Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

[UPDATE 7-15-2015: I was initially very impressed with this lantern, but after further experience and testing, I am now quite upset at what is either dishonest marketing or serious quality control issues. I am leaving my original review intact, but I'm adding this prefatory warning for those interested in using this as an ultralight backpacking lantern. The salient concern is this: This lantern is virtually useless unless you don't need more than 60 - 70 minutes of usable light. On its brightest setting, despite a full charge, it starts to dim noticeably at the 60-minute mark, and by 90 minutes it falls off sharply to the point where you can barely tell it is on. By 100 minutes it is completely dead. Since the packaging promises "7 hours light max on bright setting," I assumed the battery must be defective so I ordered a second one. To my surprise, I found exactly the same problem: on the brightest setting, both lights dim noticeably after 60 minutes and become utterly unusable past 90 minutes! I have repeated this test through multiple charge/discharge cycles and the results are eerily consistent. This is upsetting and the product's packaging/marketing is misleading. This lantern has only two steady-on settings. A reasonable person would normally refer to these in relative terms as "low" and "high/bright". Evidently, MPOWERD calls them (unrealistically) "bright" and "superbright." Thus, when they promise "7 hours light max on bright setting," they're actually referring to the LOWER of the two settings. Yet even on that lower setting, after more than 12 hours charging in bright Georgia summer sunlight, I could not get more than 2 hours of usable light before it dimmed dramatically and, by 3 hours, went dead. Only when I charged the lantern in direct sunlight for THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS, was I able to get it to last for 4 full hours on the low setting--still a far cry from the 7 hours promised on the packaging. That makes this light virtually useless except as some kind of short-term 'marker' light to help you find your tent in the dark, or as a close-up reading light (for a book placed within 12 inches of the lantern, and positioned directly under its clear base). Even in that very limited role, the lantern soon becomes inoperable until the next solar charging opportunity (i.e., the next day). What a disappointment. Here's the part that angers me: Initially, I was impressed by the company's heartwarming story about wanting to help provide affordable illumination to the world, which they say was inspired by the people caught in the 2010 Haiti earthquake (see "Our Story" on their website). After a little research, it appears this 'innovative' product and heartwarming inspirational story may have been blatantly ripped off from others. One of the earliest companies to make a version of this product appears to be "d.light," which began in 2004. According to d.light's story, after a child was burned by a kerosene lamp in Africa, the inventor(s) felt inspired to find a way to bring safe, affordable illumination to the world. Sound a little familiar? Next, I found a company called LuminAid (whose founders appeared on the show Shark Tank) that makes a virtually IDENTICAL product (i.e., another vinyl-sealed inflatable solar lantern, but rectangular in shape), which ALSO launched in 2010, and ALSO attributes its inspiration to the 2010 Haiti earthquake! (Evidently, the two companies even went to court over who has the rights to sell this product.) Then I found about five more companies making similar products... The more I looked into it, the more it seems this 'innovative' product is really a copy of an already well-established idea, and the humanitarian mission may be a generic marketing strategy to lure in naive consumers. In fact, I found a company called "Terra Friendly" that makes a rectangular lantern nearly identical to the LuminAid AND a circular lantern virtually identical to the MPOWERD Luci EMRG (right down to using the same font, cardboard, and vinyl to frame the solar panel!); however, Terra Friendly claims they've been in business for over 10 years--LONG before those other two companies supposedly were "inspired" in 2010 to "invent" these products! I suppose it's possible LuminAid copied MPOWERD, rather than vice versa; nevertheless, both companies seem to have produced suspiciously similar products and backstories as those which Terra Friendly and/or d.light had already produced years earlier. Make up your own mind, but I'm not interested in supporting this company any further, especially given the poor quality of the product or their flawed quality controls. Compared with similar products, the two EMRG lanterns I reviewed were of inferior build and performance. My guess is that most of the positive reviewers have not tried operating the light for much more than an hour to test its endurance (and thus, have not discovered its ridiculously poor duration). If they have, I have no idea why they would rate it so highly. I lowered my rating from 5 stars to 1 star because although this product technically works, it definitely does not work as promised. In fact, the