Solar and Battery Lights for Power Outages, Compared

When the power goes out after dark, light is the first thing people reach for. The safest choices run on batteries or sunlight, not flame. CDC says to use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches, to lower the risk of fire. The Red Cross puts it more simply: use flashlights, not candles.

There are four common types of outage lights, and each does a different job. Below is what each is good for, followed by a table of picks using only the makers’ published specs, as I read them on November 9, 2026. I haven’t tested these, and this isn’t a ranking.

Carbon monoxide warning. Never use a gas or kerosene lantern, camp stove, grill or generator indoors for light or heat. They give off carbon monoxide, which you can’t see or smell. Battery and solar lights make none.

Headlamps: light where you’re looking

A headlamp leaves both hands free for cooking, fixing a breaker, helping a child, or carrying things up stairs. That makes it a practical light for each person. Look at:

• Low mode run time. This is what gets you through several nights. Black Diamond lists 200 hours on low for the Spot 400 on AAA batteries; Petzl lists 100 hours at 7 lumens for the TIKKINA.
• Battery type. Both of these take three AAA batteries and also accept the maker’s rechargeable pack, sold separately. One battery size across all your lights makes spares simple.
• Water rating. Useful outdoors in a storm. Black Diamond lists IPX8 for the Spot 400; Petzl lists IPX4 for the TIKKINA.

Lanterns: light for the room

A lantern spreads light around a table or a room so the household can gather in one place. A solar lantern can recharge on a sunny windowsill or outdoors during the day.

• MPOWERD lists 150 lumens, up to 50 hours on low, and a 2,000 mAh battery for the Luci Pro Series. It charges by USB in 2 to 3 hours or in 14 hours of direct sun, and has a USB port that can top up a phone.
• Battery lanterns that take AA or D cells are also fine, as long as you keep spare batteries.

Solar charging is slow and depends on the weather, so charge solar lanterns fully by USB before a storm and use the sun to top up afterwards.

Battery backup bulbs: the lamp keeps working

These look like ordinary LED bulbs and screw into a standard E26 socket. A built-in battery charges while the bulb is on, and takes over when the power fails.

• GE lists 760 lumens and up to 5 hours of light for its LED+ Battery Backup A21 bulb. GE says the bulb stays on automatically when the power goes out, needs 10 hours of use to fully charge, and is for indoor use only.
• Feit lists 800 lumens and up to 3 hours of emergency light for its battery backup Intellibulb. Feit says you push the bulb’s power button to switch to battery.

These are handy in a hallway, stairwell or kitchen, where the outage would otherwise leave you in the dark at the worst moment. A few hours of light covers getting your bearings, not a multi-day outage.

Solar path lights: a free nightlight

Solar stake lights from the garden can be brought in after dark for a low glow in a bathroom or hallway, then set back outside the next morning to recharge. They need no batteries to buy, but their output is low and run time is often not listed. Treat them as nightlights alongside your real lights.

Picks by published specs

Light	Type	Brightest setting	Longest run time (maker)	Power	Notes from the maker
Black Diamond Spot 400	Headlamp	400 lm	200 h on low (AAA)	3 AAA or BD 1500 rechargeable	IPX8; 86 g with AAA
Petzl TIKKINA	Headlamp	300 lm	100 h at 7 lm (AAA)	3 AAA or CORE rechargeable	IPX4; 92 g
MPOWERD Luci Pro Series	Solar lantern	150 lm	Up to 50 h on low	Built-in 2,000 mAh; solar or USB	IP67; USB port charges a phone
GE LED+ Battery Backup A21	Backup bulb	760 lm	Up to 5 h	Built-in battery, charges in use	Stays on automatically; indoor only
Feit Battery Backup Intellibulb	Backup bulb	800 lm	Up to 3 h	Built-in battery, charges in use	Press button to switch to battery
Solar path lights	Stake light	Varies, check listing	Varies, check listing	Built-in cell and panel	Recharges outdoors in daylight

A simple setup for most homes

• One headlamp or flashlight for each person, kept where they sleep.
• One lantern for the room where everyone gathers.
• A battery backup bulb or two for stairs or a hallway.
• Spare batteries in the sizes your lights take.
• A way to recharge: a power bank, a power station or solar.

Batteries and charging

Check your lights twice a year, when you change the clocks, and swap any batteries that are weak. Store spares in their packaging, in a cool, dry place, and keep them with the lights so nobody hunts in the dark. If your lights are rechargeable, charge them fully whenever a storm is in the forecast, and keep a power bank topped up so you can recharge a headlamp or lantern a second time. A battery backup bulb only charges while it’s switched on, so use it as your everyday bulb in that fixture.

If you must use candles

Health Canada says to use flameless candles whenever possible, never leave a burning candle unattended, put candles out before going to bed or leaving the room, and keep them away from anything that can burn and out of reach of children and pets. Snuff candles out rather than using water.

Related guides

• My guide to lighting in an outage has more on safe light.
• Keeping phones charged for a week covers power banks.
• If you want to recharge from the sun, see solar panels for power stations.
• Browse lights and the rest of the kit on my picks page, or start with the 72-hour list.