My Balcony Has No Overhead Lighting — This $32 Lamp Fixed Everything

It’s finally the time of year where I spend more time sitting on my balcony than I do on my sofa. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve created a pretty cozy outdoor oasis for myself. (Click here for a visual.) It took no small amount of time and effort to make my balcony functional. I had to land on a patio set that fit perfectly, had enough visual appeal, and was suitable for hours-long lounging — and it was more difficult than I expected.

But the most pressing concern from the get-go was the absence of overhead lighting. Before I found a solution, I would have to reluctantly head inside the minute the sun had set — and that’s no fun at all during the summer months. I tried some string lights, but I quickly realized they weren’t going to cut it on their own. The LETRY outdoor table lamp is what ended up saving the day (or in this case, the night).

My patio gets so dark that I knew not just any outdoor lamp would be up to snuff — it had to be ultra-powerful in addition to being durable and portable. Ideally, it wouldn’t clash with my cute patio furniture either. This find checks every box I had. First, the matte finish and simple design goes with basically anything. Aside from black, white and silver are also available.

Most importantly, there’s no shade blocking the light, and it has three different settings so it can be as bright or as dim as needed. It’s powered by a solar panel on the top — which is camouflaged so well on the black version that I barely notice it. You can also power it up with a USB cord if you plan on using it indoors.

It’s not just a lamp, but also a functional lantern with a handle on top for carrying or hanging on a wall or a stake. You can leave it out in the open since it’s made of rust-proof and waterproof material. And that way, it’ll always stay charged. After letting it charge for about eight hours, it’ll last for up to 70 hours.

At first I considered those little lamps that I always see on restaurant tables, but ultimately decided that they’re more of an accent piece and less of a primary light source. About eight months into owning it, I’m glad I went with this ultra-powerful lantern instead. The before-and-after photo above speaks for itself! The difference is unreal. The pleasant glow illuminates the whole 9 by 5-foot space. Without it, it’s next to impossible to navigate my balcony at night.

The lantern sits permanently on my outdoor coffee table, so it spends the entire day charging. It hasn’t died on me yet, though I usually don’t use it for more than a couple of hours at a time. It also hasn’t been knocked down by any strong gusts of wind, which impresses me for how lightweight it is.

After reading the reviews, I also know this lamp has me covered in case I ever lose power. “I left it in the kitchen window to recharge and by evening it lasted another 6 hours while I cooked, ate, and cleaned the dishes until I went to bed and had not dimmed at all,” says a shopper who used it during an outage caused by a hurricane.

Hopefully I won’t have to ever test it in those conditions, but I have no doubt that I’ll rely on this lamp all summer long (and for many summers to come).

Buy: LETRY Outdoor Table Lamp, $31.53 (normally $49.99)