The 8 Best Outdoor and Backyard Lighting We Love of 2023
Your phone’s flashlight app will work in a pinch, but if you’re spending serious time outside after sundown—eating an alfresco dinner, reading a book in your tent, throwing a beach bash—you need an outdoor light, or several. After 12 hours of research and 35 hours of testing, we’ve found the best packable lights, tabletop lanterns, flameless candles, string lights, and path lights for all of your outdoor adventures.
Who this is for: Whether you’re setting up camp for the night, gearing up for an evening picnic, or waiting for Billie Eilish to begin her set at Coachella, the MPOWERD Luci Base Light will keep things illuminated. Inflate it with your lungs, charge it using the sun (or the included USB-A cable), and let it light up the night. You can also use its USB-A port to charge your phone or another small device. When morning comes, deflate it and stow it away in a bag or pocket for the next time.
Why it’s great: At 300 lumens, the Luci Base Light is one of the brightest packable lights we tested. It can be charged using its USB-A port or solar panel—both located on the top surface of the light. And its built-in battery has a 4,000-mAh capacity, which is as high as that of any model we tested. The Luci has an International Protection rating (a weatherproofing standard, also called the Ingress Protection rating) of IP67. This means it’s completely protected against dust and can be safely submerged in water up to 3.3 feet. It has straps on both the top and the bottom—making it easy to carry, clip on a carabiner, hang inside a tent, or string on a clothesline; by contrast, other models we tested had only a single hook or handle. The Luci’s USB-A port puts out up to 8 watts, according to our assessment. And this lamp’s light—which can be set to low, medium, high, or flashing—creates an inviting, warm cast. It also has a handy valve to keep dust and water from leaking into the USB-A port, as well as a battery-status button, which lets you check how much charge it has left.
Who this is for: If you don’t want the hassle of inflating and deflating, the Black Diamond Moji Lantern is a great option for travel. It’s not as bright as the Luci Base Light, and it requires batteries, but it’s just as easy to stow in a backpack or pocket.
Why it’s great: The Black Diamond Moji is lightweight (just 4.3 ounces with batteries inside) and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It has a round, streamlined shape, so it’s easy to slip into a pocket. Unlike with the Luci Base Light, with the Moji there is no inflating or deflating: Just press the button on the side to turn it on and off, and hold it down to dim or raise the brightness. On top, the Moji has two strong metal handles, which can be folded down for storage. The LED is encased in a frosted, white plastic shell, and it casts a powerful cool-toned glow. The body (which comes in up to seven colors, depending on the retailer) is made of a durable-feeling rubber. Overall, this light seems well built. And, like the Luci Base Light, it’s backed by a one-year warranty.
Who this is for: If you’ve ever arrived at your campsite after dark and tried to set up your tent by the light of your car headlights or a wimpy headlamp (as I have), you should probably invest in a lantern. The UST 60-Day Duro Lantern is versatile: You can hold it by the handle on top, hang it from a loop on the base, or set it on a table. And it illuminates a wider area than the focused beam of a headlamp or flashlight. It’s also handy to keep by the door, if you want to let your dog out in the middle of the night, play an evening game of cards on the porch, or have it ready in case of a power outage.
Why it’s great: When it comes to portable outdoor lighting, the UST 60-Day Duro is the full package. It’s the brightest tabletop lantern we’ve tested by far, with an impressive 1,200-lumen rating. There’s a handle on top—to hang the lantern from a carabiner, pick it up with ease, or hold it out in front of you like a creepy old innkeeper—as well as a loop on the bottom (for additional hanging options). With a hard-plastic shell, it feels sturdy, and it has grippy strips of rubber on the sides, top, and base that keep it from toppling over or slipping out of your hands. The upper handle is also coated in textured rubber, making it easier to grasp. Like every other model we tested, the 60-Day Duro has three brightness settings and a cool tone—shedding light that’s bright enough to read by yet also feels cozy. It’s powered by six D batteries (not included), allowing the lamp to stay lit on its highest brightness setting for at least 60 days before the batteries must be replaced—which is something we verified in our testing. And, unlike most lanterns we tested, the 60-Day Duro is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Who this is for: If you don’t need all the power that the UST 60-Day Duro offers—perhaps you go camping only a few weekends a year, or you have a tiny backyard—consider the UST 30-Day Duro Lantern instead. It’s the 60-Day Duro in miniature, and it was our top lantern pick for several years.
Why it’s great: The UST 30-Day Duro is just as ruggedly built as the 60-Day Duro. And it has the same design details that we value so much in the larger version—rubber strips for added grippiness, three brightness settings, a cool-colored cast, a handle on top, and a hanging loop on the bottom. The 30-Day Duro is roughly the size of a pint glass and weighs half as much as the 60-Day Duro (the 30-Day is 1.9 pounds with its batteries inside). So the 30-Day Duro is a lot easier to carry or pack inside a backpack or duffel bag. Like the 60-Day Duro, the 30-Day Duro comes with a lifetime warranty. It runs on three D batteries (not included), and we confirmed that it can stay lit for 30 days straight. In fact, during our testing, the 30-Day Duro stayed on its highest brightness setting for 31 days.
Who this is for: If you want a lantern that can be recharged from a USB port, the Coleman OneSource 1,000 Lumens LED Lantern is the best full-size option we’ve found. It’s about as rugged as our other tabletop lantern picks. And it offers many of the same features—without the need to hunt for D batteries (though you do sacrifice some battery life).
