Picture this:
You’re gathered around a campfire with a group of close friends. You’re wrapped in a plaid blanket, holding a tin mug of instant cocoa. Universally-appealing music plays softly in the background. The mood is perfect, but something is missing. What is it? Could it be…
MPowerd Luci Solar String Lights!?
We’re about to find out!
Instagram has made pretty, little string lights basically synonymous with camping – I mean, what’s a camping trip without some mood lighting? But I held off for a while, solely because I hate using battery powered devices and that’s all that was available for the longest time.
So, naturally, when I opened the 2019 Spring REI catalog and saw SOLAR string lights I freaked out and used my dividend.
Serious question: Does anyone’s dividend ever last past April? Honestly.
It’s been over a year since I purchased the MPowerd Luci Solar String Lights (what a mouthful) and they’ve become a staple in my camp life. I absolutely love them! I know – spoiler alert, right? Aren’t you supposed to save the product rating for the end of the post? Well, I can’t. That’s how much I love them.
But let’s look deeper into it with a good ole fashioned pros and cons list!
NOTE: I am not sponsored by MPowerd and I am not getting paid to write this review post. This post does however contain affiliate links. See below for more information.
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PROS of the MPOWERD Luci Solar String Lights
1. Multiple Ways to Charge Up
Yes, they are solar powered, but if you’re on a time-crunch you can charge it up via the USB plug [located at the end of the string light cord] at a much faster rate. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Solar and USB Charging Times + Battery Life
- 20 Hours of Battery Life! Which is pretty good considering you’re likely only using them for a few hours a day AND you can recharge them in the afternoon (during which time you’re probably not using them anyway)
- 6 – 8 Hours to fully charge via USB plug
- 16 Hours to fully charge via Solar
NOTE: If 20 hours doesn’t sound that impressive to you, you should know that I have never run out of battery using these string lights off-grid and I’ve never actually recharged them at our campsite – I’ve just never needed to. I usually just set it out on the patio to re-charge when we get home.
3. Includes a USB Port to Charge Your Small Devices
This, I absolutely love. I’ve tried multiple portable solar charges so I can keep my phone and Kindle charged up on-the-go and they have all crapped out on me – they either refuse to connect to my phone or they just don’t gain enough charge from the sun to power up my device.
The MPowerd Luci Solar String Lights are different. Totally effective as a charger for any device that connects via USB!
NOTE: The USB port [for charging your phone, tablet, or other small device] is located on the side of the solar base. This is for charging your devices ONLY, not for charging the solar string lights. To charge your solar string lights via USB, use the USB plug at the end of the cord. It doesn’t look like a typical USB plug, but it will work with your usual USB plug/wall cube.
4. Different “Brightness” Settings + Warmth of Light
The lights have 4 different settings:
- The first is a single light that’s on top of the device. Please don’t ask me what you would use this for, because I don’t know. I think it’s supposed to be a flashlight but that seems like a bit of stretch to me.
- The second is the dimmest setting (but honestly, still pretty bright)
- The third is mid-level
- The fourth is BRIGHT. Way brighter than I thought a solar-powered device would get!
Typically, I only ever use the dim setting. It seems to be enough to light up an area.
The other thing I love about these lights is how warm they are. It’s not a bright, cold light that makes you feel like you’re in someone’s garage. It’s a warm, soft light that cozies up your campsite.
5. Durability, Materials + Waterproof Rating
The solar light “bulbs” themselves are made of plastic and the string is made from braided nylon. This makes the lights super durable, easy to set up / pack up, and very unlikely to tangle (unless you were really trying).
This device has also recently been upgraded from water-resistant to water-PROOF, which is amazing! The new solar string lights can be submerged safely in up to 1 meter of water.
I would also like to point out that since this is a camping staple for us, it sees a lot of action. It’s survived a couple drops and has gotten pretty scratched up over the past year. We haven’t had any issues or malfunctions!
6. Compactness and Pack-ability of the Design
The string lights remain hidden (when not in use) inside of the base itself. The base expands, or pops up, and you wrap the lights around the core that’s inside. Then you push the base closed and twist to lock it. It’s super easy and I love how compact it is. It’s packable enough that you could take it with you on a backpacking trip if you really wanted to!
Dimensions (when closed) are 5in x 2in
That’s super tiny! It takes up way less space than most lanterns and can be hung up and spread out to illuminate a much larger area.
7. Secondary Cord for Hanging Solar Base
This cord really comes in handy when you don’t have anywhere convenient to set the base down. And if you’re planning on backpacking with your solar string lights, it can be attached to a pack and charged while you’re hiking!
8. 2020 UPDATE – They now come in COLOR.
MPowerd has released a multi-colored solar string light set [which you can buy, here]. Yes, I already owned 2 sets of the regular solar string lights, but I couldn’t resist! This set of string lights can be set to blue, purple, turquoise, green, pink, white or “color cycle mode” which will transition from color to color on its own. Sooo fun!
NOTE: The multi-color version has a completely different charging method than the original. Underneath the rubber tab on the solar base, there is a USB input for charging your phone [just like on the original solar lights] however on the multi-colored version there is also a micro USB input under the same tab [to be used as an alternate method of charging your solar lights].
CONS of the MPOWERD Luci Solar String Lights
1. Number of Lights
There are a totally of 20 individual lights on the 18 ft nylon cord, so they are pretty spaced out. But while I’m writing this in as a “con”, would I really want more lights? More lights would mean a larger solar base would be required, and I do love how compact this design is!
2. Charging Time
I know I listed this as a pro earlier, but I’ve heard several people complain about the solar charge-time of this device. In my opinion, the solar charger works brilliantly. Having dealt with many sub-par solar chargers in the past, I have been pleasantly surprised with how well the panel works on this device.
However, 16 hours to fully charge may seem not-so-great to some. And if your solar string lights are getting used heavily (like, you leave them on all day or you use them to charge up all of your devices) and you drain the battery daily on your camping trips, you probably don’t have 16 hours of full sunlight to charge them up for your next use.
3. Cost
These solar string lights are on the pricier side when comparing them to plug-in or battery-powered string lights.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Are the MPowerd Solar String Lights worth buying?
Ultimately, YES. I know I kind of spoiled that conclusion earlier.
But even looking at the cons:
- The lower number of lights keeps the size of the device smaller – making it easier and lighter to pack up and carry around
- The charging time (while it sounds like a lot) is pretty good, and the majority of people will not drain their battery even on a multi-day trip
- The cost, while a little steep, is outweighed by the fact that no batteries will need replaced (as with other string lights) and the solar panel works much better than the panels on other solar products
These string lights are multi-functional (they act as lights and as a portable charger), they’re compact, easy to use, durable and water resistant, and the battery life is spectacular for a solar product.
Read more reviews OR order your own set of MPowered Solar String Lights HERE.
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I SPENT WAY TOO MUCH TIME MAKING THIS PINTEREST GRAPHIC…
