Looking for a good LED lantern (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/30/2024 2:25:29 PM EDT
[Last Edit: billclo][Edited]
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I'm looking for a good LED lantern for emergency use. Mostly in the house, but possibly camping use as well. The options are bewildering, so I'm asking for advice. Wants: Solar recharge capability built in. Internal batter that has a good capacity. Can use AA or D cells also (not mandatory but nice to have). Not blindingly bright, several brightness levels. A built in shade to mask some it would be a nice bonus. Nice to haves, but not mandatory: Cellphone recharge capability that actually works. Yellowish light or something that won't attract so many bugs External recharge port. Edit... this one from Lowes looks promising, but I am still open for ideas. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-KOBALT-Lantern-1500L/5014967229 |
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In, I'd like to have a few like OP is wanting. I'd like to put a few in our camping/prepping gear and a few in our camper. |
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I did pick up that lantern from Lowes. It can charge from an USB-C connector attached to a wall plug adaptor or other power source, so that was a nice bonus. I see no issues with the lantern so far; I'll have to try it out and see. I can see it taking a LONG time to recharge the battery from solar alone, but its a capability that's nice to have, even if a tad slow to recharge. I do agree a separate solar panel would be better, but I don't have one right now. |
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I know this is missing a few wants from your list, but for <$2, you can't go wrong. Pop by HF and try one. The staff won't even get mad. I have these all over the house and they have come in handy during a couple power outages... Harbor Freight Lantern Oh and I have been having a good experience with this work light. The magnetic base has come in handy many times. I have even stuck it to the stainless steel sink in my kitchen and did dishes, during a power outage a few months ago. Braun Magnetic Base Work light - Now on sale |
| I have a few Milwaukee M12 lanterns. Of course, I have various Milwaukee M12 and M18 tools so it makes sense for me to use the M12 lanterns. We use them camping and during power outages. The light can be set to 360* or 180*. They have three light level settings and have a built in USB charging port to charge cell phones or whatever from the M12 battery. Love them. |
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Goal Zero has some good lantern options. On the small, packable side, I've been using this one for a while: Goal Zero Crush light |
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I've been using these for years. I have several. 
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Did I just kill another thread?
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There is no voting our way out of this.
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Originally Posted By trails-end: I've been using these for years. I have several. www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW5AK22 Yep, same here. I've got 3 or 4 of the AA versions, a rechargeable version, and the D-cell version. Perfect for emergency home use. They can be used as spill lighting (take off the lens cover) and hung from string. They have a red LED light to preserve night vision. Long run times. Waterproof and they float. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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Originally Posted By trails-end: I've been using these for years. I have several. www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW5AK22 I agree with this approach. You can buy one or two expensive lights that do everything or you can buy a bunch of lights and then deploy them as needed. I have ten of the AA Surge lanterns. Two in each truck, two in the camper, the rest in the house. They all have Eneloop batteries and then there is a 12V/120V charger in each vehicle and multiple chargers in the house. The batteries can be pulled from the lanterns and used for other things in a pinch. The lanterns get used quite a bit and I never have capacity issues with the batteries. My experience with working with one or two lanterns/work lights is that the fewer the lights the more problematic the shadows. If I have my choice then I am going to deploy more lights with less lumens than fewer lights with more lumens. Also having more lights means that I am more likely to have a light with me when I need it. Some of the lanterns have small pieces of foil inside the globe that can be used as a reflector if needed and then they all have two feet of bank line wrapped the base to aid in hanging the lanterns if necessary. I have serious concerns about spending top dollar on anything that has a battery that cannot be easily replaced. I like the idea of the M12 lights but the availability of AA batteries and various charging options is tough to beat. I hope that helps. |
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How does the rubber coating hold up on the Streamlight? Reason I ask is that pretty much every device I get that has said rubber coating ends up turning sticky/tacky eventually. Worst offender is a pair of otherwise nice binoculars that are unusable because every time I pick them up I get rubber crap all over my hand that is the devil to remove. |
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Originally Posted By billclo: How does the rubber coating hold up on the Streamlight? Reason I ask is that pretty much every device I get that has said rubber coating ends up turning sticky/tacky eventually. Worst offender is a pair of otherwise nice binoculars that are unusable because every time I pick them up I get rubber crap all over my hand that is the devil to remove. I've owned a few for 8+ years. No issues yet. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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Originally Posted By billclo: How does the rubber coating hold up on the Streamlight? My oldest Streamlight Surge lanterns were purchased Nov 2016. The newest ones Sept 2023. I have not noticed a difference between them in regards to their condition. I have also not noticed a difference between them in how they are constructed. But having said that I am reasonably careful about not hosing them down with mosquito repellant or sunscreen. I have seen those wreak havoc on rubber coatings. My brother in law runs a car dealership and he sent me a picture of a large hole in the dash of a car that was caused by a teenager spilling sunscreen on the dash. He didn't believe that sunscreen caused it so he put a glob of sunscreen next to the first hole and an hour later had a second hole. |
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Originally Posted By trails-end: I've been using these for years. I have several. www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW5AK22 It has a red light option and a shade to block some light if you need it. |
dum spiro piscari
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076JSCMPG?tag=arfcom00-20 I keep a stash of Luci Solar inflateable lights around. Take up next to no space, hold charge forever, and solar charging. Three brightness settings and a strobe for emergencies. Lasts up to 18 hours of run time. |
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Ok, thanks for the Streamlight mention. I could use some smaller lanterns as well, say to carry around the house (bathroom, bedroom changing, etc). Also might be better than what I have now for car emergency use. Good to hear the rubber doesn't degrade much too. 
