Undefeated After 10 Years, This Solar Lantern Still Rules: BioLite Luci Lanterns Review

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Nearing 10 p.m. and the campfire just hitting its stride, my phone died — along with our tunes. The worse news was that my battery bank hadn’t made it into the truck.

Then a lightbulb, or rather a lantern, lit up — the little inflatable light source illuminating our shindig also had juice to share. And, after plugging in, we were back in business.

The colorful little lights known as Luci Lanterns have been around for a minute (we were even smitten a decade ago). Besides now being produced by off-grid energy masters BioLite, not much has changed. That’s a good thing.

I recently got my hands on three of the classics — the Charge 360, Candle, and Original Clear Lanterns — and set out to fold them into my summer of camping and backpacking. Here’s what I found after a few solid months of use around Washington state and beyond.

In short: BioLite continues to carry the Luci Lantern torch, and across the spread, these inflatable light sources are simple to use, easy to recharge, and just dang dependable. The price is just right to invest in a few of them, and being solar rechargeable means no more dead lanterns when you finally hit camp.

Looking for a new camp light? Check out how the Luci Lanterns compare to the rest of our recommendations in GearJunkie’s Best Camping Lanterns Buyer’s Guide.

BioLite Luci Lanterns: Review

First, a confession: I never owned a Luci Lantern until this summer — something that almost feels illegal to say in my circles. Lanterns, in general, were something that I more often improvised with a headlamp and a water bottle (a solid trick to know, by the way), and the inflatable aspect felt more gimmick than got-to-have.

This review, then, is a mea culpa, as I have seen the inflatable light, and it is good. The Luci Lantern is one of those simple outdoor standbys that have earned their places in the camping bins of many GearJunkie editors and writers, including my own now.

The full lineup of Luci Lanterns includes seven different models, but my review will focus on the three that I found most compelling.

Bar none, this lantern is the high-water mark for inflatable camp light sources. The Luci Charge 360 ($60) is a 31-LED lantern that pumps out 360 lumens on the highest setting, and can dial it back to a low light that’s perfect for inside a tent.

The standout functionality I enjoyed during my use of the Charge 360 had to be the built-in battery bank, which saved the aforementioned evening. At 4,000 mAh, the rechargeable battery in the Charge 360 is just about the same size as in most modern cellphones, meaning it’s ideal for topping up a low mobile (and keeping the groove going).

USB-C charging ports are now common in camping lanterns, and it was nice to see that BioLite carrying that on in these lanterns. Solar charging has always been a Luci Lantern standard, however, and it’s the main method of recharging I used with the Charge 360.

Recently set outside in the blazing sun of eastern Washington (surprise: half the state is a desert), I was able to get about 50% charge on the 360 after a full day outside. This is about on target with BioLite’s claim of a full charge in 28 hours, and more than enough to keep the lantern going for another night. 

All of the Luci Lanterns are waterproof to IP67, a claim that proved itself recently when I pulled a soaked lantern from my kayak while getting ready to camp. This means that, besides accidental dunks, you can also leave the lanterns out in the rain overnight — something we’re all liable to do once or twice.

If you’re a one-and-done type of person, the Charge 360 is the Luci Lantern that I would steer you toward. Its price point is lower than most full-size hard-sided lanterns, and it has almost all of the same functionality. If you added the ability to cycle through a cool white light to this lantern, it would be perfect.

Dialing things back here, the Luci Candle is a more mellow take on camp lighting. At only $20, it’s easy to snag a few to sprinkle across the campsite. 

Some candle flame–imitating lanterns miss the mark (I’m sorry, Black Diamond Moji — it’s just too dark a hue of red!), but the Luci Candle isn’t among them. The soft orange flicker is just about on the money, and has even fooled a few park rangers doing rounds and checking for campfires.

I’ve used the Candle lantern most frequently when camping in my truck bed, where overpowered lanterns can easily blind you in close quarters, and the most illumination I need is enough to read by. The lantern itself has three light modes: flickering, and two different solid modes of different brightness. 

The Candle is quite minimal, otherwise, and unlike the Charge 360 or Original Clear Lanterns, doesn’t have the onboard ability to charge with a USB port. That means all of your power comes directly from the sun. Thankfully, there’s only 600 mAh to recharge here, and I found that a day in full sun had it ready to run all evening again.

With only one button, there’s no way to tell exactly how much battery life you’ve got left on the Candle, but even on high, it’ll chug along for 14 hours — more than enough for even a week of reading light.

This is the OG, folks. The Luci Original Clear Solar Lantern ($30) is near-archetypal at this point, and really hasn’t strayed far from the original design. Ten cool white LEDs push out up to 75 lumens, making this a more intimate light source than the Charge 360, but a better working light than the Candle.

That cool white light makes it a better high-definition light than the warm glow you get from the 360, and I more often leaned on the Original Clear for tasks such as knifework while cooking. At full output, the light can be a bit harsh to look directly into (it’s good to know that the OG is also available in a matte finish).

Hanging the lantern up is simple and accomplished with the adjustable strap on the top of the lantern. However, this strap isn’t adjustable beyond the single extension point, so you may need to get creative with your use to get it to stay put.

BioLite states that the lantern can withstand 150 pounds of pressure, but it even withstood my 165 pounds (standing on one foot) without issue. I see no issue that would hold this lantern back from being chucked around in your camping kit for a few solid years of use.

Downsides

The output of the Luci Lanterns is best suited for more intimate settings, and while the Charge 360 does put out a decent amount of light, for campsite-wide illumination, I more often look to another of BioLite’s offerings: the AlpenGlow 500 Lantern. And, 500 lumens is more than enough to cover an entire picnic table and beyond.

Consulting with Luci Lantern loyalists, many brought up the fact that these inflatable lights will eventually fail to hold air, or they’ll tear the hanging strap off. The same flexible plastic that makes these lanterns collapse so small also won’t match the durability of hard-sided lanterns, so understand that there’s a lifespan here.

Finally, because these are fairly simple electronics (with basic push buttons), I could see the lanterns failing at some connection, like the button, and bricking the light. The relatively low cost helps offset this, but I wouldn’t imagine they are repairable in any way, so once they’re dead, they’re done for good.

BioLite Luci Lanterns: Conclusion

Alright, Luci Lanterns, you win — I’m a convert. The Charge 360 is the Luci to get if you want the ultimate version, the Candle adds ambiance to nearly any setting, and the Original Clear has earned a spot in everyone’s gear bin.

Am I jettisoning the rest of my higher-output lanterns for the Lucis? Not quite — I still find the deep functionality of the brand’s AlpenGlow lantern makes it a better all-around choice if you only own a single light source. Having a selection of colors adds a fun element to most camps, and the bigger battery will last longer than any of the Luci lights.

But still, everyone needs a little variety, and adding a few Luci Lanterns into the mix is a solid choice. As a solar-charged backup option, there’ll be few times you actually find yourself running low on juice, and even if it’s your phone taking the dive, these lanterns have got power to share.