Top 5 Best Rechargeable Camping Lanterns (Portable Light)

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A camping lantern is one of the most essential items for any camping enthusiast due to their usefulness. Based on my camping experience, I am going to reveal to you the best rechargeable camping lanterns of all time.

Camping lanterns are very helpful in providing light inside a tent as well as lighting one’s path while taking a stroll under pitch darkness.

Whether you are doing roof top camping, glamping, backpacking, survival, dome tent camping, or even camping with your family; you need a portable and rechargeable camping lantern.

The good thing about this product is that one just charges it at home and uses it on the go without the need for mains electricity.

Contents

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Rechargeable Camping Lantern

  • Battery Capacity – A good rechargeable camping lantern should have a powerful battery having a good capacity
  • Brightness – It should produce sufficient lighting for various camping needs
  • Size and portability – An ideal lantern ought to be highly portable and probably foldable to fit perfectly in the smallest backpacks.
  • Hanging – It should also have some straps or hooks or legs to hang onto various items.
  • Other features – A top lantern ought to offer other services such as a powerbank

Top Pick – Best Rechargeable Camping Lantern

After hours and hours of camping using various types of rechargeable light, I found the ultimate best rechargeable camping lantern to be the BioLite BaseLantern. This lantern was found to emit up to 500 lumens of light ideal for most camping sites. It comes in two versions a 12000 mAh or a 7800 mAh battery which also acts as a powerbank to recharge devices. Has steel folding legs for either placing on the table or hanging in tent poles or trees. This highly portable lantern also offers one the option to install several SiteLights. You can view its average price on Amazon. Read the full review below.

List of Best Rechargable Camping Lanterns

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
BioLite BaseLantern BioLite BaseLantern
  • Very blight up to 500 lumens
  • Powerful battery at 12000 mAh
  • Longer lighting up to 6 hours on full light
Check Price On Amazon
EZORKAS 2 Pack EZORKAS 2 Pack
  • Powerful 18650 mAh rechargeable battery
  • Optional 3 AA batteries compartment
  • 360 degrees lighting
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LE LED Camping Lantern LE LED Camping Lantern
  • Very bright
  • Powerbank feature
  • Good hooks
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MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0 MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0
  • Solar-powered
  • Inflatable and collapsible for saving space
  • 4 lighting modes
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SUBOOS Ultimate SUBOOS Ultimate
  • Good battery capacity at 5200 mAh total
  • Optional 3 AA batteries for off grind operation
  • IPX5 water resistant
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5. SUBOOS Ultimate – Rechargeable LED Lantern with clip

This popular camping LED lantern emerged fifth in this unbiased listing due to its good performance.  This is an flexible lantern which offers one an option either to recharge its two 18650 batteries (each rated 2600mAh) or use 3 AA batteries in case one is staying off grind.

SUBOOS Ultimate Rechargeable LED Lantern

Features of Suboos Ultimate Rechargeable LED Lantern

  • Two 18650 batteries each at 2600 mAh
  • 3 AA batteries compartment
  • Up to 185 lumens in brightness
  • 14 ounces in weight
  • Just 15 inches high when collapsed
  • Has a clip
  • It comes in two colors, black or blue

It produces some good light plus can be used to charge devices like phones. This lantern offer 4 light modes which include bright, dim, regular, and red mode. There is also flashing red for SOS signals.

SUBOOS Lantern produces light in a 360 degree range and up to 185 lumens which was sufficient for lighting a 4 person tent and a room too.  Its IPX5 rating was found to be effective against water splashes and light rain showers.

Pros

  • Good battery capacity at 5200 mAh total
  • Optional 3 AA batteries for off grind operation
  • IPX5 water resistant
  • Collapsible and light at 14 ounces for portability
  • Acts as a powerbank too

Cons

  • External build is not very strong for big impacts

4. MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0 – cheap solar-powered inflatable lantern

There is one major reason why this qualified to be on this unbiased listing, it is a solar powered camping lantern in case one might decide to explore far away from the grid.

When fully charged, it was found to last up to 23 hours. It is also a light and inflatable and collapsible lantern which takes up very little space in a backpack at just 1 inch in height when folded.

Check its current price on Amazon.

MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0 Lantern

Features of MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0

  • Solar rechargeable
  • 2,000 mAh 5V Lithium-Ion battery
  • Collapsible / inflatable
  • 75 lumens in brightness
  • 4 oz in weight
  • Water-resistant and buoyant

The MPOWERD Luci Outdoor 2.0 also has 4 light modes from very bright to dim and blinking (in case of an emergency).

Our review also revealed that it also comes with an adjustable strap at the bottom for attaching to hooks on the go (to charge in the sun) or inside a tent. This is definitely the best solar rechargeable lantern.

Pros

  • Solar-powered
  • Inflatable and collapsible for saving space
  • 4 lighting modes
  • Very light
  • Cheap

Cons

  • Not very bright

3. LE LED Camping Lantern – up to 1000 lumens

Out of all the camping lanterns I used, the LE LED was also among the top. This small lantern is rated at 1000 lumens when set on the full white light and true to its word its very bright.