performance claims are obviously misleading, if not grossly exaggerated. The only other explanation is that their quality control is so poor that the two separate lanterns I purchased exhibited EXACTLY the same defective battery life. Either way I find that unacceptable, even at this low price point, given the relatively simplicity of the concept/design. Combine that with the fact that the company's inspirational story now strikes me as rather disingenuous (certainly, the product is far less innovative than the marketing suggests) and no, I won't be buying any more. My original review follows...] ----------------------------ORIGINAL REVIEW------------------------------- The MPOWERD Luci EMRG Inflatable Solar Lantern is a terrific ultralight camp lantern! At $10, I was skeptical, but now that I've seen and used it in person, I'm impressed. The construction seems adequately durable (albeit made from very cheap materials), the solar panel charges the lantern effectively during the day, and the light output is excellent for such a light, packable, no-spare-batteries-needed lantern. [NOTE: When I wrote this, I had tested the light several times, but never for more than an hour between charges, hence the positive review points that follow.] If you normally pack a flashlight or lantern, this is without a doubt one of the most affordable and effective ways to shave ounces off your load. Here's why... First, the Luci EMERG solar lantern is very packable. When deflated, it is approximately 3.5 inches in diameter and about a half-inch thick. It weighs a scant 66 grams (2.6 oz!). That's 45 grams LESS than the (also nice) UCO Clarus Lantern which was my pack-lantern-of-choice until now. Second, the design of this lantern is remarkably effective at providing a nicely diffused, yet acceptably bright light--almost perfect for a typical 3-man tent, and probably adequate for tents up to the 5- or 6-person size. Part of the secret is its frosted sides, which do a nice job of diffusing the light and (unlike the UCO Clarus Lantern) do a fine job of masking the LEDs so that there are no extra-bright points that irritate your vision by causing you to see spots if you look directly at it. Instead, it gives the same charming impression as one of those candle-lit paper lanterns used decoratively during Halloween or at some Chinese restaurants, except it is usably bright for reading, playing cards, etc. Another part of its secret is that the bottom plate is NOT frosted; it's clear, which means that there is a sharper, brighter stream of light cast directly downward from this lantern, which is perfect when you need to see details at night, such as smaller print books or small features on a map. It also makes it very practical to use as a flashlight around camp--more than adequate to light the path immediately in front of you (the "throw" of the beam is only a few feet) as you make your way to answer the call of nature or search for a tent peg you dropped in the dark. Note that the light is slightly on the cool side (akin to a flourescent light), so color contrast under this light won't be quite as good as under a slightly warmer light source, but I have not found it to be an issue. This feels luxurious to me for its size/weight; I really can't believe it works this well. Lastly, the solar-recharge feature saves the weight of spare batteries! According to the packaging, approximately 8 hours of charging under sun or incandescent light should yield more than 6 hours of light--more than enough for my evening illumination needs. In my mind, this makes it a PHENOMENAL choice not just for ultralight backpackers, but especially those who camp/backpack with children. If you're a parent, you know that kids love to turn lights on and run batteries dead--which usually means obnoxious extra weight in spare batteries (or a lot of vigilance and yelling to keep kids from playing with the light). With this light, it really doesn't matter. It will run long enough that they're unlikely to run it dead before you go to sleep for the night, and it can be recharged the next day--either by setting it in a sunny spot, or by strapping it to the top of your pack to soak up the sun as you hike. In short, you not only save weight thanks to the ultralight starting weight of this light; you also eliminate the added weight of spare batteries! As for its feature set, the light has four modes which it cycles through on each press of the power button. In order, they are: low intensity white, high instensity white, flashing white, and S-O-S-pattern flashing red. There is not a huge difference in brightness between the low and high intensity settings, but the high is perceptibly brighter and will probably be preferred for any in-tent task that involves multiple people (low would be fine for a single person reading a book, but high extends the "throw" of the light to illuminate a slightly wider area and fill in visual detail a little better). The white flashing setting (which flashes in a symmetrical on/off pattern) might be useful for marking your tent if you don't have a fire and you decide to stray from camp in search of firewood. The red S-O-S flashing pattern might be useful for signalling for help--though its low intensity