LuminAID Solar Lights Review
LuminAID Solar Lights are inflatable lights that convert solar energy into light energy. They’re designed for traveling and outdoor camping and were recently featured on Shark Tank. Here’s our review.
What Are LuminAID Solar Lights?
LuminAID Solar Lights are portable, inflatable lights that can be used for everything from survival situations to outdoor camping. The lights were created by two architecture graduates.
In a 2015 Shark Tank episode, Mark Cuban made a deal with the company for $200,000 for a 15% share. Ever since that deal, the company has continued to grow and provide lighting around the world.
LuminAID seeks to solve one unmet need in the market: after a disaster, there are always plenty of water bottles and food deliveries sent as foreign aid. However, when night falls at a refugee camp, or in any place without electricity, light can quickly become a valuable resource.
With that in mind, LuminAID seeks to provide cheap, portable, waterproof, easy-to-use lighting solutions that rely entirely on solar energy and do not need any electricity.
How Do LuminAID Solar Lights Work?
LuminAID Solar Lights take in solar energy during the day and then use their stored energy to light up at night.
The lights are made from TPU, described as a safe and sustainable material that is 100% PVC-free and phthalate free. There’s also a highly-efficient monocrystalline solar panel and a lithium ion battery.
The lights pack down for easy storage and transportation. Then, when they need to be lit up, they can expand. The larger surface area helps increase solar energy capacity while also making the light more visible. To inflate the light, you simply bite on the valve and breathe into it.
Your light is controlled using a red power button just below the solar panel. This button controls everything on the light. You press it once to turn on the light, then press it again to cycle through lighting settings.
To charge the light during the day, turn it off and place it in direct sunlight with the solar panel facing towards the sun. It takes 6 to 7 hours for a full charge.
If you don’t need to use your LuminAID Solar Light right away, then you can charge it in the sun for 6 to 7 hours and then leave it stored – like in a backpack, vehicle, or cabin. LuminAID claims their lights will hold a charge for about 7 months, although they’ll lose a little bit of their charge gradually over time (as is the case with al lithium ion batteries).
LuminAID Solar Lights Products
LuminAID offers a handful of different types of solar lights, including the original PackLite 12 (capable of lighting up for 12 hours) and the newer PackLite 16 (lights up for 16 hours). Here are all of the products offered by LuminAID:
-LuminAID PackLite 16: $19.99
-LuminAID PackLite 12: $19.99
-LuminAID PackLite Spectra: $24.99
-Set of 10 LuminAID PackLite 16 Lights: $179.91
-PackLite Renegade: $29.95
-Shark Tank Bundle: $64.97
-Give Light, Get Light Package: $29.99
The Shark Tank bundle is a bundle of the company’s core products, including 1 PackLite 12, 1 PackLite 1, and 1 PackLite Spectra.
The Give Light, Get Light Package is a package where you pay for one light to be donated to a country or region in need, and you get one LuminAID PackLite 16 for yourself. Currently, LuminAID is working with Nepalese villagers that are working to rebuild homes after the recent earthquake and need lights to illuminate their worksites.
The Spectra is a unique solar light that comes with 9 different color modes and a different design. It’s in the shape of a cube. You can change that cube to light up in one of 9 different colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, teal, purple, and white.
About LuminAID
LuminAID was founded in 2010 by architecture graduate students Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta. The pair were asked to create a product to help post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. They realized that the camps experience dangerous conditions at night, and thought portable, cheap, waterproof lighting solutions could help solve that problem.
Today, LuminAID Solar Lights have been used in more than 70 countries and after disasters, including Hurricane Sandy, Typhoon Haiyan, and the earthquakes in Nepal.
In 2015, the company achieved international media attention after appearing on Shark Tank and attracting the investment of Mark Cuban.
To contact LuminAID, use the email form at their official website here. Or, email them at [email protected].
