#01Long-burning candles give hours of reliable light and a little warmth in a power cut, with no batteries to go flat — the classic backup for when the lights go out.
#02Chemical light sticks provide reliable, waterproof illumination without batteries or spark risk. Ideal for emergency signalling, marking positions, and low-level lighting in survival scenarios.
#03A reliable LED headlamp provides hands-free illumination for navigating, setting up camp, and performing tasks in darkness. Essential kit for any UK survival scenario where torchlight alone won't cut it.
#04A rechargeable LED lantern lights a whole room or tent with soft, even light — far more useful than a torch for sitting, cooking and keeping children calm during a power cut.
#05Handheld LED flashlight providing reliable illumination. Essential for navigation, signalling, and camp tasks after dark.
A cheap, cheerful battery lantern that throws light across a whole room or tent, which is far kinder on the eyes than a torch during a power cut. It is light enough to hang from a hook or carry between rooms, and inexpensive enough to keep one on each floor. A no-frills backup for dark winter evenings.
A bright, rechargeable LED torch with multiple modes including strobe and SOS. A dependable handheld light for power cuts and outdoor emergencies.
Fifty unscented tea lights with an 8-hour burn time each — a cheap, compact way to keep light in the house through a power cut. Longer-burning than the usual 3–4 hour tea lights, so a few will see you through an evening without constant relighting. Stand them in jars or a proper holder on a non-flammable surface, and keep a torch handy for moving around.
An affordable rechargeable head torch with a motion sensor for hands-free switching, an IPX6 waterproof rating and five light modes. A practical hands-free backup for power cuts, dog walks and jobs where you need both hands. Not a premium beam, but plenty for close-in tasks around the home and garden.
A rechargeable LED lantern that throws a wide, even light rather than the narrow beam of a torch, which makes it the better tool for lighting a room or a tent during a power cut. It runs off its own built-in battery and recharges over USB, with brightness and runtime settings so you can trade light output for a longer burn. A sensible backup to keep charged on a shelf alongside your torches.
Industrial-grade chemical light sticks that glow for hours with a single snap — no batteries, flame or sparks. Safe, reliable light for outages, marking and signalling.
A straightforward, bright handheld torch from a battery brand most people already trust. It's the one to leave in a kitchen drawer, the car door pocket or a coat pocket for when the lights go out. Nothing clever — just reliable light on demand.
A bright, hands-free head torch for power cuts, checking the fuse box or moving around outdoors after dark. Water-resistant and runs on easily stored AAA batteries.
A 650-lumen rechargeable head torch with a motion sensor so you can toggle it with a wave when your hands are full. A dependable hands-free light for outages, dog walks, loft rummaging or working under the car. Motion sensors are handy but can false-trigger, so it is worth learning how to lock it out for steady tasks.
A four-pack of compact aluminium LED torches with batteries included — cheap enough to stash one in every drawer, car and bag so there's always light within reach in a power cut. They're basic rather than high-output, but for the price you get reliable pocket lighting and useful redundancy, which matters more in an emergency than raw brightness from a single expensive torch.
A durable dual-beam head torch with separate spot and flood LEDs, a magnesium-alloy body and USB-C recharging on a swappable 18650 cell. It is brighter and better made than budget head torches, which matters when you need reliable hands-free light for a job outdoors or a walk home in the dark. The spare-battery option is a real advantage when mains power is down for a while.
A hands-free head torch from a brand that has earned its reputation, putting 350 lumens where you're looking. You'd reach for it during a power cut, a dark walk to the log store, or any job that needs both hands free. The focusable beam narrows to a spotlight or widens to flood the area, and the IP67 rating means rain won't stop it.
A rechargeable head torch that frees up both hands for first aid, repairs or cooking in the dark. It runs off a swappable 18650 lithium cell charged over USB, with a focusable beam and a comfortable head strap. A solid mid-range option if you'd rather recharge than keep buying disposable batteries.
A pocket-sized keyring torch that runs on a single AAA and throws a surprisingly usable focusable beam. It's the sort of small, dependable light you clip to a bag or keys and forget about until a delay, breakdown or blackout means you actually need it. Ledlenser build quality means it holds up better than the usual freebie torches.
A compact, rugged handheld torch from a trusted maker, with a focusable beam you can pull from a wide flood to a long throw. It runs on standard replaceable batteries, so spares are easy to keep in a drawer for power cuts and outdoor use. A no-nonsense everyday and emergency light.