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Originally Posted By billclo: How does the rubber coating hold up on the Streamlight? Reason I ask is that pretty much every device I get that has said rubber coating ends up turning sticky/tacky eventually. Worst offender is a pair of otherwise nice binoculars that are unusable because every time I pick them up I get rubber crap all over my hand that is the devil to remove. Get some 90% isopropyl alcohol and rub the binoculars and other sticky rubber things. It usually cleans them right up and fixes the stickiness. |
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Got several ozark trail survival tripex 800 lumen leds, iircc $30 otd 7 or 8 years ago at walmart, they are used very often outdoors in all weather and have held up well, Theyre rechargable, solar & hand crank. Got two other ozark trail rechargable 800 lumen led that get used often also, they are only rechargable, got them on walmart's clearence isle for $10 each. |
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Strongly suggest "Rain-Resistant" as a bare minimum. Power IN/OUT ports often problematic, but a flexible rubber sheet can often be added to shield them a bit. Some lanterns can be made fairly "rain-resistant" by the user, using suitable silicone "goop" and perhaps some DIY rubber gaskets/shields. |
| Is there a particular cordless power tool brand that you are currently using? If so, you might see if they make a lantern that uses the batteries you have for them. I'm heavy into the Ryobi platform, so I went with this lantern . It also has a USB output, so you can charge phones too. |
This thing has been a beast during the recent nearly two week power outage. 10,000 mah battery charges up phones no problem and has plenty of light to last through the night. Only thing I don't like is it requires a power brick to charge instead of a USB charger. Not too big a deal since I run a generator during the day. Dropped it a few times with no damage.
I have not tested the waterproof rating or attempted to see if it floats (which they claim it does!). |
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Originally Posted By GraboidHunter: This thing has been a beast during the recent nearly two week power outage. 10,000 mah battery charges up phones no problem and has plenty of light to last through the night. Only thing I don't like is it requires a power brick to charge instead of a USB charger. Not too big a deal since I run a generator during the day. Dropped it a few times with no damage. www.amazon.com/dp/B01BI9TTAI I have not tested the waterproof rating or attempted to see if it floats (which they claim it does!). They are waterproof and they do float. We inadvertently tested while drunk fishing one evening. |
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo
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If you aren't set on using AA the I would recommend the Streamlight Siege X. It uses a usb rechargeable 18650 and can also run on two CR123. During a longer grid down situation, you can recharge the 18650 type batteries from portable battery banks and/ or portable solar panels. I also have a few cheap AA powered slide open to turn on lanterns and other older ones but find the 18650 powered option much more versatile. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q583715?tag=arfcom00-20 |
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
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Originally Posted By trails-end: I've been using these for years. I have several. www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW5AK22 |
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Check out the Swiss Tech 2000LM Rechargeable LED Lantern. They sell them online at Walmart. It's a power bank, lantern and blue tooth speaker. Saved us when Milton took our power out for 4 days. https://www.swisstechoutdoors.com/flashlights/p/kernstuck-lantern |
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Originally Posted By sefus: I've been pretty disappointed with the Streamlight Seige. long charge time which is ok I guess but the battery drains out fast when not in use. Could just be mine but doesn't make me want to try another one The 18650 version? |
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
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Originally Posted By sefus: I've been pretty disappointed with the Streamlight Seige. long charge time which is ok I guess but the battery drains out fast when not in use. Could just be mine but doesn't make me want to try another one I have had a number of rechargeable type devices with that same issue. That is why I stuck with the AA version of this lantern. I have ten of the Siege lanterns that use AA batteries and keeping them supplied with Eneloop batteries none of them have that problem. I keep two lanterns in each of the vehicles and they have always been good to go when I grabbed them. I also have a 12V/120V AA charger in the vehicle with an extra set of batteries so if I anticipate stressing the lanterns then I can start charging batteries while the lantern is in use and then swap as needed. Camping I have charged batteries during the day but I have never had to recharge batteries during the night. The lanterns have always lasted all night. |
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Originally Posted By thederrick106: The 18650 version? just looked it up, its the super seige withe the Rechargeable 8800 mAh Lithium Ion battery. I did buy a battery version and have enloops but don't keep them charged. maybe its time to break them out and see if they'll last. |
