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Solar torch buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are choosing a handheld solar torch on amazon.co.uk, and the titles lead with 1000 lumens, 800 lumens, or a waterproof word. This solar torch buying guide puts the checks in order: how you recharge the cell, what the water line says, whether the specification table agrees with itself, and only then the lumen number. Prices here run from £7.91 to £17.99. None of the five is a garden stake, and none prints an ANSI/PLATO FL 1 mark. The table is the [solar torch comparison](/hub/garden-decor/solar-torch). Peter F. used saved amazon.co.uk listings on 21 October 2026, not a laboratory.

You are choosing a handheld solar torch on amazon.co.uk, and the titles lead with 1000 lumens, 800 lumens, or a waterproof word.

Our top picks

igadgitz Xtra igadgitz Xtra U4456

Best overall

igadgitz Xtra igadgitz Xtra U4456
8.3/10about £17.99
View offer
PCXWTLN PCXWTLN IPX6

Alternative

PCXWTLN PCXWTLN IPX6
5.8/10about £14.98
View offer
E-SHIDAI E-SHIDAI USB and solar

Best value

E-SHIDAI E-SHIDAI USB and solar
7.9/10about £7.91
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Charge method first
  2. 2.Read the water line as a code
  3. 3.Where the listing disagrees with itself
  4. 4.Lumens last

Charge method first

A panel the size of a torch head is a trickle charge. It is weak in a British winter, behind glass, or in a glovebox. If the torch will sit unused, you want a hand crank or a USB port you will actually plug in. Three listings are solar plus USB, with no crank: PCXWTLN at £14.98, Vellichor at £11.99, and E-SHIDAI at £7.91, which also claims a USB output. The igadgitz Xtra U4456 at £17.99 and the Synkris at £9.99 are the cranks. Synkris says one minute of winding gives eight minutes of light. The windowsill routine and the 5 V limit are on how to charge a solar torch.

Read the water line as a code

BS EN 60529 is the IP code. The second character is water. An X means that character was not rated. IPX5 and IPX6 are jets, not a licence to drop the torch in a bucket. IPX7 is the immersion digit. RS Components sets that out for buyers. PCXWTLN prints IPX6, with no test report in the file. E-SHIDAI prints IPX5 and says not to put the torch in water. igadgitz and Vellichor say waterproof with no code, and the igadgitz title adds 5 m. Synkris says not water resistant in the table and waterproof in a bullet. None of these five should go under water on the word waterproof.
igadgitz Xtra igadgitz Xtra U4456

Testsieger

igadgitz Xtra igadgitz Xtra U4456
8.3/10about £17.99
View offer

Where the listing disagrees with itself

igadgitz states an included 80 mAh 3 V NiMH cell, and batteries-included says yes. The runtime field says 1 hour, the battery-life field says 4 hours, and a bullet says one minute of cranking gives 60 to 110 minutes. Quote the clash. Do not pick one number. E-SHIDAI’s title describes a built-in 1200 mAh cell, while another field says batteries are not included and that one AAA cell is required. PCXWTLN states 1200 mAh, then names lithium polymer and Li-ion, and batteries-included says no. Vellichor says lithium with no capacity, marks batteries as not included, and still lists a battery. Synkris leaves capacity blank. Its set name says 2-Pack while the title describes one flashlight. A lumen title does not repair those rows.

Lumens last

Printed outputs are 8, 150, 800, and 1000 lumens, and Synkris prints none. ANSI/PLATO FL 1 is voluntary, and these listings do not show it, so ranking 8 against 1000 would invent a test. United Kingdom reviews treat the igadgitz 8 lumens as enough to see a step, and they say the Vellichor mega name overstates the beam for a shed. E-SHIDAI’s 1000-lumen line sits next to reviews of a torch that will not charge. Use the lumen figure only after charge, water, and the contradictions. Who each listing suits is on best solar torch. A flickering flame on a spike is a different object: solar torch or garden stake.

Common questions

Should I buy the highest lumen number?
The titles print 8, 150, 800, and 1000 lumens, and one listing prints none. None shows an ANSI/PLATO FL 1 mark, so the numbers are not a shared measurement. Check charge, the water line, and whether the battery rows agree first. A torch that will not take a charge is dark, whatever the title promises.
What does IPX6 mean on a torch?
IPX6 is a jet rating in BS EN 60529. The X means the dust digit was not rated. The 6 means water projected in powerful jets. It is not immersion, and it was not measured on the PCXWTLN torch that prints the code. Keep the torch out of a bucket, a pond, or a flooded boot.
Is waterproof enough if there is no code?
Waterproof, on its own, does not tell you jets from splashes from immersion. igadgitz and Vellichor use that word with no IP code. Synkris says not water resistant in the table and waterproof in a bullet. If rain matters, prefer a printed code and still read the sentence beside it.
Does a solar torch still contain a battery?
Yes. Every listing describes a rechargeable cell: NiMH on the igadgitz, lithium on the others. Solar, USB, and a crank top that cell up. They do not make the torch battery-free. A title that says eco still has a cell inside, and the CAP Code expects a clear basis before a green claim. These pages do not give that basis.
Why do some listings say batteries are not included?
The specification table and the title were not written as one sheet. E-SHIDAI, PCXWTLN, and Vellichor each say batteries are not included, while another line describes a battery. igadgitz says the NiMH cell is required and included. Until the parcel matches one line, the clash is unresolved. It is not a free spare cell.
Is a hand crank worth more than USB?
A crank earns its place when the socket is already dead and you need light in that moment. USB earns its place when you charge the day before and you want a brighter lithium listing. The igadgitz is £17.99 with 4.6 from 1,175 reviews and 8 lumens. Two USB rows have United Kingdom reviews about failing to charge. Use the method you will actually use.

Related pages

Solar torch for a power cut

Solar torch

Best solar torch: crank pick, USB value, thin sample

How to charge a solar torch: USB, crank, then panel

Solar torch or a garden stake: carry it or plant it

Sources

Public UK sources for the IP code, product marks, battery waste and green claims. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 21 October 2026. No lumen, ingress or crank test was run for this page.

  1. BSI, BS EN 60529:1992+A2:2013 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. RS, IP ratings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, consumer product safety advice (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK, batteries (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, recycling batteries and electrical waste (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. OPSS, product safety report 2408-0050 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. ASA, CAP Code rule 11.1 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Streamlight, ANSI/PLATO FL 1 summary (retrieved 21 October 2026)