10 Best Camping Lanterns in 2024 — Reviews & Top Picks

Last Updated on Jan 03 2024

When you’re heading out for your next camping trip, you need to bring a lantern to help you see what you’re doing at night. But there are tons of lantern options out there, and the last thing that you want is to get out there only to find that you’re flying through batteries or the lantern simply breaks.

That’s why we took the time to highlight reviews of 10 of the best camping lanterns that you can purchase. There’s also a comprehensive buyer’s guide that’ll break down everything that you need to know before you purchase your new camping lantern.

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Coleman Twin LED Lantern	Great mix of price and performance High lumen count Long-lasting battery life	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		StreamLight Mini Siege	Durable construction Long battery life Both red and white light	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		StreamLight Super Siege	Rechargeable design High lumen output Also charges electronic devices	CHECK PRICE
		StreamLight The Siege	Great mix of price and performance Long-lasting battery life Has both white and red lights	CHECK PRICE
		Capetronix Camping Light	High lumen output Also acts as a power bank IPX-4 waterproof	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Camping Lanterns

1. Coleman Twin LED Lantern — Best Overall

If you’re looking for the best overall camping lantern, it’s tough to top the Coleman Twin LED Lantern. It’s a great mix of price and performance, and with 390 lumens, it’s more than bright enough for most camping activities.

It’s also water resistant and gives off a 32-foot beam of light on the highest settings. Even better, with a battery life that ranges from 85 to 299 hours, depending on the brightness setting, you won’t have to worry about having to change out the batteries any time soon.

Furthermore, with a 5-year warranty, it’s a durable and long-lasting camping lantern that you can rely on season after season.

It doesn’t use rechargeable batteries, though, and it only has a white light. That’s not a huge deal, but it is worth noting when you’re picking out a camping lantern.

2. StreamLight Mini Siege — Best Value

If you’re on a tight budget but want a top-notch camping lantern that you can rely on for years to come, the StreamLight Mini Siege is an outstanding choice.

It’s affordably priced, it has a long-lasting battery life, and you can switch between a red and white beam for different situations. It’s lightweight and compact, and it’s not something that you have to worry about breaking on you even after a few months or years.

It does have a low lumen count at just 200, but that’s still bright enough for most situations. With all these things going for the StreamLight Mini Siege, it’s not hard to see why it’s the best camping lantern for the money.

3. StreamLight Super Siege — Premium Choice

If you’re looking for the best possible camping lantern and don’t care about the price, the StreamLight Super Siege is clearly the way to go. Not only does it produce an impressive 1,100 lumens, but it’s rechargeable, so you don’t have to worry about packing tons of batteries to keep it going.

It lights up for 5 hours at 1,100 lumens, but if you turn it down to 125 lumens, it can run for an impressive 35 hours. It also has a red light option that you can use to retain your night vision, and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, so if you take care of this lantern, you shouldn’t ever need to replace it.

Of course, you’re paying more for this lantern, so you expect more, and this lantern doesn’t disappoint. It’s IPX-7 waterproof certified, and it even floats, so you don’t have to worry about losing it if you accidentally drop it in a body of water.

Finally, it also has a USB output charger that lets you recharge different electronic devices on the fly. So, it’s expensive, but it’s also the best of the best, and you’ll never need to replace it.

4. StreamLight The Siege

This StreamLight lantern is one of the brand’s top products. This light pushes out 540 lumens, and it has an IPX-7 waterproof rating, so you don’t have to worry about your lantern if inclement weather rolls through during your next camping trip.

This light has both red and white lights that you can use in different settings, and the battery life is impressive. On the lowest setting of 55 lumens, it can run for 295 hours, though when you crank up the power, that number drops drastically. If you run it at the highest lumen setting, it only runs for 30 hours. That’s not a huge deal because all you need to do is swap out the batteries, but that will eventually get pricey.

5. Capetronix Camping Light

The Capetronix Camping Light has the highest lumen output of any camping light on this list, pushing an impressive 3,200 lumens.

It’s also IPX-4 waterproof, and you can easily light up 700 square feet with just a single lantern. Additionally, Capetronix offers a 2-year warranty with this product, and you can switch between white and red lights for different applications.

Even better, it uses a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that you can completely recharge in just 3 hours, giving you more functionality and time to use your lantern. Finally, while it does have a short battery life, it can double as a power bank that you can use to recharge other devices.

6. LE LED Camping Lantern

The LE LED Camping Lantern is an affordably priced lantern that you can use on your next camping adventure. It pushes out 1,000 lumens, and it can last a full 12 hours on that setting.

There are four different lighting modes that you can cycle through, but there’s no red light option for you to use at night to preserve your night vision. The lantern is IPX-4 water resistant, so a few rainstorms shouldn’t hurt it, and it comes with hanging hooks that enable you to set it up just about anywhere.