would only be visible in near-absolute darkness, not at dusk/dawn--or as a safety marker for your car if you break down by the side of the road at night and can't operate your emergency flashers for some reason. Personally, I'd be fine having only the low and high settings, and I don't expect to use the other two modes. So far, I have only three quibbles with this light--two very small quibbles, and one purely speculative: First, the entire solar/battery/LED lighting unit is sealed in the clear vinyl that makes up the lantern as a whole; this includes the power button, which is therefore almost indistinguishable (by touch/feel) from the rest of the top surface. Thus, in the dark, you may have some trouble locating the button. One easy fix is to cut a small square of duct tape and stick it over the power button so you can find it by touch. Second, the built in strap/hang tab spans directly across the solar panel. It's made of the same clear vinyl, so it doesn't interrupt the panel's ability to charge in the sun. However, if you wish to attach a piece of cordage for hanging the lantern, you will need to remove it or carefully slide it out of the way during the day so it doesn't obstruct or cast a shadow over any part of the solar panel. This also means that you'll have to use a fairly small piece of cordage (more like string than paracord) to tie it to your pack, since smaller diameter cordage will be easier to push far enough to either side to get it out of the way of the solar panel for efficient charging. Lastly, a purely speculative quibble: The clear vinyl that constructs this entire unit is undoubtedly waterproof; however, it is essentially the same kind of vinyl used on very inexpensive pool toys for children--which usually aren't very durable over the long term. Granted, a small lantern should see a LOT less physical abuse than a larger pool toy, and the LEDs should continue to give usable light even if the entire vinyl housing were torn away; nevertheless, I wonder how long this lantern will last before the seams split and moisture finds its way in. Maybe it's more durable than it looks, but only time will tell. Here are some tips for maximizing the durability of the inflatable vinyl/plastic: (1) Do NOT overinflate it. You can blow it up until it is bulging with air, but I am sure it will last longer if you merely give it just enough breath to fully extend the lantern, yet leave it just underinflated enough to allow for subtle wrinkles/waves in the outer skin--which will not impair its illumination at all. (2) Do NOT bite the air valve with your teeth to open it for inflation. Instead, pinch the bulbous base of the valve with your fingers as you blow gently into it to inflate it, and do the same when you deflate it. (3) Do NOT set the lantern somewhere it is likely to get very hot, such as on pavement/asphalt during a Georgia summer, as that will likely melt or compromise the vinyl material. Instead, set it somewhere soft/insulative for recharging, such as on grass, a wooden bench, suspended from a tree, etc. In other words, somewhere air can flow around it and/or on a material that is not as scaldingly heat-absorbing as concrete/rock/metal. (4) When you STORE the lantern long term, inflate it without blowing into it. Your breath has humidity, but you want to store this lantern in a way it can stay dry. To do so, pinch the valve to open the airway, then gently pull downward on the lantern until it is fully extended. Air will be drawn in through the air valve, but it will be drier air than your breath. It doesn't need to be inflated fully; just extended so that no moisture will be trapped in folds of compressed vinyl, where it could turn to mildew. This is especially important if your lantern ever gets caught in the rain shortly before it goes into long term storage. I speak not from experience with this lantern, but from my experience with dozens of children's pool toys which used the same/similar kind of vinyl. All in all, with gentle handling, I don't think you can go wrong with this light. In fact, if you're really concerned, it's light enough that you could carry a spare with you for less than the weight of spare batteries! [UPDATE 7-12-2015: Ironically, right after I wrote this review, I discovered that my Luci EMRG lantern will not hold a charge for any extended period of time. This appears to be a defect, since the lantern worked exactly like normal in every way except that, even on the low setting, it would not hold a charge for more than 60 minutes before dimming noticeably, and by 90 minutes, it would die completely. Obviously, that short duration makes it virtually useless and it is nowhere near the promised 6-7 hours on bright. Amazon Customer Support refunded the $10 and said I do not need to return the defective unit (great service, Amazon!). I'm going to purchase another EMRG lantern and will update this review to report on whether it works or not. This issue suggests there may be Quality Control issues, since the packaging and the product website clearly state that a much longer duration of light (6-7 hours) can be expected on a full charge. When it works, this lantern is an excellent ultralight option for tent/camp illumination.]