Best Rechargeable Camping Lanterns: 6 Lanterns Compared

This page contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

A lantern lights the whole tent or picnic table at once, which a headlamp cannot. Rechargeable and solar lanterns also avoid carrying spare batteries or fuel into the tent. The six below range from a 2.4-ounce lantern for backpackers to a 300-lumen inflatable lantern that doubles as a phone charger.

Every specification on this page comes from the manufacturer’s own product page, checked on 26 October 2026. We have not used these products ourselves, so the picks are based on published specifications only.

Add a lantern to our camping checklist for beginners and see camping preparation for what else to pack.

How we chose these

• Rechargeable by USB, solar or both; no disposable batteries or fuel.
• Brightness and runtime published by the maker.
• Light enough for a pack or car-camping bin.
• Options with a USB output for topping up a phone.

Lumens and runtimes are the makers’ own figures and do not always match across one product page; where LuminAID’s page gives two values, we show the one in its spec list and say so.

Comparison table

“Not stated” means the maker’s page text does not give a water rating for that model.

1. Goal Zero Lighthouse Micro Flash: for backpacking

The Micro Flash is a tiny lantern and flashlight in one: Goal Zero lists 150 lumens from the lantern on a full battery and 120 lumens as a flashlight, with dimming down to 10 lumens. It weighs 2.4 ounces, has an IPX6 rating and a 2,600 mAh battery, and recharges from USB in about 3.5 hours.

• Battery 9.62 Wh (3.7 V, 2,600 mAh); USB input 5 V up to 1 A (Goal Zero).
• Warranty: 2 years.

Pros: lightest here; lantern and flashlight; IPX6.
Cons: small light pool for a large tent; no solar panel built in.

Check the Goal Zero Lighthouse Micro Flash on Amazon

2. Goal Zero Crush Light: for a collapsible solar lantern

The Crush Light collapses to just over half an inch and charges from its built-in solar panel or a USB port, with a USB-C cable included. Goal Zero lists 60 lumens on high, 35 hours on low, three light settings and a flickering candle mode.

• Open size 4.95 x 4.95 x 3.9 in (Goal Zero).
• Warranty: 2 years.

Pros: packs nearly flat; solar or USB; candle mode.
Cons: dimmest lantern here; solar charging takes about 20 hours.

Check the Goal Zero Crush Light on Amazon

3. LuminAID PackLite Nova: for a packable inflatable solar lantern

The Nova packs flat to 1 inch and twists to inflate into a 4.75-inch cube. It charges in the sun in 10 to 12 hours or by micro-USB, with the cable included, and LuminAID lists five levels of white light.

• Max runtime 24 hours (LuminAID).
• A Nova Colors version adds 8 color modes.

Pros: flat for packing; solar charging; waterproof and floats, per LuminAID.
Cons: micro-USB rather than USB-C; 75 lumens is modest for a big tent.

Check the LuminAID PackLite Nova on Amazon

4. LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Power Lantern: for a lantern that charges a phone

The Max adds a 2,000 mAh battery with a USB-A port, which LuminAID says can give a phone about one charge, to its inflatable solar lantern. Its spec list gives 150 lumens and up to 50 hours of light; another line on the same page says 200 lumens, so treat the higher figure with caution.

• Size 6 x 6 x 1 in flat, 6 x 6 x 6 in inflated (LuminAID).
• LuminAID’s spec list says 8.5 oz; a summary line on the page says 12.5 oz.

Pros: phone charging from a light, packable lantern; long runtime.
Cons: slow solar recharge; figures differ in places on LuminAID’s own page.

Check the LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Power Lantern on Amazon

5. Goal Zero Lighthouse Core: for a bright table lantern with a USB port

The Lighthouse Core is the brightest Goal Zero lantern here at 430 lumens, set with a brightness dial. Goal Zero rates it from about 4 hours on its brightest setting up to 350 hours on ultra-low, and its 1 A USB output can recharge a phone. It recharges from USB in about 5 hours or from a separate Nomad 10 solar panel in 5 to 10 hours.

• Size 5 x 4.5 in; can charge and discharge at the same time (Goal Zero).
• Warranty: 2 years.

Pros: bright enough for a group site; very long low-mode runtime; phone charging.
Cons: heavier than the packable lanterns; solar needs a separate panel.

Check the Goal Zero Lighthouse Core on Amazon

6. LuminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Power Lantern: for the most light and phone charging

The Titan is LuminAID’s larger power lantern: 300 lumens, up to 100 hours of light and a 4,000 mAh battery that LuminAID says can charge most phones 2 to 3 times. It has white and red light and LuminAID says it was given a bigger solar panel to keep up with the larger battery.

• Charges by USB (micro-USB, or USB-C through an adapter) or solar (LuminAID).

Pros: brightest LuminAID; largest battery here; red light mode.
Cons: heaviest packable lantern here at 12.5 oz.

Check the LuminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Power Lantern on Amazon

Which one fits you

Practical tips

• Charge lanterns fully before you leave; solar charging is slow (about 10 to 20 hours of sun for the solar models here), so treat it as a top-up.
• See essential camping skills for setting up a safe, organized campsite.

Sources

Specifications from each manufacturer’s product page, checked 26 October 2026: Goal Zero Lighthouse Micro Flash, Goal Zero Crush Light, LuminAID PackLite Nova, LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Power Lantern, Goal Zero Lighthouse Core, LuminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Power Lantern. Makers can change specifications; check the product page before you buy.