If you’re serious about getting a top-notch camping lantern to light things up but don’t want to spend that much money, the LE LED Camping Lantern is an outstanding choice.

7. EverReady LED Camping Lantern

While one camping lantern is nice, two can give you more versatility and options. That’s exactly what you get with this EverReady LED Camping Lantern. You get two different lanterns while spending less than what most other, single lanterns cost.

Not only are the lanterns affordable and effective, but they’re also extremely compact for easy transportation from place to place. Each has a magnetic base and is easy to transport, set up, and use.

Moreover, with both a lantern and a flashlight mode, there’s plenty that you can do to make the most out of this lantern during your next camping trip.

That said, the EverReady LED Camping Lantern has a low lumen count and a short battery life.

8. Vont 2 Pack LED Camping Lanterns

When you’re shopping for two LED camping lanterns and want a great deal, the Vont 2 Pack LED camping lanterns are ideal. They use AA batteries and manage a 90-hour operating life before you need to change them out.

The lanterns themselves are IPX-4 water resistant and have an all-around durable and rugged design that makes them excellent for camping trips. They can also collapse down into a compact size, so you can easily fit them into a backpack or another small nook in your gear.

The overall lumen output on this light is a bit low at 140, but it’s high enough for most campsite activities.

9. Vont LED Lantern Pro

The Vont LED Lantern Pro is incredibly similar to the Vont LED Camping Lantern. The difference is that this lantern puts out 300 lumens, while the other one only puts out 140.

The tradeoff for the higher lumens is the battery life. It only lasts about 16 hours before you have to switch out the batteries.

Still, this lantern does come in a four-pack, and it’s quite affordable. Add in the lifetime warranty, and there’s no doubt that you’re getting a great camping lantern, even if it does have a short battery life.

10. Etekcity LED Camping Lantern Light

The Etekcity LED Camping Lantern Light is extremely affordable and can even come in a two-pack. It’s a compact lantern that you can tuck away for easy use later, and with its 30-hour battery life, you don’t have to worry about constantly changing the batteries. The lantern is also durable and rugged, so it’s an outstanding choice to take into the great outdoors.

Still, with a maximum output of just 60 lumens, it’s by far the least powerful lantern on this list. It’s enough to light up a small area, but if you’re looking for all-around coverage at the campground, this lantern likely isn’t what you want.

Buyer’s Guide: Buying the Best Camping Lanterns

With so many great camping lanterns out there, it can be hard to narrow it down to just one. But knowing what you’re looking at and the advantages and disadvantages of each option is a great place to start.

That’s why we created this buyer’s guide, to help you figure out exactly what you need.

Rechargeable vs. Non-rechargeable

When you’re looking at camping lanterns, there are two options when it comes to the batteries: a non-rechargeable battery and a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. There’s no right or wrong choice here, but there are definitely pros and cons for both options.

The advantage of a rechargeable battery is that you don’t need to spend a ton of money on new batteries that wear out over time, whether you’re using them or not. Rechargeable batteries are also the more environmentally friendly option because you’re not producing a ton of waste.

But non-rechargeable batteries do give you the advantage in that if you don’t have power out at the campsite and the battery in your lantern dies, you just swap it out. Non-rechargeable batteries also tend to have longer battery lives on a single charge than rechargeable ones. The tradeoff is that new batteries can be expensive, making your camping lantern a piece of equipment that keeps costing you money whenever you need to use it.

How Many Lumens Do You Need?

While you might think that you need a ton of lumens for a campsite lantern, that’s typically not the case. A 100-lumen lantern lets you read a book even if you’re 6 feet away.

Since you’re not driving around and are just using your lantern to light up a small area, you don’t need to go overboard with the lumens. In fact, the brighter the lantern, the shorter the battery life will be because it needs more power to get those higher lumen outputs!

Why You Want LEDs

When you’re shopping for a camping lantern, there are two main options: incandescent bulbs and LEDs. We’re here to tell you to always go with the LEDs.

There are a few reasons for this. First, LEDs last longer. This means you don’t need to worry about packing bulbs with the rest of your gear just in case one burns out.

Second, LEDs are brighter without using as much energy. This means brighter lanterns without sacrificing as much battery life.

Finally, with the price of LED lanterns coming down, they’re actually the more affordable option now.

Conclusion

If you’re still trying to figure out what camping lantern to get after reading all the reviews and the buyer’s guide, know that there’s a reason that the Coleman Twin LED Lantern earned our top spot, as it’ll do a great job of lighting up your campsite.

If you’re on a tight budget, the StreamLight Mini Siege is a great choice too. Just get a lantern on order, so the next time that you go out camping, you’re not working in the dark!