Black Diamond Apollo Lantern, 250 Lumens, Rechargeable Camp Light, Graphite

Why it's worth it

The Apollo is a collapsible rechargeable lantern with quad-power LEDs and folding legs that let you stand it, hang it, or hook it overhead. It's bright enough for a tent or a picnic table and dim enough to read by, which covers most of what you'll actually do at camp.

It nails the brightness range most campers actually use. The Apollo puts out 225 lumens at full tilt, which sounds modest next to the 3000-lumen units here. But 225 lumens fills a four-person tent or a table where you're chopping onions. More importantly, it dims smoothly all the way down, so you can set it to a soft glow that doesn't blind whoever's sitting across from you.

The folding legs and double hang hook mean you'll always find a spot for it. Prop it on uneven ground and the legs steady it. Fold them in and it collapses flat for the gear bin. The double-hook loop clips onto a tent ridgeline or a branch, which is where you want a lantern anyway — light coming from above throws fewer harsh shadows than light sitting on a table.

From our review of 10 camping lanterns, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +It nails the brightness range most campers actually use
• +The folding legs and double hang hook mean you'll always find a spot for it
• +It charges from a cable, so there are no batteries to buy or forget
• +Black Diamond builds gear that people keep for years

What to know

• –It won't light up a big group site
• –There's no power-bank output
• –It costs more than a basic battery lantern that's brighter on paper