I had to use it on the combined light (6000k & 3000K) setting most of the time and the warm light (3000k) when relaxing in my rooftop tent. It qualified to be the 3rd best rechargeable lantern for camping.

Features of LE LED Camping Lantern

  • Brightness up to 1000 lumens
  • 4 light mode
  • 360 degrees lighting
  • 4400 mAh rechargeable D batteries
  • IPX4 water resistant
  • Has powerbank

The LE LED is a fairly good lantern for camping adventures. Its IPX 4 water resistant rating was found to handle splashing water, drizzle and mild rain fairy well. However, this lantern cannot be partially nor submerged otherwise it will spoil.

It also acts as a power bank with an output rated 5V 1 A ideal for recharging small electronic devices.

For campers, it comes with two hooks; one on top and one below which was found to work perfectly with most hooks in camping tents.

One shortcoming noted is that the build quality especially the charging port is not very strong and thus one needs to handle it with care.

Pros

  • Very bright
  • Powerbank feature
  • Good hooks
  • 4 lighting modes

Cons

  • Build quality not very strong especially charging port

2. EZORKAS 2 Pack – military grade material lantern

The Ezorkas 2 Pack Camping Lantern is another great camping lantern that goes for an unbelievably low price. It also comes with a massive 18650 rechargeable inbuilt battery (3500 mAh) and the optional 3 AA batteries slots.

This makes it ideal for short and long camping trips where one might need to carry some extra disposable batteries. It thus qualified to be our second best rechargeable camping lantern.

EZORKAS 2 Pack Camping Lantern

Features EZORKAS 2 Pack Camping Lantern

  • A 3500 mAh rechargeable battery
  • Optional 3 AA battery slots
  • 360 degrees lighting
  • 4 lighting modes
  • 350 Lumens
  • Flashlight
  • Magnetic base
  • 66 ounces in weight
  • Water-resistant

The EZORKAS lantern comes with a thin but strong handle for hanging on hooks and portability. It has 3 strong base magnets for attaching to magnetic surfaces.

This lantern can either be recharged via USB or powered through 3 AA batteries depending on the availability of either utilities. It offers 4 lighting modes which include a lantern, COB LED, Flashlight and Red Warning Light in case of SOS calls.

Pros

  • Powerful 18650 mAh rechargeable battery
  • Optional 3 AA batteries compartment
  • 360 degrees lighting
  • Moderately bright at 200 lumens
  • Light at 0.66 lbs
  • COB LED bulb
  • Very affordable
  • Aircraft-grade build quality
  • Water-resistant

Cons

  • The body is not very strong as outlined by the manufacturer

1. Biolite BaseLantern – Powerful, Bright, & Portable

BioLite is a highly reputable camping brand with some of the most innovative products that shocked campers. One of their products that surprised everyone was a CampStove which uses just a few pieces of wood to cook and charge devices.

This kind of inventiveness has not been left behind in the development of the BioLite BaseLantern. On the first glimpse, one might think this is just another overpriced device selling at more than 100 USD (for the 12000 mAh XL version). However, a closer look at it in a wild camping setup revealed that it is worth every dime.

Best Rechargeable Camping Lantern
BioLite BaseLantern

Features of BioLite BaseLantern

  • 12000 mAh or 7500 mAH battery
  • Brightness of up to 500 lumens
  • Up to 150 hours of low blue light for XL version
  • Folding stainless steel legs
  • Proximity sensor
  • Bluetooth enabled
  • Optional multiple external SiteLights
  • Sound and light party effects

One of its most outstanding features is its powerful 12000 mAh battery which is not found in the majority of lanterns. This enables it to provide light for more time.

I found it to light my tent for as much as 150 hours on the low-level blue light or up to 6 hours when delivering the full 500 lumens of white light (enough to light an entire campsite) on a single charge. This applies to the 12000 mAh version I have acquired and the 7800 mAh version is likely to do fewer hours.

The BaseLantern comes with a low energy Bluetooth app for controlling the brightness. One can also set some sound plus light function to several cool looking party light effects creating some fun at the campsite.

It also features an innovative proximity sensor that makes use of Bluetooth to turn on and off the light. This occurs when one is  arriving and leaving respectively. This happens without using much energy from the phone.

The build quality is really good and includes such materials as stainless steel, Perspex and rubber. This lantern’s folding stainless steel legs are very innovative and ideal for placing on any flat surface or hanging.

This is not common with regular lanterns. However, the legs do not hang very well from small hooks.

 Pros

  • Very blight up to 500 lumens
  • Powerful battery at 12000 mAh
  • Longer lighting up to 6 hours on full light
  • Powerbank feature
  • Good build quality
  • Portable

Cons

  • The folding legs are not ideal for hanging on small hooks

My Take

My intensive analysis and reviews of tens of rechargeable camping lanterns, Biolite BaseLantern emerged top due to its impeccable performance and amazing features.  The other models featured here are great too and the one you choose depends on your personal preferences. Grab your lantern and enjoy your next camping expedition.

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