Kizen Outdoor Solar Lantern - Solar or Plug Rechargeable Lantern - Collapsible LED Light for Power Outages - Camping Essential Lamp for Tent Light, Hanging, or Flashlight

These are surprisingly good. I honestly didn’t expect them to be this useful, but they exceeded my expectations. They charge easily in partial to full sunlight and are very bright. I love that they can be expanded to light up an entire room or contracted down for easy transport. They were a remarkable addition to a live-action Dungeons & Dragons game we ran in a large, dark field—plenty of light, reliable, and convenient. Durable, practical, and well-designed. Strongly recommended!

I have been camping regularly for over thirty years. My five children and I spent entire summers at a campground. But until I ordered this Solar Powered LED Camping Lantern from Kizen, I had no idea just how outdated my camping equipment was. And how HEAVY! For about twenty years or so I used propane powered lanterns to light my way when we camped. They were not the safest things for children to be carrying, so when battery operated lanterns became available I bought several of them. The battery operated lights were nice, and safe, but they required a ton of batteries for each lantern. And kids being kids, they ran through the batteries like crazy. It was quite expensive keeping those lights in operation. My children are all grown up now, and I am getting ready to continue the family camping tradition with my three (soon to be four) grandchildren. When I started looking around Amazon I was amazed at the variety of solar powered lights that are available now. To satisfy my curiosity, I ordered this solar powered lantern. The first thing that impressed me about the lantern was its weight. Or should I say lack of weight? It weighs next to nothing. As I am not getting any younger or stronger, this is a very strong selling point. The lantern is collapsible and small enough to fit in my purse when collapsed. Quite a change from my older style lanterns. I must say that my expectations of the lantern were not very high, but I was pleasantly surprised. The lantern is very bright. It has two different brightness levels as well as a flashing setting, great to alert someone should I need help. When collapsed the lantern can be used as a flashlight. All with no batteries or fuel. It charges by sun! And if these features were not enough, the lantern can be used to charge my cellphone when it is charged. 21st century camping equipment is something else!

For those who hate reading long-ish reviews, here are some pros and cons: PRO: - Even on the "Low" setting, the lantern is surprisingly bright. - On High it's bright enough to easily read by. On Low it is still bright enough, but you might need to have the lantern a bit closer to what you're reading. - Really lightweight and compact. - Battery meets the description in terms of how long it's illuminated when fully charged. - Flashlight setting is very useful. - Folding handle makes carrying or hanging simple. - Rubberized cover looks like it will protect the USB ports in case of rain. CON: - Don't count on it for charging a phone. - If you're going to be camping more than one night, you'll probably want to have at least 2 of these due to limited illumination time on a fully charged battery. Note: I haven't tested how well it charges using only solar energy, because I don't have anywhere at home that gets more than about 5 hours of direct sunlight. If you're camping, you probably shouldn't count on having clear, sunny days to charge the lantern. BATTERY LIFE: I fully charged the battery via USB. It took between 3 1/2 and 4 hours to charge it. I tested the lantern on the High setting, recharged it, and then tested it on the Low setting. Results of testing: On High, the lantern remained brightly lit for just about 5 hours and then dimmed noticeably to the point where it was basically a nightlight. It stayed that way for 2 or 3 more hours. On Low, the lantern remained bright for 7 hours and then dimmed the same way as when it was on High and stayed illuminated for at least 3 more hours on what I'd call "Nightlight Setting" (which just means the battery isn't powering the light even half as well as when fully charged). PHONE CHARGING: I fully charged the lantern and then plugged in my Samsung Galaxy phone. In one hour the phone had gained only 14% charge. About 15 minutes later, I noticed that the phone hadn't charged any more. It had completely drained the lantern battery. It's probably cheaper and more reliable in the long run to just buy a second battery for your phone, keep it fully charged, and take it with you when hiking or camping.

I love this little lamp! It's perfect for camping or anytime a little extra light is needed. I love that there are two options for charging: by USB with the included cable or by the solar panel on the top. This works as a flashlight or as a lantern. For camping, I set this on the dash to charge in the sun while driving so I have a light for the tent when we get to the destination. I love the bright blue color, too. Definitely recommend.

This extremely portable mini-lantern has lasted me 5 YEARS with regular use!!! And still very bright! I came here to write this because the product is extremely well made. It's tough to find quality products, which is another reason I love this! I have dropped it more times than I like to admit and everything still works great and stays in form. Long lasting battery! The curved handle works great hanging on a hook or a carabiner. This was my main light source on a recent camping trip and it last me the whole camping weekend with a few hours of use each day!!10/10!!

Much better quality than I expected. I love the “idea” of this little lantern being collapsible and having three levels of brightness, solar or USB-micro charging and a hanging loop. The way this lantern is manufactured makes it a great value and bargain compared to other, similar ones. Mine’s in bright yellow which will help me avoid leaving it behind somewhere, yet its portability is making me want to carry it around in my daypack or backpack routinely because it take up so little space. The light is blue/white and the lowest setting is great for my RV, where a little light goes a long way. Only thing missing is USB-C charging. It should be noted that it’s winter in the PNW where I am and I have not been able to see solar charging at work, but I’m eager to!

This item was a great value for the price. It arrived quickly and was as advertised. The light is brighter than I expected and came already charged. I will definitely be ordering more for myself and as gifts. When compressed, the lantern is about the size of a hockey puck and can easily be carried in a purse or kept in a car glove box for emergencies.

Wanted to love this but will be torn about buying another down the road or a different similar item. It does not charge well at all with the solar option so need to charge in advance of trips/camping. It wasnt quite as bright as similar items we’ve had in the past. I did like how lightweight and compact it can be and that was my biggest pro. It did work fine just not as bright as other comparable lanterns. If you want compact and easy to store though, this is a good option for that.

Good

Size is what I wanted. Small and compact. Cheaper ones on the market than this one. Battery lasted over 5 hours which was good.