Finding a portable lighting solution that can quite literally fit into every aspect of a person’s life might sound like a tricky task. From the backyard to the campsite, to the RV to the beach party bonfire, having a self-charging illumination system is key. But is lighting all you need? If you’re looking for a product that pushes the limits of lighting, that integrates features like doubling as a portable speaker, or phone charging station, you’re in luck.
We were on the hunt for a portable lighting system that could be used for recreation, or emergencies, when we came across BioLite’s newest offering. Checking out the specs on the BioLite SolarHome 620 ($150), it seemed to have everything we were looking for. We decided to test one for ourselves: Here’s what we thought. Why We Chose It
Easily illuminate wherever you find yourself. Photo: Courtesy of BioLite We were looking for a simple (and portable) solution to illuminating our everyday outdoor living area, as well as the outdoor places we end up on the weekends. We also wanted something solar-powered so we wouldn’t have to deal with charging it up or the hassle of batteries. The BioLite SolarHome 620 checked both of those boxes right out of the gate, plus it adds a few extra bells and whistles that we thought were extra sweet. Why we liked it
The three lights provide plenty of illumination for any situation. Photo: Courtesy of BioLite The SolarHome 620 was simple and easy to install in our backyard, and the whole thing fired up right out of the box. It was 90-percent charged at the time of unboxing, and with its 6W solar panel + 3300mAh control panel (with USB charge-out), once the juice was almost depleted, it only took a few hours of direct sunlight get it back to 100 percent. The three overhead lights (100 lumens each) that come included were more than enough to light up our entire backyard, with the motion sensor light mounted right at the back gate for easy entrance at night. When we took the system to the campsite, we were beyond stoked about the additional features like USB output for phone charging and MP3/FM radio. Charge it all day in the sun, relax all night with lights and tunes. Tester tip
The SolarHome 620 is perfect for backyard hangs, or when the power goes out. Photo: Jon Perino We found that we didn’t even need to hard mount the solar panel to the roof of our home. We simply placed it in a high corner of the backyard, tilted against the side of the house on a ledge (where it gets about 4-5 hours of full sun each day), and it was charged above 90 percent come nightfall, every day. This also allowed us to quickly grab it and go when it was time to light up other areas of our outdoor lifestyle. More Gear Reviews from ASN Patagonia responds to climber demand with new climbing apparel Gear of the Year: Products you were most stoked on in 2017 Gear News: A kit that helps you carry your travel story around the world
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Finding a portable lighting solution that can quite literally fit into every aspect of a person’s life might sound like a tricky task.
From the backyard to the campsite, to the RV to the beach party bonfire, having a self-charging illumination system is key. But is lighting all you need? If you’re looking for a product that pushes the limits of lighting, that integrates features like doubling as a portable speaker, or phone charging station, you’re in luck.
We were on the hunt for a portable lighting system that could be used for recreation, or emergencies, when we came across BioLite’s newest offering.
Checking out the specs on the BioLite SolarHome 620 ($150), it seemed to have everything we were looking for. We decided to test one for ourselves: Here’s what we thought.
Why We Chose It
We were looking for a simple (and portable) solution to illuminating our everyday outdoor living area, as well as the outdoor places we end up on the weekends. We also wanted something solar-powered so we wouldn’t have to deal with charging it up or the hassle of batteries.
The BioLite SolarHome 620 checked both of those boxes right out of the gate, plus it adds a few extra bells and whistles that we thought were extra sweet.
Why we liked it
The SolarHome 620 was simple and easy to install in our backyard, and the whole thing fired up right out of the box. It was 90-percent charged at the time of unboxing, and with its 6W solar panel + 3300mAh control panel (with USB charge-out), once the juice was almost depleted, it only took a few hours of direct sunlight get it back to 100 percent.
The three overhead lights (100 lumens each) that come included were more than enough to light up our entire backyard, with the motion sensor light mounted right at the back gate for easy entrance at night.
When we took the system to the campsite, we were beyond stoked about the additional features like USB output for phone charging and MP3/FM radio. Charge it all day in the sun, relax all night with lights and tunes.
Tester tip
We found that we didn’t even need to hard mount the solar panel to the roof of our home. We simply placed it in a high corner of the backyard, tilted against the side of the house on a ledge (where it gets about 4-5 hours of full sun each day), and it was charged above 90 percent come nightfall, every day.
This also allowed us to quickly grab it and go when it was time to light up other areas of our outdoor lifestyle.
More Gear Reviews from ASN
Patagonia responds to climber demand with new climbing apparel
Gear of the Year: Products you were most stoked on in 2017
Gear News: A kit that helps you carry your travel story around the world
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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Surly Releases Preamble: New All-steel 'Pavement Bike'
Enjoy Gorgeous Picture With This LG CineBeam Portable Projector
Kick Back With The RENPHO Foot Massager During Downtime
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Fix Home Problems Yourself With This Cartman 148Piece Tool Set
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