Best Oil Lamp For Indoor Use – Safety, Quality, Recommendations
Here’s my advice for choosing the best oil lamp for indoor use and emergency preparedness.
Some people call it a hurricane lampor oil lantern. It is an oil lamp with a glass chimney protecting the flame. These lamps shimmer with ambiance and nostalgia while performing a basic function: lighting up the dark.
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Vermont Lanterns
Dietz Lanterns
Feuerhand
Lamp Oil
Wicks
Safety
An oil lamp is a practical emergency lighting source. It burns brighter and longer than an ordinary candle, making it a cost-effective light source for indoor use.
Read the Safety Tips below for indoor use!
The following are information, tips, recommendations for the best oil lamps, and an estimated fuel cost per hour (I did the math). For prepping and preparedness, I would not be without one. I have several!
How Bright are Oil Lamps
An oil lamp burns brighter than a candle. Its brightness varies from lamp to lamp (due to design and wick size). Oil lamps produce better light indoors with several (and more!) candlepower (or lumens) of light than a candle.
Oil Lantern Candlepower – Lumens
Candlepower is an old standard of light intensity or relative brightness, referring to the light from a candle of specific size and constituents. It’s an obsolete measurement these days; today, we use “lumens.”
I found a chart that lists candlepower and lumens (relative brightness) for kerosene lamps based on wick size (width). Here are a few examples of their brightness.
Oil Lamp Wick versus Brightness / Lumens
| Flat-wick width | Candlepower | Lumens |
| 3/8″ | 4 | 50 |
| 1/2″ | 7 | 88 |
| 5/8″ | 9 | 113 |
| 3/4″ | 10 | 125 |
| 7/8″–1″ | 12 | 151 |
Best Oil Lamps
It’s subjective. I recommend staying away from cheap, especially when considering safety for indoor use. I do recommend any of the following brands. Vermont Lanterns, a USA family business. Dietz, perhaps a budget brand, has a long history that began in Brooklyn, NY, although currently made in China. Feuerhand, a well-known German brand, is a great choice too.
Authentic Vermont Lanterns
“We have been selling Oil Lamps & Lanterns since 1998. We started small, with the idea of bringing a unique product to the market that that people would want for outdoor living and emergency lighting. The business was born in our barn, and has steadily grown year after year. We are proud to have thousands of satisfied customers over the years.”
This company has quite a lineup of various oil lamps/lanterns. You might have a look at their popular Dorset Table Lamp, which comes in 8″, 10″, or 12″ heights.
If purchasing through my links, I may earn commission (no extra cost).
Affiliate Disclosure
Solid brass. Wick size 1/2″ (88 lumens from the chart above). Burn time, 30 hours:
Dietz Hurricane Lantern – One of the best budget choices
A good quality and fairly inexpensive brand of oil lamps. The Dietz.
It’s a classic design. Dietz Lanterns was founded in 1840 by 22-year-old Robert Edwin Dietz in Brooklyn, NY. They were manufactured in Syracuse until 1971 when production moved to Hong Kong. Then, in 1982, the Dietz lantern factory moved from Hong Kong to China. Dietz Lanterns developed a reputation worldwide as “The Old Reliable.”
Given its original design, the Dietz has been considered one of the best hurricane lanterns for more than a century.
Caution: You can get cheaper oil lamps than this. But my experience and that of otherssuggest these often have problems, and they could even be dangerous. I’ve bought the cheap ones before. They leak. It didn’t happen right away, but they ended up leaking. That’s not good!
Feuerhand Oil Lamps From Germany
Feuerhand hurricane lanterns, made in Germany, have been around for ~125 years. They make several different models. The ‘Baby Special 276’ is very popular. It’s 10 inches tall and comes in a variety of colors. They say it holds enough fuel for 20 hours of 3.5-candlepower light. I have one (among various other brands) and like it.
