BioLite AlpenGlow 500 vs Goal Zero Lighthouse 600

The BioLite AlpenGlow 500 wins on the thing you actually notice at camp: light quality, plus a battery that charges your phone. The Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 is the pick if you value redundancy, thanks to its solar and hand-crank charging.

BioLite AlpenGlow 500

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The cosiest, best-looking light of the group, and it doubles as a small power bank.

• High-CRI, dimmable light that reviewers repeatedly call the most pleasant to sit under
• Fun extras like color modes and a shake-to-cycle gesture that are genuinely useful, not gimmicks
• 6,400 mAh battery doubles as a USB power bank and stretches to ~200 hours on the lowest setting

• Still charges over dated micro-USB rather than USB-C
• 500 lumens is plenty for a table but modest if you want to flood a large site

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Goal Zero Lighthouse 600

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The most versatile pick, with solar input and a hand crank so it never truly dies.

• Three ways to refill: USB, a Goal Zero solar panel, or the built-in hand crank for emergencies
• 600 lumens with a half-globe mode that dramatically extends runtime
• Folding legs and a USB output that charges phones make it a capable little power hub

• The clear, unfrosted globe throws a harsher light than the frosted competition
• Runtime on full brightness is short, and it still uses a micro-USB input

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Side by side

The bottom line

Our overall pick is the BioLite AlpenGlow 500 - The cosiest, best-looking light of the group, and it doubles as a small power bank. Choose the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 instead if preparedness-minded campers who want light plus a backup charging plan.

Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Camping Lanterns: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).