Recommendation for Affordable LED Emergency Lantern

[spur0701]

Since Ian rolled through FL my wife's been on me to prep a little more. So I did an impulse buy from AMZ on prime day of these EverReady lanterns, see link here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N5LDYPC/?tag=cpf0b6-20

They were only about $15 for two and are 300 lumens and came with a 18650 lithium cell but will also take 3 AAs.

Just thought I would ask on here if these were worth keeping or if there was a better similar option at a reasonable price point. On these I'm not crazy about having to cycle through the flashing red light to turn the top flash light on but am fairly satisfied with all the other options. I'm not looking for something to camp with but something for power outages that I can stash in the closet with a pack of 10 year shelf life EverReady lithiums or Enloops and know I'll be good to go if I need them.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome.....thanks!

 

[glockboy]

I like this one better, take a look.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099FJYD9S/?tag=cpf0b6-20

 

[Dave_H]

Since Ian rolled through FL my wife's been on me to prep a little more. So I did an impulse buy from AMZ on prime day of these EverReady lanterns, see link here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N5LDYPC/?tag=cpf0b6-20

They were only about $15 for two and are 300 lumens and came with a 18650 lithium cell but will also take 3 AAs.

Just thought I would ask on here if these were worth keeping or if there was a better similar option at a reasonable price point. On these I'm not crazy about having to cycle through the flashing red light to turn the top flash light on but am fairly satisfied with all the other options. I'm not looking for something to camp with but something for power outages that I can stash in the closet with a pack of 10 year shelf life EverReady lithiums or Enloops and know I'll be good to go if I need them.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome.....thanks!

If the Li-ion is not removable, when the light runs down you will have to wait for it to recharge, which could be an issue. I prefer lights
which support instant cell swap-outs (C, D or even AA).

Dave

 

[Dave_H]

I like this one better, take a look.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099FJYD9S/?tag=cpf0b6-20

I like than light despite that it runs on AA. Mine may be older version; the base detaches (twist off) and can be hung upside-down from its hook on the bottom.

Dave

 

[xxo]

I never used the lanterns that you got, but if they work, I'm sure they are worth keeping.

The one I like for this role is the life gear AR tech flashlight/lantern:



Not the brightest or most rugged construction, but they are cheap, multi functional and run on common AA batteries (store them outside of the light as there maybe some parasitic drain).

I have one of these 1500 lumen energizer camp lanterns:

LINK

Good if you need something bright - in fact it is probably too bright on it's highest mode abd the diffuser is not the best, so there is some glare even on the lower output levels. It does have settings for warm, cool and neutral light. Runs on D cells but can run on AA's if you get adapters. The power button flashes a bright green when the light is off (annoying), so you will want to remove the batteries when not in use.

One of my favorite lanterns is actually a energizer 1000 lumen spotlight with a diffuser/stand that I 3D printed:

Even withouit the diffuser/stand you can ceiling bounce it indoors (if you have a light colored ceiling) to light up a room. Downsides - you need to click through all 3 modes to shut it off and the battery is built in.

 

[Dave_H]

If the Li-ion is not removable, when the light runs down you will have to wait for it to recharge, which could be an issue. I prefer lights
which support instant cell swap-outs (C, D or even AA).

Dave

Just re-read post and description, looks like cell(s) are swappable which is fine.

Dave

 

[Poppy]

Since Ian rolled through FL my wife's been on me to prep a little more. So I did an impulse buy from AMZ on prime day of these EverReady lanterns, see link here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N5LDYPC/?tag=cpf0b6-20

They were only about $15 for two and are 300 lumens and came with a 18650 lithium cell but will also take 3 AAs.

Just thought I would ask on here if these were worth keeping or if there was a better similar option at a reasonable price point. On these I'm not crazy about having to cycle through the flashing red light to turn the top flash light on but am fairly satisfied with all the other options. I'm not looking for something to camp with but something for power outages that I can stash in the closet with a pack of 10 year shelf life EverReady lithiums or Enloops and know I'll be good to go if I need them.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome.....thanks!

Spur,
@ $15 for two, with 18650's included, I think you got a terrific deal!

You might consider reading through our power outage thread for ideas about shortages that may occur and how to handle them if prepared.

 

[LED1982]

I think that this will fail your affordability parameter, but I bought the Sofirn BLF LT1 and Sofirn LT1s and I think that the quality of them are awesome.

 

[3_gun]

I like a diffuser on a flashlight over a dedicated lantern. You can normally get lower light levels (which can be good) MUCH higher highs (which can be bad) & greater range (which isn't always good) and crazy long run times. Third party testing has a Sofirn SP36BLF holding 200L for 24hrs, I ran mine as a "nite light"(step 2 of ramp) for 72hrs; so if you just used it for about 6hrs a night you could get a week of use without a battery recharge/change.

