The Olde Brooklyn Lantern combines an old turn of the century lantern with today’s LED lighting technology. This let’s you get the benefits of an LED light, but the handiness and styling of a lantern. It’s easy to see how this could be useful in certain situations, but we looked at what people are really saying about it.
Overview
The first scenario where this would come in handy is if the power goes out. This would make a great replacement for your indoor home lighting, brightening up the room and allowing you to do what you were doing before the power went out. It would also be good for camping trips, or any other time you’re outdoors and in need of a light. What makes it unique is that it has powerful lights, but it’s contained in a real lantern case, design that has stood the test of time.
The Claim
The folks behind Olde Brooklyn Lantern claim that you’ll be able to get a nice soft glow and the look of an antique lantern without having to worry about causing a fire. They say that no matter how long you keep it on, it will always be cool when you touch it. They also say that it has a dimmer so you can control how much light you get, similar to the way you can adjust the flame on a real lantern.
They also say that the bulbs last up to 100,000 hours without needing to be replaced. The D-sized batteries it requires will likely not last for 100,000 hours, and represent an ongoing cost of ownership. They say that the base of the lantern is made in a similar fashion to the way they used to make them in the past, with actual metal. Not much is made out of metal these days, so it really is a blast from the past.
The Hype
The idea of having a high tech lantern is pretty novel at first, but at the end of the day this is just a portable LED lamp without a lot of bells and whistles. There are other LED lamps that come with a remote control so that you can put them anywhere and turn it off and on remotely. With the Olde Brooklyn you’re not getting a lot of frills, aside from the dimmer ability.
The Cost
You get two Olde Brooklyn Lanterns for $30, shipped right to your door. They say it comes with a money back guarantee, so you don’t have to worry if they don’t work, or if you don’t like the way they perform. Some people like LED lights, while others prefer incandescent bulbs which create more of a warm atmosphere. They’re also including a $15 gift card for other As Seen on TV products, so if you’ve had your eye on something else you can get a pretty good discount on it.
The Commitment
All that you would really have to do is install the batteries and put this in a handy place that you’ll be able to get to easily if the electricity goes out. You’ll also have to replace the batteries when they wear out. You’ll also have to lug it around from place to place, and room to room if the power goes out.
Evaluation
LED lanterns are all the rage these days, and there are several different models you can go with. The big draw to the Olde Brooklyn Lantern is its antique look. It gives a rustic charm to your home or cottage if you’ve got that antique theme going on, yet it’s practical and avoids a lot of the problems of having a traditional lantern that uses gas or kerosene and an open flame.
Final Olde Brooklyn Lantern Review
The Olde Brooklyn Lantern takes a design that worked and brings it back to life upgraded with the new lighting technology we have available these days. You can hang this up with its included ring, and the old fashioned medal handle it has makes carrying it easy, and gives you the feel of living in olden times. It’s definitely worth getting if your home has an antique theme going on, or if you think it’s stylish and just want to have it.
Our Recommendation
Having a pair of these handy for $30 seems like a pretty good deal. It’s great to have around, and you can put them out on the patio for nighttime lighting, or in the bedroom so you can light your way without having to turn on lights in the middle of the night. Basically, if you can see yourself using this, we’d say go for it because there have been no complaints lodged that say it doesn’t do what it says it can.
Read user reviews on the Olde Brooklyn Lantern
If you are looking for an alternative to the Olde Brooklyn Lantern, take a look at this highly reviewed LED lantern from WeatherRite.
Very good latern i got one they do last a long time mines still working we only use it in storms had it for few years have not changed the battery yet.
unscrew the part that sits on the Dome that’s the problem I’m having I can’t get mine to tighten up it was my mother’s and she passed away and I’m really trying to save it but I don’t know how to tighten it without harming it any further oh you can also Google how to change the bulbs in the Old Brooklyn Lantern and it’ll show you how to change the bulbs which gets you into the inside hope that helps, now does anyone know how to get it tightened
The bulbs go out and I have four that need replacement bulbs. How can I get replacement bulbs for them?
I have two and the glass gets a glaze on the inside which you can’t clean. I don’t see how I can take apart to clean the glass. Light would be brighter if cleaned. Any one who knows how to disassemble please shot me a email
They are in fact metal and they work better than just a regular flashlight! If u got a plastic one you must have bought the knock off one. I do agree with the your not getting anything free after you pay the shipping and so called “Processing fee” but the product is cool I would purchase somewhere that sold as seen on tv items in store.
