The best solar lanterns, ranked on what the listing tells you
A solar lantern is meant to look like a candle, not light a yard. The best ones tell you how big, how bright and for how long.
By Sawyer V. · Published
Solar lanterns are atmosphere, not illumination: a flickering glow on a step, a table or a branch that switches itself on at dusk and needs nothing from you. They are the patio equivalent of the fall porch lanterns this site ranks for autumn.
The listings say little, so this page ranks on the few that publish size, brightness, run time or a rating. Five below.
Wreath & Watt earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links on this page. It costs you nothing and it does not change the order of the picks — here is exactly how we are funded.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  SIMLIX hanging solar lanterns, 2 pack, IP65, 12 to 15 hoursIP65, 12-15 hours, handle and clip | A rated lantern that hangs anywhere | 9.8/ 10 | |
| 2 |  SHYMERY solar lanterns, 2 pack, 14 in, 10 lumens, flickering14 in, 10 lm flickering candle | The only published brightness and size | 8.3/ 10 | $38.99Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · Disclosure |
| 3 |  TAKE ME solar lanterns, 2 pack, 14 in, flickering flame14 in, flickering flame, hangs or stands | A table lantern | 6.3/ 10 | $39.98Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · Disclosure |
| 4 |  TomCare solar lanterns, 2 pack, flickering flameFlickering flame, hanging, 2 pack | A hanging pair | 6.0/ 10 | |
| 5 |  pearlstar solar lanterns, 2 pack, 5.5 in, white light5.5 in lanterns, no brightness or run time publishedSkip this | Skip | 4.5/ 10 | $21.97Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · Disclosure |
Scores are our own weighting of published manufacturer specifications, explained in full on how we research. They are not test results. We have not tested these products.
The picks in full
#1 — A rated lantern that hangs anywhere
SIMLIX hanging solar lanterns, 2 pack, IP65, 12 to 15 hours
IP65, 12-15 hours, handle and clip
9.8
/ 10
The pick. It is rated for the weather, tells you how long it will last, and now publishes its size and battery too.
Published specifications
- Pieces
- 2
- Size
- 6.2 x 5 x 5 in
- Weather
- IP65
- Run time
- 12 to 15 hours after a 6 to 8 hour charge
- Battery
- 800 mAh
- Control
- Auto on at dusk, off by day
- Mounting
- Handle and clip
- Build
- Sealed casing, published as keeping insects out
- Brightness
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Weather rating
- 10 / 10
- Published run time
- 10 / 10
- Published size
- 10 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 9 / 10
Good
- An IP65 rating and a published run time — the two figures that matter on a solar lantern
- A clip as well as a handle, so it fixes to a branch or a rail rather than just hanging
- Publishes its size and its battery as well: 6.2 x 5 x 5 in on an 800 mAh cell
- 12 to 15 hours is the longest published run time on this page
Watch out
- No published brightness figure
- The 12 to 15 hours assumes a full 6 to 8 hour charge, which is a summer number
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B0DS21VP3D), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-06. Replaces B0CSCZ7RJK, which Amazon now shows as currently unavailable; this listing holds the same 2-pack, IP65 rating and handle-and-clip mounting, publishes a longer 12-15 hour run time (the old one claimed 8-12), and adds the 6.2 x 5 x 5 in size and 800 mAh battery the old listing never gave.
#2 — The only published brightness and size
SHYMERY solar lanterns, 2 pack, 14 in, 10 lumens, flickering
14 in, 10 lm flickering candle
8.3
/ 10
The candlelight pick. It tells you it is candle-bright, and that is exactly right for a lantern.
Published specifications
- Pieces
- 2
- Height
- 14 in
- Brightness
- 10 lm
- Light
- Flickering flameless candle
- Style
- Mission
- Weather
- Waterproof, per the listing
Our scoring
- Published brightness
- 10 / 10
- Published size
- 10 / 10
- Weather rating
- 5 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 8 / 10
Good
- A published brightness — 10 lm is roughly the light of a real candle, which is the effect a lantern is for
- 14 in is table-top or step size
Watch out
- "Lasts 3x longer" is a claim with no baseline
- No IP code
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B07S8NQF5X), verified 2026-09-11.
#3 — A table lantern
TAKE ME solar lanterns, 2 pack, 14 in, flickering flame
14 in, flickering flame, hangs or stands
6.3
/ 10
The table pick. A published 14 in and a pair in the box; the run time is the figure you do not get.
Published specifications
- Height
- 14 in
- Pieces
- 2
- Light
- Flickering flameless candle
- Use
- Table or hanging, per the listing
- Weather
- Waterproof, per the listing
- Run time
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Published size
- 10 / 10
- Effect
- 8 / 10
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 6 / 10
Good
- Sold for a table as well as a hook, which is the one lantern job the hanging pairs here do badly
- 14 in is published, and at that size it reads as a lantern rather than an ornament
- A pair, so a table and a step can match
Watch out
- No published run time, which is the figure that decides whether solar works in December
- Flickering flame is an effect, not a brightness figure, and no lumens are published
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B07YK27L1L), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-04. Replaces the discontinued 11 in vintage solar lantern (B0BPLLQMV5); the published height changes from 11 in to 14 in and it is now sold as a pair.
#4 — A hanging pair
TomCare solar lanterns, 2 pack, flickering flame
Flickering flame, hanging, 2 pack
6.0
/ 10
A reasonable pair for hanging. The SHYMERY and the IP65 lanterns publish more.
