Want Effortless, Instant Ambience? Get One of These Candle Lanterns.

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A candle lantern can be the perfect way to brighten an outdoor tablescape, fireplace mantel, nightstand, or bathroom countertop. Just flick on the flameless candle inside and enjoy the total set-and-forget convenience of a realistic flicker.

Plus, they can be as casually decorative or formally festive as you’d like. Use candle lanterns as part of your holiday décor or leave them up all year for perpetually magical ambiance in your favorite rooms. You can even twist up some fairy lights or add faux flowers to the glass chamber for extra embellishment.

The Best Candle Lanterns

• Best Overall: Breakwater Bay Metal Floor Lantern

• Most Rugged: Rimports Battery-Operated Black Candle Lantern

• Best Three-in-One: Lark Manor Metal Tabletop Lanterns (Set of 3)

• Edgiest Angles: Birch Lane Exton Floor Lantern

• Most Durable: LampLust Large Outdoor Lantern With Solar Candle

What to Consider

• Usage: When shopping for a candle lantern, consider whether you plan to use it indoors only, or outdoors as well. Some candle lanterns may not hold up to weather, so if you want something for your patio or deck, look for one labeled as safe for outdoor use.

• Bundles: You should also consider whether the candle lantern comes with its own candle. Some include simple tealights, solar-powered votives, or battery-powered flameless candles. In other cases, you may need to supply your own candle or light source.

• Size: Candle lanterns can be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand or large enough to light up a corner of a room, with many sizes in between. Think about where you plan to display it and shop for an appropriately sized option.

• Style: There are lots of traditional options, with black frames and perfectly clear glass, available online. You can also shop for plenty of unique options to fit the decor of your space. Candle lanterns with a rope handle would work well in a seaside-inspired place, while those with embossed glass and cutout frames add antique charm. No matter your aesthetics, you can find a style to elevate your space.

How We Selected

We took a look at hundreds of online reviews to narrow down the best candle lanterns. We highlighted options in different sizes and colors. We considered whether the lanterns came with essentials, like candles and batteries, and noted when those were included. We also wanted to find candle lanterns in a variety of styles for different occasions and interior design tastes. Finally, we looked for bonus features, like timers and solar panels, that could set the best candle lanterns apart from the competition.

Here are the best candle lanterns to give your space an intimate and cozy vibe.

Metal Floor Lantern

If you’re looking for a classic candle lantern design, this is the one to get. It comes in three heights, ranging from 15 to 25 inches, all with the same traditional silhouette.

This candle lantern’s black metal frame and clear glass sides make it a wonderful option for an elegant event or cozy entryway. It’s large enough to hold several candles simultaneously, so you can make it as bright or as dim as you’d like. Says one reviewer, “I added three large, non-working, plastic candles with a super cute bow that I can change out depending on the season.”

Moroccan-Style Candle Lantern

The Vela Lanterns Moroccan-Style Candle Lantern is a total gem. Candlelight (real or faux) shimmers through the embossed glass panes. With more than a dozen color options and five sizes to choose from, this candle lantern can complement just about any space.

Suspend it from the corner of your bedroom ceiling or a garden post during an outdoor summertime soirée to set the mood — just remember to buy a chain or hook to hang it on. Or, display it as an accent on your tablescape. Says one reviewer, “It's very solid and well-made, and the biggest thing for me is that the door opens very smoothly and clicks shut well.”

Battery-Operated Black Candle Lantern

Another classic design, this nearly 16-inch-tall candle lantern from Rimports is an excellent choice if you want a touch of weathering and a light that’s safe to use outdoors. While the flameless pillar candle is included, you’ll need to buy some rechargeable batteries to power it. It’s equipped with a five-hour timer, so you can set it and forget it without worrying about draining your batteries.

Other customers especially love this candle lantern’s antique look. Says one reviewer, “This is a very pretty lantern… it looks aged the way they did it.”

Metal Tabletop Lanterns (Set of 3)

For a cohesive look with a mix of sizes, opt for the Lark Manor Metal Tabletop Lanterns trio. Each of the three lanterns features angled frames that are shaped like cathedral windows. Display them side by side for a put-together look, or place them around your home to brighten up dim areas.

The candles are not included, but this flameless set goes with them perfectly.

Reviewers rave about how beautiful these candle lanterns look outdoors. Says one reviewer, “Perfect old world charm. They have been outside our home adding a warm, inviting light to our entrance. It has even snowed on them and they held up well.”

Exton Floor Lantern

The Birch Lane Exton Floor Lantern is a work of modern art. Standing 18 or 24 inches high, this Mondrian-inspired lantern makes a statement as a floor piece or flanking a fireplace with its intersecting spokes.