I just bought an Olde Brooklyn Lantern from De Nault’s hardware for $8.99 plus tax today on sale. I went to the $ store and spent another $1. on a pack of D batteries. It works great, I’m using it now to help see my keyboard on computer desk which is usually too dark to type well. I also take it into 2 other rooms which don’t have lighting when I go in there or outside in the yard at night. Sure is handy, I’m pleased with it.
Well said! Shame more people don’t use their common sense with these overpriced pieces of junk
I bought two at Bed Bath & Beyond along with the required batteries. The tv advertisement is somewhat deceptive. The lanterns aren’t as bright as the advertisement implies, and they are made to appear larger than they really are. But overall I’m pretty satisfied. Although they aren’t perfect, they seem to do the job and serve the purpose. People should realize that EVERYTHING that is advertised on tv is hyped, and they should adjust their expectations accordingly. Also, if these had not been available at a local department store where I could examine them up close, I never would have bought them. I feel more confident buying from an established reputable merchant. When you order something over the phone, you just can’t be sure about the honesty and ethics of the people on the other end. They could close up shop and skip town and leave you stuck. Who you buy from, and who you deal with is just as importand as the actual producrt you are buying.
@Rich
The one(s) you bought with 12 LEDs, are they the same brand (Olde Brooklyn) or a different brand? If different what is the name?
Rich, thank you for taking the time to write this. When I called the ad number I was shocked that the second lantern wasn’t free and for just one cost almost $23. I will do my research on this and similar ones in my town. Thank you and the others on this page.
You can buy these at Shopko( $12.99 at my local one right now) and Bed, Bath, & Beyond (maybe other stores). Keep your receipt – much easier than ordering online!
If I compare the ones that I got, which have 12 LED’s I got in a store to my 9 watt Coleman fluorescent lantern, it’s say it’s putting out about 5-6 watts or around 100 lumens give or take. The fact that you can dim it down to make the batteries last that much longer is a big plus. I can’t speak for the ones from this company as I got mine from a local drug store.. but we got 3 of them, they all work well, are very bright and will be great for the next big hurricane, super storm, solar flare knocking out the power grid, etc.
I bought two of these lights from a local drug store for the same price listed on here.. but the ones I have come with 12 LED’s, not just 9, so it’s likely even brighter than the one advertised here. Other than that, they appear to be the exact same thing. If so, then they’re not plastic, but are in fact sheet metal, fairly strong, with a thick plastic glass covering the 12 LED’s,
The dimmer switch is quite good. The ON/OFF feels solid and the action of the rheostat (dimmer switch) is smooth and continuous with no flicker when turning it up and down. The light can go from very dim to full brightness and it’s pretty darn bright. It will easily light up an area of 2 or 3 rooms in total darkness, enough to see where you are going and avoid bumping into things. The fact that you have a dimmer is worth a lot because you can really turn it down to a very low level, thus easily getting hundreds of hours out of two D batteries.
The ones I have are not cheap or plastic. They appear to the exact same save for the 9 LED’s vs the 12 that mine came with. They’re available in stores now, so with the history of horrible customer services and scams that AS SEEN ON TV companies have, I would just wait and get them at a store in your area so you can return them if there is a problem.
We ended up getting 3 of them for the next round of severe weather that will be coming soon enough. I have a lot of lanterns, high powered LED flashlights, tons of batteries, enough to last months alone, but lanterns that take D batteries, especially ones that you can really dim and are pretty bright are very valuable in situation with no power, especially for an extended period of time.
So again, I speak for the ones I got in the store which appear to be the exact same save for the number of LED’s. but I would avoid this company.. so far the ones I have are quite good, and this is from someone with a long time flashlight hobby, knowledge of electronics, repairing lights, modifying them, etc.
These cheaper LED’s probably will not last 100,000 hours. I had one that I got from Target, a Dorcy light for $5…the LED’s started to go in about 5 hours use. But since I have this as a hobby, I was able to take it apart, which it comes apart easily, replace the LED’s with good 22,000mcd Nichia LED’s from dealextreme, which you get 100 for like $8, cut them to size, solder them in and bam, now it’s even brighter than before, and the Nichia’s are the good solid little bulb type LED’s you often find in keychain lights that usually will last 100,000 hours or more, though not on a single battery of course, at least not the one available to the public.
But, when you have no power, even if you get 20-30 hours out of it before one or two of the LED’s starts flickering, it will still give you enough light to live by for the moment.