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Originally Posted By sefus: just looked it up, its the super seige withe the Rechargeable 8800 mAh Lithium Ion battery. I did buy a battery version and have enloops but don't keep them charged. maybe its time to break them out and see if they'll last. Originally Posted By sefus: Originally Posted By thederrick106: The 18650 version? just looked it up, its the super seige withe the Rechargeable 8800 mAh Lithium Ion battery. I did buy a battery version and have enloops but don't keep them charged. maybe its time to break them out and see if they'll last. I was just wondering. I have two of the 18650 version and used one of them a bunch this summer and was very happy with it. I have a small stash of various rechargeable 18650 and a few other lights, and one headlamp that use them. I have started shifting to a few of those because the batteries can easily be recharged with a usb cable. I can keep stuff up and running should I be limited to small portable solar and banks. I also have a good stash of CR123, two of which can be used in almost all 18650 devices. I do still have a few older 18650 batteries in my stash that don't have the USB port, but they can just be dropped in an external charger. Most everything else I have is AA or AAA. Other than a slim EDC pocket light I don't have anything that has non replaceable internal batteries anymore, at least in the light dept. Come to think of it I think about the only thing I use on a regular basis that has a non-replaceable rechargeable battery is my Skil electric screwdriver. Thing is handy as heck. |
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
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So, during Helene, I found a gap in my preps. Sure, we had several oil lamps we used when we were in the living room, nice ambiance, but they weren’t convenient to just leave in the walk-in pantry storage, backrooms, bathroom with no windows, etc. I just ordered some of the cheap (four pack) LED lanterns that take two AA batteries. They collapse so you can adjust the amount of light, they’re not adjustable other than just choosing how much shroud covers the LEDs. They were perfect. I decided against USB since these are stored for power-outages. I keep a large stock of rechargeable batteries, so it’s a simple process of adding batteries for convenient lighting if the power is out more than a day or two. I was never really an “LED Lantern” guy, and even the solar powered Luci or LuminAID backpacking lanterns. ROCK6 |
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I love my Coleman propane lanterns. But, since getting the M12 LED lanterns I haven’t looked back…..and I haven’t used the propane lanterns since. LED is the way to go whatever battery you choose as long as you have a way to charge them. Solar is great but I have decided to use generator power to charge my batteries. Simplifies things for me and we don’t have a lot of long term outages so works well for our needs. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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Originally Posted By ROCK6: So, during Helene, I found a gap in my preps. Sure, we had several oil lamps we used when we were in the living room, nice ambiance, but they weren’t convenient to just leave in the walk-in pantry storage, backrooms, bathroom with no windows, etc. I just ordered some of the cheap (four pack) LED lanterns that take two AA batteries. They collapse so you can adjust the amount of light, they’re not adjustable other than just choosing how much shroud covers the LEDs. They were perfect. I decided against USB since these are stored for power-outages. I keep a large stock of rechargeable batteries, so it’s a simple process of adding batteries for convenient lighting if the power is out more than a day or two. I was never really an “LED Lantern” guy, and even the solar powered Luci or LuminAID backpacking lanterns. ROCK6 I thought a cheap pack of the LED slide to close AA lanterns was mandatory equipment in the SF? 
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Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
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Mostly I rely on multiple headlights and multiple flashlights which can stand on their base, augmenting oil-fueled wall-mounted lights. I have scads of rechargeable batts. "Area" lighting is done by using lights compatible with Makita power tool batts. Obviously not easily rechargeable via typical solar panels, but the run time using a hi-cap power tool batt is very long. Added draw on already running genny of charger unit for such batts in negligible. Besides, I have a number of Makita batts, always kept fully charged. Same thing goes for other Mfr's power tool batts and compatible lights. Not uncommon for potential buyer to select "low-power" LED light in conjunction with such Batts. The "higher-power" lights may emit more light/drain batt much more quickly than circumstances demand. |
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Originally Posted By trails-end: I've been using these for years. I have several. www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW5AK22 I have one of these, and I like it. Also, this model from Energizer can run on AAs or D-cells. I've never owned one though. 
