You knew it had to come on the market at some point: a phone-charging portable lantern with USB ports for charging small devices such as cell phones.
The Nite Ize Radiant Lanterns from Lee Valley come in two versions, a battery-powered one that’s great for camping or blackouts at home and a smaller and lighter rechargeable model with two USB ports and compact enough to be carried in a backpack.
Both are rugged, being impact and weather resistant, and both provide 360 degrees of uniform illumination and three brightness-control settings. They can easily be hung and come with a carrying bag made of translucent fabric that also serves as a light diffuser.
The battery-powered version ($36.50) provides 400 lumens at full intensity and can stay lit for nearly 800 hours in its low mode (or more than 4½ weeks of continuous use). It stands 20 centimetres tall and weighs almost a kilogram with batteries (it takes three D-cells, which are not included.)
The rechargeable model ($54.50) emits 300 lumens on its high setting, has those two USB ports, and offers a red LED mode to preserve night vision. It stands 17.75 cm high and weighs 255 grams.