Best Lamp Oil For Indoors
How much oil will a hurricane lamp /oil lamp burn? Mine generally burns about 0.5 ounces per hour.
Indoor Lamp Oil: A hurricane lamp may burn a variety of oils. There are also purpose-made ‘smokeless’ lamp oils available.
UPDATE: I have been recommending Firefly hurricane lamp oil, which is OK and great. I did find another lamp oil for indoor use. It’s one of the most well-reviewed Clean-Smokeless-Odorless. Made in USA.
Cost Per Hour
It is best sold by the gallon (128 ounces). Based on the current price, my calculated operating cost is about $0.19 (19 cents) per hour.
(Note that some lamp oil will burn faster or slower than others.)
One gallon will last about 256 hours. If you burned 6 hours a day, one gallon of lamp oil would last you about 42 days (for example).
My ‘rule-of-thumb’ for preparedness is 1 gallon of lamp oil per month (per lamp). That’s for full-time (night time) operation.
The nice thing about these lamps is their ability to burn all sorts of vegetable oils. Again, a factor is the wick itself. I’ve tried this a few times. Generally, vegetable oil went up the wick more slowly, and the wick charred more. But it worked.
Will Lamp Oil go Bad?
It’s safe to saythat lamp oil has an indefinite shelf life. We’re not cooking with it—we’re burning it. Even if you’re using old olive oil that has gone rancid, it won’t matter to the lantern.
Lamp Oil Tips
1. OLD VEGETABLE OIL
If you have old (rancid) olive oil (for example), you can burn that too. Your results may vary depending on the properties of the wick.
2. FUEL LEVEL
Keep the tank at least half-full for the most effective wicking.
3. CITRONELLA
Use Citronella oil during the summertime on the porch – bugs don’t like it…
Oil Lamp Wick Tips
The wick itself doesn’t burn. The oil burns as it’s drawn up the wick. The top edge chars.
Tip: Trim the charred edge of the wick before starting a new burn.
Trim the wick to a point to get the brightest light and the least smoke. Cut an angle on each side such that the middle is the point.
Some people like the flame curved and cutting an arc into the wick, while others cut straight across.
A wick will last long if it is appropriately drawing lamp oil.
Tip: If the flame height is adjusted too high, the flame may smoke.
Find your replacement wicks on amzn:
1/4-inch
3/8-inch
1/2-inch
3/4-inch
7/8-inch
1-inch
SAFETY – Are Oil Lamps Safe?
Fire Hazard
It produces a flame. Take all logical and common sense precautions to ensure fire safety. Every home should be equipped with fire extinguishers, regardless.
UPDATE: Regardless of which brand of oil lamp you have, please regularly check it for leakage. Check the base and edges. Make sure there’s no oil weeping anywhere.
Safety Tips
1. PLACEMENT
Consider the lamp’s location. It should be in a place where it’s less likely to be bumped or knocked over. If you have children or pets at home, be concerned and careful about that!
2. CHIMNEY
The chimney will get very hot – even after it’s ‘off’ for a while, so be careful.
3. PROXIMITY
The heat radiating off the top of the chimney can catch fire to flammable materials close above it.
4. REFILLING
Don’t add oil to a flaming or hot lamp.
5. CLEANING
Clean the chimney as soot builds up.
6. EXTINGUISHING
Putting out the flame. Blow a quick burst of air down the chimney. Cup your hand at the top edge of the chimney. This will help direct the air blast.
Do Oil Lamps Produce Carbon Monoxide?
Combustion produces carbon monoxide. The question is, how much? It depends on fuel, burn efficiency, exhaust, etc. Some fuels produce little (e.g., butane stove).
Yes, an oil lamp will give off some carbon monoxide. People have relied on these lamps for thousands of years, and we’re still here.
I recommend having a carbon monoxide detector in your home, one with a battery backup, regardless of whether you have an oil lamp.
I use this one:
Read Related Articles:
Carbon Monoxide – Symptoms & Recommendations