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Built in solar is worthless, If you MUST have solar, get something like a Jackery setup. I wish to drop another vote for streamlight super seige 
But then I also have kerosene lanterns, but they can't recharge my phone. 
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Not solar charging, and no power bank, but I’ll throw this in to the mix: Nitecore LA10 mini lantern - single AA battery powered CKW - Nitecore LA10 I’ve picked up 3 of these- very compact and handy. Can position them in various places around the house or camp. Runs for 12 to 20 hours at low setting on a single 10 year old Eneloop. Amazon also has them for a similar price. |
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Originally Posted By TigerForce: Not solar charging, and no power bank, but I’ll throw this in to the mix: Nitecore LA10 mini lantern - single AA battery powered CKW - Nitecore LA10 I’ve picked up 3 of these- very compact and handy. Can position them in various places around the house or camp. Runs for 12 to 20 hours at low setting on a single 10 year old Eneloop. Amazon also has them for a similar price. I spend a lot of time on the go and often unexpectedly pulled into troubleshooting, repairing, inspecting without any warning and often a significant distance from my vehicle. To that end, I often work out of my pockets and it is amazing what you can do with a Leatherman, bit set, flashlight, and a couple of other tools. So to make the flashlight more useful, I 3D printed some "globes" that are basically an opaque cylinder that fit perfectly on the end of a Fenix flashlight. They allow me to use the flashlight as a lantern and work really well. When not in use, the flashlight stores inside the cylinder so it doesn't take up any more space in my pocket. It looks very similar to this device except that mine is longer. I used Translucent PETG for the filament. |
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Love these batteries, lights and solar panels. Use them anytime I'm camping. https://nestout.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrISh-9OdiwMVqizUAR2BLAv1EAAYASAAEgKG7PD_BwE |
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Pick the lantern that matches the battery you use for your rechargeable tools and go with that. I personally use Ryobi tools so I went with this lantern. I always have a lot of batteries charged and ready to go all the time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPDV2W8R?tag=arfcom00-20 Picked it up on sale at a Ryobi "Tools Direct" outlet store on sale. Also got a free 18v battery power inverter for free with the purchase of a battery that day. |
I have the Streamlight Siege and UST 30-day lanterns that both use 3x D-cell batteries.
Both will run about a month straight, on the lowest setting with the Maha, Tenergy and EBL D-cell NiMh batteries I keep a stash of. I prefer replaceable batteries for these items, as it’s far easier to pop in a fresh set, than wait however long it takes to recharge the built-in battery versions. I also have 4 of these D-cell battery powered fans (can run on either 4x D-cells, or USB power). The fans work well for hot weather outages, to circulate heated air during cold weather outages, or for car camping etc. They run for quite a long time, can move an impressive amount of air, and they’re actually fairly quiet. 
That coupled with this 8-bay charger that can charge 8 D-cells, allows for multiple redundancy and flexibility. 
That said, I also found this lantern to be an interesting option for more directional lighting (looks like they’re discontinued). Energizer Light Fusion lantern |
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Bump to the top so it doesn't disappear. Thanks, Bluemax, for mentioning the camp fans. That is one item I am definitely going to look into for summertime power outages (house gets hot when the A/C is not working), and maybe blowing warm air down the hall to the bedrooms when using the fireplace. |
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Originally Posted By billclo: Bump to the top so it doesn't disappear. Thanks, Bluemax, for mentioning the camp fans. That is one item I am definitely going to look into for summertime power outages (house gets hot when the A/C is not working), and maybe blowing warm air down the hall to the bedrooms when using the fireplace. Don’t want to keep beating a dead horse but the various cordless tool makers also have battery powered fans. I have bought into Milwaukee so that’s what I have. But pick your brand of choice and you’ll find what you are looking for. I also bought some Harbor Freight Bauer brand fans for spares. I don’t use any Bauer batteries but I have adapters that allow me to use M18 batteries with the cheaper Bauer fans. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
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I actually don't have any battery powered tools at this point in my life. The last time I had one about 10 years ago, the batteries died (Makita I think), and replacements cost more than a new drill. Not that I was using it very much, though the last project I did a few months ago I could have used it then. But I rarely do projects that need battery powered tools anymore. But thanks.
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