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Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 23 October 2026 · next check 18 December 2026 · how we picked
The short answer
The government's Be Ready checklist asks for a torch with spare batteries and notes that torches are safer than candles. A torch is for moving about; a lantern lights the room you are sitting in.
Priced at Argos on 23 October 2026, with batteries costed at Argos Home alkaline prices (AA and AAA 62.5p each, D £1.25 each):
- Cheapest light per hour: Vango Star 85 LED Lantern, £14. Four AA batteries (£2.50) give up to 32 hours, so 7.8p an hour. It also has the longest guarantee in the pool, 2 years.
- Brighter for not much more: Pro Action 300L Collapsible COB Lantern, £14. 300 lumens for up to 8 hours on three AA batteries, 23.4p an hour.
- Brightest: Energizer Vision LED 1300 Lumen Lantern, £23.99 (was £29.99). Four D cells (£5.00) for up to 8 hours, 62.5p an hour, but the most light per pound if it really holds 1,300 lumens for those 8 hours.
- For a three-day power cut, assuming 5 hours of light each evening (15 hours), one set of batteries covers the Vango Star 85 and the Pro Action 100L; the 300L and the Energizer each need two sets.
How we worked it out
Cost per hour = cost of one set of batteries ÷ the listing's stated maximum run time. Lumen-hours per pound = stated lumens × stated run time ÷ battery cost, a rough measure of how much light you get for your money.
| Lantern (Argos, 23 Oct 2026) | Price | Lumens stated | Batteries | Battery set cost | Run time stated | Cost per hour | Lumen-hours per £ | Sets for a 15-hour cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vango Star 85 LED Lantern | £14.00 | 85 | 4 x AA | £2.50 | 32h | 7.8p | 1,088 | 1 |
| Pro Action 100L Collapsible LED | £12.00 | 100 | 3 x AAA | £1.88 | 15h | 12.5p | 800 | 1 |
| Pro Action 300L Collapsible COB LED | £14.00 | 300 | 3 x AA | £1.88 | 8h | 23.4p | 1,280 | 2 |
| Energizer Vision LED 1300 Lumen | £23.99 (was £29.99) | 1,300 | 4 x D | £5.00 | 8h | 62.5p | 2,080 | 2 |
| Decathlon USB Rechargeable | £20.00 | 120 | Built-in, USB-C | Recharge | 8h at 100lm | From a power bank | n/a | Recharge after 8h |
| Energizer 1200 Lumen SMART Rechargeable | £39.99 | 1,200 | Built-in | Recharge | "Up to 50 hours" | From a power bank | n/a | 1 charge |
| Streetwize 3W COB Rechargeable | £30.00 | 713.78 | Built-in 4,000mAh | Recharge | Not stated | n/a | n/a | Unknown |
| Streetwize Camping Lantern with Flame LED | £15.00 | 97.46 | AA (number not stated) | Unknown | Not stated | n/a | n/a | Unknown |
Battery cost uses Argos Home alkaline packs on 23 October 2026: AA £2.50 for 4, AAA £2.50 for 4, D £2.50 for 2. Branded batteries cost more; Duracell Plus AA was £6.50 for 8 at Sainsbury's.
What the listings leave out
- Run time at what brightness? Six of the eight listings state a run time. Only the Decathlon says at what brightness (8 hours at 100 lumens, 15 hours at 50). For the others we cannot tell whether the maximum run time applies at full brightness, so treat cost per hour as a best case.
- Two listings state no run time (both Streetwize models), so they cannot be costed.
- The Pro Action 100L listing is muddled. It says "(included)" next to the run time but also "Batteries required: 3 x AAA" and "Remote control batteries required", for a lantern with no remote.
- Rechargeables need power. In a power cut you recharge them from a power bank, which Be Ready also asks you to keep charged.
The four we would shortlist
1. Vango Star 85 LED Lantern: cheapest hour of light
£14.00 at Argos on 23 October 2026. 7.8p an hour on own-brand AA. 2-year guarantee.
85 lumens, a dimmer, a hanging hook and a shatterproof, water-resistant case, running up to 32 hours on four AA batteries.
The catch: 85 lumens is dim; enough to light a table, not a room.
Best for: long evenings where battery life matters more than brightness.
2. Pro Action 300L Collapsible COB Lantern: brighter, still cheap
£14.00 at Argos on 23 October 2026. 23.4p an hour.
300 lumens from three AA batteries for up to 8 hours, folding flat for storage. The most lumen-hours per pound of the AA and AAA lanterns.
The catch: one brightness setting and a 1-year guarantee. A three-day cut needs a second set of batteries.
Best for: lighting a living room or kitchen.
3. Energizer Vision LED 1300 Lumen Lantern: the brightest
£23.99 at Argos on 23 October 2026 (was £29.99). 62.5p an hour.
1,300 lumens of all-round light, a USB port to charge a phone, and a shockproof, waterproof body, on four D cells for up to 8 hours.
The catch: D cells are the dearest per hour, and the listing does not say whether 8 hours is at full brightness.
Best for: a family room or a house with several people moving about.
4. Decathlon USB Rechargeable Lantern: no batteries to buy
£20.00 at Argos on 23 October 2026.
120 lumens, with the run time stated honestly by mode: 8 hours at 100 lumens, 15 at 50, 28 in red. IPX4 and a hanging strap.
The catch: you need a charged power bank to recharge it during a cut, and the USB-C cable is not included.
Best for: households that already keep a large power bank charged.
Live Amazon prices
The table below pulls live prices from Amazon's own feed, which can differ from the Amazon buy box and from the retailer prices we ranked on above. Not in it: the Pro Action and Decathlon lanterns (sold by Argos and Decathlon) and the Energizer Vision 1300, which we could not match to an Amazon listing for the same model.
Prices in this table come from Amazon and are refreshed at least once a day, with the date of the last update under the table. The cost-per-use and running-cost figures on this page use prices Look Into read on 23 October 2026, so they can differ from today's price.
As an Amazon Associate, Look Into earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of 23 October 2026 and are subject to change.
Not worth buying for a power cut
- Streetwize Camping Lantern with Flame LED, £15: no run time or battery count stated, so you cannot plan around it.
Lanterns, torches and candles
| Lantern | Torch | Candle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best use | Lighting a room | Moving around, looking for things | Not recommended |
| Be Ready view | Not named; battery light is the advice | "A torch with spare batteries" | "Torches are safer than candles" |
If you do use candles, keep them away from anything that can catch fire and never leave them unattended (Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service candle advice). If you cook on a camping stove in a power cut, do it outdoors (the NHS says never use a camping stove indoors) and keep a carbon monoxide alarm fitted indoors; see our carbon monoxide alarm guide.
Questions people ask
What is the best light for a power cut? Be Ready recommends a torch with spare batteries. A lantern adds room light; we found the cheapest hour of light from the Vango Star 85.
How many lumens do I need? There is no official figure. As a rough editorial guide, the 85 to 120 lumen lanterns here suit a table, and the 300 lumen and brighter models suit a room.
Battery or rechargeable lantern? Battery lanterns work as long as you have spares. Rechargeables need a charged power bank in a cut.
How long do batteries last in storage? Check the date on the pack. Be Ready says to check your kit every six months.
Sources
- Be Ready checklist (GOV.UK campaign), read 23 October 2026.
- Argos product listings for 8 lanterns and Argos Home batteries, read 23 October 2026; Sainsbury's Duracell Plus AA x8 (URLs in the source register).