Retro camping lantern concept gives the gas lamp a modern, playful flair

With the rising interest in camping and other outdoor activities, there is also a rising need for safer and more sustainable solutions to common problems like outdoor lighting, off-grid power, and reliable shelter. There is no shortage of portable power stations now available in the market, and you’ll often come across innovative tent designs that take into account modern needs and conveniences. But when it comes to lighting, most of the products still follow the same old design patterns. Rugged and durable, they definitely are, but they also tend to be lifeless and uninspiring, the complete opposite of what time outdoors is supposed to bring. This lamp concept design tries to make that experience a little bit more fun while still delivering much-needed light, and it takes inspiration from objects that have long been in use, some even hailing back centuries past.

Designer: Yu Dan (0-1 Design Studio)

There are few things that immediately illicit images of spending time outdoors than an old gas lantern. These clunky metal vessels have been used by our ancestors to make the night less daunting and make life more bearable when the light and warmth of the sun are long gone. Of course, this kind of lamp is not only outdated but also dangerous, but we, fortunately, have plenty of technologies available to simulate both the appearance as well as the emotions generated by this artifact of a bygone era.

The camping lantern concept is a modern take on several antiquated lantern designs, both those using kerosene as well as those that employ candles. Instead of these fire hazards, however, it uses rechargeable lights, presumably LEDs, in a circular tube hidden at the bottom and top sections of the lamp. The “cover” of the lamp also takes inspiration from the wide-brimmed hats of ancient swordsmen from East Asian countries, which happens to also be similar to how the traditional gas lanterns look as well.

The effect of having candles is provided by a modular lighting design in the shape of low cylinders that can be stacked on top of each other to increase their brightness. The “candles” can also be used independently, in case you need a softer glow away from the lantern. Both light tubes and candles give off a warm, yellow light that sets the perfect mood at night while also providing enough light for reading. As a bonus, the lantern’s battery can also be used to charge other devices, though care should be taken not to drain it completely before the sun rises again.

Truth be told, the concept is a simple re-imagination of the iconic shape of a gas lamp, but it’s that simplicity that also makes its application and effect more diverse. The form immediately calls to mind the old frontier days portrayed in many TV shows and films, but its functionality is completely immersed in the demands of modern life. Best of all, it makes spending the night outdoors a little bit more interesting if not dramatic, silently keeping you company as you watch the fireflies dance in the darkness.

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This charming origami-inspired cube brings both light and power anywhere you need them

Daytime isn’t the only time you can enjoy the freedom that summer brings. The night can also be a source of adventure, fun, or even relaxation, especially when experienced outdoors and away from your usual abode. Staying outdoors at night, however, can bring up a few anxieties, not least of which is having a convenient light source or, more importantly, a power source for your indispensable gadgets. That often means lugging along some lantern or lamp in addition to a power bank, two things you need to be mindful of and two things you could potentially lose. Consider your worries now calmed with an innovative and sustainable travel companion that will illuminate your darkest nights, save your dying phone, and even protect you from mosquitoes!

Designer: Alice Chun

Click Here to Buy Now: $38 $65 (42% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

MEGAPUFF is easy to open and goes flat pack with a quick twist! The origami design is simple and elegant.

They say that looks can be deceiving, and the MEGAPUFF definitely lives up to that aphorism, but in a very good way. At first glance, the white box looks like a simple yet beautiful paper lantern, not so different from traditional lanterns used in Japanese festivals, except perhaps for its cubical shape. The MEGAPUFF is, of course, quite literally a lantern, but that’s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what this is capable of. Because despite its minimalist appearance, it packs quite a lot of features that will make any activity more memorable, day or night, indoor or outdoor, no matter the season.

MEGAPUFF is both a portable lantern and power bank and unlike other combination products, it makes no compromises on either. A 4,000 mAh battery delivers all the power you need to charge up your mobile device through a USB-C port or deliver sufficient light to let you see in the dark of night or the darkness of your room. MEGAPUFF can be juiced up via the same USB-C connection, or you can charge it under the sun, providing you with a sustainable way to enjoy the conveniences of modern life, wherever you might be.

Seven light settings.

The light that MEGAPUFF provides is nothing to scoff at either, reaching a maximum of 300 lumens at its brightest. You won’t blind yourself, of course, especially with seven different settings for different light temperatures and intensities, including warm or bright, low or high, or a combination of both. There’s also a blinking red light setting that you won’t find in any portable lamp. This unexpected feature helps keep you safe in the dark, whether you’re riding a bike or signaling for an emergency. Red light therapy is also cited to help treat anxiety, depression, and PTSD, but it seems to have the opposite effect on mosquitoes and drives these bloodsuckers away instead.