Of course what you have is worlds ahead of a pack of candles & a book of matches. (both should be in you "kit" too)

 

[LED1982]

I like a diffuser on a flashlight over a dedicated lantern.

Me too but I just either don't have diffuser friendly flashlights, or I can't find a diffuser for the flashlight. I had the Thrunite N31 a long time ago and there was a standard diffuser that could be purchased with it. I upgraded to a TN32 and unfortunately I can't find a diffuser because the bezel size is different than TN32. There are a ton of fat flashlights like that that are ideal for diffusers, but I don't own flashlights like that (besides the TN32).

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I like the Enbrighten 3D+ lithium ion rechargeable 650 lumen lantern. Has a 4400 mAh rechargeable battery you can charge with a micro usb cable. Has a 1 amp 5 volt usb outlet for charging your phone. When the rechargeable battery runs down, it switches to using the 3Ds for extended runtime. If the blackout is extended, you can recharge the battery with solar (through usb) or by car (12 volt to USB adapter). If those aren't available, you could just keep running it on D batteries. No down time waiting for the battery to recharge. The light has a very simple and easy to use ramping dimmer switch. Costco used to carry the light for $20-$25. You can find it online for $35-45.

Many lights that are cheap aren't built to handle the higher voltage of lithium AA batteries. Cheaper lights also cheap out on heatsinking. You'll find that they either overheat and die prematurely, or for many newer lights ramp down after a short period to prevent overheating. You don't want either of these during a disaster when you need the light to stay at the level you set it at. You need to spend more for a compact light that can manage heat better or go with a bigger light that has room for decent heatsinking. Long runtime, high brightness, compact: you only get two. To a degree you can get all three with more money (better battery capacity, more efficient circuitry, better light transmission lens, better l.e.d.s).

 

[Poppy]

The enbrighten 3D lanterns have been well rated in the past. Without seeing a review of this one, I suspect that it will be well rated.

I very much like the flexibility of using 3D cells as a back-up to the Li Ion rechargeable cell. If one keeps the lumen output below 300 lumens, the 3D cells will give similar runtimes to a lantern that runs on 3 - 3400 mah Lithium cells.

 

[Jump Start]

If you have a power bank or two, this is a good option.

Amazon.com

Decent amount of light that will last for a long time. You can drape the cord over a ceiling fan to light an entire room.

Jump Start

 

[dajeepman]

This might not be in your budget but it take 3 18650 and should last a long time on a charge. This will be my next lantern.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HDA2H1Y/?tag=cpf0b6-20

 

[angerdan]

Just thought I would ask on here if these were worth keeping or if there was a better similar option at a reasonable price point.
I'm not looking for something to camp with but something for power outages that I can stash in the closet with a pack of 10 year shelf life EverReady lithiums or Enloops and know I'll be good to go if I need them.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome.....thanks!

Buying a good lantern with 4x18650, storing it disconnected and recharging it once a year might be a safer solution than hiding something for ten years and then maybe it doesn't work.

Sofirn BLF LT1 Rechargeable Lantern with Power Bank Function, Adjustable Color Temperature, Long Working Time

🔦Emitter: 8 x LH351D(4 x 5000K 90CRI + 4 x 2700K 90CRI) 🔦 Long Runtime: powered by 4* 3000mAh batteries, the maximum output can reach 800 lumens. In mid-range mode, you can use for more than 24 hours (including battery). 🔦 USB-C charging port: LT1 comes with USB-C charging cable (adapter...

www.sofirnlight.com

BLF LT1

Anyone else enjoying the new LT1 lantern? Have to say that I'm very impressed with DBSAR's engineering. Smaller than I expected, but this lantern is big on features. Love the Anduril ramping and the amber power indicator. Here she is pictured next to my trusty Fenix CL25R.

www.candlepowerforums.com

[4K Review] Sofirn BLF LT1 Lantern review

Not as bright as I expected and it would be cool to have a USB output, nice tint and UI though.

www.candlepowerforums.com

 

[Cegasa Battery]

If you try an option with a light that uses a lantern style battery the company (Cegasa USA) I work for makes lantern batteries with 45 amp hours as opposed to any others you might find in stores or online which only have 7-13 usually. One or 2 might have 18-20. Makes a HUGE difference in run time. An experiment I did with a lantern flashlight, using Duracell, Energizer, Rayovac....those only lasted a few days to a week. The Cegasa battery was still going a month + later.

I have been trying to find markets and ways to distribute and get word out but it has been a slow go..... I can provide more information if anyone is interested.

 

[Flashlightmaster2021]

I like this one better, take a look.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099FJYD9S/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Nice