Works great! Super bright, brighter than I expected, and multiple settings (4, I think) make it easy to find one that works for any application. Magnetic base is way stronger than I expected (I didn't really expect it to hold very well at all), holds lantern to any metal surface easily. Magnesium striker works very well also, I started a fire in under a minute with the cascade of sparks it provided me. A little heavy for backpacking (but my husband and I managed it anyway), but it would be perfect for multiple days at a campsite, for back porches or yards, or to keep in your car for nighttime emergencies. 4 pack was a great buy.
This was well worth the purchase. We used these for a family camping trip and they were useful to light up around the campsite as the sun was going down, and for personal lighting back and forth from the tents to the campfire, etc. It provides light on all sides, so it really isn't possible to direct light, but you would use a flashlight for this purpose anyway. We are glad we bought these -- 2 are going in the earthquake kit and 2 are going into the camping supplies.
super bright very clever designe ive payed more for worse flash lights and these come with two
update. after owning these for almost 6 month i feel i can give a fair evaluation of the quality durability and overall performance of these. i have used these for over 48 hours and have not changed the batteries. while night fishing from shore the waves took one out and it was lost. however the next day the light had washed up on shore and was completely fine and functional. ive used it several times sense over the 3 months. then this morning i walked to my backyard and looking in my fishing bucket too discover my lantern completely submerged in my boat bucket. i thought this has been under water for a week its a goner... nope it still works perfectly. this thing is water proof.
update after one year they are still kicking ass even after being fully submerged for days sometimes. batterys drain slowly in these as well!
I live in Florida. Last year, after Hurricane Mathew, I was left in the dark, so I purchased two sets of these and gave one set to my neighbor for the next time we had a hurricane, so we would have light to carry around and set down and be able to see. We got to use them sooner than I had wanted this year with Hurricane Irma. When I went to get mine ready for the storm, I realized one of the lanterns would not turn off when I closed it. I ended up taking the batteries out because I didn't want them to burn out, making it not useful trying to fumble in the dark to get the batteries in correctly. After the storm, I called Etekcity and talked with Sam. I hadn't realized how upset I had been about the storm and started crying. She was wonderful and was very understanding, and said she'd have a tech call me. The next day, I got a package in the mail, they had sent me a new one! I felt their customer service is extraordinary and I applaud them. I really like the lanterns so I got back on to order more for the next storm and they had improved them! Now they are even better, not only did they add a dimming button, when I took the first lantern out of the box, I saw 4 small metal buttons on the bottom and thought, "these look like magnets," and sat it on a metal shelf and it stuck. You can actually have your lantern be on its side or upside down, if you can find something metal for it to stick to! I love it! These little lanterns are very bright and give ample light. I won't be in the dark next time there's a hurricane. I also bought a set for another neighbor of mine so she won't be in the dark either. I guess they can only improve them if they make them waterproof, solar, and have a phone charger! I'm sure they are working on something as we speak.
We have quite a few LED lanterns. Big house, power outages from hurricanes - lots of lanterns. These Etekcity lanterns are very flexible! You can adjust the brightness by the numbers of LEDs you pull up from the base with the handles, & those have an brightness adjustment button on the side. Then there is a fire starter inside the top cap, & the base has 4 magnets to hang from metal surfaces. I use the magnets to stick the 2 units together for storage. These are by far the best LED lanterns we have; better than the one I gave our kids for their apartment, (Oops).
We have several Etekcity products in our home, every one is innovative, well-made, & does what it says it will do, no fuss. I dropped one (already) & it's fine. We HIGHLY recommend these lanterns - everyone should have them for emergencies, or just to use camping, working on the car, etc.
Feature Product
- 4 LEVELS BRIGHTNESS CONTROL: Easily adjust the brightness with dimmer button to fit for camping, reading, power outage, emergency, etc
- DURABLE ULTRA BRIGHT: Includes 30 individual 360°low-powered LED bulbs for indoor and outdoor use with longer lifespan (AA batteries included)
- MAGNETIC BASE: Effortlessly stick it to any metal frames for hand-free lighting in any working environment; Up to 12 hours of continuous use with new batteries
- COLLAPSIBLE COMPACT LIGHTWEIGHT: Easy to take and store with lightweight and portable design, perfect for backpacking, hiking, hurricane season, etc
- BUY WITH CONFIDENCE: Constructed with military grade ABS material; 90-day return refund guarantee, 2-year warranty and lifetime supported by Etekcity; FCC, ROHS certified
Description
Usual Etekcity solid quality! I do wish there was someway to make the light not so harsh. It's Super bright, but a harsh light. I have a number of them and they make great gifts for people you know who are not that prepared, and at $5 they are a deal (for the 4 pack).
I would stick with the 4 pack rather than this two pack with a fire starter.
Fire starters are not user friendly. They work after a fashion, but if you are not well versed in using that type of starter, you will probably have problems. The top of the 4 pack also comes off and you can store a light or matches there.
The magnetic base works great!
So a Star off for the fire starter.
I purchased these lantern for emergencies such as a power outage. I have heard many good things about the lantern especially on the new designs so decided to purchase them. I got them pretty quick and wanted to test them out. After reading the directions, the first lantern was easy to setup but the second one seem to have long delayed reaction to turn on. I've checked the batteries and changed them in case it was a battery issue but same minor problem. Overall glad to have in case of emergencies. Will recommend to friends and family.
Update: Etekcity customer service reached out to me and are replacing the defective lantern that I received. Awesome service and product design! They genuinely care about their customers.
Overall they're as expected. One "feature" that may be why I return them, no on/off button. We usually suspend our lanterns and while these have a button, it just controls brightness not on/off and bright. You have to collapse them to turn them off.
I bought these, while browsing the deals of the day, because we've been having power outages in our area lately. These looked like great little lights to have on hand when the power fails. They are a nice convenient size for storing in a drawer when not in use. They are not extremely bright as some led lighting is so they don't hurt the eyes when in close proximity. They also have a 4 level brightness adjustment, another nice feature. They have 4 magnets on their base to attach to metal surfaces like the fridge or stove hood instead of just sitting on table or counter top. I really like these lights and only found two issues with them. First, the base unscrews to replace batteries and I found the threading somewhat difficult to align when trying to put it back on. Cross threading would be easy to do if not careful. Also, they have included a fire starter flint stick in the top compartment, I guess for campers who don't bring a lighter or matches with them. I tried out both sticks several times and couldn't get either to throw a spark. Not a big deal for me as I don't go camping unprepared. All in all these are a great value considering the price, design and convenience.
The Good:
- Cheap
- Bright Enough
- Seems built well.
- Flicker free dimming
- Survived being left outside overnight (morning dew)
- Survived a waist high drop onto dirt
The Bad:
- Battery cover on the bottom has shallow threads allowing for it to be easily cross threaded.