built for outdoor use. It has a water-resistance rating of IP44, which means it can survive being splashed with water, and a thick rubberized coating around the base and top of the lantern protects it from damage and makes it easy to grip. It lived up to its water-resistance rating during our splash test and survived multiple drops from chest height onto our concrete driveway, suffering little more than a few scratches.

Product Specs

• Max brightness: 1000 lumens
• Power source: Rechargeable battery (USB)
• Dimmable: Yes

Pros

• Extremely bright 1000-lumen light is capable of illuminating a larger area
• Can set it to multiple color temperatures to suit the mood
• Comes equipped with a USB port that can be used as a power bank
• Has up to 12 hours of burn time on a single charge

Cons

• Battery cannot be removed from the lantern and therefore is not replaceable

Get the Lepro LE super-bright LED lantern at Amazon, Walmart, or Lepro.

Best Bang for the Buck

Lepro LE Rechargeable LED Camping Lantern Flashlight

See It

The versatility of this lantern makes it a great value as an all-around light for home use and outdoor adventures. It consists of two separate light sources: a lantern side and a flashlight side with four light modes and two brightness levels. The 500-lumen white light boasts a 360-degree range up to 1,151 feet, and the 250-lumen white light provides a 180-degree range up to 656 feet. There’s also a red-light mode that will either stay on continuously or flash.

We liked the dual-function aspect of this lantern. A hook on top of the lantern is useful for hanging it from a tent ceiling, and the lantern’s handle works equally well when wielding the unit as a flashlight. We used the lantern side and its many dimming options for ambient and task lighting while hanging out at the campsite, then changed over to the flashlight function with the push of a button for a late-night hike in the woods and a trip to the bathroom.

Its compact size, measuring just 6.61 inches long by 3.54 inches wide by 3.23 inches high (in flashlight position), makes it well suited for short nocturnal hikes. The flashlight side doesn’t get as bright as other models we tested, but it’s sufficient for guiding you through dark woods or a dark home.

Though not as tough as some of the other lanterns we tested, the lantern feels durable enough thanks to its thick plastic construction and the heavy rubber coating around its base. It lived up to its IPX4 rating by enduring splashes from water, and it survived our drop test unscathed.

The Lepro’s battery life was a little disappointing, given the long runtime of some of the other rechargeable flashlights we tested. The lithium-ion battery provides a 3- to 6-hour burn time for the headlight torch and a 2.5- to 4.5-hour burn time for the lantern, depending on the brightness level. Neither is exceptionally long compared to the other rechargeable lanterns we tested. We did like the LED battery gauge, which shows the lantern’s remaining charge.

We found the USB outlet that let us use the lantern as a power bank to be a nice extra feature for charging our smartphone, though we don’t know how often we’d use it given the lantern’s limited battery life.

Product Specs

• Max brightness: 500 lumens
• Power source: Rechargeable battery (USB)
• Dimmable: Yes

Pros

• Has dual functionality as both a lantern and a flashlight
• Capable of serving as a charger for mobile devices via a built-in USB port
• Versatile lantern with many dimming options and light modes

Cons

• Flashlight switch is hard to press, and flashlight is on the dim side

Get the Lepro LE rechargeable LED lantern at Amazon or Lepro.

Upgrade Pick

Streamlight Super Siege Rechargeable LED Lantern

See It

The Super Siege LED lantern from Streamlight is built to withstand harsh conditions and boasts multiple light modes with different runtimes to suit a variety of circumstances, giving this lantern tremendous versatility.

We love the broad range of modes on the Streamlight. With dimmer settings that range from 125 to 1100 lumens, we could use the Streamlight for task lighting while cooking, then dim it down for ambient mood lighting while winding down for sleep. We also liked the red-light mode, which functions as an effective night light or a useful emergency light when set to flashing. The lantern also comes equipped with a removable shade, which we found helpful for navigating through dark woods.

The Super Siege’s hefty rechargeable battery provides a runtime of almost 6 hours on high, 36 hours on low, and up to a whopping 140 hours with the red light. It charged in about 7 hours via the included AC charger and had a USB port that allowed us to power other devices.

Thanks to its heavy-duty high-grade plastic and rubber construction, the Super Siege is designed to take a licking and keep on lighting. It can withstand drops of about 6.5 feet, and its IPX7 rating means it can survive a plunge to depths of up to 3.2 feet for 30 minutes. It survived our drop tests and a dunk in a bucket of water. And, since it floats, there was less of a chance of losing it should we drop it in a lake or stream. We also liked the recessed power button, which ensured it didn’t accidentally turn on when we packed it away to head back to the house.

