I bought a cheap solar lantern for $15 and it was a total waste

I picked up one of those foldable solar lanterns from a discount store before a trip to the Red River Gorge. It charged fine in the sun, but the first night out, the light was so dim I could barely see my hands. The plastic felt flimsy and the switch got stuck after turning it on twice. I ended up using my headlamp the whole time and the lantern just took up space in my pack. For the same price, I could have gotten a much better battery powered light. It really showed me that with some gear, the lowest price point is just throwing money away. Has anyone found a good solar light that actually works well for under $30?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade6188d ago

See this happen all the time with cheap tech, where the specs look okay but the actual build is junk. It feels like companies bank on you not testing it until it's too late to return. That initial bargain price just ends up being a lesson.

angela_wilson787d ago

Ugh, I always check the return window first thing now... learned that the hard way.