I was on the phone about to order one of these with the second one free, the representative ,kept having to check on the free shipping, the one price for two, and while I was waiting I started to read these blogs, I THINK I WILL PASS ON THE OLD BROOKLYN LANTERN!
I ordered my Olde Brooklyn Lantern in July of 2012. I recieved it in August 2012. Put in new d-size batteries, and it didn’t work. I called the co. and talked to a rep. He talked to me as if I were a child. He finally told me to send it back to them, and they would replace it. It cost me $15.00 to ship it back.I only paid $19.00 for the lantern to begin with! I sent it back on Aug. 20th,2012. It is now November 9th, and still no lantern.I cannot express how disappointed I am. needles to say, I will never buy anything from this outfit again. horrible customer service.
Could be slamming for AMEX, but it may be worth checking out their optima card. I plan to – hope to get back here to let you know what I find out. Meantime, everyone, please have a GREAT day!!
They do give off a fair amount of light but really are 1 or 2 grades thicker than aluminum foil. Very cheaply made. I ordered the buy one get one free only one worked. It took 6 weeks to get the replacement and I got another DOA. Waiting now on the 2nd warranty replacement. If they worked I’d say not a bad deal for the $$$ but overall I can’t recommend them since 2 out of 3 were DOA’s and they won’t budge on replacing on a rush basis. The one was useful during the hurricane but having the 2 would have been nicer.
Before I buy one, I want to know how many watts of lighting the darned thing produces at full power. 60, 30, 5?
Not all infomercial products are bad, some do actually work good. Always purchase these products from a store, this way there is never any prolonged waiting time or issues with what you are charged. I would like to say my heart goes out to all of you that were affected by the storm. Thankfully I was fortunate enough to not lose my power. I am very happy to see so many positive reviews. End of the day people? It’s a flashlight. I like the fact that its bright and that it has a dimmer. I have 3 young children, one who is scared of the dark, so a light like this I think is perfect for anyone with kids. I just wish the stores would hurry up and get these in as I would never order through the company and waste my money on S&H. I have spent so much money on flashlights in the past that just get lost or the batteries don’t last very long, so $13.00 is well worth it for this.
Thanks for your review. My question is: Have you calculated how long the two “D” batteries last–both during constant usage and when the lantern is “on the shelf” indefinitely (waiting for an emergency)?
how many batteries does it tke
We used it duirng the recent black out in New Jersy from Hurricane Sandy. It is OK. We also bought a Coleman LED lantern that works great but is relatively expensive. My wife liked the Olde Brooklyn Lantern better because the Coleman was too bright for her. We got it for $13. We’re keeping both.
We lost power for several days during/after Hurricane Sandy. We used the Olde Brooklyn Lanterns, and were very happy with the output of light they gave. Sure D batteries can be expensive, but they’re a heck of a lot cheaper than buying propane or oil for gas lanterns and oil lamps. The lanterns are also safer to use than oil/gas lights, and candles. I like these lanterns so much that I am going to order a set for my friend.
I just made my way through Hurricane Sandy, three days without power and these lanterns are still going strong. My neighbor loaned me one and I am about to buy a few of my own. The lighting wasn’t spectacular but it was better than using candles. I believe that you may get the amount of hours out of this that the maker claims as they are talking about the bulbs, not your batteries or battery usage. THAT would be an added expense to you. I would rather use this than candles and lantern oil any day! I will buy retail and not pay the S&H and have a place to easily return to if mine aren’t equally as useful.
I think it would be safe to say that you did not buy 2 for your camper. Even though you completely butchered that sentence, I got what you meant. However, you seem to be spamming with an advertisement for a credit card. Nice try.
I just got it and and turned it on and off. Now it will not turn back on again. Junk!
When will you people realize that EVERYTHING that is sold on an infomercial is always inferior to what it actually claims? The only reason why these products are offered is to make profits off of the actual cost that they are charging, and most often, the ridiculous shipping and returning fees. I mention returning fee because most of the time, consumers will order these overpriced knockoff products that are cheaply made and prone to breaking/not performing and wind up going through a horrible return process which ultimately leads to them paying more than they paid to have the crappy thing delivered to them in the first place! I can only laugh when I see reviews like these because it never fails: something comes on tv at 3a.m. and I automatically launch myGoogle app and search for product reviews. All I find are negative reviews from suckers who thought they were getting a “revolutionary” product. This is the very reason that I have never been duped intp buyinh ANY “as seen on tv” products, because they ALL STINK! And for those of you who are reading this saying, “well she hasn’t tried the NuWave oven or the Ninja(insert any kitchen appliance name herre)”, those products may be made just one point above the crappy standard of the Eggies, however, they are also way overpriced for what they are trying to offer. How else do you think they can afford to pay for those annoying informercials? Advertising is not cheap, so they have to ensure that they can cover all of their expenses PLUS profit, for a simple gadget that you and I could get at Walmart or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Think about it. We have enough companies juicing us for our hard earned money, don’t make these scamming leeches any richer. Save your money.
