The MPOWRED Luci EMRG Solar Lantern requires nothing more than some solar energy and a bit of air to become a great source of light, whether you’re camping or dealing with a power outage. This is an excellent option for families with young children as the lantern is fairly unbreakable.

What’s in the box?
The MPOWRED Luci EMRG Solar Lantern is self-contained, with no assembly required. It arrives deflated and in that state is about 0.75″ thick and 4″ across.

On one end is the valve for inflating the lantern. On the other end is the small solar panel, the power button, and a thin handle.

All told, it weighs 2.4oz according to my postage scale. Not surprisingly, the weight doesn’t noticeably change with the addition of air inside the lantern.

My lantern arrived with a pretty good charge and lit right up.

How well does it work?
The first thing you’ll do is inflate the lantern. This proved to be the most difficult part of the entire deal. The valve is designed such that air will not leak out when you unplug the cap. However, being brand new, getting air INTO the valve was a bit difficult. I grabbed a plastic straw, stuck that in, and problem was solved. It doesn’t take much air to inflate the lantern, either.

You’ll notice the sides are frosted. There’s a reason for that — it serves to diffuse the light. The light emitted from the lantern’s sides is soft, like a lantern should be. However, the bottom panel, where you find the valve, is clear, allowing you to also use the Luci EMRG lantern as a flashlight.

The lantern has four settings — bright, super bright, strobe, and red SOS. These settings are cycled through by pressing the power button. There are three white LED bulbs and one red LED bulb.

What did I like about the product?
At under $12 on Amazon, I think the MPOWRED Luci EMRG Solar Lantern is a great value. The lantern is incredibly lightweight and would fit into all but the smallest of packs. Even better, the attached handle could be used in conjunction with a bit of cordage to strap the lantern to the outside of the pack, allowing the solar panel to charge throughout the day.

You don’t need to inflate the lantern to use the lights, either. You can just power it on and use it as a quick source of emergency light. Inflating the lantern, however, is what allows for an ambient light source, such as lighting up the interior of a tent.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, the lantern is very kid-friendly. No sharp edges, nothing that will break or shatter. More like a balloon with LED lights inside.

What did I not like about the product?
Honestly, my only real complaint would be it isn’t as bright as I’d like, even on the highest setting. However, that’s not to say the light is dim, far from it. I just happen to be something of a flashlight junkie and am always looking for more lumens. This lantern does perfectly well at night or in dark rooms, providing plenty of light to see where you’re going or even read a book.

Where can you find the product?
MPOWRED offers a few different products on their site. You can also find the MPOWRED Luci EMRG Solar Lantern on Amazon.

The final verdict
I think the MPOWRED Luci EMRG Solar Lantern is a great addition to the prepper toolbox. It is relatively inexpensive and, provided you don’t stomp on it or something, it should last for many years.