![]() ![]() The costs of solar lamps have continued to fall in recent years as the components and lamps have been mass-produced in ever greater numbers. Solar lamps for use in rural situations often have the capability of providing a supply of electricity for other devices, such as for charging cell phones. However, solar lamps generally have a higher initial cost, and are weather dependent. In addition, solar lamps produce no indoor air pollution unlike kerosene lamps. Solar lamps have a lower operating cost than kerosene lamps because renewable energy from the sun is free, unlike fuel. Solar-powered household lighting can replace other light sources like candles or kerosene lamps. ![]() The lamp operates on electricity from batteries, charged through the use of solar panel (solar photovoltaic panel) ![]() It did snow one night and the lantern continued to work (its operating temperature range is 32 to 113 degrees), although it was a little warmer in our tent than it was outside.A solar lamp, also known as a solar light or solar lantern, is a lighting system composed of an LED lamp, solar panels, battery, charge controller and there may also be an inverter. Mpowerd claims its Luci Outdoor 2.0 is waterproof, but I didn't get to test that on this trip. I didn't find these particularly handy, but they didn't get in the way either. There's a valve for inflating the light on the top, along with a small strap, and the other side of the lantern has an adjustable strap. Two lights on the battery indicator ranges from 11% to 55% charged three lights can be anywhere from 56% to 100% charged. Press the lightning bolt button for a status indicator that lets you know how much of a charge you have - one light means you have 10% or less of your charge remaining. You can also press and hold the power button down to turn the light off, without having to cycle through each option. Press the power button once for the low setting, again for medium, then high and then flashing. I didn't use the flashing option at all, but the other times seem about right for what I experienced. That 75 lumens may not sound bright, but the high setting was plenty bright enough for me to comfortably read in total darkness at night.Īccording to Mpowerd, the low setting lasts for 24 hours on a single charge, the medium and flashing settings for up to 12 hours and the high setting for 6 hours. For reference, an 800-lumen LED bulb is equivalent to a standard 60W incandescent. It has four settings - low, medium, high and flashing - and a max output of 75 lumens distributed across 10 integrated LED lights. You can expect longer charge times if you're somewhere that's cloudy or intermittently sunny. Fortunately, we had extremely sunny weather throughout most of the trip and, therefore, consistent light from this solar lantern. It took roughly 6 to 7 hours to charge ours fully in bright direct sunlight. Out of the box, the lantern isn't inflated, so it can easily sit on any flat surface to charge, as long as it's in the sun. But the Luci Outdoor 2.0 only has one step: Stick it in the sun. In a typical product review, I'd launch into describing the setup process here. The Luci Outdoor 2.0 by Mpowerd costs $25. But when it comes to a lightweight (4.4 ounces!), easy-to-pack, off-grid solar light, this affordable LED lantern is pretty near perfect. I wish it didn't take 6-plus hours to fully charge, which also means it won't be a reliable single light source if you don't have several hours of sunlight during the day to charge it. It was a versatile and welcome camping companion, whether we were prepping dinner as dusk set in, reading in the evening or trying to find our way out of the tent in the middle of the night to, ahem, "use the facilities." My husband and I brought a Luci Outdoor 2.0 on a recent trip to Utah's La Sal mountain range. This $25 inflatable solar light collapses when it's not in use and has a tiny built-in solar panel that charges during the day to keep your campsite well-lit at night. Mpowerd took on the challenge of shrinking down the standard too-heavy camping lantern with its Luci Outdoor 2.0. No one wants to mess around with clunky gear on a camping trip, especially if you're carrying everything on your back.
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