UCO  Original Candle Lantern

Some reviewers said that the candle doesn't push up and allows wax to build up. I compared the new spring to my old one and sure enough - the old one is taller and MUCH harder to compress. Meaning that the new springs are garbage. That is a problem as the whole idea of the thing is "dripless" design. If you're stuck with a new one, try gently stretching the spring out to about an inch longer, or using the spring from an original. Also the hanging bar used to be slightly heavier gauge as well, and really locked in when folded up. Thinner body metal as well. Would not recommend until design flaws are addressed.

I love this little lantern. Easy to set up, easy to light, gives off good light. One word of caution, careful with leaving in a warm car. It can make the spring function to push the candle up difficult. Otherwise, this is a great lantern. Simple is the best word. One other word of caution, in a heavy swirling wind, there is some difficulty in staying lit. Shielding the top vent solves to problem. As an emergency light when the power is out, top notch. For camping, not heavy, gives good "psychological" light. There is just something about a flame that lifts the spirits.

My sons both use these with good results. I purchased one but during my first use in the tent, the wax melted inside the lantern and made it nonfunctional. I exchanged it for a new one and tested that one at home. It did the same thing. I also noticed a lot of soot around the area where I was testing it. The soot would definitely be a inhalation concern in a small tent. As you can see from the photo, the wax is inside the spring area. My guess is the spring mechanism is faulty but due to the amount of soot given off, I will be returning it for a refund and using a small battery operated lantern instead.

I have used candle lanterns for 15 years and this never used to happen. My last 2 lanterns have failed this way. Its a shame. I suspect they changed the formula for the candle, in the past they were absolutely dripless, not so much now.

I purchased this lantern new last week. I also have one of the original candle lanterns that is about 25 years old and was made in Washington State. It's a little beat up but still works well. The first time I used the new one, the wax melted down into the housing and prevented the candle from feeding up as it burned. When I took it apart there was wax in the base and the candle was stuck fast in the housing. There's no way that little spring could push it up. Older reviews, 2013 or earlier, on this sit gave this little lantern, shall we say, "glowing" reviews. Most of the latest reviews complain about the wax melt problem that I had. Could it be that they've changed the candle wax? The design of the lantern appears to be identical to the old one I have.

The one and only night I used this it was lovely. The flickering flame, the additional warmth, it all made our time in the mountains more home-y. The problem is that as the wax melts it ends up in the very bottom of the lantern where the spring that pushes the candle up is seated. This means the spring gets incased in wax and stops working. If you want to then replace the candle/use the lantern again you need to carve the spring out of the wax, basically ruining it's springiness. It is a nice concept but the design is flawed. We ended up returning it. Too bad.

I have an original UCO candle lantern that has always work fine. The new one, not so much. The problem is the weak spring. It's not strong enough to push the candle up as it burns to seal the wax pool that forms in the cup at the top of the candle. This wax then runs down the inside of the lantern body and gums of the works. I contacted UCO about this and they sent me a new stronger spring which solved the problem. Anything you can do to make the spring stronger will solve the problem.

I read the recent reviews which said the wax jammed the spring, so I was a bit hesitant. But I had a trip upcoming (2 nights in the Adirondacks in January) and I thought I'd give the this thing a shot, as candle lanterns are supposed to be great for increasing airflow and fighting condensation (which is a major issue when winter camping). REI has a great return policy, right? So I could get my money back if it failed. And boy did it fail. Both nights the candle burned less than halfway before the spring seized put out the flame. What a piece of junk.

An update to my previous comments. No problem with the lantern, but I have discovered the citronella candles to not work as well as the plain white ones. The plain white candles burn wonderfully, but the citronella ones seem to run down the inside and gum up the spring. Otherwise, this little lantern is aces.

I purchased this after enjoying a friend's older REI branded model on a summer trip. Loved that it gave the comforting glow of fire without the hassle and environmental impact. The first one I purchased seemed to have a broken spring, but after some rigging it seemed to work. Unfortunately, the candle didn't seem to push up properly, and wax dripped all over the inside of the lantern making it impossible to close it for packing in the morning. I returned it to REI (no hassle thanks to the return policy), and got a replacement one. This spring was in place. However, when I used the lantern (even with it sitting on a table in a cabin with no wind), wax dripped all over again. Thinking it might have to do with the candle, we tried a citronella one. Same problem. Trying with a beeswax one this weekend. Hoping third time's the charm. The slower melt of the beeswax seemed to work better when trying inside as a test.