The Best LED Lanterns of 2024 (Tested & Reviewed) - Bob Vila

By Tiffany Lewis, Tony Carrick

Updated on Oct 29, 2024 8:28 AM EDT

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If you don’t want to risk being left in the dark during a power outage, after a severe weather event, or while on an outdoor adventure, it’s smart to have an LED lantern at the ready. Even if you have a flashlight under your sink or in your car, it might be better to have a light that allows you to use both hands for cooking, changing a flat, or gathering essentials.

Still, choosing an LED lantern fit for such a variety of potential uses isn’t as simple as it sounds. To help you determine which light will be best for your needs, we performed nine hands-on tests on eight models and sought advice from a lighting expert. Based on their insights and our test results, we chose the Lepro LE Super Bright LED Camping Lantern as our top pick for its durability and ease of use in an array of settings.

Ahead, we detail what we liked about the Lepro and the rest of our award winners and explain which features are most important when choosing one of these illumination devices for yourself. Whether you care most about lighting that’s bright, convenient to carry, or rechargeable, our list of the best LED lanterns will have an option that meets your needs.

We selected the following top picks according to portability, brightness, lighting modes, power source, burn time, and durability. Our list of the best LED lanterns on the market includes products with a variety of features to suit your unique needs.

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Performance 5/5; Portability 4/5; Durability 4/5; Value 5/5

If the measure of a good lantern is brightness, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better lantern than this super-bright model from Lepro. Its 1000-lumen LED bulb with 360-degree illumination provides bright light in every direction, making it excellent for backyard camping, power outages, or lighting dim spaces during DIY projects. Even on our overcast, near-pitch-dark testing night, we had no problem illuminating a large area with the Lepro.

The lantern features four light levels: cool white, warm, white-warm combination, and flashing. We loved that we could change the color temperature to suit the setting and that we could remove the plastic shade to create brighter overhead lighting. It also has a hook at the top and one under the base for easy carrying and hanging.

The Lepro LE super-bright lantern runs for up to 12 hours using its two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries—pretty impressive, given how bright it is. It also has a USB port that lets you use it as a power bank to charge your phone or other devices. Unfortunately, its batteries are not removable, so you’ll have to replace the whole lantern once the batteries no longer hold a charge. Until that day, its IP44 water-resistance rating will keep it running despite errant splashes of water, and its thick rubberized coating will protect it from occasionally being knocked over or dropped. We let it fall from chest height onto our concrete driveway multiple times, and it suffered little more than a few scratches.

Read our full review: Lepro LE Super Bright LED Lantern

What our tester says: “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. These options made the Lepro great for task lighting while setting up a tent, cooking, and making nighttime trips to the bathroom.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

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

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Performance 3/5; Portability 4/5; Durability 4/5; Value 4/5

This lantern’s dual-function aspect (it has a lantern side and a flashlight side) makes it a great value as an all-around light for home use and outdoor adventures. It has a 500-lumen max brightness that boasts a 360-degree range of up to 1,151 feet, and its 250-lumen dim setting provides a 180-degree range of up to 656 feet. There’s also a red-light mode that will either stay on continuously or flash.

During testing, we used the lantern side for ambient and task lighting while hanging out at the campsite, then changed over to the flashlight function for a late-night hike in the woods. While the flashlight provided enough output to guide our way, it wasn’t as bright as others we tested. It’s also not as tough as other models, but its thick plastic body and heavy rubber coating around the base will be durable enough for recreational and emergency use. It lived up to its IPX4 rating by enduring splashes from water, and it survived our drop test unscathed.

The Lepro’s 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 brightness level. While that’s not exceptionally long, the battery gauge kept us clued into the lantern’s remaining charge. And like our pick for Best Overall, we appreciated the option to use its USB outlet as a power bank. Still, with its limited battery life, we’d really only use that feature in an emergency.

Get the Lepro LE flashlight with lantern at Amazon or Lepro.

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4.4/5; Performance 4.7/5; Portability 3/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4.5/5

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. But since it floats, anything you tucked away in its handy watertight storage compartment will return to the surface along with the light.

With three brightness settings ranging from 125 to 1100 lumens, we used the Streamlight for task lighting while cooking and dimmed it down for ambient mood lighting while relaxing before bed. 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 on red. It charged in about 7 hours via the included AC charger and had a USB port that allowed us to power other devices. 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.

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

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4.5/5; Performance 4/5; Portability 5/5; Durability 4/5; Value 5/5

With its compact design and versatile dimming ability, Moji’s Black Diamond is the ideal choice for overnight camping trips. It weighs just 2.55 ounces (without batteries) and measures 1¾ inches high by 2⅞ inches in diameter, so it fit easily inside our backpack side pocket without adding any noticeable heft. It also has a collapsible double-hook hang loop if you’d rather attach it to the outside of your bag or want to hang it in your tent.