Best of all, MEGAPUFF won’t take up much space in your car or camping gear. Thanks to origami technology, the 6.2×6.2 inch cube collapses down to a 0.75-inch high flat-packed square with a simple twisting motion. You don’t even have to turn the light off before collapsing or expanding the lantern, making it trivial to pack up or set up in a flash. This transforming cube is made from durable and eco-friendly sail cloth, leaving you with no worries about the product’s longevity or its effects on the environment. Whether you’re enjoying the great outdoors or lounging indoors, the MEGAPUFF collapsible lamp and battery will give you both light and power so that you can stop fretting and start enjoying your time.

Click Here to Buy Now: $38 $65 (42% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

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This collapsible lantern kit is the only light you need to keep the darkness at bay – indoors well as outdoors

Extreme weather and natural disasters are becoming frighteningly more common these days, so preparedness for any eventuality is no longer really optional. People are advised to have an emergency “go bag” always ready with important supplies and tools that will help them survive a disaster or a few nights in an evacuation center. One of those essential survival tools, whether for emergencies or camping, is a flashlight, but the harsh directed light that it produces isn’t always ideal in all situations. When you need a softer light to illuminate an area, you’ll probably reach out for a lantern instead, and this handy, space-saving lantern kit ensures that you’ll always have one in your bag and within reach whenever you need it.

Designer: Yuji Yanagisawa

Click Here to Buy Now: $35.10 $39 (10% off). Hurry, sale ends on August 15th.

Flashlights, especially the smaller LED ones, are great for shining light on a specific spot, not so much for lighting up a room, a tent, or shared space in some evacuation center. The bright, directed beams of flashlights can, in fact, be harmful, intrusive, or even disconcerting for people seeking shelter from an emergency. A lantern would be the best solution, but even the smallest ones are bulky and take up space inside your go bag. Some creative people place a PET bottle with water on top of a flashlight to diffuse the brightness, but that setup is flimsy, inconvenient, and not always possible in some circumstances.

With those limitations and ideas in mind, designer Yuji Yanagisawa envisioned the Tomori Lantern Kit. Rather than providing a ready-made lantern, Tomori is actually a kit that lets you quickly set up a lantern and then quickly put it away when you no longer need it. The best parts about this lantern kit are that it takes up almost no space when collapsed and can also use any conventional flashlight that can fit inside its clamps.

The base of the kit is a foldable cardboard piece that serves as the flashlight holder and stable structure of the lamp. The kit comes with a rather nondescript LED flashlight that you can use on its own when not docked inside the lantern. In fact, the cardboard base can hold any cylindrical flashlight that is less than 30mm in diameter and 160mm in length. This means that you can use the same flashlight for the lantern as well as for typical uses, or you can have a set of backup flashlights when one’s battery goes empty.

A lantern wouldn’t be a lantern without a lamp shade, of course, and the kit comes in three varieties. Gray/Gradient tries to mimic a more traditional lantern look, with a gray cardboard base and a yellowish plastic shade reminiscent of well-used vintage lanterns. Blue/Stripe has a more modern aesthetic, sporting a blue interior and a translucent plastic cover with thin white stripes encompassing the lantern. Last but definitely not least, Yellow/Cross adds a bit of visual flair with a yellow body and a clear lampshade marked by crisscrossing lines.

The entire kit, excluding the flashlight, folds down to a flat A4-sized package, perfect for stashing in bags or drawers, ready for use in an emergency. While the design and purpose of the lantern kit were originally intended for those emergencies, its usefulness extends far beyond dire situations. It can be used for camping, for example, as long as you keep it out of the rain, or it can be used to gently light a room at night. Its open design makes it possible not only to use different flashlights but also to create different lampshades of your own. The lantern kit’s simplicity belies its sophisticated design and flexibility, promising you a stress-free night in the darkness, wherever you may be.

Click Here to Buy Now: $35.10 $39 (10% off). Hurry, sale ends on August 15th.

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This portable lantern hosts a customizable OLED screen that transforms into a projection screen

Rén is a customizable lantern with an integrated OLED screen for users to project whatever moving images or videos they’d like.

Over the past few years, we’ve learned to prioritize what is most important to us. From going to the virtual family reunion to getting creative in the arts, we’re keeping the stuff that matters most to us extra close. Since the pandemic has transformed many of those experiences into digital ones, designers shave been getting creative in making them as large as real life, and sometimes even larger.

Designer: Merve Nur Sökme

Rén, designed by Merve Nur Sökme, was created to immortalize life experiences and make them portable. Designed for LG and Dezeen’s Go Competition for OLED designs, Rén is conceptualized as a multifunctional handheld lantern that can also transform into a large OLED screen that operates just like a projector.

