on the move: 8 of the best portable lights

'Tis the season for alfresco gatherings, so whether it's a full-on 4-courses with friends and family at the weekend, or just a mid-week, post-work wind down with a chilled Chablis and nibbles, an ambient atmosphere will help the evening along.

The good news is we're no longer restricted to a few tea lights or candles for outdoor lighting. The latest technology has ushered in a new era of stylish portable lamps.

This makes it even easier to extend our living spaces from the home into the garden, balcony or terrace and create an extra outdoor room during the warmer months. You could even take these portable lights glamping for home away from home comfort.

Find more updates for your outdoor living space here.

The portable lights in our edit are run on a battery, and charged like a mobile phone or portable bluetooth speaker.

In fact, the aptly named speaker light from Cox & Cox, is both a speaker and a lamp, so it's a one-stop party piece. Just bluetooth your top tunes from your phone and you can set the mood from chill-out vibe to something more upbeat with accompanying illumination, if the mood takes you.

See our edit of the bestoutdoor sofas.

The designs ahead are so good, you may not want to restrict yourself to just using these lamps outside. The beauty of them, is that they would all look as good inside, as a table lamp or on a bedside table, as they would lighting up your terrace – and obviously have the flexibility to be moved around and positioned whether or not there is a plug socket nearby.

This means they can be used and enjoyed all year round, not just kept in a cupboard when winter rolls around again...

Check out these expert tips on designing the perfectoutdoor space.

Designer Carlotta de Bevilacqua wanted to create a light source that appeared as if it could be carried through space. Its energy is supplied by a rechargeable battery, capable of emitting 16 hours of light at a time.

Portable, practical and playful, the Bellhop - designed by Barber & Osgerby is a rechargeable LED lamp that's ideal for the patio or balcony as well as for a desk or nightstand.

Portable, practical and playful, the Bellhop - designed by Barber & Osgerby is a rechargeable LED lamp that's ideal for the patio or balcony as well as for a desk or nightstand.

Killing two birds with one stone, this LED rechargeable speaker plays music via Bluetooth and emanates a warm white glow.

This award-winning, balloon-like lamp casts a warm, ambient light that's great for creating atmosphere in the garden on balmy summer nights.

This beautiful blown glass, chargeable outdoor lamp comes in a choice of frosted glass finishes.

Made from acrylic this clever lamp can be used both indoors and outside. The touch activated design means you can simply tap the base for up to twelve hours of wireless illumination.

This charming piece is inspired by public street lamps from the 19th century. Available in a range of cool colours, it charges via a USB cable (included) and offers up to 10 hours light.

Pierre Charpin’s PC Portable Lamp is a stylish freestanding lamp that's great for indoor and outdoor use. It's available in white, black and green and its battery-powered design gives the freedom and flexibility to move it anywhere.