The LuminAid PackLite Hero 2-in-1 Supercharger is one of the newest entrants in the field of inflatable solar-charged lights. Bright, compact, and durable, it can also power up your cell phone or tablet when the grid goes down.
First Impressions
A red power button turns it on, and repeated taps change the light output from Turbo all the way down to intermittent flashing. The light works when it is deflated, but blowing it up using the inflation valve diffuses the light for more eye comfort. Inflation is easy and takes under a minute.
Once inflated, the LuminAid PackLite 2-in-1 Charger produces enough light to read a book by comfortably. Lightweight, it also includes an adjustable heavy-duty strap that lets you hang it up above a table or reading chair.
We loved its sturdy construction and ease of use within the first five minutes we took it out of its packaging.
LuminAid PackLite 2-in-1 Supercharger ‒ Features
There are a number of inflatable solar lights out there, but the LuminAid PackLite 2-in-1 Charger is the only one to feature electronics-charging capabilities. Made of a heavier-gauge frosted plastic than its competitors, it also floats, good to have during a water rescue or in your swimming pool.
Features
- Push Red Button adjust light levels from Turbo, High, Medium or Low to the Flashing setting
- 3-5 hours of light on TURBO, producing 150 lumens
- 50 hours of light on Low
- 2000 mAh battery is built-in and can recharge most cell and smartphones completely
- Powerful enough to top off your tablet’s battery
- Charges in 1-2 hours using the included micro USB power cord or in about 14 hours in full sunlight
- Weather- and waterproof, it floats and is submersible up to 1 meter
- Easy to inflate
- Comes with its own hanging strap
- This solar lantern is so easy to use that you’ll have it up and running in minutes.
The LuminAid PackLite 2-in-1 Charger’s battery has an advertised cycle of 3 to 5 hours on TURBO. We tested this feature and found that the amount of time a charge lasts seems to depends on the ambient air temperature, but this is reasonably insignificant in regular use. On Low, the light actually lasts a little longer than its rated 50 hours. Since it uses LED bulbs, the PackLite sips power rather than gulping it.
During a blackout, the charger delivered enough juice to completely recharge a common smartphone from 10 percent to 100 percent within an hour and a half. We topped off our Kindle Fire tablet from time to time after watching a couple of movies with the light set to Low. When the power came back on, the charger still had more than half its charge left.
There is no word on the actual lifespan of the 2-in-1. Its life cycle is advertised as being 50,000 charges. If you used it every day on the Low setting and completely drained the battery, it would last nearly three years.
A fully charged PackLite reportedly holds its charge for two years, but this has not been tested. Pushing a button activates a series of lights showing how much charge is left in the battery.
Charging
During trials, the PackLite products lived up to the manufacturer’s provided literature. The 2-in-1 Charger took about 1.5 hours to recharge when connected to a laptop using its included power cable.
Results were a little faster when the USB end of the connector was plugged into a compatible adapter, not included, and inserted into a wall outlet.
We also charged it using the USB outlet in one of our vehicles because we wanted to see how it performed as an emergency light. We kept it plugged in during a road trip, and it worked great. One now lives in our Bug Out Vehicle and another is stowed in our best bug out bag all the time.
In a light this size, it takes 14 hours to fully charge the battery using the sun. You might want to consider this if you are using it as a central part of your emergency lighting. On the other hand, used judiciously, a charge lasts a long time and the battery seldom goes flat, giving you some leeway on charging times.
The built-in solar panel is highly efficient even on cloudy days. No matter where you charge it, give it the brightest spot you can find and make sure that no shadows are cast across the solar panel.
Brightness
This is a bright light, 150 lumens on TURBO. We trialed one of these as a porch light this summer, and we had no problem seeing our way down the steps and to our vehicle parked 20 feet away. The PackLite also made a useful reading light on summer evenings, producing no additional heat and attracting fewer bugs.
Its only drawback is the rather harsh quality of its blue-white light output. This was easily fixed by setting it on the floor in a corner on High and supplementing it with another solar light set on Low over our left shoulder. When needed for mood lighting, use it on the Low setting and drape a piece of cloth over it.
The PackLite line of products are also designed to be daisy-chained together using their included hanging straps. This could be useful if you needed to illuminate a large space shelter a number of people, or for vehicle repair.
Our View
It is durable, extremely easy to use even by elderly family members, bright, efficient and can be charged by several different ways. Huge thumbs up for this emergency lamp from Alpha Survivalist!
