Whether you’re on a camping trip or adding to your backyard’s aesthetics, you can never go wrong with lights. And if you’re looking for a cool and innovative way to illuminate your surroundings and impress your friends, we’ve got the perfect tool — a solar lantern.
Solar lanterns are dustproof and waterproof, allowing you to use them outdoors without worrying if they’ll die out. Plus, with a solar battery pack attached to each lantern, they won’t raise your electric bill but are also great for taking on trips where you don’t have the convenience of charging your electronics.
With various solar lanterns to consider and specifications to look into, finding the ideal one can be challenging. We compiled a list of the most popular solar lanterns available in 2025 to brighten you up wherever you are!
Elevate the ambiance of your outdoor living areas with the MAGGIFT Solar Lantern. This solar-powered wall light combines classic design with modern energy efficiency, making it a practical and stylish addition to your outdoor decor. Crafted from durable plastic, the lantern is built to withstand tough outdoor conditions and is sealed tight to ensure longevity.
Each solar lantern includes two LED bulbs, providing 15 lumens per bulb. With 10 times the brightness of other solar lights, these lanterns offer excellent illumination for your outdoor spaces. The lantern is a compact and versatile lighting solution with its small size. The package includes two solar wall lights, allowing you to enhance multiple areas of your outdoor space.
Powered by solar energy, these lanterns charge during the day when exposed to full and direct sunlight for 6-8 hours. As dusk approaches, the lights automatically turn on, providing a warm white glow that adds elegance and color to your garden, lawn, patio, yard, or porch. At dawn, the lights will turn off, conserving energy and ensuring hassle-free operation, and making it the best overall on the list.
The MAGGIFT Solar Lantern is the perfect combination to brighten up any outdoor area. The solar lights are powered by free solar energy, so you don’t have to worry about paying an electric bill. They’ll even come on automatically at night and turn off automatically at dawn, so you don’t have to worry about manually turning them off each morning. The lights are very easy to install. All you need is a drill and some screws and you’re good to go.
Once the lights are installed, you won’t need to do any additional maintenance; they’ll take care of themselves. With no wiring or external power source required, they’ll provide light for many evenings in a row without needing any attention. The MAGGIFT Solar Lantern is the best choice for anyone looking to add some light to their outdoor area without having to pay extra for electricity bills or manual maintenance. With a 180-day product warranty included with your purchase, it’s the perfect investment that will continue to pay off over time.
Starting off our list is the Solight Design Solar Lantern which is the perfect camping lantern. It is incredibly lightweight, at less than 2.65 ounces, and folds down to only ¼ inches, making it incredibly portable for backpacking. The patented pull-open and collapsible design make using this solar lantern a breeze as it never needs to be inflated or deflated. The memory material also keeps its shape even when punctured, allowing it to be used in even the most extreme weather.
On top of portability, the Solar Puff also provides a long battery life of up to 12 hours on a single eight-hour solar charge, giving more than enough light for daytime adventures. The LED solar lantern outputs 60 lumens on low, 90 lumens on high, and also features a blinking mode. A handy light sensor is included to enable dusk to dawn mode, saving battery life and energy while you sleep.
The LuminAID Solar Lantern squeezes splendid features into one single package. Thanks to its exceptional 2000 mAh battery, this product can light up your backyard or enhance your camping trip for many hours. Not just that, it’s also capable of charging up your smartphone in case you run out of power during your adventure.
With its waterproof, dustproof, and lightweight build, this option is the perfect tool to light up your trip in any environment. All in all, this lantern is convenient and portable, which is why it’s one of our top picks.
If you’re looking for a lighting option that’s easy to carry on hiking trips, check out the KIZEN Solar Lantern. This solar lantern can collapse down to a size of a hockey puck, which means that it can fit conveniently into your backpack or even your pocket. Thanks to its weatherproof design, it will light up your trip even during the most intense rains.
This solar lantern takes only four hours to recharge and can provide a running time of up to 10 hours, so rest assured you won’t run out of light when you need it. If that’s still not enough, it can also act as a power bank for your phone, juicing it up if needed.
