The Best Emergency Light Sources for a Power Outage

Having charged, ready-to-go emergency lights at hand can be a lifesaver when the power goes out.aslysun/Shutterstock

They say you don’t appreciate what you have till it’s gone, and that’s never more true than during a power outage when the lights go out. Suddenly your world is plunged into darkness, and stubbing a toe on a cabinet or tripping over an extension cord is a real possibility.

Safety is a factor, and lighting creates a comforting and secure environment. This is particularly important when you have children in the household, and there are plenty of adults who are afraid of the dark, too.

Besides needing light to help ensure safety, there are other reasons emergency light sources should be added to your household:

• Deterrence: A well-lit home and property will always make a would-be burglar think twice, especially in a widespread and long-term power outage.
• Security: Power outages can last hours or days, increasing your stress level. Having something as basic as a flashlight to help guide your way around the house helps lower stress and anxiety.
• Redundancy: A flashlight is a great start, but more than one light source is needed! With multiple types of lights and different power sources, you’ll always have the right type of light at a moment’s notice.

Ambient and Directional Lighting

During the hours following Hurricane Harvey, I was especially grateful for our battery- and solar-powered lanterns. They provided enough lighting for an entire room. This is ambient lighting. If you enjoy camping, you know how important it is to have ambient lighting in your tent or camp trailer.

In this category are candles in jars (avoid open flames), Luci lights, tea lights, solar or battery-powered string lights, and lanterns of all kinds.

The classic flashlight, which is also an emergency necessity, is directional lighting. It shines a bright light on a specific area. Besides flashlights in different sizes and power levels, headlamps are necessary if you want hands-free lighting.

You need both types of lighting since each has a different purpose, and adding at least one or two lights in each category is budget-friendly.

As you would diversify your investment portfolio, do the same with your emergency lighting preparations. Include both ambient and directional lights, and vary the type of energy source needed.

Battery-powered devices are a classic form of emergency lighting, but their energy is limited to the amount of batteries you have prepared. Skrypnykov Dmytro/Shutterstock

Battery-Powered Lights

Take a quick inventory of your lanterns and flashlights and make a note of each size of battery needed. A flashlight requiring D batteries quickly becomes a useless paperweight if no more D batteries are on hand. A good time to stock up on batteries is October through December, when parents and grandparents buy batteries for kids’ toys.

Don’t go cheap with batteries unless you plan on using them in a short time frame. Cheap batteries are more likely to leak; just one leaky battery can ruin an entire package. Using name brands such as Energizer or Duracell minimizes the likelihood of leakage. Lithium batteries are better than alkaline.

For storage, check every so often for bulging seams, and keep batteries in their original packaging in a dry location at room temperature. Batteries can quickly discharge in very cold weather.

Rechargeable ones, such as USB rechargeable AA batteries from Survival Frog, are handy and can be charged via USB with a small solar panel. It’s nice to have at least one package on hand as a backup, but overall, they won’t last as long as either alkaline or lithium batteries.

Solar-Powered Lights

When the last battery dies but the power outage continues, you'll be grateful for solar-powered lighting.

These charge during the day and provide light at night, and there’s no need to rely on batteries that can leak or a USB charger when there’s no power.

Popular options include collapsible solar lanterns and solar tube lights, such as Survival Frog’s very clever inflatable LED tube light. Almost any garden center or dollar store has solar-powered outdoor lights intended to be installed along pathways. These are perfect for leaving outdoors until you need solar lights charged and ready to be used.

One of my favorites is the Luci original light. This small lantern provides ambient lighting, has a small solar panel, and is inflatable. It deflates to only an inch high, has four lighting levels, and is perfect for any emergency kit.

Crank-Powered Lights

These aren’t my favorites as they require a lot of physical energy and upper-body strength, but they’re an option as a backup to your backup. You can find crank flashlights and lanterns that generate power manually, which is a perfect task for a kid or teenager during a power outage.

Alternative Light Sources

Old-school options such as candles, oil lamps, and lightsticks can also provide light in a crisis. Candles offer a warm glow for ambient lighting, but be mindful of any open flame. I recommend large candles in glass jars.

Lightsticks are lightweight and disposable, and provide long-lasting light. They’re perfect for a kid’s backpack or their bedside table.

Two light sources you may not have considered are battery-operated tea lights and battery- or USB-charged string lights. The tea lights are handy for providing just enough light in a bathroom or other small space or for tucking into an emergency kit. The string lights are a fun way to provide lighting anywhere, but especially in a child’s bedroom.

Light sticks are popular with kids and easily transportable, so you can have them ready at hand for any situation.bluesnote/Shutterstock

Which Light for Which Purpose?

To choose the best light, consider these four questions:

What size area do you want to fill with ambient light? A small Luci light is perfect for a smaller bedroom, but compare the lumens of different lanterns on the market for something larger, such as a kitchen. Durapower has a camping lantern that is 5,000 lumens at its brightest and is rechargeable. Remember, your emergency lights are portable and can be moved from room to room as necessary.

What power sources will you need? If batteries are needed, then stock up on the correct sizes. If a USB port is included, make sure you also have a solar panel for recharging.

Will you be using this light outdoors? If you take any of these light sources on camping trips or want to include them in an emergency kit, ensure they are built to withstand bumps, drops, and harsh weather conditions.

Do you need something with multiple functions? The Luci Light has an emergency strobe light, and some lights even include a siren or radio.

Completing Your Emergency Lighting Plan

Place emergency lights in key locations such as bedrooms, hallways, and exits. A flashlight on your bedside table will provide bright, directional lighting as you prepare people and rooms for a power outage that could last many hours.

Make sure that everyone in the household knows where to find your light sources and how to recharge them.

A supply of emergency lights, charged and ready to be used, will lower anxiety levels and help maintain normalcy when the next power outage happens.