Has anyone ever tried these? My local Wally World has them on clearance for $7 and I was curious if they are any good. Thanks in advance for any input

I have several of the small UCO lanterns that take tea light candles and love them. The larger lanterns are very nice too and I know plenty of folks that like them.

For my own use I just don't care for the extra size and weight of the larger models for 8 hours of burn time instead of 5.

$.02

They are better than an open flame. Just remember that they get hot and keep them away from anything you don't want to melt or burn. If you are going to hang them use wire instead of string. Heat rises so follow the same rule as with any other lamp and leave plenty of space over them as well as beside them.

Don't expect them to turn the night into day. It is still only one candlepower.

Do either of the optional reflectors helps the heat from rising? Saw some pics on their site of a guy using it in his tent.

I don't think the reflectors reduce heat or protect anything that is above the candle.
UCO claims their handle gives enough clearance above the flame for safety. Their chimney design is supposed to spread the heat out too.
Maybe it does and maybe I am just being overly cautious, but I think having a little bit of soft copper, brass or steel wire to give more space is a good idea, especially since I carry the wire already.

Even with reflectors, I think any candle with a flame needs at least 12" clearance from anything flammable, especially above.

I don't know if I'd go to sleep (or sleep very well) with a live candle in a nylon tent -- too many variables for my comfort. If it was in a big tin can, sand on the bottom, some arrangement to ensure it couldn't touch the tent or my sleeping bag, and very reliable ventilation, then okay. But that's more for a bit of heat (forced convection = moisture movement outwards = sleep dry and warm).

Frankly, when LEDs came out, I lost all interest in candle lanterns.

Oh there would be no sleeping while its lit. I'm all about LED as well. Just wanted some opinions since it seems like a good discount. I was already anxiously awaiting a heavy snow so I can try my hand at making a Quincee in the yard, so should be fun to see how much heat it puts out (I know, don't melt the ceiling and cause a collapse

Just in case I am not the only one who had to google Quincee to figure out what it was. ;-)

We've got two of them, one of the 3 candle ones (candlelier) and a single candle one. Love 'em but really only seem to use them when winter camping and occassionally in the summer on the patio when mosquitoes are bad - they make citronella candles for them. I keep them both handy for power outages.

For $7 I'd pick up a couple more.


FWIW I really love the candlelier for snow camping, especially in a snow cave. The plate on top of the lantern is perfect for melting a canteen cup of snow and the 3 candles allow for various levels of light and just enough heat to warm up a cave but not cause too much melting. Although it's little bulky for backpacking in the winter I use a gear sled so it's not an issue.

i have a few candle lamps and the large UCO is the best i have found.the tea lamp not so much as what you have once it's burning is a aluminum cup full of hot wax with a wick in it.a bad move and it spills out.i would carry a LED light of some sort in a survival kit but the tea lamp is fine for the sort camping where you want to have a few on a table at nite.the big UCO with the push-up candle works great and as you can see in the photo with a shade/reflector it will cast enough light to read by.but these are camp items and in a BOB or real survival kit i would want a LED that was only used when needed.