If you’re shopping for a lighting option that can light up your backyard parties all night long, choose the SHYMERY Solar Lanterns. With this pack of two solar lanterns, you get a battery life of almost 10 hours with minimal charging times, making it a perfect choice to brighten up the environment for a long time.
With its state-of-the-art design, this option can automatically turn itself on at night, eliminating the hassle of having to switch on the lanterns manually. Even more, they also work as decorative pieces, complementing your garden or patio with their aesthetically pleasing design. Thanks to its 18-month warranty, you can rest assured your money isn’t going down the drain.
The PASAMIC Solar Lanterns have been designed with aesthetics in mind. These slick-looking solar lanterns will fit in with any modern-styled porch, backyard, or garden, giving it a fresh and sophisticated look. This product is made from aluminum and tampered glass which gives it strength and adds to its classy design.
These energy-saving lights feature an automatic on/off sensor that keeps the light off during the day while it’s charging and turns it on at night. What makes them stand out from other solar lanterns is that they’re convenient to install. All you need to do is mount them on a wall and voila, they’re ready to use. Since this option is rated IP44 waterproof, you can be sure it won’t malfunction during an intense rainy season.
If you’re on a tight budget but still want to add some outdoor lighting to your home, you’ll be pleased by the TomCare Solar Lanterns. Despite their economical price, these lights feature a high-capacity battery that is sufficient for illuminating your patio, garden, or walkway for many hours.
These solar lanterns have a flickering flame effect which adds to the exquisite look of the light. Each one has a vintage design and comes with a hook, allowing you to place it on tabletops or hang it wherever it feels right. Since they’re made from high-quality, rust-proof metal, you can be sure they’ll last longer than most solar lights.
Although solar lanterns have tons of benefits, choosing one is no easy task since there are a plethora of options available on the market. Besides that, there are also many factors and specifications you must take into account. To help you make a successful purchase, we prepared a comprehensive buying guide to explain everything you need to know about solar lanterns.
Here are some essential factors you should consider before purchasing a solar lantern:
Although every solar lantern has one primary purpose, to illuminate its surroundings, they are also designed to serve other purposes. For instance, if you’re planning to go camping, you want a portable light that is easy to carry around and has long battery life. If you want to decorate your patio or porch, you want a light that offers the best aesthetics. Similarly, if you just want good glowing light, you should prioritize brightness.
Naturally, the build quality of the lantern will determine how long it’ll last. Generally, it is recommended that you opt for a solar lantern made of high-quality plastic that’s capable of withstanding direct sunlight. If you want to get a lantern that is made of metal, then make sure to choose stainless steel as it won’t rust.
This is especially important if you want to set up your solar lantern in an outdoor environment such as a porch. Also, if the lantern you choose has glass panels, ensure the glass won’t fade or frost as this will affect its lighting capability.
When you are looking to buy a solar lantern it is important to consider its battery capacity as this will determine how long the lantern will illuminate your surrounding. Ideally, you should look for a lantern with a battery capacity of 2000 mAh as it can easily last for up to 10 hours, which is enough for you to get through the night.
Solar lanterns are designed to primarily fuel up from solar energy. With that being said, if you are looking for a portable lantern, it is always a good choice to look for one that can be charged with a USB cable as well. This will make sure you can charge your lantern even when solar energy is not available.
It’s essential to get a weatherproof solar lantern; otherwise, it will malfunction even if it drizzles or comes into contact with dust. Each solar light has an IP rating which tells you how well it is protected against dust or water.
If you don’t want to get into the hassle of turning your solar light on and off daily, we recommend getting one with an automatic on/off sensor. Although they cost more than those that don’t contain this feature, they save more energy and electricity as they turn on only when you need light and turn off when you don’t.
Most solar lanterns are water and dust-proof and are designed to work in an enduring environment. Check the IP rating of your solar light to determine how weatherproof it is.
Some solar lanterns come in different colors, while some don’t. You will have to check to see if each model is available in different colors.
Not all solar lights are covered by a warranty. Once again, you will have to check to see if it has a warranty or not.
While most solar lanterns are weatherproof, they can still be damaged by heat. We recommend not storing or placing them in spaces where temperatures can go up to 120°F.