Editor rating
+ 7/10 good but not great
Pros
+ beautiful candle glow
+ makes a good outdoor table light
Cons
– replacement candles have to be ordered online
– not childproof
– too bulky to carry in a backpack

Introduction

When it comes to lighting a dark pathway or a campsite, I’m a flashlight type of guy. While on outdoor excursions, I pack at least three flashlights: a strong pocket light, a smaller keychain-sized light, and a headlamp. If my companions are not flashaholics like myself, I’ll equip them with similar setups. I even trust my young children to take care of a small pocket light or two. Why, then, would I want to try a candle lantern?

The official UCO website makes the following claim:

No flashlight can offer the natural beauty and charm or the practicality and functional benefit of a candle lantern. In the warm, pleasing glow of the [candle’s] flame, the Candle Lantern also produces a steady flow of natural heat which warms a tent and reduces condensation.

I wasn’t sold on the “practicality and functional benefits” of a candle lantern, but the line about “the warm, pleasing glow of the candles’ flame” interested me a lot.  About a year ago, I decided to give the UCO Candle Lantern a try. Here is my review.

Price, Dimensions, Colours

The UCO Candle Lantern retails for about $19, and is available from a wide range of online shops. When you make your purchase, you should consider stocking up on some extra candles because the lantern comes packaged with only one candle.

When collapsed for storage, the lantern measures just under 11 centimetres tall (4.25 inches), and just over 5 centimetres wide (2 inches).  When in use, the lantern has to be extended and its height increases to almost 17 centimetres (6.5 inches).

With a single candle, the lantern weighs just a little over 200 grams (7.5 oz).

While 200 grams isn’t going to break my back, the lantern does take up too much room in my backpack. You have to consider the spare candles and some sort of protective layer for the lantern’s glass window. I usually wrap the lantern inside my spare socks or a sweater. The lantern is better suited for car camping because extra space and weight are less of a problem.

The lanterns come in several different colours. I chose black, but in hindsight a brighter colour may have been better so that it stands out from the rest of my gear.

How It Works

The specially designed UCO candle is inserted into a spring loaded tube. As the wax burns down, the spring pushes the candle up the tube and into the glass chamber. This process ensures that the candle will burn evenly and prevent the wax from spilling everywhere. Believe it or not, this system works well. It’s simple but quite ingenious.

Durability

The lantern itself is made of lightweight aluminum. Expect a few dents and scratches to appear over time. In my opinion, this is normal and acceptable.

The glass chamber has to be your main concern. I was so certain that the glass would smash that I purchased a spare glass window. Surprisingly, the glass has held its own to this day – no scratches, no cracks. Wrapping the lantern inside a sweater or extra socks seems to provide ample protection. UCO sells cases for their lanterns, but I’m a known miser when it comes to superfluous accessories.

Lighting

The UCO Candle Lantern produces a warm and cozy glow. I might even say that it’s romantic, but don’t tell the guys. There is certainly enough light to illuminate a tent or a small table. My LED flashlights are much more powerful, but I don’t think that there needs to be a contest between the two.

To give you an idea of how much light to expect from the UCO Candle Lantern, it will fill a four-person tent with enough light so that everyone inside can see each other and easily find small objects such as tools and socks. There is enough light to read a book, but you have to be right beside the lantern. It’s hard to judge the amount of lumens produced, but it’s similar to the low mode of my keychain light, and that’s about five lumens.

Safety Issues

As I mentioned earlier, glass breakage is a concern, but it’s not the major safety issue with this product. The big problem is the skin burning temperature of the top part of the lantern. Do not touch when a candle is burning inside. It is extremely hot. Even greater caution is required if children are nearby. Fortunately, I’ve never had an accident, but I go out of my way to warn everyone before I light the candle.

As with any fire source, you need to exercise caution at all times. The lantern is about as stable as a normal glass of water. Accidents can happen even if you are careful.

Having outlined the safety issues, I do want to say that the lantern is far less dangerous than sharp knives, camp fires, and many other common but hazardous components of an outdoor adventure.

Replacement Candles

At about one dollar each, UCO replacement candles are fairly inexpensive. I considered purchasing normal household candles, but I could never find the right size. Furthermore, a non-standard sized candle will not sit properly in the specially designed candle holding tube, and will therefore not burn correctly.

The company states that their candles will last for nine hours. My own experience shows this claim to be correct, and even slightly understated. This is a refreshing change from the plethora of gear manufacturers that exaggerate their products’ characteristics, flashlight manufacturers being the prime offenders.

UCO also produces lemon and honey scented candles. I tried the lemon candles on one trip. There’s not much to say. They are lemony.

I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating here. The UCO candles burn evenly inside the lantern, and there is no messy wax residue to clean up afterwards. Wax from regular candles tends to drip and spill, leaving a blob of wax on the table or candlestick. UCO seems to have come up with a wax formula that prevents this from happening.

Unlike standard sized AA batteries for flashlights, you will not find UCO replacement candles in your local convenience store. It’s simple enough to order a few packages of candles online, but as with any internet purchase, you have to pay for shipping and wait for the product to arrive by mail.

Conclusion

The UCO Candle Lantern is a good product, but not great. It produces a beautiful glow and provides adequate light. Unfortunately, together with spare candles, it’s too large and heavy to carry in a backpack. This is the lantern’s major disadvantage. I recommend that you pack a good flashlight in your pack, and leave the lantern in the car or at home as an outdoor table light.