Best LED lanterns for power cuts and camping UK (2026)
A torch lights the thing you point it at; a lantern lights the room, so one on the kitchen table or the landing lets a household carry on with its evening during a power cut without anyone holding a light. Fire services advise torches and LED lanterns rather than candles when the power goes, and the same lantern earns its place on a campsite in summer. This page compares the lanterns sold in the UK on what actually separates them: how bright the maker says they are, how long each setting runs on the maker's figures, whether they recharge over USB or take D cells, and whether they can give a phone a top-up. We have not tested any of them; every figure is credited to its maker or a UK retailer.
By Tom Calder · Updated 21 October 2026 · 6 products, all price-tracked
Our picks by type
Photo: AmazonBioLite AlpenGlow 250
A compact, warm-light lantern for a bedside or table that doubles as a small power bank.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Photo: AmazonLepro 1500 lm battery lantern
A cheap, bright room light for power cuts that runs on D cells you can keep in a drawer.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.All 6 compared
A bright rechargeable room light for power cuts that can also top up a phone.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Our verdict
A well-made lantern from a torch specialist, with a warm 750-lumen top setting that lights a whole room without the harsh blue cast of cheaper LEDs. Its power-bank output will give a phone a top-up in a long cut. There is no hand crank or solar panel, so charge it when a storm is forecast and keep it topped up.
Worth knowing: No hand crank or solar input: once it's flat it needs mains, a car socket or a power bank
Who shouldn't buy it: You want a light you can recharge by hand with the grid down. A crank or solar lantern, or a torch that takes spare AA batteries, suits a long outage better.
Photo: AmazonBest rechargeable lanternA compact, warm-light lantern for a bedside or table that doubles as a small power bank.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Our verdict
BioLite says the AlpenGlow 250 gives 250 lumens on high and 5 hours at that level, up to 200 hours on low, with warm and cool white, a candle-flicker mode and a lock mode. Its 3200 mAh battery can charge devices through a USB-A port. At 210 g it is small. BioLite also positions it as a safer alternative to candles in an outage.
Worth knowing: Only 5 hours on high per charge, per BioLite
Who shouldn't buy it: You want a lantern that lights a large room for many hours or that takes disposable cells.
A well-made rechargeable lantern that can top up a phone during a long outage.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Our verdict
Black Diamond lists 450 lumens, a 2000 mAh lithium-ion battery with USB-C charging in and a USB-A port for charging small electronics out, and an IPX4 rating. It weighs 272 g. The maker gives 2 hours on high and 120 hours on low, so it is best run dimmed for a long cut, with the top setting kept for short jobs. Charging a phone will cut into the light time.
Worth knowing: Only about 2 hours on the highest setting, per Black Diamond
Who shouldn't buy it: You need hours of bright light on high or a lantern that takes spare cells.
Photo: AmazonBest battery lanternA cheap, bright room light for power cuts that runs on D cells you can keep in a drawer.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Our verdict
Lepro says this lantern gives up to 1500 lumens with its daylight and warm LEDs on together, plus a 900-lumen daylight mode, a 350-lumen warm mode and a flashing red mode, with dimming by holding the button. It takes three D cells, so there is nothing to charge and it works from the drawer after a long cut, as long as you keep fresh cells. Lepro quotes about 16 hours in the combined mode, 60 hours in warm mode and up to 200 hours at the lowest setting. It has no power-bank output.
Worth knowing: Not rechargeable and no USB output, so spare D cells are an ongoing cost
Who shouldn't buy it: You want to charge a phone from the lantern or would rather not buy and store D cells.
A brighter rechargeable alternative to the 1000-lumen model for a whole-room power-cut light.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Our verdict
Lepro lists up to 1300 lumens in combined mode, with cool white at 800 and warm white at 200 lumens, powered by a built-in 3600 mAh pack of two 18650 cells. B&Q gives about 5 hours on high and 20 hours on low. The maker says it works as a power bank for a phone. A sensible pick if you want one lantern that charges over USB.
Worth knowing: About 5 hours on high per charge, per B&Q
Who shouldn't buy it: You want a lantern that also runs on spare AA or D cells.
A low-cost rechargeable room light that can also give a phone a top-up.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Our verdict
Lepro lists a built-in 4400 mAh battery, charged by USB, with up to 1000 lumens in its mixed mode and a 300-lumen warm mode. B&Q gives about 6.5 hours on high and 12 hours on low. The maker says it can act as a power bank for a phone, though using it that way takes from the light time. Charge it ahead of a forecast storm.
Worth knowing: About 6.5 hours on high per charge, per B&Q
Who shouldn't buy it: You need a lantern that can run on ordinary batteries once the built-in battery is flat.
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Before you buy
Read the lumens as a range, not one number.
Makers quote the brightest mode on the box, and on several lanterns here that figure is the warm and cool LEDs running together: Lepro's 1500-lumen lantern gives 900 lumens from its daylight LEDs alone, and its 1300-lumen model gives 800. For a dining table or a child's bedroom, a few hundred lumens is plenty, which is where the 250-lumen BioLite and 450-lumen Black Diamond sit. Save the top setting for the moment you need to find the fuse box or check the garden, and run the lantern dimmed the rest of the time.