Describing the inspiration behind the product’s name, Nur Sökme explains, “Ren (Chinese: 仁, meaning “co-humanity” or “humaneness”) is the Confucian virtue denoting the good quality of a virtuous human when being altruistic. Ren relies on the understanding of human nature and being.”

In its initial state, Rén is a portable lantern that emits soft, ambient lighting. Ideal for a bedside table or den coffee table, Rén gives off a warm light that seeps through moving images on the product’s OLED screen.

When rolled out, Rén transforms into a projecting screen where users can watch their favorite movies or host virtual Zoom parties. In both of its modes, Rén is what the user makes of it. With its customizable OLED screen, users can decide what they’d like to project to make the lantern feel more like a personal keepsake that they can carry around.

Speaking to Rén’s many functions, Nur Sökme notes, “Besides watching a movie when OLED screen is wide open, when it is rolled it can also be used as a bedside lamp at night, an aquarium, a lava lamp, a screen for recipe tracking in the kitchen. It can be flexible in use as much as the user needs. Its simple design approach gives the user to express her/himself through the Rén.”

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This light fixture doubles as an aroma diffuser and features self-blooming petals to bring you back to nature

The Lotus Lamp is a scent-diffusing table lamp constructed from a material that blooms once heated from the lamp’s light bulb.

As our tech appliances evolve, it sometimes feels like we’re losing our connection to the natural world. Our desks are cluttered with everything from smart writing tablets to wireless speakers, leaving little room for biophilic designs like vertical gardens and classic planters.

Designer: Ye .JJ

Combining the natural appeal of biophilic design with modern technology, the Lotus Lamp, from product and industrial designer Ye JJ, is a scent-diffusing table lamp constructed from a material that blooms in warm temperatures and closes when cooled down.

Designing the Lotus Lamp, JJ relied on traditional lantern-making techniques as well as modern technologies, like 3D printing. Constructed from nitinol wire, JJ used the shape-memory alloy material because it has the ability to remember two shapes when the material is heated and cooled, respectively.

When the light bulb inside of the Lotus Lamp is illuminated and gives off warmth, the nitinol petals gradually bloom like a flower’s petals. Taking approximately one to three minutes to bloom, the Lotus Lamp’s petals close when the lamp is turned off. This “magical transition,” as JJ puts it, is meant to incorporate organic elements of nature into everyday tech appliances like desk lamps.

Maintaining its traditional appeal, JJ turned to rice paper to fill out the rest of the lamp’s petals. After breaking the rice paper down into fibers, JJ configured the paper into sets of rigid and clean petals using a customized 3D printed mold that determines the size and shape of the petals. The rice paper provides diffusion for the rest of the lamp’s light bulbs.

When the lamp’s petals open up, the appliance’s oil diffuser can be found near the top. There, users can pour in their favorite essential oils, enjoy some aromatherapy R&R, and then store the essential oil bottles on the lamp’s bamboo base.

“Inspired by the shadow-picture lantern, a traditional spinning lantern invented in China that runs by the hot air produced by the candle,” JJ describes, “As soon as [Lotus Lamp’s] petals open up, it will start spinning,” as the traditional shadow-picture lantern spins and the petals will open up just like a flower.

Overall, the Lotus Lamp’s volume and height allow it to be positioned on desks and tables of varying sizes. 

The materials that make up the Lotus Lamp are kept to a minimum to maintain an elemental design.

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An integrated storage unit transforms this lantern into a treasure box to store your keepsakes

Lightray is a light fixture with an integrated storage unit that was inspired by a treasure box.

Bedside appliances have a way of combining sentimentality with practicality. Most often used just before bed, our desklamps, charging stations, and stationery storage boxes generally keep simple operating mechanisms so our sleepy brains don’t have to put in too much effort. They also are usually pretty charming by design to make our bedroom spaces feel in alignment with our personality and the design styles we value most. Inspired by a treasure box, Kil Jeongyeon designed Lightray, a simple lantern-style light fixture with an integrated tray table to store sentimental momentos like photographs and jewelry.

Designer: Kil Jeongyeon

Meant to remind us of what we hold most dear to our hearts, Lightray merges the practicality of a light fixture with the nostalgia of a coffer. Built like a simple lantern, the wireless light fixture is defined by a ribbed glass encasement, which hosts the appliance’s light device. Inside, the light is warm like that emitted from 40W vintage-style lightbulbs and the ribbed glass helps subdue it further, making it an ideal night light for people of all ages. Jeongyeon designed Lightray so that, even when things might seem dark, our most cherished keepsakes will always remain bright.

Jeongyeon explains, “Lightray is a light that has a tray. It was designed inspired by a treasure box. Put something you like or something always with you. Even on a dark night when you can’t see anything, they shine brightly.” Even more than that, Lightray comes with rubber nonslip leg grips so our momentos will never fall out of place. A USB Type-C charging unit also allows for overnight charging so that Lightray can be a portable, wireless lantern when necessary.