Though there’s a lot to like about this little lantern, what we loved most about it was its dimming switch. All you have to do is hold down its on 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 set it to its max of 200 lumens when moving around camp, then dimmed it all the way to just 10 lumens when winding down for bedtime.

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. Still, so long as you keep it above water, its three AAA batteries (not included) will provide up to 10 hours of light on high and up to 70 hours on low.

What our tester says: “We were amazed by the power and versatility of this lantern. Despite the fact that it fit in the palms of our hands, it gets astonishingly bright. It put out plenty of ambient light for us to cook and set up camp.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

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

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Performance 3/5; Portability 5/5; Durability 4/5; Value 4/5

This novel lantern from Mpowerd consists of 10 solar-rechargeable LED bulbs on top of an inflatable plastic body. 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 for easy transport.

Though it’s small and simple, this 75-lumen lantern still has three different brightness levels and a flashing mode. It lasts about 6 hours on high 12 on medium or flashing, and up to 24 hours on low. The battery charges in about 7 hours via a solar panel located on its top. When inflated, the Luci Outdoor 2.0 was bright enough to serve as ambient lighting for moving about the campsite but ineffective when cooking or performing other tasks in which visibility was key.

With its IP67 rating and ability to withstand 150 pounds of pressure, this LED outdoor solar lantern held up to dusty and waterlogged rugged outdoor adventures. While manually inflating it does take a little effort, we think it’s worth it when minimizing weight and saving space matter. However, since it’s inflatable, we do worry a bit about it getting punctured by sharp objects, especially if it’s dangling off the back of a backpack.

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

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4.75/5; Performance 5/5; Portability 3/5; Durability 4/5; Value 3.5/5

This Coleman LED lantern is ideal for long camping trips, offering up to 299 hours of light at 100 lumens or 85 hours at 390 lumens—over 3 days of continuous use on its highest setting. In addition to its long runtime, it features a dimmer dial that makes it easier to control output than lanterns that offer a fixed number of brightness options. We set the dial to higher light levels as the sun went down during dinner, then reduced it to a low for ambient lighting. And unlike the cool white light most lanterns emit, the 390L produces a warmer light that’s easy on the eyes.

Still, this Coleman LED lantern isn’t perfect. It’s large, so it’s not fun to take on a hike in the woods or even walk to the campground restroom. It measures 8.25 inches long by 7.38 inches wide by 13.9 inches high and weighs over 5 pounds when loaded with batteries. Also, it requires eight D batteries, which cost us over $16. Even though it has an excellent runtime and its LED bulbs should last a lifetime, powering this lantern will be a bit spendy over time.

You’ll also want to be a little more careful with this Coleman than with some of the more durable lanterns we tested. It has an IPX4 rating, which means it can only endure splashes of water. To avoid damaging it, you’ll have to be mindful about storing it in a dry place when wet weather threatens.

Get the Coleman LED lantern at Amazon, Tractor Supply Co., Walmart, or Coleman.

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Performance 5/5; Portability 5/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4.3/5

Headlamps offer the convenience of an LED lantern in a wearable package. This model from Black Diamond Storm is compact, emits up to 400 lumens, and has settings for proximity or distance lighting, dimming, and strobe, as well as red, green, and blue modes. IP67-rated dust- and waterproof, it’s built for extended use in the elements and can withstand full immersion under 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

We loved almost everything about this light during testing, with the possible exception of its reliance on single-use alkaline batteries. Its wide elastic band is comfortable and stays in place, even while running or worn as a hard hat light. Also, the light itself was incredibly adjustable, from the tiltable face to the variable brightness settings. We appreciated using its red option at night so we could see our dinner plates without blinding our campmates. Perhaps our favorite thing, though, was that we could shine this small LED light out to a distance greater than 100 feet and then adjust it way down for up-close needs. This makes it a great option not only for camping or emergency use but also for keeping in a tool bag for late-night workshop tasks.

Get the Black Diamond LED lantern at Amazon.

When deciding on our top picks for LED lanterns, we were careful to include a wide range of models across many categories, offering shoppers our favorites for a slew of different situations. Our list includes LED lanterns powered by disposable batteries as well as rechargeable lithium-ion and solar options. Some models deliver a soft and gentle 75 lumens, whereas the brightest option uses an ultrapowerful 1100-lumen light to fully illuminate dark spaces.

After selecting nine top-rated LED lanterns, we conducted hands-on tests to determine how well each would perform 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 LED 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.

As pointed out by the CEO and founder of LEDLightExpert.com, Dara Greaney, how and when you intend to use an LED lantern is key to choosing one. “I like LED lanterns because, unlike flashlights, you can set them down. I keep one or two in my house for power outages or emergencies. I still have a flashlight in every bedroom so everyone has one, but the lanterns are nice for lighting up rooms and freeing up your hands.”