Runtime is the figure that matters in a long cut, and the spread between settings is large.
Black Diamond gives its Orbiter 450 about 2 hours on high and 120 hours on low; BioLite quotes 5 hours on high and up to 200 hours on low for the AlpenGlow 250. Lepro quotes around 16 hours in its D-cell lantern's combined mode and up to 200 hours at the lowest setting, and B&Q lists Lepro's rechargeable models at roughly 5 to 6.5 hours on high. Run on its lowest useful setting, a lantern will usually see out a day-long cut; left on full, it may not see out the evening.
Rechargeable or D cells is a question about your household, not the lantern.
A built-in battery means no cells to buy and, on most models here, a port that can top up a phone, but the lantern only helps if someone charged it, and once it is flat it needs mains, a car socket or a power bank. D cells cost money over time and are not always in stock when a storm is forecast, but a pack kept with the lantern works after months in a drawer. Many households are best served by one of each: a rechargeable on the table, a D-cell lantern for the hallway.
The USB power-out port is a bonus, not a power bank.
Black Diamond's Orbiter 450 carries 2000 mAh, BioLite's AlpenGlow 250 3200 mAh and Goal Zero's Lighthouse 600 5200 mAh, so each can give a phone a partial charge, but whatever goes into the phone comes out of the battery that runs the light. If keeping a phone alive matters more than light, a dedicated power bank from our power banks page does the job better. Check the charging port too: BioLite's AlpenGlow still charges over micro USB, while the Black Diamond takes USB-C, which matters if you want one cable for everything.
Keep it where you will find it in the dark, and keep it charged.
Fire services' advice for a power cut is a torch or LED lantern rather than candles, so put the lantern somewhere every adult can reach without light, such as a kitchen drawer or a hook by the stairs. Charge rechargeable models when a storm is named or an amber warning is issued, and check D cells for leaks twice a year. Most lanterns here carry an IPX4 or IP44 rating from the maker, which covers splashes and rain, not immersion. Store lithium models away from heat and follow the maker's charging guidance.
We verify every product's specifications against at least two independent sources, re-check its UK price and stock on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and cross-check safety-relevant claims against official guidance. Every review is labelled Researched or Used and reviewed by us: where we've bought a product, or been sent it free, and used it ourselves, its review says which; where we haven't, our verdict is a considered spec-and-evidence comparison, not a hands-on test — and commissions never change a ranking either way. Read our full methodology →
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Common questions
How many lumens do I need in a lantern for a power cut?
Less than the boxes suggest. A few hundred lumens lights a dining table or a bedroom well enough to eat, read and move about, which is where the 250-lumen BioLite and 450-lumen Black Diamond sit. The 1000 to 1500-lumen figures on the Lepro lanterns are their combined modes, useful for a large living room or a garage for a short time. Whatever you buy, you will run it dimmed most of the evening to make the battery last.
Are LED lanterns better than candles in a power cut?
Yes, and fire services say so plainly: their advice for a power cut is torches and LED lanterns rather than candles, because an LED lantern has no flame and gives off no carbon monoxide, so if it is knocked over onto bedding or curtains it will not set them alight. Fire services ask you never to leave a lit candle unattended, which rules candles out for a child's room or a landing at night. Our candles guide explains the reasoning in full.
Should I buy a rechargeable lantern or one that takes batteries?
Choose by how your household behaves. A rechargeable lantern needs no cells and can usually top up a phone, but only helps if someone charged it, and once flat it needs mains or a power bank. A D-cell lantern, such as Lepro's 1500-lumen model, works from the drawer after months untouched as long as you keep fresh cells with it. If in doubt, keep one of each, or a rechargeable lantern plus a torch that takes AA cells.
How long does an LED lantern last on one charge?
It depends almost entirely on the setting. Makers' figures on this page run from about 2 hours on high for the Black Diamond Orbiter 450 to 120 hours on its low setting, and BioLite quotes 5 hours on high and up to 200 hours on low for the AlpenGlow 250. B&Q lists Lepro's rechargeable lanterns at roughly 5 to 6.5 hours on full. Treat the high-mode figure as what you get if you forget to dim it.
Can a camping lantern charge my phone?
Several here can: Black Diamond's Orbiter 450 (2000 mAh) and BioLite's AlpenGlow 250 (3200 mAh) through a USB-A port, plus Goal Zero's Lighthouse 600 (5200 mAh), the Ledlenser ML6 and Lepro's rechargeable models. Expect a partial charge, not a full one, and anything that goes into the phone shortens the light you get. For a phone that must stay on through a long cut, a dedicated power bank is the better tool, and the lantern's port is the backup.
Can I use a camping lantern indoors?
An LED lantern can be used indoors; it is a battery light with no flame or fumes, and fire services recommend exactly this in a power cut. Gas and paraffin lanterns are different: they burn fuel, give off carbon monoxide and are a fire risk, so they stay outdoors, and candle lanterns carry the fire risk fire services warn about. Follow the maker's charging instructions for lithium models, keep them off soft furnishings while charging and away from heat, and check that any mains charger carries UK markings.