Why it’s great: The Coleman OneSource 1,000 Lumens LED Lantern is a workhorse with a wide array of features. Like the two UST models, this model has a handle on top, allowing you to carry it around or hang it from a tree, and a flat bottom, so you can set it down on a table. The Coleman has a 1,000-lumen brightness rating, to shed light on a campsite or backyard dining area; it has as many lumens as the UST 30-Day Duro and just 200 fewer than the 60-Day Duro. To adjust the brightness, simply twist the top of the lantern to cycle through six settings (twice as many as the UST models have, so the Coleman provides more-gradual shifts in brightness). Whereas the UST lanterns both emit light with a cool cast, the Coleman has a soft, warm glow.
This lantern is powered by a rechargeable, 4,800-mAh battery, which plugs into the center of the unit. You can use this battery interchangeably with numerous other Coleman products in the OneSource lineup. And, since the battery is removable, it can be recycled and replaced (so you don’t have to junk the entire lantern when its battery dies). It’s equipped with a USB-A output port (to charge a small device like a phone) and a USB-C input port (to recharge the lantern at top speed with a compatible cable and wall charger). Both ports are protected by flaps of rubber to keep out dust and moisture. With the battery inserted, the lantern weighs 1.8 pounds.
Like the UST models, the Coleman has a weatherproof rating of IPX4. And, though its three-year warranty pales in comparison with UST’s lifetime guarantee, that ought to be more than enough time to test out your lantern to ensure it’s working properly.
Lastly, the Coleman offers one of our favorite features among the lanterns we tested: a hidden compartment. Located on the bottom of the unit and covered by a rubber twist-off lid, this compartment is big enough to house the included charging cable (a 1.6-foot USB-C–to–USB-A cable) and other small items, like a few spare matches or guitar picks for a fireside jam session.
Who this is for: If you want a flameless candle that makes a bold statement and stays “lit” for hours, the West Elm Indoor/Outdoor Flickering Flameless Pillar Candle is your best bet.
Why it’s great: The West Elm candle casts a warm, bright light with a realistic flicker. A convenient built-in timer will (if set) turn on at the same time every day and turn off after five hours. This candle comes in five different sizes: 4, 6, 8, 9, and 12 inches tall. The batteries are included, and they’re easy to replace (the two largest sizes are powered by three C batteries, and the others require three AAA batteries). The West Elm candle has a minimalist silhouette and a clean, off-white color that will look at home in most outdoor spaces.
Who this is for: In the fourth season of Queer Eye, interior designer Bobby Berk tells a hapless farmer, “You can make any place look fancy with the right lighting.” Case in point: The Newhouse Lighting 48 ft. 11-Watt Outdoor Weatherproof String Light is the perfect mix of country and city, style and durability, whimsy and utility. Whether you’re having a backyard BBQ, a garden party, or just dressing up an outdoor patio, this sturdy string of Edison-style bulbs can add a dash of class to any outdoor space—in a way that even our favorite outdoor Christmas lights cannot.
Why it’s great: The Newhouse Lighting 48 ft. 11-Watt Outdoor Weatherproof String Light is a solid set of lights. It’s ruggedly built yet has a sophisticated look. It’s an ample 48 feet long, with 15 sockets spaced 3 feet apart, including 2 feet at the end of the cord with the input plug to help you reach faraway outlets. The other end has a foot of extra cord and an AC port, so you can string multiple sets of lights together. It also has a handy plastic cover attached to the “female receptacle,” to keep out water and dust when not in use. This set of lights comes with a five-year warranty, and it’s UL-listed for outdoor use. Its incandescent, Edison-style bulbs are rated for 75 lumens each, and they emit a warm, cozy cast. Newhouse makes an identical version with 200-lumen LED bulbs, which use less electricity and tend to last longer. But we slightly prefer the softer, sepia-tone glow of the incandescent bulbs. This string of lights comes disassembled (as with every model we tested, each bulb needs to be screwed in by hand), and it has three spare bulbs, in case some break or burn out. You can also buy replacement incandescent or LED bulbs separately. The bulb sockets each have a little hole at the top, so you can attach the lights to a house or other structure using wire, zip ties, or whatever material you so choose. Plus, each socket has an extra couple of inches of cord leading down to each bulb, so they dangle vertically, even if the main cord is hung at an angle.
Who this is for: If you have a path or walkway in your yard and want your steps to be illuminated by a set of durable, weatherproof solar-powered lights that are easy to install, look no further than the Smart Solar Charleston Pathway LED Lights (Set of 6). This set (sometimes sold under the name “Smart Living”) is the sturdiest, best-looking option we’ve found—and for a relatively low price, too.
Why it’s great: Each Smart Solar Charleston path light is 3½ inches in diameter, with the stem raising it an ample 16 inches off the ground. The lights meet our minimum brightness criteria of 5 lumens, casting a soft and cozy warm light. Some basic assembly is required—you need to screw the stainless steel topper (containing the solar panel and battery compartment) onto the glass bulb, screw that onto the stainless steel stem, and screw that onto the plastic stake. And then you can stick it into your lawn, or use a rubber mallet to gently hammer it into more solidly packed earth. Sturdily built and seemingly durable, this set is available in pewter, copper, or antique bronze finishes—which should, between them, work with most landscaping. The square solar panel on top (which blends in well with the stainless steel topper) provides power during the day. And when the sun isn’t out, each light is powered by one AA backup battery (included). This set has a one-year warranty.
