Battery Operated Lanterns

Battery Lanterns

What image comes to mind when you think of lanterns? Nowadays, at least for me, I immediately think of the beautiful paper lanterns we all recognize as originating from Asia. Of course another popular and probably the most identifiable lantern is the portable cylindrical metal lantern with glass sides and wire handle. Then there are the hurricane lanterns which are a glass vase style lantern, which can come with or without a handle. And the beautiful, decorative Morrocan Lanterns with their elaborate detailing. Most styles of lanterns have been around for a long time and have developed significantly, from a simple candle burning lantern, into the more efficient and safe battery powered options of today.

Paper battery lanterns come in a wide variety of shapes and designs for both indoors and outdoors. Like the decorative Morrocan and Hurricane Lanterns, they are for decorative purposes only as they emit a dim soft light, but the effect of using many is simply stunning. The thoughts of outdoor lanterns conjures up images of warm and sultry summer nights, the children playing in the garden as you sip a cold drink on the patio. Or a long and lazy dinner with friends on the patio or deck with a glass of wine and the moths dancing happily around the glow of the lanterns. Ok, I know, I’m a romantic at heart who loves long summer days (and evenings) and making the garden a special place for us all to enjoy, especially the children and why not!

On the more practical side, today’s battery powered lanterns come in many shapes, sizes and designs. There is battery lanterns specifically designed for camping, hiking, general safety purposes and for general use for both indoors and outdoors. Battery lanterns have come a long way, particularly from the old fueled lanterns from bygone years when the dangers of fires and burns or just handling the hazardous, toxic fuel was a frequent occurrence. Now we just worry about initial cost, battery life and durability. Fully charged lanterns generally last for 10 hours on low power or 5 hours on high, although some fully charged lanterns can last a lot, lot longer, so make sure you check the run time before you purchase so you get the one most appriopriate to your needs.

There are also rechargeable options available which are a little more costly but then you won't need to keep new or recharged batteries on hand, just plug it into an outlet to recharge. Battery Lanterns also give off a sufficient light for dining and other evening activities. Some options offer a 'bright light' for extra light or there are battery powered options that have a realistic flickering candle to simulate the traditional candle lanterns of old. And of course battery lanterns are also available with LEDs and the benefits of LED, as we know, are huge (see Battery LED Lights).

For the home there are battery lantern designs based on the classic lantern styles as above. They can be wall mounted, both for indoors and outdoors and there are also hanging lanterns, post lanterns and in ground options for footpaths and around the garden.