There’s also a handy watertight storage compartment that provides a safe place for small items, like a USB cable or a lighter. While the Super Siege is built like a rock at nearly 2 pounds, it also feels a little like one. This is the heaviest lantern we tested, making it best suited for car camping, cabin life, or home use.

Product Specs

• Max brightness: 1100 lumens
• Power source: Rechargeable battery (AC)
• Dimmable: No, but it has 3 brightness settings (low, medium, and high)

Pros

• Numerous light modes and the red color option make it very versatile
• Doubles as a charging station with its built-in USB port
• Rubber base and heavy-duty ABS plastic construction offer excellent durability
• Bright 1100-lumen light is capable of illuminating a large area

Cons

• Rechargeable battery is not replaceable

Get the Streamlight LED lantern at Amazon, Walmart, or Cabela’s.

Best Lightweight

Black Diamond Moji Lantern

See It

With its compact design and versatile dimming ability, Moji’s Black Diamond is the ideal choice for overnight camping trips in the backwoods. With a weight of just 2.55 ounces (without batteries), the Moji lantern won’t add much heft to a pack. It also measures just 1¾ inches high by 2⅞ inches in diameter, so it fits easily inside a backpack side pocket or even a pants pocket.

We were amazed by the power and versatility of this lantern. Despite the fact that it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it gets astonishingly bright. This 200-lumen lantern emits enough ambient light to serve as task lighting while cooking or setting up camp.

But what we loved most about this lantern was its dimming switch. To dim, simply turn on the light and hold the button until the lantern dims to the desired brightness level. This easy operation gave us much more control over the lantern’s light level than the lanterns we tested that had only one or two fixed brightness settings. We could brighten the lantern to its max of 200 lumens when moving around camp, then dim it to as low as 10 lumens when winding down for bedtime. Three AAA batteries (not included) provided a good burn time of 10 hours on the high setting and up to 70 hours on the low setting.

The collapsible double-hook hang loop made it easy to attach to our backpack without the need for an extra carabiner and is also great for hanging the lantern upside down in a tent. We only wish the Moji was a little more rugged. While its IPX4 rating means it can withstand the splashes of rain or sleet, it’s not ideal for boating or other situations where it could get submerged.

Product Specs

• Max brightness: 200 lumens
• Power source: Rechargeable battery (USB, sold separately) or 3 AAA batteries (not included)
• Dimmable: Yes

Pros

• Compact design and light weight make it ideal for backpacking trips
• Can dim to any level between 200 lumens and 10 lumens
• Built-in hook handy for hanging from a tent ceiling or backpack

Cons

• IPX4 rating will stand up to rain and sleet but not full submersion

Get the Black Diamond LED lantern at Amazon or Black Diamond Equipment.

Best Solar-Powered

Mpowerd Luci Outdoor 2.0 Inflatable Solar Light

See It

This novel lantern design from Mpowerd inflates to create a solar-powered light, then collapses to a flat, compact disc when not in use. It consists of ten LED bulbs inside a lantern body about the size of a large can of corn (when inflated). The lights are powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that turns on and off via a small power button on the lantern’s top. This same button allows you to cycle through three different brightness levels and a flashing mode.

The 75-lumen lantern features four modes with various associated burn times: High lasts 6 hours, medium and flashing last 12 hours, and low lasts 24 hours. The battery charges in about 7 hours via a solar panel located on its top. When inflated, we found the lantern to be bright enough to serve as ambient lighting for moving about the campsite, but it was not bright enough to be effective for cooking or other tasks in which visibility is key.

While this lantern took a little more effort to set up, it was worth the extra effort when weight and space savings were crucial. Weighing just 4.4 ounces and only 1 inch thick when collapsed, the Mpowerd inflatable lantern was lightweight and small enough to clip to the outside of our backpack with the attached straps.

This lantern held up to dusty and waterlogged rugged outdoor adventures with its IP67 rating and ability to withstand 150 pounds of pressure. However, since it’s inflatable, we were worried about its susceptibility to punctures from sharp objects, especially with it dangling off the back of a backpack.

Product Specs

• Max brightness: 75 lumens
• Power source: Solar
• Dimmable: No, but 3 brightness settings (low, medium, and high)

Pros

• Collapses into a compact size for easy transport in or on a backpack
• Solar-powered rechargeable battery lasts up to 24 hours on a single charge
• Multiple light levels and a blinking light option for emergencies
• Battery level indicator clearly displays how much charge remains

Cons

• Set up requires you to blow it up with lung power before use
• Not as durable as lanterns made from hard plastic

Get the Mpowerd LED lantern at Amazon, Walmart, Mpowerd, or REI.

Best Burn Time

Coleman 390L Twin LED Lantern