The Best Solar Lights for Camping: A Complete Guide

With five brightness settings, a run time of up to 50 hours and 150 lumens of LED light, this Luminaid is one of the best lights for camping. Plus, it runs on free solar power, of course. 

It took us 12 to 14 hours of sunlight to fully charge it, which is not very quick.  A bonus, though, is that you can also charge this lantern via USB if you don’t have enough sunlight, which takes one to two hours.  To balance the slow charge time, the integral lithium-ion battery has a 2,000 mAh rating, so it holds a charge pretty well and unless you have it on all night, it charges back up again with a day of normal sunlight. 

Pros: 

• Collapsible lantern with strap 
• Can charge it via a USB if there isn’t enough sunlight 
• Can use the USB to charge a tablet or phone 
• Heavy duty & is shatter, dust & waterproof

Cons: 

• Long solar charging time 

To inflate this lantern really fast, all you need to do is twist it.  We found that even after being on for a couple of hours in our test, this lantern didn’t get hot, making it one of the safest and best camping lights for tents you’ll find.

Pros: 

• Up to 300 lumens 
• Powerful 4,000 mAh battery so it holds power for a long time 
• Tough, waterproof, shatterproof & dust-resistant 

Cons:

• Long initial charge time (though you can charge it via USB in much less time) 

This is not only a contender as the best camp light around: it also works as a power bank to charge your phone via USB.  

You can charge this one via USB as well as solar power. A full charge via USB takes five to six hours, while via sunlight you’re looking at around 28 hours, which is a long time. The flip side is that it has a powerful, built-in 4,000 mAh lithium-ion battery that can run for up to 50 hours on one charge once it’s charged up.

Pros: 

• Up to 360 lumens 
• Nice warm light 
• Charge devices via 2-way USB 
• Pressure-resistant & waterproof

Cons:

• Lesser-known brand 
• Slower/ longer charge time than similar products 
• Length of charge is adequate but less than other products with similar battery strength 

Our quest to find the best camping solar lights around continues with the Crush from Goal Zero. This is a small, compact design, so it’s not one for when you want high levels of lighting.  

In terms of impressing your friends and portability, though, this solar light camping is a clear winner. Eight color settings means you can change the tone at will from red to blue or green to orange, magenta, red, aqua or white. 

Pros: 

• 8 color modes 
• Ultra compact design 
• Chargeable vis USB or solar

Cons:

• Limited light

Goal Zero make some of the top solar tent lights around and another great option from them is the Lighthouse 600. This impressive lantern can provide up to 600 lumens of light. Do note that the solar panel is not included, however. Check our reviews of solar panels if you’re looking to get one. 

A clever feature is the way you can use just half the lantern if you want to, saving a lot of power. There are also user-friendly folding legs and an integral carry handle. As well as solar or USB power, you can crank this one up by hand too. 

Pros: 

• Up to 600 lumens 
• Hand crank power option 
• Use 180 or 360° of LED light

Cons:

• Not a collapsible design 
• Solar panel purchased separately

This reel filled with a long string of solar lights is such a practical, multi-purpose product when you want something other than the solar rechargeable camping lantern. Instead you get a line of fairy lights to string up in the backyard or at the campground. 

There are 20 bright LEDs, and you can pick between 10 display modes. There is also a hopeful USB port for charging mobile devices. An integral flashlight also lets you find your way safely during darkness.

Pros:

• Built-in flashlight 
• Clever reel design 
• 20 LEDs with 10 lighting modes

Cons:

• More for ambient lighting

If you want a light that comes on automatically when you leave the tent during the night, go for this one. It’s also ideal for use when you want the reassurance of a security light. Or two.  

In fact, buying this two-pack means you could fix one up permanently at home while leaving the one to take away on camping trips. The range of detection is 20 feet plus, and for the first 20 seconds the light emitted is ultra-bright. 

Pros: 

• 2-pack of motion sensor lights 

• Fully charged in 6 hours 
• Tough aluminium shell

Cons:

• Not designed for constant lighting

The final serious contender as best solar light for camping is a hurricane lantern. It features a collapsible and portable design. The brightness on this solar lighting for camping can be adjusted according to how far you pull up the handle. 

It all packs down into a size as small as a cell phone, and the folding handle means you can hang it on that loop in your tent. There’s an integral 1,600 mAh lithium-ion battery, and this can be charged via a 220V socket as well as by solar power.

Pros: 

• Packs down very small 
• Easily adjustable lighting 
• Can be charged via 220V socket

Cons:

• Build quality 
• Not the greatest power bank

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James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.

He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and all of the main national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks. 

Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.

As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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