5 Cheap(ish) Solar Lights to Brighten Your Home
Top pick
This inflatable light is highly portable and easy to use. Its battery capacity, brightness, and weatherproof ratings were some of the highest among the packable lights we tested.
The BioLite Luci Charge 360 has been a top pick in Wirecutter’s guide to the best outdoor and backyard lighting for more than five years. I normally associate lanterns with camping, but this one is so cute and lightweight (it looks and feels like a giant marshmallow) that I end up using it frequently around the house, too. It comes in handy for backyard bonfires, nighttime dog walks, and the occasional power outage.
It’s relatively easy to inflate and deflate, akin to blowing up a beachball. And since it’s smaller than a Frisbee when deflated, it’s easy to stash in a drawer or on a shelf until you need it.
The light has an inviting, warm cast. It’s rated for 360 lumens, which is too dim to comfortably read a book by but is still plenty bright (for reference, a candle emits about 12 lumens).
The lantern has two straps — on the top and one on the bottom — which are useful if you want to hang or carry it. Its Ingress Protection rating of IP67 means it’s completely protected against dust and can tolerate getting rained on for brief periods, and it’s backed by a one-year warranty.
It has four modes: low, medium, high, and flashing. Pressing the power button turns it on and cycles through the modes, and holding it down turns it off. Helpfully, a row of battery-status lights lets you keep track of how much charge it has left.
In addition to relying on the solar panel on top, you can recharge the lantern’s battery using the USB-C port. This is handy if the sun isn’t out, or if you’re short on time; fully recharging the battery from its USB-C port takes about six hours, in contrast to about 28 hours with the solar panel.
This lantern has a few drawbacks. For example, I don’t love that the moisture from my breath sometimes leaves smudges on the inside surface. There’s also a risk of tearing or puncturing the material (similar to an air mattress or inflatable neck pillow). But overall its positive qualities greatly outweigh those quibbles.