A new inflatable, rechargeable light not only hopes to get you ready for the outdoors this summer, but also promises to help those who don’t have ready access to power.
While this lantern might be a nice addition to your camping trip or car emergency kit, to people it countries where power is not readily available, this lantern is a game changer. The light’s developer MPOWERD says its goal is to “eradicate energy poverty through solar justice.” The company points out on their website that 3 billion people live in energy poverty and that lights allow children to study at home at night and people to work safely after dark.
They explain their mission here and you can even buy a lantern to send to someone in need on their website.
While this lantern won’t change your life, the inflatable, waterproof and rechargeable solar lantern from Luci by MPOWERD is durable, easy use, and great for outdoor activities , lounging by the pool or anywhere else where you might need some outdoor illumination. It even floats!
The battery is built into the inside of the inflatable shell. It’s basically maintenance-free and weighs only four ounces (113 grams).
Just open the portal and inflate (recommended manually) using the closable air port on the top. The lantern also has a handle at the top, which can be tethered.
The lantern is pretty bright, with 10 LED lights and a 65 lumens rating that cover approximately 10 sq. ft. So, it should work well for situations like camping or for emergencies like changing a tire. It would be great to have replaceable, interchangeable solar panels that could slide into the bottom of the lantern, but that would likely affect the waterproofing and overall durability.
You can charge the lantern whether it’s inflated or not. After the first charge, you get about a 1-to-1 trade-off with the charging. (one hour of charging equals an hour of use.) Users power on the lantern by pressing the middle button between the two solar panels.
The lantern charges best from direct sunlight (initially eight hours recommended). You can conveniently charge it by setting the lantern on your car’s dashboard. The light settings are bright, super bright, and flashing and can last 12 hours maximum on the bright setting when fully charged. Fully charged, this lantern should be able to make it through the night. Great when you’re camping, but life-changing when you don’t have any other source of light in your home.
~ Michael Siebenaler