Solar Powered Camping Lantern. 6V/70 mA Solar Panel. 12 LEDs. Solar and Hand Crank. 8.5" tall.

We have 3 different solar powered lanterns we keep around the house as backup lighting during power outages. This particular lantern we purchased for our bedroom, while the other two lanterns we use for the kitchen and living room areas. This one is perfect for our bedroom, where we don't need a lot of light but enough to see what we are doing. If you are looking for a high luminosity lantern,I can recommend the d'light S250 d.light S250 Solar LED Lantern , which we use for our living room.When I first opened the box containing this combination solar/crank charge solar lantern, I found the switch located on the handle, and punched it on and found the lantern was already charged. I punched the switch again, and the light got a little brighter, and on the third punch the light was giving off it's brightest light. We tested the brightest setting against candle light and found it gives off about the same illumination as three candles. This is adequate for our purposes.The next thing I tried was the crank on the bottom of the lamp. It was neatly tucked into the base and turned very easily. The box says that one minute of cranking will juice the battery for about 15 minutes of light. I cranked on the handle for about 3 minutes without problem. I really like this aspect of the lamp.The lamp is very light, but not cheap feeling. The fit and finish were better than expected, especially for the price. My wife and I like the way the lamp looks, as well. Our other two lamps have a utilitarian look to them, while this one looks like it belongs in our bedroom . We will probably use this lamp as an auxiliary lamp year round, while the other solar lamps will be used mainly for emergency purposes.Where the lamp weakens in comparison to our other solar lamps, is the solar panel itself. This is the largest of our three solar lamps, but has the smallest solar panel. It is about half the size of one lamp and about a quarter the size of our other lamp. I also noticed the seller advertises a solar panel capable of putting out 6v70mA, while the box our lamp came in shows a 6v50mA hour rating for the panel. Instead of taking 10 hours to fully charge the battery with the larger panel, the one we got will take 14 hours.Assuming the box is accurate, this lamp is the only solar lamp we have that is waterproof. The other two lamps we have claim to be water resistant, but not waterproof. This could be a big deal if it rains while charging the lamp, and almost makes up for the dinky solar panel.Here are my likes:-crank charging-3 luminosity settings, though small-design-qualityNeeds improving-a solar panel at least as large as the one advertised-a plug in charging method-price is too high for light producedI would give this lamp a five if it had the improvements I suggested above. While I like the product, I hope the seller reads the box before making claims about the product.*****Update since original review.The lamp has been charged 3 times using solar only. After leaving the lamp in direct sunlight for 6 hours it will run 12 hours on low. The low setting gives off about the same light as our large walkway solar lanterns and suffices as a night lamp for our bedroom. In a nutshell, if you are looking for a low lumen lamp that charges with solar only, this light works very well.

My husband and I just lived through the So.Cal. power blackout debacle. We had just enough candles and two battery-operated lights to get us through a very long night. Fortunately for us, the moon was bright and we're old enough to appreciate getting to go to bed early once in a while. But we vowed we'd be better prepared for the next outage.We researched enough to know that this light isn't what you''d buy to illuminate an entire room. We also checked the dimensions of the unit before we purchased it because we did't want a small light. What we were after was a light we could keep charged easily without batteries, recharge if necessary, that will help us get around the place the next time the power goes out.When we received the lamp, I took it out of the box and immediately understood the handle on the bottom of the unit is what you use to crank up a little juice. I cranked it up for about a minute and decided to press the easy-to-find button on the handle to see if it turned the unit on. It did. I pressed it again and noted that the first 4 LEDs that lit up were joined by 4 more lit LEDs. I pressed it again and all 12 LEDs lit up. I pressed it again and the unit turned off. Pretty great! Let the power go out again - even if I forget to buy batteries, I'll be able to see well enough to get around my house without falling down the stairs or stubbing my toe on furniture.Oh yeah. Remember I said I wound the unit up for about a minute when I unpacked it? Well, that was at 8 p.m. in full dark. I put it on my dining room table and left it there to see how long it would last. That was exactly 40 minutes ago. It's still glowing. I'm happy! So, day to day, this little gem will live as a decorative piece on our dining room table where it will get direct sun from our east windows, happily soaking up energy until the next time it is needed to cast a warm glow in a very dark night.My best advice is - buy the kind of light and power you need. Solar is not comparable to battery or electrical power. LED bulbs don't generally burn as bright as incandescent bulbs. If you are buying this unit to provide enough light to read by, you will be disappointed. If you want an emergency light that doesn't require batteries, that you can re-charge in the sun or wind up to provide you enough light to keep from stubbing your toe in a power outage, you'll be happy with this handy little lamp. We sure are!