Portable lights: the best portable outdoor lights

Keep the summer glow going with one of these stylish portable lights that can be used indoors and out. Handy as the evenings get longer, these portable outdoor lights are lightweight and reliable and will help the intrepid gardener achieve their autumn and winter garden goals. These are also perfect garden lamps for use in your conservatory or potting shed if you're working on cleaning tools, potting seedlings or completing your autumn clear-up.

They are also excellent for entertaining too and the below portable lamps will allow you to have your way light perfectly as the sun goes down or comes up with friends outside.

When choosing your ideal portable light, think about how you're going to use it. Will it be used for vital work in near darkness, or just to infuse the garden atmosphere in the autumn and winter? Aim for as robust as possible if you plan to use your garden lamp regularly.

Don't miss our piece on how to use light in the garden, or our guides to the best solar garden lights and the best lighting for front gardens.

The best portable lights

Tsuki Portable Light

An exceptionally fun portable light option for your garden, the Tsuki lamp can be used indoor or outdoor. It's remote operated and one of our favourite things about it is that it changes colour to suit the mood and is dimmable too.

It's a rechargeable option, offering eight hours of use, and is fitted with an LED bulb. There are also several sizes available if you don't want to plump for the large option. 

We love this as a garden lamp option, but it would also look funky on a balcony or indoor worktop too.

Large, £175

Buy from The Conran Shop

Buy from Selfridges 

Fermob Mooon! LED Wireless Lamp

One of the key things you'll need from your portable lights is lift-ability. This portable outdoor light option from Fernmob is a lovely lightweight option, as it is made from tinted aluminium: it weighs 750g.

Taking its inspiration from 19th century street lamps, this garden lamp is charged wirelessly by USB and it has up to ten hours battery life. There's an option for warm or cold light and a dimmer option too.

There are several different vibrant colours to choose from and it's 41 cm tall, so a collection of these portable outdoor lights on a garden table may be the way forward.

£109 

Buy from Made in Design

Bud Portable Light

A cute and botanically themed portable light, this design is from Melissa Yip from Innermost and comes in a satisfyingly wide variety of colours. It's only 20cm high, so a small, unobtrusive option, and it is dimmable too, with three levels of brightness. There's a tiny USB charging socket and one charge will result in 20 hours.

It's the sort of garden lamp that's easy to fit in your hand so one of the most portable options on this list.

£99 

Buy from Heal's

Hay PC Portable Light

A particularly versatile option, this portable outdoor light is again wireless with a rechargeable battery.

This design comes from Pierre Charpin and it is specifically designed as a go-anywhere lamp. We like its simplicity and its tulip-shaped top. It's lightweight and, crucially, splashproof, so could be your perfect garden accompaniment.

The battery is rechargeable with a USB cable and offers up to ten hours battery life. There's an LED, replaceable light source included.

£69

Buy from Made in Design

 Carrie Portable Light

The Scandinavians know a thing or two about darkness from those long, cold winters. This design comes direct from Nord Architects and has a powder-coated steel base and an opal glass shade which offers diffused light.

This option is probably not for the hardworking gardeners among us, but it offers a handy way of transporting your light from garden room, balcony, to sitting room. One charge lasts between six and eight hours.

£170,

Buy from Nordic Nest 

Flos Bellhop LED USB-C Touch Table Portable Light

A portable light that was made with the design museum in mind it surely an attractive addition to any household. This wireless bellhop table lamp is made from colour polycarbonate and again, this option is probably not one for hardcore gardening activities. Think more entertaining in the conservatory or balcony.

It offers glare-free light which can be dimmed to four different levels using the button on the base of the light. This portable light also can be used wirelessly for up to 24 hours and its height is 21 cm.

£175

Buy from Lights.co.uk 

Lucca Portable Table Lamp

A timeless, elegant option for your portable garden lamp which stays lit for up to 12 hours. The design includes the option of a handle, which means you can place it on a table or side, or also hang it in a shed while you work.

The design company, Space from Copenhagan, has taken the city of Tuscany as its inspiration and we love the aesthetic. As with all these portable lights, there's a USB charging port and an in-built battery. Its height is 28 cm.

£120,

Buy from Nordic Nest

Humble One Cordless LED Table Lamp

This portable light has a nice vintage aesthetic and the light offers warmth without high energy usage. The trend of showcasing the bulbs themselves is key to this lamp and we love the look. The classic swirl bulb is included and the lamp is available in four different finishes. It also has three settings, candle, ambient or work and charges wirelessly through a USB.

One full charge of this light also results in up to 100 hours of light.

£129

Buy from Bombinate

Mooni Modern LED Colour Changing Portable Outdoor Light

Make your portable light work harder for you with this option from John Lewis which also has a built in bluetooth speaker. An excellent idea for when you're working or entertaining in the garden.

There are ten colour modes from this design, ranging from this soothing warm light to letterbox red. What's more, if you want to use it for a small gathering, there's strobe, pulse, flash and fade settings.

It comes with a remote control, the battery life lasts up to ten hours and it is 28 cm high.

£134.99 

Buy from John Lewis