The BioLite AlpenGlow 500 meets
the Coast EAL22
A 500-lumen rechargeable lantern with warm, cool and color modes and a 6,400 mAh battery that can top up your phone. We tested it head-to-head against the Coast EAL22 across 6 key dimensions.
BioLite AlpenGlow 500
“A 500-lumen rechargeable lantern with warm, cool and color modes and a 6,400 mAh battery that can top up your phone”
Coast EAL22
“A 1,250-lumen lantern on three D cells with warm, cool and red light, covered by Coast for 5 years”
Head-to-Head Breakdown
Strengths & Weaknesses
BioLite AlpenGlow 500
- Best Overall at GearJunkie (8.9/10), Switchback Travel and CNN Underscored, which says it "topped our tests as the best lantern for most people"
- CNN got 11 hours from it at full brightness, and the 6,400 mAh battery can recharge a phone
- Warm white, cool white, full color, candle flicker and a half-lantern mode, each dimmable down to 5 lumens
- OutdoorGearLab measured 5.1 hours on high, about half what it got from the best D-cell lanterns
- Controls take practice: CNN needed the manual and half an hour, and GearJunkie says the shake gesture sometimes fails to register
- Still charges by micro-USB, which GearJunkie counts among its only complaints
Coast EAL22
- Treeline Review's top lantern of 2026, picked after six months of road trips and a month living off-grid
- Outdoor Life ran it 60 hours on its highest setting and it showed no sign of slowing down
- 1,250 lumens, red and flashing red modes and IP54 sealing for $43.99, with 5 years of coverage
- Heavy: CNN weighed it at 42 ounces with D batteries installed
- Batteries aren't included, and Outdoor Life puts a set of three D cells at about $10
- No USB port for a phone, and Treeline found the detachable handle fiddly to reset
The Verdict
Our Bottom Line
GearJunkie, CNN Underscored, Switchback Travel and Outdoor Life each crown the BioLite AlpenGlow 500 their best camping lantern, and GearJunkie gives no other lantern more than its 8.9 out of 10. It is the only lantern on all eight guides' lists. Treeline Review and Field & Stream hand it their rechargeable awards, and CleverHiker pairs a 4.7 out of 5 with its Most Feature-Rich award. At CNN, Alex Rennie tested 19 lanterns over several months and wrote that it "topped our tests as the best lantern for most people."
BioLite AlpenGlow 500
GearJunkie, CNN Underscored, Switchback Travel and Outdoor Life each crown the BioLite AlpenGlow 500 their best camping lantern, and GearJunkie gives no other lantern more than its 8.9 out of 10. It is the only lantern on all eight guides' lists. Treeline Review and Field & Stream hand it their rechargeable awards, and CleverHiker pairs a 4.7 out of 5 with its Most Feature-Rich award. At CNN, Alex Rennie tested 19 lanterns over several months and wrote that it "topped our tests as the best lantern for most people."
- Car campers who cook and read by lantern light
- Families who want color and candle modes when a fire ban rules out a campfire
- Anyone who wants a lantern that can recharge a phone
- Van dwellers and backyard hosts
- Campers who would rather recharge than buy batteries
Coast EAL22
Treeline Review named the Coast EAL22 its best camping lantern of 2026 after six months of road trips from the Redwoods to Big Sur and a month living off-grid in the Eastern Sierra. "The value on this lantern is so good, we did a doubletake," Liz Thomas writes. Coast sells it for $43.99, about $36 under the AlpenGlow 500.
- Car campers who want the most light for the money
- Households building a power-outage kit
- Campers who keep spare D cells in the car
- Anyone who uses red light to protect night vision
- Buyers who would trade color modes for 5 years of coverage