A rechargeable head torch from a brand known for genuinely good beam quality and build. Hands-free light is the sensible default for power cuts, checking the loft or fuse box, or moving around outside after dark. Being rechargeable means one less thing depending on spare batteries during an emergency.
A bright, rechargeable head torch with a wide 230° beam and a motion sensor so you can switch it on with a wave when your hands are full. Multiple modes and a spotlight cover everything from close jobs to walking a dark path, and it charges over USB. A practical hands-free light for outages, repairs and outdoor tasks.
Broad, long-burning paraffin pillar candles that give hours of steady room light in a power cut, standing securely with minimal dripping and no batteries required.
Bulk unscented soy-wax tea lights with a 4-hour burn, from the same maker as our LETINE pillar candles. Soy wax burns cleaner and a little cooler than cheap paraffin, which is a small plus in a closed room during an outage. A sensible backup-lighting buy to keep alongside a torch and lantern — candles are the fallback, not the first thing you reach for.
A full-size D-cell LED torch built to run for a long time on a set of batteries rather than needing a recharge. The aluminium body is tough enough to knock about in a car boot or shed, and the beam adjusts from wide flood to focused spot. A dependable "keep it in a drawer and forget it" torch for power cuts.
A stubby dual work light and torch from NEBO, with a bright spot beam at one end and a wide COB flood panel down the side. The magnetic base and clip let you stick it to a boiler, car bonnet or fuse box and keep both hands free during a power cut or roadside job. It runs on a AA batteries you can swap in the dark rather than needing a charger.
A compact 400-lumen rechargeable head torch that also clips off as a cap light. Hands-free light for reading a meter, fixing something in the dark, or moving around the house safely when the power's out.
A light, USB-rechargeable head torch putting out up to 360 lumens with a sensible spread of brightness levels and a battery readout. It is a good hands-free light for a power cut, checking the fuse box or walking the dog on dark autumn evenings. The built-in cell means one less set of spares to worry about, though it needs charging rather than a quick battery swap.
A tiny USB-C rechargeable keychain torch that puts up to 600 lumens in your pocket without the bulk of a full head torch. It's the light you actually have on you when the power cuts out or you're fumbling with a lock in the dark, and the small OLED screen shows exactly how much charge is left. Not a substitute for a proper head torch, but a genuinely useful everyday backup.
A pack of eight plain, unscented pillar candles that are exactly what you want in a power-cut drawer: no fragrance, no fuss, just steady light when the electricity goes. Each stubby 50 x 100mm pillar sits stably in a holder and burns for hours, so a pack keeps a household lit through a long winter outage. Keep them with matches and a proper holder rather than reaching for scented candles meant for decoration.
A bright rechargeable head torch with a strong beam and the option to swap to AAA batteries in a pinch. A dependable step up for regular outdoor use.
A 450-lumen head torch from Petzl, one of the most trusted names in outdoor lighting. It runs on three AAA batteries so you can keep spares in a drawer for a power cut, and the red beam preserves night vision without blinding everyone around you. A dependable hands-free light for storm nights, dog walks and reading a meter in the dark.
A rechargeable 1100-lumen head torch with reactive lighting that reads the scene and adjusts brightness automatically, so you get a long throw when you look up and a soft flood up close. It is a premium pick aimed at people who genuinely rely on a head torch — night walks, power cuts, working hands-free outdoors in the dark. Overkill for occasional use, but hard to beat when you need serious hands-free light.
A simple, rugged head torch that runs on AAA batteries with no fuss. A great low-cost way to get hands-free light into every kit.
A bright, rechargeable lantern that lights a whole room or tent with soft, even light. A fire-safe alternative to candles for power cuts.
A USB-rechargeable head torch putting out 475 lumens with a 90-metre beam and a wave sensor switch, so you can turn it on with a gloved or messy hand. It is rated IP65 for rain and IK07 for knocks, which makes it a work-grade light that suits power cuts and dark-morning jobs as much as camping. Run time stretches to around 35 hours on lower settings.
A lightweight rechargeable head torch with a wide COB flood and three brightness modes, keeping your hands free for jobs in the dark — power cuts, car repairs, dog walks or camping. It's a simple, inexpensive spare rather than a premium trail light, so treat runtime and brightness claims with a pinch of salt. Handy to keep charged in a drawer or grab bag.
Start with the cheapest, longest-shelf-life option. Stash it and forget it for a quarter.
A backup that uses a different mechanism. If option 1 fails, option 2 still works.
For trips outside the home — light, durable, field-serviceable. The honest one.