Published specifications
- Pieces
- 2
- Light
- Flickering flame
- Mounting
- Hanging
- Weather
- Waterproof, per the listing
- Size
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Pair
- 9 / 10
- Effect
- 8 / 10
- Published specs
- 2 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 5 / 10
Good
- A matched pair for either side of a door or a gate
- Flickering flame
Watch out
- No published size, brightness or run time
- No IP code
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B083K3NM1H), verified 2026-09-11.
#5 — skip this
pearlstar solar lanterns, 2 pack, 5.5 in, white light
5.5 in lanterns, no brightness or run time published
4.5
/ 10
Our skip. It now tells you how big it is, and still not how bright it is or how long it lasts, which is what a solar lantern is bought on.
Published specifications
- Pieces
- 2
- Height
- 5.5 in
- Light
- White
- Mounting
- Hanging or table, with a handle
- Weather
- Waterproof, per the listing
- Brightness
- Not stated in the listing
- Run time
- Not stated in the listing
- Ingress rating
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Published specs
- 4 / 10
- Weather rating
- 2 / 10
- Pair
- 8 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 4 / 10
Good
- Publishes a height, which is more than the listing it replaced managed and enough to tell you this is a tabletop lantern rather than a floor one
- A handle means it works hung from a hook or stood on a step, which doubles where it can go
Watch out
- No published brightness and no published run time — the two figures this page ranks on, and the reason it is still the skip
- At 5.5 in it is the smallest lantern here by some margin; on a path it reads as a marker rather than a light
- Waterproof is claimed with no IP number behind it
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B07H87ZD1R), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-07. Replaces B07RPDQPVL, pearlstar's own 2-pack, which Amazon no longer returns. Same brand and the same 2-pack hanging format; this listing publishes a 5.5 in height, a white light and a handle, which the dead one did not, and still publishes no brightness, no run time and no ingress rating. The skip reason has been narrowed to what is genuinely still missing.
How we ranked these
Published rating and run time first, then brightness and size, then format.
| Lantern | Pieces | Size | Brightness | Run time | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIMLIX IP65 | 2 | 6.2 x 5 x 5 in | Not stated | 12 to 15 h | IP65 |
| SHYMERY | 2 | 14 in | 10 lm | Not stated | Waterproof |
| TAKE ME 14 in | 2 | 14 in | Not stated | Not stated | Waterproof |
| TomCare | 2 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Waterproof |
| pearlstar 5.5 in | 2 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
One listing publishes brightness, one publishes run time and an IP code, two publish size.
Source: Manufacturer listings on Amazon.com, verified September 2026.
Ten lumens is a candle
The arithmetic
- A candle flame is about 1 candela
- 1 candela in every direction = 4π lumens, about 12.6 lm
- SHYMERY: 10 lm published
The SHYMERY's 10 lm is close to the light of a real candle — which is exactly the right level for a lantern. It will not light a path; it will look like a lit lantern.
That is why the SHYMERY is worth more than its modest number suggests: it tells you honestly that it is candlelight. For light to walk by, use path lights or post caps — see solar path lights and solar post cap lights.
The rated lantern
The SIMLIX lantern is the only one here with an actual weather rating, and it publishes a 12 to 15 hour run time off an 800 mAh cell along with its 6.2 x 5 x 5 in size. Its clip as well as a handle means it fixes to a rail or a branch rather than just swinging. For a lantern that lives outdoors from May to September, that rating is the thing to pay for.
Step, table or branch
Two sets here publish 14 in: the SHYMERY, which also publishes its 10 lumens, and the TAKE ME pair, which is the only one sold for a table as well as a hook. The other pairs — the IP65 set and the TomCare — suit either side of a door or a gate.
Into fall and back
A flickering lantern is as right on a fall porch as a summer patio. The fall versions, with LED candles, are on outdoor pumpkins and lanterns, and the patio lighting around them on patio umbrella lights and summer porch decor.
Questions
›How bright is a solar lantern?
About candle-level. The one lantern here that publishes brightness rates 10 lumens, close to a real candle’s roughly 12.
›How long do solar lanterns stay lit?
One here publishes 12 to 15 hours after a full 6 to 8 hour charge. That is a summer figure; in shade or short days, expect less.
›Are solar lanterns waterproof?
One here publishes IP65. The others say waterproof with no rating.
›Can solar lanterns light a path?
Not really — they are candle-bright. Use solar path lights or post cap lights for light to walk by.
Sources
- SIMLIX hanging solar lanterns listing (ASIN B0DS21VP3D) — 2 pack, 6.2 x 5 x 5 in, IP65, 800 mAh, 12 to 15 h after a 6 to 8 h charge, auto on/off, handle and clip, sealed insect-proof casing
- SHYMERY solar lanterns listing (ASIN B07S8NQF5X) — 2 pack, 14 in, 10 lumens, flickering flameless candle, waterproof
- TAKE ME solar lantern listing (ASIN B07YK27L1L) — 2 pack, 14 in, flickering flameless candle, table or hanging, waterproof
- TomCare solar lanterns listing (ASIN B083K3NM1H) — 2 pack, flickering flame, waterproof, hanging
- pearlstar solar lanterns listing (ASIN B07H87ZD1R) — 2 pack, 5.5 in, white light, handle, waterproof; no brightness or run time published
- Candle comparison — 1 candela radiating in all directions = 4π lumens — standard photometric conversion
We have not tested these products. Every figure above comes from a published manufacturer specification or from arithmetic shown on this page, and anything a maker does not publish is printed as unavailable rather than estimated. How that works, and what we will not claim, is set out on how we research.