Solar Camping Lantern Review: Inflatable Light
We inflated, floated, and tested this 24-inch solar camping lantern that doubles as a phone charger. Here's what stood out and what to know first.
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Quick Verdict
Five seconds with the little pump and this thing inflates into a 24-inch glowing tube that floats, charges your phone, and folds back into a bag the size of a smartphone. We’ve never seen a camping light do all that at once. If you pack light and want one item that does lighting plus backup power, this solar camping lantern is worth the pack weight if you’re choosing between it and a bulky traditional lantern.
Buy if you:
- Backpack and fight for every inch of pack space
- Want a phone charger built into your light source
- Keep a go-bag ready for hurricanes or power outages
- Camp where rain or wet ground is a given
Skip if you:
- Don’t want to fumble inflating a light in the dark before you can use it
- Need a hard-bodied lantern that stands on a table on its own
- Expect to run high power and charge a phone all night off one charge
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Your Solar Camping Lantern That Fits in a Pocket
At first glance you look at this thing and go, “What in the world is this?” That was our exact reaction. This solar camping lantern shows up folded flat inside a tiny drawstring bag, and until you blow it up you’d never guess it becomes a 24-inch light tube. We’ve reviewed a lot of outdoor gear and we’d never seen anything like this before.
The whole pitch is simple. It’s an inflatable LED tube that packs down to phone size, throws a wide glow when it’s lit, and doubles as a power bank when your phone dies off-grid. We inflated it, floated it, ran through every brightness mode, and here’s how it actually held up.
What’s in the Bag and How It Works
Everything tucks into one small drawstring bag: the deflated lantern, the hand pump, a USB-C cable, and an adapter so you’re not stuck if your cable doesn’t match. The whole kit sits flat in your palm. That’s not marketing copy, it’s why this actually displaces a traditional lantern in a pack instead of just riding alongside one.
To use it you pop the pump in, blow it up, and it’s ready in seconds. There’s a solar panel built into the body so you can top it off with sunlight, plus the USB-C cable for charging at home before you leave. The built-in battery runs the light and also pushes power back out to your phone. Four modes cycle through: full brightness, two lower steps, and an SOS pattern for signaling help.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Inflated length | 24 inches |
| Inflate time | About 5 seconds with included pump |
| Material | Shatterproof TPU, IP66 waterproof |
| Battery | 2000mAh, up to 12 hours of light |
| Charging | USB-C + integrated solar panel |
| Modes | 100%, 60%, 30%, SOS |
| Mounting | Built-in magnets + hook loop |
It Floats, and That’s Not a Gimmick
Once inflated, this thing floats and it’s waterproof, so rain, wet ground, or a puddle won’t kill your light. For camping, that’s the difference between a ruined night and a working one.
We turned it on at the brightest setting and it threw plenty of light for hanging in a tent or sitting outside. There’s a little latch on the end so you can hook it onto a tree branch and let it light up the whole area. We also cycled through the lower modes and the SOS, which is more of a “hey, I need help” signal. Or, you know, if you just want to have a party, you can do that too.
You Have to Inflate It First, Every Time
You have to inflate it before every use, it’s a 5-second pump job, but not as instant as a button-click solid lantern. In the dark, fumbling with the pump before you get light is the trade-off you’re making for how small it packs down.
It’s not a deal-breaker once you’ve done it once, five seconds becomes muscle memory fast. But if your use case is grabbing a light half-asleep at 2 a.m., a solid-body lantern with a button wins on reflex. Know which camper you are before you buy.
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Inflatable Solar Camping Lantern
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Who This Lantern Is Really For
Backpackers are the obvious winner here, but the smarter sell is the go-bag crowd. A light that collapses to phone size, charges your phone off-grid, and runs up to 12 hours is doing two jobs that usually require two separate items, and it takes up the space of one. That’s the real argument for this over a traditional lantern, not just that it’s small.
The other big group is anyone prepping for emergencies. Toss it in a go-bag or glove box, and during a power outage or storm you’ve got light plus a way to charge a dead phone via the solar panel when there’s no electricity around. That dual job, light and backup power in one small package, is what sold us.
What We’d Tell You Before You Buy
Charge it fully over USB-C before you leave home. The solar panel is great for topping off outdoors, but you don’t want to rely on a cloudy day to power your only light. Treat solar as the backup, the wall charge as your starting point.
Keep the little pump and the extra connector with the lantern in its bag. Everything fits in that one pouch, and the connector is there specifically so you can charge it however you need even if your cable doesn’t match. Lose those pieces and you lose part of what makes it convenient. And practice inflating it once at home so you’re not figuring it out for the first time in the dark.
Pros
- Folds down to phone size and everything fits in one small bag
- Inflates in about 5 seconds with the included pump
- Waterproof and floats, so rain or wet ground won’t kill it
- Solar panel plus USB-C, and it charges your phone in a pinch
- Four modes including SOS, with magnets and a hook for hanging
Cons
- You have to inflate it before every use, which isn’t instant in the dark
- It’s a soft inflatable body, not a solid lantern that stands on its own
- 2000mAh means you’re choosing between long light or phone charging, not both for hours
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the solar camping lantern stay lit on one charge?
Up to 12 hours of light from the 2000mAh battery, per the product details. That’ll vary with brightness mode, so running it at 30% stretches it far longer than blasting full power all night.
Can it really charge a phone?
Yes. There’s a built-in battery and a USB output, so you can rescue a dead phone off-grid using the cable. It’s emergency-level charging, not a full daily power bank, so think one top-up when you’re stuck, not endless juice.
Will it survive being dropped in water?
It floats and it’s rated IP66 waterproof, so a splash, heavy rain, or a tumble into a puddle won’t short it out. The TPU body is also built to stay flexible in cold instead of cracking like cheap PVC.
How do you hang or mount it?
There’s a hook loop on the end for hanging it from a tree branch or inside a tent, plus built-in magnets that grab onto metal like a car hood or RV frame. So you can go hands-free whether you’re cooking or doing a midnight repair.
Is it hard to inflate?
No. You pop the included pump in and blow it up in roughly 5 seconds. We’d never done it before and got it right on the first try, though it’s worth practicing once at home so you’re not learning in the dark.
Does it need sun to work?
No. You can charge it via USB-C before you head out, and the solar panel is there to top it off outdoors. Treat solar as your backup recharge, not the only way to power it.
Is this good for hurricane or power-outage prep?
It’s a strong fit for an emergency kit. The collapsible design slips into a go-bag or glove box, it gives wide-area light, and it can charge your phone when the power’s out. The SOS mode adds a signaling option if things go sideways.
Can kids or a whole family use one light?
The 24-inch tube throws a wide 360-degree glow, so it lights a family-size tent or a small campsite from one source. Hang it from the center and everyone gets light instead of crowding around a small lamp.
Get it now
Inflatable Solar Camping Lantern
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