When backpacking or camping the solar lanterns can be very handy. The best solar lanterns come equipped with multiple white LEDs that are both bright and efficient. In some cases, these lights can run all night without running out of energy.
Each solar lantern below is one of the top solar powered lanterns on the market. Let’s dive right in.
Solar Lantern Comparison Guide
| Picture: | Name: | Technical Details: | Average Light Duration | Price: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | MPOWERD Luci Solar Lantern | - .8 Pounds - 5.25 x 1 x 5.25 Inches - 10 LED Lights | 7 Hours | $ |
  | Suaoki Solar Lantern | - .5 pounds - 3.8 x 3.7 x 2.1 Inches - 1 LED Light | 5-10 Hours | $$ |
  | Outlite Solar Lantern | - .8 Pounds - 13.5cm X 8cm (Fully Collapsed) - 8 LED Lights | 12 Hours | $$ |
  | Whetstone Solar Lantern | - 1.4 Pounds - 4.4 x 4.4 x 10 Inches - 36 LED Lights | 12 Hours | $$ |
  | AGPtek Solar Lantern | - 1.8 Pounds - 5.51 x 4.92 x 10.43 Inches - 36 LED Lights | 18 Hours | $$ |
.
The Best Solar Lanterns
1. MPOWERD Luci Solar Lantern
First on the review is the MPOWERD Luci solar lantern. This awesome device landed first on the review because of its low-cost and great design. It’s inflatable build makes it ideal for backpacking and storage.
The Luci Solar Lantern has 10 powerful LEDs. Their bright white color makes it easy to see when in dark situations. There are 3 different modes with this light. A regular mode, a bright mode, and a flashing mode. Together they give you the best lighting for your needs.
To power the Luci Lantern is a small solar panel. This high conversion panel allows you to charge the lantern during the day so that you can use it at night-time. To store this power is an internal battery. When fully charged the lantern lasts around 7 hours.
One of the most important aspect about this lantern is its design and build. The Luci is inflatable and deflatable. This allows you to have a full functional lantern when you use it and a compact light when you want to store it. Another great thing about the Luci solar lantern is its durable design. It’s both shatter and waterproof. Which is perfect since many of you will be using it while out in nature.
Overall the Luci solar lantern is a great product. It has a wonderful design at a great price. For this reason it landed first on the list. The only negative thing we found with this device is that you can only charge it by solar. This isn’t horrible, but some people like to charge their devices through other avenues.
- Extremely slim and portable.
- Uses multiple bright LEDs.
- Small price.
- Can only charge by solar.
Technical Details:
Product Dimensions: 5.25 x 1 x 5.25 Inches
Weight: .8 Pounds
LED Count: 10 LED Lights
Average Light Duration: 7 Hours
2. Suaoki Solar Lantern
Second on the review is the Suaoki solar lantern. This is another compact solar lantern with a unique design. Because of its great build and amazing value it landed second on the list.
The Suaoki has 1 powerful LED. Even though it has less LEDs than all the other lanterns, it still works perfectly and shines bright. This lantern has 3 modes like the above light. A standard mode, bright mode, and a flashing mode.
To power this device is a built-in micro-USB port. You can quickly charge the lantern in a few hours with this option. There is also a solar panel on top of the device. You can also use this to charge the lantern during the day.
This lantern does have a slightly larger battery. Which allows you to have around 10 hours of lighting time. This large rechargeable battery also allows you to charge electronic devices through a built-in USB port. While you most likely wont get a full charge on your devices, it will still add some extra juice.
In regards to design the Suaoki solar lantern is well made. It’s extremely small and compact when folded which makes it perfect for backpacking or camping trips. It’s also very durable so it can withstand the wear and tear of the outdoors. Overall this is a great lantern. If you want something very small/powerful then this is the device for you.
- Foldable design makes it very portable.
- Built-in USB port.
- multiple charging avenues.
- Not very durable.
Technical Details:
Product Dimensions: 3.8 x 3.7 x 2.1 Inches
Weight: .5 pounds
LED Count: 1 LED Light
Average Light Duration: 5-10 Hours (Depending On Mode)
3. Outlite Solar Lantern
Third on the review is the Outlite solar lantern. This is another relatively portable lantern. It’s much larger then the above lights, but has more power and is extremely durable. For this reason it landed third on the review.
The Outlite solar lantern has 8 LED lights. These powerful LEDs shine bright so that you have light whenever you need it. The Outlite has 2 different modes. A high intensity mode and low consumption mode. The lantern can last up to 12 hours on the lowest setting.
The Outlite solar charger uses an 4,800 mAh internal battery 3 AA batteries to power the light. There are 3 different ways to charge the batteries. You can either use solar, the included power cord, or with 3 AA batteries.
