Why a Good Lantern Matters for Glamping
Most glamping sites have electric lighting inside the tent or dome. But the outdoor paths — to the bathroom, to the fire pit, to the car — are usually unlit. And the indoor lighting is often a single dim bulb that kills the atmosphere. A good lantern solves both problems: portable light for outdoor walks, and ambient light for evenings that doesn't kill the mood.
I tested six lanterns over two trips: a weekend in Cornwall in a safari tent, and two nights in the Cairngorms in a yurt. Both trips involved midnight bathroom walks in wind and rain. Here's what I found.
1. BioLite AlpenGlow 500 — Best Overall
£65. 500 lumens. USB rechargeable. The AlpenGlow was the lantern I reached for every time. It has a warm light mode that mimics a candle flicker — perfect for evenings on the sofa. It has a bright mode for outdoor walks. It's IPX4 weather-resistant, which means it survived Cornwall drizzle and Scottish wind without issue. Battery life: 5 hours on high, 40+ hours on low. It charges from a power bank in about 3 hours.
The only downside: it's £65, which is the most expensive on this list. But after two trips, it's the one I'd replace immediately if I lost it.
2. Vango Star 250 — Best Budget
£18. 250 lumens. Battery-powered (3x AAA). The Star 250 is a basic lantern that does the job. It's not rechargeable, but a set of AAA batteries lasts about 12 hours on medium. The light is cooler than the AlpenGlow — more white than warm — which is fine for outdoor walks but less cosy indoors.
It's not weather-resistant. In Cornwall, I left it on the outdoor table during a light drizzle and it stopped working for an hour before drying out. For £18, it's acceptable, but don't rely on it outdoors in bad weather.
3. Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 — Best for Charging
£55. 600 lumens. USB rechargeable + hand crank. The Lighthouse 600 has a unique feature: a hand crank that gives you 10 minutes of light for 1 minute of cranking. I never needed it (the battery lasted fine), but it's reassuring for longer trips away from power. The light is bright and adjustable, and it has a USB output port to charge your phone — a genuine lifesaver when the yurt had no power and my phone was at 12%.
Downside: it's bulky. The Lighthouse is twice the size of the AlpenGlow and heavier. Fine for car-based glamping, too heavy for hiking.
4. Luci Outdoor 2.0 — Best Solar
£20. 75 lumens. Solar rechargeable. The Luci is an inflatable solar lantern — flat when packed, inflates to a cylinder. It's the lightest and most packable lantern I tested. 75 lumens isn't bright — it's enough for reading but not for outdoor walks. I used it as a nightlight in the bathroom and as ambient light on the dining table.
Solar charging works but is slow. In Cornwall in October, a full day of overcast sky gave about 3 hours of light. In the Cairngorms in November, it barely charged at all. Best for summer trips, not winter.
5. Black Diamond Moji — Best for Kids
£18. 100 lumens. Battery-powered (3x AAA). The Moji is a small, simple lantern that's perfect for kids. It's tough — I dropped it on rocks in Cornwall and it was fine. The light is a single setting, 100 lumens, which is enough for a small yurt but not for a large safari tent. My niece used it as her personal lantern and loved it.
Not weather-resistant, not rechargeable, not dimmable. But for £18 and a child who wants their own light, it's perfect.
6. Coleman CPX 6 — Brightest but Flawed
£40. 400 lumens. Battery-powered (4x D batteries). The Coleman is the brightest lantern I tested — 400 lumens lit up the entire safari tent. But it uses D batteries, which are expensive and heavy. A set of Duracell D batteries cost £8 and lasted about 8 hours on high. That's £1/hour to run.
The light is also harsh — a cold white that kills any cosy atmosphere. I used it once for a midnight outdoor walk and never turned it on again. Too expensive to run, too harsh for indoors.
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My Recommendation
If you're buying one lantern for glamping, get the BioLite AlpenGlow 500. It's the most expensive at £65, but it does everything: warm ambient light indoors, bright light for outdoor walks, weather-resistant, USB rechargeable, and good battery life. After two trips, it's the only lantern I packed for trip three.
If £65 is too much, the Vango Star 250 at £18 is a solid budget choice. Just keep it indoors and bring spare AAA batteries.
If you want a backup that never needs charging, the Luci Outdoor 2.0 solar lantern at £20 is worth packing alongside your main lantern. It won't be your primary light, but it's always ready and weighs nothing.
