A solar lantern gathers sunlight by day and gives it back as warm light at night — no cable, no socket, no throwaway batteries. A small solar panel charges the battery; a dusk sensor switches the light on when the sun goes down. The idea wasn't born on a patio: solar lanterns still replace candles and paraffin lamps in places without a power grid. That is where we come from. This page covers what makes a good solar lantern — and where it earns its place.
Use cases
The garden table is the classic spot for a solar lantern: it charges in the sun all day and lights dinner in the evening. Outdoors, a weatherproof housing matters — rain, sprinklers and morning dew are part of every garden year. A dusk sensor helps too: it switches the light on by itself when darkness falls and off again at sunrise. The lantern simply stays where life happens and takes care of the rest.
Balconies rarely have an outdoor socket — which is exactly why a solar lantern belongs there. A spot on the railing with a few hours of sun is enough; as a rule of thumb, one hour of summer sun stores about one hour of light. In the evening, warm and dimmable is what counts: 3000 kelvin feels like candlelight, doesn't glare, and lets the neighbours sleep. Dim it low and one charge carries you through many evenings.
There is no socket at the lake — for a solar lantern, that's the normal case, not the exception. By day it hangs off a backpack or sits outside the tent; by night it moves to the camping table. 100 lumens is enough for cooking, reading and a round of cards; on the low setting one charge lasts up to 100 hours — an entire summer holiday. What matters on the road: a tough, impact-resistant housing that shrugs off the journey.
Four things decide whether a solar lantern will keep you company for years.
First, the ratio of charging time to burn time. For our SOMO light module the rule of thumb is: one hour of summer sun stores about one hour of light. And because not every week is summer, it also charges via USB-C.
Second, brightness — measured in lumens. 100 lumens of warm white light (3000 kelvin, flicker-free) is enough to read by; an evening rarely needs more. More important than the peak value is dimming: on the low setting one charge lasts up to 100 hours, 28 on medium, 5 at full brightness.
Third, weatherproofing. IP65 means dust-tight and protected against water jets. A lantern built like that may stay out all summer.
Fourth, repairability. Many solar lights are glued shut — when the battery tires, the whole lamp goes to waste. The SOMO is modular instead: the light module lifts out, can be replaced on its own, and moves between jar, carafe and Adventure Mount.
That depends on the brightness setting. Our SOMO module runs up to 100 hours on low, 28 hours on medium and 5 hours at full brightness (100 lumens) on one charge.
Yes, just more slowly. As a rule of thumb, one hour of summer sun stores about one hour of light. For long grey stretches the SOMO also charges via USB-C — no sun required.
If it is built weatherproof, yes. The SOMO is IP65-rated — dust-tight and unbothered by water jets. Garden tables, balconies and campsites are its home ground.
Good solar lanterns sit around 100 lumens — bright enough to read by, warm enough for the evening. What matters more than the peak value: dimmable, warm white light at 3000 kelvin instead of cold blue-white.
No. A built-in rechargeable battery stores the day's sunshine, so you never buy throwaway batteries. On the SOMO the whole light module can be swapped out instead of discarding the lantern.
News from our workshop in Johannesburg — a few times a year, honest and short.
Thanks! Check your inbox.