If you ever needed to charge your electronic devices then you can plug it into the solar lantern. The built-in USB port makes this possible
The Outlite solar lantern is one of the best built solar lantern on the market. Reason for is because of its rugged and water-resistant design. So if you take it backpacking or camping then you don’t have to worry about damaging the device.
Another positive to this lantern is its cosmetic looks. It just looks strong and powerful. The light also automatically turns on when you pull open the light. This feature is really cool and just adds on to the experience of using this device. Overall the Outlite is a wonderful solar light. It’s one of the best looking and works great. It is a little larger than the above lanterns, so for this reason it landed third on the review.
- Super bright with its 8 LEDs.
- Long battery life.
- Very durable and water-resistant.
- None.
Technical Details:
Product Dimensions: 13.5cm X 8cm (Fully Collapsed)
Weight: .8 Pounds
LED Count: 8 LED Lights
Average Light Duration: 12 Hours
4. Whetstone Solar Lantern
Fourth on the review is the Whetstone solar lantern. This is one of the most power lanterns on the review. Since it’s so powerful it is also really big. For this reason it landed 4th on the list.
The Whetstone has 36 powerful LEDs. This is much greater than any of the above solar lanterns. Since there are so many LEDs it can be used as the main lantern at a campsite.
This lantern has 3 different lighting settings. Allowing you to pick the best option for your particular situation.
To power the light is an internal battery. You can charge it 4 different ways. Through the built-in hand crank, a charging cord (not included), solar energy, or through 3 AA batteries. The solar panel is much larger on this lantern then most. So it only takes 6 hours to charge the lantern through solar.
The design of the Whetstone is very good. It’s meant for the outdoors and has everything you need to have light off the grid. One negative thing is that it’s not as durable as the above lanterns, but this is simply because it’s meant to be a more permanent lantern and not a portable one.
Overall the Whetstone is a very good solar lantern. We didn’t like some thing about it such as the lack of a charging cord, but its many other features make it worth it. So if you’re looking for a powerful solar lantern then this is possibly the choice for you.
- Built-in hand crank.
- multiple lighting modes.
- Doesn’t come with a charging cord.
- Not very durable.
Technical Details:
Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 4.4 x 10 Inches
Weight: 1.4 Pounds
LED Count: 36 LED Lights
Average Light Duration: 12 Hours (Depending On Mode)
5. AGPtek Solar Lantern
Last on the review is the AGPtek solar lantern. This is by far the most powerful and biggest lantern on the market. For this reason it’s best purpose is for a stationary light.
AGPtek, just like the above lantern, has 36 LED lights. In combination they shine bright and light up any place that you need. Since the lights are LEDs they can last a long time. They have an estimated operation life of up to 100,000 hours.
To power the internal battery of this device are 5 different options. You can use the large solar panel on top, the built-in hand crank, an AC adapter, a car adapter, or 3 AA batteries. In combination they make sure that your light never runs out of juice.
The AGPtek solar lantern has 2 different lighting modes. When on the lowest setting the lantern can last up to 18 hours. This long battery life makes this one of the best solar lanterns on the market.
In regards to build and design this is one of the best. It’s relatively rugged and can withstand the wear and tear of the outdoors. It also has cool features like a USB port to charge your electronic devices. Overall the AGPtek is one of the best lanterns on the review. It simply landed in 5th because of its large size. But, if you’re looking for a stationary light then this is perfect for you.
- Most powerful lantern available.
- Extremely long battery life.
- Built-in USB charging port.
- Not very portable.
Technical Details:
Product Dimensions: 5.51 x 4.92 x 10.43 Inches
Weight: 1.8 Pounds
LED Count: 36 LED Lights
Average Light Duration: 18 Hours (Depending On Mode)
Solar Lantern Benefits
As we mentioned above one the most important tools you need while in the outdoors is a lantern. If you didn’t have one then you couldn’t see and do the stuff that needed to be done while at night. Lanterns fix this issue and provide light whenever you need it.
To make these lanterns even better companies have started to place solar panels on them. This of course is huge because people who are using the lanterns don’t have an outlet near by to plug the light into. It also gives people an option to use a device that is more eco-friendly as there is no gas being burned.
One of the most important aspects that solar products allow is freedom. The freedom to have power where ever you may be. It’s also extremely convenient as all you have to do is leave the light in the sun and it’s ready to go when it’s dark out.
To add on to this many of the below products have other cool features such as hand cranks for instant energy, USB ports to charge your electronic devices, and rugged designs to ensure your investment last through the outdoors. Overall these solar lanterns are changing the game when it comes to outdoor lighting.
One thing we do want to mention is that these products are simply lanterns. If you’re looking for a flashlight then solar flashlights are a better option for you.
To help you find the best solar lanterns available we have reviewed the products down below. The products higher on the review are more portable. Making them best suited for backpackers or hikers. The lower products are much more powerful and heavy. Making them ideal for stationary activities such as a camping.