Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use a lantern stick

Updated: 21 October 2026

You already have a stick, and the photograph may show a lantern and a glow the box does not contain. How to use a lantern stick, for the products in this comparison, is a short sequence: fit the light you actually have, hang the lantern you actually own, walk a few steps indoors, and leave any flame out. The [lantern stick comparison](/hub/outdoor-fire-pits/lantern-stick) is the buying table. This page is the evening before. Peter F. wrote it on 20 October 2026 from the amazon.co.uk listing text and from UK fire-service and battery guidance, not from a lab trial of these poles. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already have a stick, and the photograph may show a lantern and a glow the box does not contain.

Our top picks

Zerodeko Zerodeko 30 plain poles, about 27 cm

Best overall

Zerodeko Zerodeko 30 plain poles, about 27 cm
6.1/10about £7.99
View offer
Aomig Aomig red and blue LED sticks, 40 cm

Rank 2

Aomig Aomig red and blue LED sticks, 40 cm
7.8/10about £6.89
View offer
Silkwish Silkwish wooden LED sticks, 39 cm

Alternative

Silkwish Silkwish wooden LED sticks, 39 cm
1.6/10about £14.84
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Put the cells in before you leave
  2. 2.Hang the lantern and walk a few steps
  3. 3.No candle, and no loose button cell
  4. 4.When a party stick is the wrong tool

Put the cells in before you leave

If the stick is Aomig, each one wants two AA cells at 1.5 V, not in the box, so a four-pack needs eight. Match the marks, close the compartment, and switch on before the lantern goes on. Follow the bullets that name two AA cells, not the line that says batteries are not required. ANCLLO says insert 2A batteries and does not spell that out as AA. Do not guess. Silkwish arrives with three button batteries already inserted. Peel off the film and press the switch. If the door is loose, an adult keeps the stick. A swallowed cell is A&E or 999: no food, no drink, and do not make the child sick. Zerodeko and WRITWAA have no light. The buying guide separates that choice before you order.

Hang the lantern and walk a few steps

Test the hook indoors with the real lantern. Aomig, Silkwish, and Zerodeko state a hook. Seat the loop, lift, and walk a room. If it slips, that hook is not holding your lantern. WRITWAA does not state a hook. Those 26.5 cm poles are for a lantern you build around the pole. Aomig at 40 cm and Silkwish at 39 cm sit nearer a child's chest. Zerodeko at about 27 cm sits lower. A rule of thumb, not a standard, is that under 30 cm will not clear a walking child's legs. If the lantern bumps a knee indoors, change stick. ANCLLO states neither length nor hook. The 23.2 cm parcel is not a pole length.
Zerodeko Zerodeko 30 plain poles, about 27 cm

Testsieger

Zerodeko Zerodeko 30 plain poles, about 27 cm
6.1/10about £7.99
View offer

No candle, and no loose button cell

A real candle is not a way to finish a stick that has no LED. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service says small children should not carry a naked-flame lantern and prefers a battery light. An LED removes that flame. It does not make paper non-combustible, and it does not cancel the UK review that describes exposed wires on the Aomig sample. If the wires are open, leave the stick out of small children's hands. Silkwish uses three button cells per pole, already fitted. Keep spares in a closed container, not a coat pocket. If a child may have swallowed one, go to A&E or phone 999, and give no food or drink. A tea light does not make a plain pole safer. The lit-or-plain fork is on LED lantern stick or a plain pole.

When a party stick is the wrong tool

A 40 cm hook is for a shop paper lantern. A willow lantern needs a cane or a frame. Leamington Lantern Parade describes a bamboo pole through the centre and a battery light you can still switch. Do not force that frame onto an Aomig hook. Stop in four cases. A cell that may have been swallowed is A&E or 999. A procession on the public highway is the organiser's plan, not a longer stick. A lantern that loads a neck or a back should not be carried. A school candle policy is the school's. The night itself is the parade page.

Common questions

How do you fit batteries in an Aomig stick?
Buy two AA cells per stick, eight for the four-pack, because they are not included. Match the polarity marks, close the compartment, and switch on until you see the warm white LED. Do this before the lantern goes on. The technical line that says batteries are not required conflicts with the bullets. Follow the bullets that name two AA cells.
What do you do with a Silkwish stick that already has cells?
Remove the insulation film and press the switch. Three button batteries per stick are already inserted. The listing does not describe the door. If you cannot see a secure closure, an adult keeps the stick. Do not give it to a toddler. A swallowed cell is A&E or 999, with no food, no drink, and no attempt to make the child sick.
How do you test the hook before the walk?
Put the real lantern on the stated hook and walk a few steps indoors. Aomig, Silkwish, and Zerodeko state a hook. WRITWAA does not. If the loop slips or the lantern hits a knee, change the stick or the lantern before you leave. A 26 cm pole fails that test for a walking child even when the hook holds.
Can you add a real candle?
No. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service says small children should not carry a naked-flame lantern. Use the LED if the stick has one, or a separate battery light if it does not. An LED is not a promise that paper cannot burn, and it is not a repair for exposed wires.
What if the lantern in the photo is missing?
The sticks in this set do not include a paper lantern. Aomig says so in the bullets, and UK reviews still mention the photo. Buy the lantern as a second purchase and test the hook with that lantern. Do not walk with the empty stick because the picture looked complete.
How do you carry a large willow lantern?
Use a cane or a frame, with a battery light you can still switch off, as Leamington and Liskeard describe for made lanterns. A 40 cm party hook is for a shop paper lantern. Do not force a willow frame onto it.
When do you get help instead of improvising?
Phone 999 or go to A&E if a button cell may have been swallowed, and give no food or drink. Ask the organiser if the route uses the public highway. Ask the school if a candle policy applies. If the lantern is heavy enough to load a neck or a back, the child should not carry it.

Related pages

Best lantern stick

Lantern stick

Lantern stick buying guide: length, hook, batteries

LED lantern stick or a plain pole for a night walk

St Martin's lantern stick for Martinmas and Halloween

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listing facts in the display file. Shelf prices and star lines are those stored UK figures. No stick here is treated as certified or laboratory tested.

  1. GOV.UK: using button and coin batteries (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Child Accident Prevention Trust: button batteries in an emergency (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. BSI: PAS 7055:2025 button and coin batteries (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, Great Britain (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service: celebrating safely (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. National Fire Chiefs Council: sky lanterns (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Leamington Lantern Parade: how to build a lantern (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings for the seven kept ASINs (retrieved 21 October 2026)