When the lights go out, most of us reach for a candle. It’s the worst choice. Candles are a fire risk, give poor light, and are dangerous around children and pets. A cheap LED head torch and lantern do the job far better, and far more safely.
The short version
- Head torch: hands-free light for moving about, cooking and stairs.
- Lantern: lights a whole room for everyone.
- Candles: avoid. They’re a real fire risk.
- Keep one light by the bed, and the rest in your kit box.
- Try to make everything use the same battery size.
Why not candles?
- Fire risk. Candles near curtains, bedding or paper cause house fires, and fire services warn about them every winter.
- Poor light. A candle barely lights a room, let alone a staircase.
- Not portable. Carrying a lit candle up the stairs, or with a toddler, is dangerous.
- Children and pets can knock them over.
If you do use one, never leave it unattended, keep it well away from anything flammable, and put it out before you sleep.
Head torches: the best first buy
A head torch is the single most useful light in a power cut. Your hands are free to cook, pour drinks, deal with children or climb the stairs.
- Brightness: 100–300 lumens is plenty for indoors. Ignore huge lumen claims on cheap torches.
- Red light mode is handy at night, because it’s easier on your eyes and won’t wake everyone.
- Battery: AAA batteries or USB rechargeable. Rechargeables are cheaper to run, but keep spare batteries or a charged power bank.
- Budget pick: a twin pack of basic LED head torches, around £10, so two people have one each.
Lanterns: light for the whole room
A lantern sits in the middle of the room and lights it for everyone, which makes a power cut evening feel far more normal.
- Look for LED, at least 200 lumens, with a low setting to make the batteries last.
- Battery-powered (AA or D cells) is simplest. Rechargeable ones are handy, but charge them before winter.
- Budget pick: a basic LED camping lantern, around £10.
Free hack: stand a torch facing upwards under a full clear bottle of water. The water spreads the light around the room like a lamp.
Other useful lights
- Glow sticks: cheap, safe for children and a good nightlight.
- Battery push lights: stick one inside a cupboard, or by the fuse box so you can find it.
- Motion-sensor lights on the stairs help older relatives at night.
What to skip
- Oil and paraffin lamps indoors: fire and fume risk.
- “Tactical” torches with huge claimed brightness: overpriced and often not as bright as they say.
- Relying on your phone’s torch. It drains the battery you need for calls and news.
Batteries: keep it simple
Try to choose torches and lanterns that use the same battery size, such as AA, so one spare pack covers everything. Store spare batteries in their packaging in a cool, dry place, and check them every six months.
3 things to do this week
- Put a head torch by each bed.
- Buy or find a lantern for your main room.
- Check every torch in the house actually works, and replace dead batteries.
Lights are part of our 72-hour blackout kit for under £50. Some links on this site may be affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure.