Candles are still the most common outage lighting choice in most homes, and they're also one of the more avoidable fire risks on this whole list. A few battery or solar lighting options cover every room in the house more safely and, in most cases, more conveniently.
Matching the light to the job
| Need | Best option |
|---|---|
| Hands-free task lighting | Headlamp |
| Whole-room ambient light | Lantern |
| Lighting multiple rooms from one power source | Chainable LED string lights |
| Portable, pocket-sized backup | Small flashlight or power-bank light combo |
| Outdoor/entryway lighting | Solar-charged lantern |
Why lanterns beat flashlights for room lighting
A flashlight is directional by design — great for finding something specific, poor for lighting a whole room evenly. A lantern's 360-degree light output is a meaningfully better fit for cooking, reading, or just moving around a room safely during a multi-hour outage.
A genuinely useful lesser-known option: chainable LEDs
Small chainable LED lights that daisy-chain off one USB power source can light several rooms — kitchen, hallway, bathroom — from a single power bank or power station, without needing a separate battery-powered light in every room. This is a more power-efficient way to light a whole home than several separate battery lanterns.
Don't skip the safety basics
- Keep lights in the same known spot year-round — the worst time to search for a flashlight is in the dark
- Check batteries or charge level quarterly, not just when a storm is forecast
- Avoid candles specifically around kids, pets, or anyone likely to be moving around in the dark
See our current picks — including Goal Zero's lantern and chainable LED lines — on our emergency accessories page.