Portable LED Light Rechargeable Solar Lamp

I have been after some tent camping lights for our road trip this year but I wanted some that were rechargeable. So I decided to buy a few and do a review on the top 3 Solar powered LED camping lights around.

Rechargeable LED camping lights are a few of today’s camping luxuries. No need to worry about running out of batteries in your flashlight, or forgetting about bringing an extra pack of batteries for the camp lantern. There are a lot of LED tent lights that can be charged by power banks but which ones are the best?

Recently, the more efficient way of charging these LED tent lights is through solar energy via solar panels. While you’re hiking up to your campsite, your backpack panel can absorb solar energy which can be used at night! You don’t need to cover your tent with solar panels to get light.

tent covered in solar panels


As it’s always best to look for items that are dual-purpose, some solar tent lighting can be
repurposed in household lighting conditions. Below, we’ve listed three solar lights from Prodeli that aren’t just for camping.

Best solar-powered camping lights for tents

 Tent LampSolar LED Light – Our PickSolar Powered LED Bulb with remoteSolar Powered Utility
Light
Solar Tent Light
LumensBright 350lm, 6 Hours run time on a single charge.350LM, Up to 22 hours runtime on low setting.40 lumens, 12 hours working time.
Features Solar, USB, and mains powerLightweight long-lasting solar rechargeable tent light. Can be recharged using a power bankCheap solar tent light with remote dimming features.
Power Source Solar, USB, and mains 100-240v power. DC 5V, or solar powered. Solar only.
Voltage5 to 8 runtime hours. Charge through the solar panel, quicker if using a wall micro USB charger.DC 5~8V USB output charger or solar panel powered. DC 5-6V USB or through the solar panel
Bulb Wattage 1.5W 12 LED 9W 1.5W
Internal BatteryLithiumLithium-Ion 1800mAhLithium 450mAh rechargeable battery
Switch StylePush button which can be removed to turn it into a normal ES 110v LED light bulbRemote control up to 8m 4 modes (low, medium, high, flashing)
Internal LED12pcs SMD 2835 12pcs SMD2835 12 PCS high brightness SMD2835 LED beads
Solar Panel Size140x130x17mm

 

1.8W solar panel power. With 3m long cable

 3×4.3 inches
3m long cable
Inbuilt solar panel
Time to charge8 Hours through the solar panel, quicker if using a wall micro USB charger.Time to charge is 6-8 Hours. 2 hours if using a 1 amp power bank. 12 on solar or 1 hour with USB.
Where to Buy 
 
 

Tent lighting is something that we all forget about and often have to search in the dark for a torch. Check out our post on all the other most overlooked camping necessities you will definitely need.

Solar Powered LED Camping Light

The basic portable solar-powered LED light is lightweight (get it? no pun intended) at 11 ounces. The bulb emits a cool white color, and it comes in a modern style with an ABS hard plastic finish. I really like this camp light for its many charge options and its long-lasting bright light.
Included with this Solar Powered LED light are the LED bulb light, a solar panel, one starter, a hook, a USB cable, and the user manual.

The bulb has two charge ports: a micro USB port for receiving power, and a regular-sized USB port for charging other products. The USB solar-powered LED light bulb can be charged with other power sources (like my Ravpower power banks, or an electrical outlet). It also functions as a portable power bank. This means products like your mobile phone are charged with a USB 5V output.
The bulb has an internal rechargeable battery that has a voltage of 3.7 V and 2600 mAh of available battery energy.

It can be used up to six hours of continuous use and produces a 120 deg angle bright white light beam, minus the glare like a torch would do. Unlike most solar-powered lights, this version really looks like the usual household lightbulb we’re used to.
Most of the bulb is made of ABS and PC beige matte housing. The housing makes it sturdier, allowing it to be exposed to hard conditions one may encounter in camping or more outdoor activities.

Our Winner

I personally enjoyed the LightMe solar-powered light as I can use it in more everyday applications when I’m not going camping. All you need to do is unscrew the push button end cap to expose the Eddison screw fitting. I’ve tried it as an alternative to my usual shed light bulbs and found its soft light to be a great addition to a remote shed light. It provides just the right amount of light—not too blinding, and not too dim.

solar powered camp light bulb with internal battery

As you can see in the image above the camp globe has an electronic starter on the top which serves two purposes. It is used as a switch to turn the solar bulb on and off. When this switch is unscrewed the ES27 light fitting is exposed so you can now insert it into a normal house fitting.

 Light-operated Solar Bulb for Tents

The Lightme light-operated solar bulb is one of the more advanced lighting systems here, it has a 3.7V large 2000 mAh internal battery. The bulb emits a natural-colored light and has a modern style.
Upon purchasing this LightMe light-operated solar bulb, you receive a chargeable solar bulb and one solar panel with a 3.5m connecting line and an infrared remote control. A hook is also provided to allow the bulb to be used in a hanging orientation.

This portable LED camp bulb has one USB port for charging your mobile phones which is really cool. The only way to recharge this camp light is through the solar panel. A little LED indicator light is located at the bottom of the solar light bulb, near the port and switch. This turns red when the bulb is charging—a useful feature when you’re checking if your bulb’s power source is working.

Much like the Prodeli solar powered light, this solar-powered camping light resembles the usual light bulb. This can be used in different household situations as well, but I prefer to use solar light bulbs of these kinds as garden shed lights as the solar panel can soak up energy in the daytime to charge the internal battery and in turn be a handy power source at night. It’s not only economical—it’s eco-friendly as well!