Don’t waste your time buying these unless your feeling really lucky that the ones you receive will actually work. I got 5 of these and only 3 work and one of those you have to tap on it several times to get it to light up. The ordering process on the website is a joke also.. be very careful i originally only went on to buy 2 lanterns and ended up with 5.. Have seen several other complaints about the same problem and all you get when you call the customer service line is one huge run around and a bunch of headaches.
I ordered the lantern from their online website. I did not like their order process i was constantly hit with pop ups asking to add more to the order which i felt was deciving. After getting it I was quite disappointed at how cheaply made it is diffidently they used the cheapest materials as possible. It’s much smaller then I expected. The power switch is very loose it was diffcult to adjust the brightness and turning it off was tricky as the power switch just spun freely. I paid a bit more for the 9 LED light but really couldn’t tell the difference. I tried to return it but got the run around from customer service and them saying it would be six months to get a refund. Overall i would not recommend it for any type of Emergancy kit just for the shoddy power switch.
Actually, the real ” Eddie Munster” would even be better lol At least that child had reasoning skills
thought of buying the lanterns, however reading the scam book where people were charged oveer $ 60 bucks for a -$30 product, so don’t try it on me. I never buy anything thru TV advertizing where the frace: ” but wait if you call within 10 minutes , you will get the second item FREE”
Ok…can we talk?? I just bought a couple of these from Bed Bath and Beyond. And I like them. They are made of a sheet metal. And the design is definatly cool and old skool which is the reason I got it. The light is pretty bright too. Definatly better than a flashlight if your power goes out cuz it directs light from all directions insted of a beam. I am getting a few more and keep one in my car trunk. I am also going to paint one to make it look even more old skool.
It’s a great lantern with great lighting and the Brooklyn lantern folks aren’t being deceptive. C’mon, who really has a problem with putting batteries in every now & then. What – was it ever advertised as being solar or nuclear powered? Regarding all of the politics above – you folks should just relax and take in the show; don’t get so wrapped up for crying out loud. Peace from Harold folks.
As to the Olde Brooklyn Lantern, I was about to order one, but decided to read the reviews on it first. Am I glad I waited! They are all BAD!! Not only is the lamp a complete piece of junk, the company overcharges your credit card & gives people the run-around. Too good to be true? So it appears.
I just both 2 for my camper….I never worry, because I use my AMEX card whenever I buy from someone new… if I have problem, I just call AMEX, and they “credit” my card and deal with the seller,,,then it’s the seller who has to do all the work in fixing any problem or taking the return to get their money.
I know American Express costs $45 a year, Ah, but not their optima card…it’s free with all the benefits of a AMEX card. Great for buying online
100,000 hours is over eleven years. I believe they’re trying to convey the idea that the lantern will burn continuously for that long but if challenged they’ll say they meant only that the the bulbs will last that long provided that the user provides ongoing new batteries..
Please stop believing you are actually getting something for free. Companies have been using this advertising ploy for years. The second item is not free. You are paying for it in the shipping charges or other charges they have added.
My advice, wait until the item comes out at a local retail place where you can return it for a refund should it not be all that you expected it to be or if you are one of those people that must have a product the minute it hits the air waves, do yourself a favor and get one of those pre-paid debit cards. Use that debit card just for such online purchases. This way you can load it with just the amount of money you’ll need for the item and that’s it. When the company tries to come back and charge you more, the card won’t have enough funds and they’ll decline the charges.
My personal review: This is a cheaply made plastic, small LED flashlight. Not at all worth the $30 something. Way better regular flashlights out there.
If it’s LED the batteries will last a long time. If you’re using D batteries than you probably won’t have to worry about replacing the battery for about a year as long as you use it sparingly. I got a pretty good flashlight but I want this for the design. I’m gonna convince my wife that we need it for emergency, but I have that covered already hehe. This thing’s gonna look amazing in my study.