MPOWERD  Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern: Lux

We purchased these for our emergency kits. The 1st day we got them we charged them and made sure they worked before buying a couple of them for our different kits. Needed to use them the other day, let it charge for a couple hours and even the battery indicator wouldn't flash. Gave it the benefit of the doubt and charged it for the entire day in unobstructed sunlight. Still was not able to get even the battery indicator to work. Mind you, these were meant for emergency kits and have not seen rigorous action, or any action at all save for the time we 1st got them out of the box. Very disappointed. In the time they were needed most they would not work.

My family and I love to camp, but we're a little on the glamping side, which means, space in the car is at a premium. This little beauty allows for soft light where you want it and bright light when you need it. Not only is it small, and collapsible, but you can get read of the propane lantern, the case, the need for extra propane, etc...It's not as powerful as a propane lantern, but it still works great. We even us it in the back yard for after dark grilling since we have no electricity outlets close to the grill. I just got a second. I'm about to go car camping and I'm excited to be able to hang it from one of the handles for some nice light.

The Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern is a wonderful invention. I have had one for many years and recently purchased two more. They are great for travel, because they are very packable with the air removed but can re-inflated whenever you need illumination. As long as we have sun to recharge the solar panel on top of the lantern it can be used for many things. They have been great during the winter power outages when I needed to illuminate my house. And, in general, if I want to create a particular mood without the use of candles I find these solar lanterns invaluable. An excellent idea for portable as well as stationary lighting.

Ordered two - one works great, the other only responds to commands in direct sunlight, is extremely weak, and doesn't store a charge. Remove it from light and it instantly dies completely. I gave it 24+hrs of direct light over three days - no change. Its sister product works like a champ. I have read of reliability issues with MPOWERD products - I can now verify they're a thing! Bummer is I have to print off a return and find a UPS drop, then decide if I want to replace it. If you really need these and don't have time to sort them out, buy in store where you can check them, or order multiples and return the broken/unneeded ones.

My partner and I took this with us on a 5 night, 6 day trip. It was awesome to have a general light in our tent at night. I just clipped it to the top of my pack with a pair of bunjie cords to charge it during the day. It didn't charge very much on cloudy days, even with 12 hours of exposure, but on sunny days, it would fully charge after our minimal use in the evening. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because it turned on VERY easily. The power button was very sensitive inside a pack (like when I put it away out of the rain). I was also worried that inflating this when we got up to our higher elevation (15000 feet) would be difficult. We just held open the valve, and pulled the cylinder open. It self inflated! No getting out of breath necessary.

This latest purchase was our 8th MPowerd inflatable light including a couple of their smaller Candle lights in the last 6 years. They are all still functioning like new and are such useful and versatile lights. They are very tough seam-welded balloons and can take a lot but they are balloons. The pillow effect has also helps protect them if dropped, they are very light weight. It may seem silly but the video to inflate and deflate while twisting will help protect the balloon. And don’t charge them on your dashboard! We have given a couple away to neighbors who have been caught out by the hurricanes here. Being campers we are usually prepared for being knocked off the grid for awhile.

I bought this lamp for my boyfriend to use while he is serving in the Peace Corps. Electricity and/or batteries are not always guaranteed or easy to find; I thought something solar powered would work best. He had some positive things to say about it, which I will relate here: this MPOWERD lamp is a good light source. It's not too bright--I can look directly at it without burning my eyes. It's easy to inflate and deflate. The light weight and compact size also makes it easy to transport. I like the "charge remaining" indicator and that the on/off button is easy to push. The only thing that stops me from giving this 5 stars is I wish it had an indicator that told me when it was actively charging. As a side note, when we Skype, due to the time difference it's usually dark where he is with poor indoor lighting. Having him turn this lamp on has meant I no longer have to stare at a dark, shadowed face coming at me from the computer screen. I think we can all agree this is a positive thing.

I love the settings on this lantern. It's lightweight and provides nice, soft lighting. I've never had a problem with mine charging, either: I clip it onto the backside of my backpack with a carabiner and it charges while I hike. The only downside is that I do get lightheaded every time I blow it up. I was incredibly bummed out when the plastic cracked on my first one. It made it unusable. Not sure if it was just flimsy or really packed wrong, but it wasn't super durable. I loved the lighting enough that I bought another to replace mine, but now I'm a little nervous that the plastic on the top will crack again - durability is not something I want to worry about when backpacking!

I got this for a group trip when we weren't going to be able to have a campfire. It doesn't have the warmth or mesmerizing flicker of a campfire, but it won't burn the forest down, either. With several brightness levels, we could set it to illuminate faces without blinding anyone. What I didn't expect is that I've been bringing it most backpacking trip since then. Winter nights are long, and it's nice to have some light in my tent. For a luxury item, it's still pretty light weight.

I've always wanted a really low level area light for the tent and other applications and here it is! This is a great low level light that can be hung or used free standing but really puts out the light over an area if you need it with it's 3 intensity levels. Folds back up well after inflation and charges well even with indirect light. Bravo!