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I bought this inflatable solar-powered lantern on a whim - here's how it comes in handy
The LuminAID PackLite Nova inflatable solar camping light is built for everything, from blackouts to BBQs.
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I bought this inflatable solar-powered lantern on a whim - here's how it comes in handy
The LuminAID PackLite Nova inflatable solar camping light is built for everything, from blackouts to BBQs.
[adrian-kingsley-hughes]
Written by
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor
Senior Contributing Editor
Feb. 28, 2026 at 1:52 p.m. PT
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The LuminAid solar camping lantern is available now for $25.
- It's the perfect lantern for emergencies with a very long runtime and chargeable with a solar panel or USB.
- The lantern could blow away if not properly secured outdoors.
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One mistake I see a lot of people make with their portable power stations is hooking up mains-powered lights, like a desk or floor lamp. Despite the fact that your lamp might make use of a low-energy LED lightbulb (and it should, because those old incandescent bulbs are terribly wasteful), using the AC outlet on a power station is wasteful if low-voltage options exist.
This is why I recommend keeping emergency lighting like camping lanterns handy, both for use outdoors but also situations when you find yourself stuck in the darkness.
Also: I switched to a solid-state portable battery for a week - now lithium-ion feels outdated
I also like my lights to be compact, lightweight, and designed to be stored until needed. If they can be solar-charged, then so much the better. One light that ticks all these boxes -- and more -- is the LuminAid PackLite Nova inflatable solar camping light.
[LuminAID PackLite Nova inflatable solar camping light]
[#### ZDNET RECOMMENDS
LuminAid PackLite solar camping lantern
This bright, solar-powered lantern has 75 lumens of LED light and is inflatable and collapsible. ](https://cc.zdnet.com/v1/otc/00hQi47eqnEWQ6T9d4QLBUc?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLuminAID-PackLite-Solar-Inflatable-Waterproof%2Fdp%2FB0716JV1SG&app_deeplink=1)
details
The LuminAID makes a number of different lights -- from the Nova Multicolor color-changing light to the beefy Survivor which has a 600 lumen output and the ability to charge two smartphones. But it's the PackLite Nova that ticks the boxes for me.
It's lightweight, at just five ounces, collapsible down to a package that's just 4.75 x 4.75 x 1 inches, inflatable to 4.75 x 4.75 x 4.75 inches, water and dustproof to IP67 standards, and is happy to be dropped or kicked about.
Packs small!
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET *
Yes, this lantern is inflatable, and there's a little valve at the bottom that allows for inflation and deflation. This keeps it lightweight and adds to the robustness of the overall unit. I also like the fact that you can tuck an under-inflated PackLite Nova into a corner or the crook of a branch or under something to position it or stop it blowing away.
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On the top is a small solar panel that actually works (as opposed to the solar panels on top of a lot of gadgets such as power banks) and it can fully recharge the unit in about 10 hours. If that's too long, you can opt for USB charging using a weatherproof port that takes about two hours.
On a full charge, the PackLite Nova will run for around 18 to 24 hours on the lowest 12-lumen setting, and three to five hours on the 75-lumen setting. You could literally recharge this from a small power station hundreds of times over.
[Weatherproof charging port.]
Weatherproof charging port.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET *
On the top, there's a handy carry handle that can also allow the lantern to be attached to a convenient branch or tent guyline.
I like the gear that LuminAid makes, and I also like the company. It's a small women-owned business that started out making low-cost lights that were sent to Haiti after a devastating earthquake in 2010. Since then the company has distributed more than 200,000 solar lights to disaster-hit families in Syria, Nepal, and Puerto Rico.
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