Are you looking for lanterns for power outages, a bug-out bag, or your next outdoor adventure? All of these scenarios require different levels of brightness, durability, and burn times. Considering the way you’ll use your LED lantern is a big part of choosing the right one.

A compact, lightweight lantern is an ideal choice for backpacking. An inflatable or collapsible lantern won’t take up much room but can still provide plenty of light. Many of these lanterns weigh less than half a pound, so you’ll barely notice any extra weight.

You’ll still typically want a portable handheld lantern for camping out of a car or an RV, but the weight and size won’t matter as much. A tabletop lantern that doesn’t collapse will likely be suitable because you won’t need to carry it far—from van to campfire and back, for example.

Particular weight and size considerations also aren’t as much a factor when purchasing a lantern for emergencies around the house or illuminating the backyard.

The light an LED bulb emits is measured in lumens. The number of required lumens in the best LED lantern depends on where, when, and how you intend to use it. For backcountry backpackers and campers, a lantern with 800 lumens and 360-degree light coverage is optimal. This provides enough light to alert you of possible dangers.

When reading or playing cards inside a tent, 800 lumens would blind you, whereas a lantern with between 40 and 100 lumens would be more suitable for a contained space. For extra versatility, consider a lantern with dimmable features so you can adjust the brightness to fit a variety of situations.

An LED lantern with 100 lumens will be enough for campground lighting, while between 250 and 550 lumens is an appropriate range for a power outage. While 250 lumens is more than enough to illuminate a room, a lantern with higher lumen output will likely be more useful if you need to move outside for any reason.

Sitting around a campfire in the deep woods, cooking at dusk, and reading at night in a tent all require different brightness levels. As mentioned above, a lantern that emits nothing less than 800 lumens might be too much for some situations.

For this reason, an LED lantern with different lighting modes or dimmable features is extremely handy. Some LED lanterns provide two, four, and even six lighting modes, including white, warm, combination white-and-warm, super-bright, and flashing modes. LED lanterns with a dimmer switch to adjust the lumens from zero to full brightness offer the most flexibility to suit just about any setting.

LED lanterns feature two primary power sources:

LED lanterns that include a solar panel and even a hand crank for recharging batteries help ensure you’ll never be without off-grid or backyard lighting due to a dead battery. Sometimes lights run by these power sources are even built into emergency radios for severe-weather use.

LED lanterns can run continuously for an average of 15 to 100 hours, depending on the model. If you’re looking at camping lanterns for a trip, you can calculate your anticipated needs by multiplying the estimated amount of usage time per night by the number of days you’ll be gone. If the estimate is 4 hours a night for four nights, you’ll need 16 hours of burn time.

When looking at an LED lantern’s maximum burn time, keep in mind that this time period represents usage at the lowest lumens for models that offer different lighting modes. If you enjoy bright lights and use the highest lumens, the maximum burn time will shorten.

Lanterns for outdoor use need to endure tumbles, bumps, and inclement weather. Models constructed with durable materials, including bumpers or rubber padding, will be protected against falls and wet conditions. You can verify the product specifications to see if the manufacturer performed a drop-test on the lantern—this identifies the height from which the lantern can survive a fall.

A lantern’s IP rating reveals its dustproof and waterproof qualities, if any.

Still need more information about LED lanterns? Check out these answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

If you’re looking at LED lights for camping in the backcountry with no one else around for miles, 800 lumens is a good place to start. Being able to see a full 360 degrees all around the camp can alert you to any dangers.

An LED lantern that emits between 250 and 550 lumens is ideal for power outages, with 250 lumens suitable to light the house and 550 lumens necessary if you need to move outside. The Lepro rechargeable LED lantern is an excellent pick for power outages, and it also doubles as a flashlight.

Some outdoor LED lights never burn out. If you take care of the lantern, it can last well beyond 10 years.

It depends on the specific LED lantern. An LED lantern with a rechargeable battery might charge via a USB cable or AC adaptor. Other options include solar lights and models that charge via a hand crank. Finally, some lanterns use disposable alkaline batteries.

The main difference between a lantern and a flashlight is the direction in which they cast light. Lanterns emit light in all directions, whereas even the best flashlights send out a beam of focused light in only one direction.

Because LED lanterns produce very little heat, they are safe to leave on all the time. However, most LED lanterns will run out of battery power in a matter of hours or days.

Tony Carrick is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, landscaping, technology, home security, and design. His articles have been featured on such sites as Angi, Popular Science, Futurism, 360 Reviews by U.S. News & World Report, Domino, and more. Carrick has conducted rigorous product testing on everything from power tools to home-security systems to backyard grills. With each review, his goal is to help readers determine whether a product meets their needs and if it is or isn’t worth its price tag.

Additional research provided by Tiffany Lewis.

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