It includes a rippled-glass votive that beautifully diffuses the real or faux candlelight inside, but the candle is sold separately. Overall, it’s a timeless design that will add style to your space for years to come. Says one reviewer, “They are sturdy and gorgeous and the perfect height next to my fireplace.”

Large Outdoor Lantern With Solar Candle

Candle lanterns look right at home on a patio dining set, so why not get a solar-powered light that glows all on its own? The LampLust Large Outdoor Lantern with Solar Candle has a simple black-frame silhouette and an internal candle that charges up through the day and turns on automatically after dark.

Choose from 14- or 18-inch-tall options. The lack of glass panels might be a drawback for someone who wants to completely enclose their candle. On the upside, it’s very durable and less likely to break if it tips over. Says one reviewer, “Sturdy, attractive and lights up very nicely on my front entrance.”

Iron Tabletop Lantern

Whether you choose to add a real or flameless candle, this candle lantern is stunning. Available in a weathered white or solid black color, its unique, entirely open frame makes it the crown jewel of any surface you place it on. It’s the perfect statement-making housewarming gift that a host can display instantly.

You can also use it for more than just candles. One reviewer displayed it with a figurine, saying, “I actually placed a small Buddha statue in the space for the candle and it looks like a little temple on my tall, six-drawer bedroom dresser.”

Metal Tabletop Lanterns (Set of 2)

The Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse Metal Tabletop Lanterns measure 27 and 36 inches tall. You’ll want to make sure you measure your space before you buy these — they’re bigger than you might expect! The rustic look of these tabletop lanterns will round out any modern farmhouse-style space.

The lack of glass panels leaves the lanterns open to fresh design possibilities. You can try wrapping fairy lights around the frame or tying on a few bows for the holidays. Says one reviewer, “I absolutely love these lanterns! I needed something substantial to fill a corner space in my living room and they are perfect!”

Wooden Candle Lantern

Whether you choose the short or tall version of the Lights4Fun Inc. Wooden Candle Lantern, you'll get a flameless candle that conveniently comes with it! The flickering amber bulb is so realistic, it looks exactly like a natural candle.

Because their frames are made of wood, these candle lanterns are best suited for indoor placement, although they are safe for use outdoors in covered areas.

If you dig nautical style, you’ll cherish the thick rope handles. Says one reviewer, “Works beautifully and looks like a real candle flickering away. Very sturdy and well made.”

Stainless Steel Decorative Lantern

Sleek and shiny, this decorative lantern gives off a sophisticated elegance that works well in modern spaces. It comes in four unique colors, including rose gold and silver. Its solid, stable base makes it feel sturdy on a tabletop.

These candle lanterns would look sharp as a centerpiece of your wedding décor. Or, dress them up for the holidays. Says one reviewer, “I bought two of these for the fireplace and have put fairy lights in them. I am so pleased with them that I'm actually going to keep them out all year and not just as Christmas décor.”

Rustic Mini Decorative Lantern

At just 4.5 inches tall, the Kate Aspen Rustic Mini Decorative Lantern is one of the most petite candle lanterns out there. While it might be too small to add a lot of light to a space, you could use several in a row to create a runway effect in the entryway of a home or at a wedding. People also love to use them as party favors or thank-you gifts for groups.

Choose from two versatile colors: distressed white or vintage teal blue. Says one reviewer, “I bought two of these rustic style lanterns to hang on my decorative wall hooks. It serves an inviting aesthetic at my entryway.”

Industrial Glass Candle Lantern

Add a dose of rustic style to your mantelpiece with a Stonebriar Industrial Glass Candle Lantern. It immediately catches the eye with its slightly distressed zinc metal frame and a dramatically long handle. It can fit a 3x6-inch candle (real or flameless), or hold a bundle of fairy lights for a magical look. You could also opt to fill it with decorative items for the holidays, like a Christmas garland or natural pine cones.

Some reviewers appreciate how practical this candle lantern is, with one saying, “This is very useful for a power-out situation. The candle is protected from any draft blowing it out and it's easy to carry.”

Tiered Floor Lantern

Make use of the vertical space in a room with the World Menagerie Floor Lantern. At more than 42 inches tall, this floor candle lantern tower can make an eye-catching accent in the corner of a room. It features three separate lanterns, each of which completely encloses its own candle.

This candle lantern’s old-world shape makes it feel like a one-of-a-kind antique that complements vintage furniture and adds style all year long. Says one reviewer, “Love this lantern. I have it out on my front porch. As the seasons change, this is the one thing that always stays when I’m changing out my decor. It goes great with everything!”

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