A switch on the side lets you determine if you will be using mains power 100-240v or the internal 2000mAh battery. This battery is charged during the day with the 2-watt waterproof solar panel. This solar globe is well made for camping and I’m glad I have it stored in my backpack ready to go at a moment’s notice.

 Dimmable Solar Powered Light for garden sheds.


For a cheap addition to your camping backpack, the Ning Dimmable Solar Powered Light ticks a lot of boxes. In the package you get a LED remote control, one dimmable 12 LED solar-powered light with a hook, and one solar panel with cable. The remote control has straightforward commands.
Four buttons are present: OFF, ON, UP, and DOWN. The UP and DOWN buttons are used to adjust lamp brightness from anywhere in your tent. No need to get up.

This portable solar dimmable light bulb weighs 1.76 ounces and has product dimensions of 3.1 x 3.1 x 4.5 inches. This camp light bulb contains a huge 2000 mAh rechargeable battery and is powered by a small solar panel. It takes around six to ten hours for the solar panel to charge the light. The lamp can be used for nine to twenty hours straight. So it’s perfect to charge throughout the day for use at night.

The lamp is also quite hardy, as it has a LED lifespan of approximately 50,000 hours. Adventurous users may enjoy the lamp as it is quite portable. There isn’t a need to worry about running out of power for your lamp in a week-long camping escapade as the lamp takes half a day to charge up through solar energy. 
Among the portable solar tent lights in the list, this little globe does one thing and does it well, provides light. You are limited to only charging it through the solar panel but that why its cheap. All of the other frills are excluded.

The solar panel for this light is also smaller than the others and I think a little cheaply made. But means its great for when storage is at a premium. This lamp is great for solar tent lighting, but it falls in the more lux brightness section of the category. I think a lot of power could definitely be saved by adjusting the light brightness to one’s needs, but for basic camping, this feature is almost like a novelty.

As a garden shed light, it makes me feel a little fancy when I don’t need to get up from my seat to turn it on. I have the remote mounted on the wall with some 3M velcro dual lock. This way I won’t lose it in my messy garden shed.

The 800mAh internal lithium battery is on the small side but you can still get a long run time of 6-8 hours depending on the lamp brightness setting.

Solar powered tent lights features

camping tent full of light globes

Ease of use

Each portable solar light mentioned here are user-friendly and easy to use. They all have an on-off switch and some even have a remote control to determine the lamp brightness and to turn these solar camping light on and off. This is a great feature when you are snuggled up in your sleeping bag. The winner here is the LightMe solar-powered LED bulb due to its remote control and large internal battery.

Style

All light bulbs have a modern style and a built tough for those rough camping trips. They have tough ABS plastic covers to withstand a knock or two.

Power Source – Charging

As most people aren’t camping all the time, LED tent lights have an increased edge when there are more ways to charge them. This Solar LED Light Bulb can take power from mains power 100-240v, solar light energy, or through a USB port.

This makes this light bulb less dependent on the solar panel as they can also take power from power banks and other power sources as long as they can be connected through a USB cable. So if it’s a dark winters day the obvious option is charging via a power bank.

Voltage

The Prodeli Solar LED Light has the largest voltage range among the others at 5v USB, 6V solar powered and  100 -240v mains powered. This means you have a whole lot of options in using other power sources, especially when it’s in limited situations (e.g. camping or a garden shed)

If the mains grid electricity goes out. Grab a few of these bulbs and screw them into your normal lamp fittings. Instant light for the rest of the night.

Wattage

The Prodeli and the LightMe Solar Bulb only need 1.50 W to produce a reliable light, making it an efficient light. But the tradeoff is it will be dimmer than the 7w version.
A special mention goes out to the Prodeli Solar LED light as it requires 7W of light power Combined with its satisfactory battery reserves, it is the brightest one in the list at 560 lux.

Bulb type

All the bulbs are LED. These are environmental-friendly bulbs and are lightweight—perfect for camping. They all use the famous SMD2835 LED chip that is very bright and has great power to brightness ratios.

Switch Style

This boils down to personal preference. However, the winner for this category was chosen
through the convenience it gave. Among the three, the LightMe Solar Powered Light’s remote control lets users control their LED tent lights with convenience.

Special Note

The Prodeli Solar LED Bulb doesn’t have any special features like a dimmer switch but it does let you use the lamp as a portable power bank. It’s up to personal preference on which lamp is better: the solar LED light’s instant on with extra brightness and included power bank or the solar-powered light’s dimmable feature.

solar powered camping lights for tents and garden sheds

Our Favorite Solar powered camping light bulb

In the end, it depends on one’s preference and needs in choosing the lamp that best suits your lifestyle and needs. The Ning Solar LED light is by-far the overall winner for me. So many options to charge and use this light bulb. You can even use this LED solar light in an ES27 mains powered fitting. All that’s missing is the remote control.

If you really need to charge up a few Solar Powered Camping Lights fast why not look into some high power solar foldable chargers for your next road trip. They are rated at 21 watts or more and can charge multiple devices at the same time – at around 2 amps in full sun.

I hope this review has been helpful in giving you insight on the best rechargeable LED camping lights available in the market, whether it’s for camping or household use. Let us know if you’ve used any of the LED lights listed above or if there are any other ones that you’d want us to try out!

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