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This eco-friendly camping lantern is ideal for campers who value multipurpose accessories

When preparing for adventures in the outdoors, a flashlight is a must-have EDC camping accessory. But like every other thing you’re packing, you’d want a flashlight that does more than show you the way. This is where a sustainably crafted option you can hang like the lantern in the camp comes in.

The eco-friendly camping lantern designed by Seongju Kim is an embodiment of this thought. The camping lantern, as it is referred to, is made completely from reusable materials, which is a good way to help the environment and keep the camping area clean. When camping, multifunctional accessories are a key to thriving in the wild. The flashlight that can be used as a lantern to light up the tent helps campers prepare for the night.

Designer: Seongju Kim

Ideal for campers who value multipurpose accessories they can stuff in the backpack, a lantern-like this, ensures you leave no trace in the great outdoors and have a guiding light as and when needed. For the convenience of use, the lantern’s body is made from aluminum, while the insulated handle is made from wood. The most essential strap, which instantly facilitates the accessory to be used as a lantern from a flashlight, is made from pinatex material, which is extracted from pineapple leaves.

The aluminum body at the neck features a swiveling mechanism to turn the lantern on and off. While the idea of designing a lantern using all recyclable and reusable material is a big respite for many, I’m still edgy! The designer hasn’t shared the way this lantern would generate power, ideally, it would run on battery. But we have seen solar-powered flashlights and lanterns in the past, presumably, an addition of solar charging on this one would have been a beneficial choice in addition to sustainable build.

 

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Striker Trilight Review: 3000 Lumens of Work Light in Your Hand

A while back, I outfitted my garage with a pair of Striker TRiLIGHTs. Those bright LED lights are still going strong, and have proven an excellent way to illuminate the entire space. But what about those times when you need to work under the hood of a car, or need direct, up-close lighting? Now Striker has a solution for that.

The TRiLIGHT ShopLight is a new variant of the original, designed for versatility and portability. It still features the same unique triple-fin heatsink design, but this version can be plugged into an outlet and brought directly to your work location.

The light packs 3000 lumens of total brightness, offering up an intense, yet even field of light wherever you need it. It’s great for working in cramped spaces, such as underneath machinery or other places where its hard to get a wide flood of light.

Each of its three fins is hinged, you can aim the light too. Since it is a flood light, I didn’t find angling them made much of a difference when working up close. Still, the ability to adjust the angle of the fins provides greater utility, allowing you to balance the light on just about any surface for hands-free use, or to fit it into unusual spots.

One of the big advantages of the TRiLIGHT ShopLight is its cool touch surface design, meaning you can carry it around without worrying about burning yourself on its fins or its handle. I wouldn’t stick my fingers right in front of the LED panels, but adjusting the aluminum fins was just fine while it was turned on.

Did I mention this thing is extremely bright? I walked into my pitch black utility room and turned it on, and the room was fully illuminated as if I had turned on a ceiling light. No more fumbling around in the dark.

For added versatility, the TRiLIGHT ShopLight’s handle also has a plastic hook built into its end, which allows you to hang it on a hook or through a hole under your car hood, etc. Unfortunately, the plastic hook isn’t as sturdy as it could be. When I tried to hang it over the rung of a metal ladder, it cracked because the rung was just slightly too big for the hook.

Granted, I forced it a little bit, but still, the plastic shouldn’t have snapped that easily. A metal hook, or something more pliable would be better. The remainder of the lamp’s plastic and aluminum construction seems quite sturdy, though I decided not to intentionally drop my ShopLight on the concrete floor. On the other hand, Striker says they’ve done lots of drop testing with success.

With the exception of its less than stellar hanging hook, the ShopLight is a great addition to any tool chest, offering up tremendous amounts of smooth, clean, and bright white light anywhere you have access to an outlet. The TRiLIGHT ShopLight is available now over at Striker for $129.99.

LuminAID Solar LED Lantern Folds Flat, Lasts All Day

LuminAID-PackLite-12

When you step away from the modern world, full of taken-for-granted conveniences, it’s always a good idea to prepare yourself properly. Spending any amount of time in the wilderness requires not only a bit of courage, but some decent illumination at night. The LuminAID Pack Lite 12 Inflatable Solar Lantern is a waterproof light source that folds flat for easy storage, but once turned on, will provide you with up to 16 hours of brightness on a single charge. This charge, incidentally, is easily obtained by leaving the thing in the sun for 7 hours. The 12 bright LEDs contained inside are also able to flash in an emergency beacon mode, making it easier to find you at night if you ventured too far off the path and can’t find your own way back. Considering it’s only $23, it wouldn’t make any sense to make this an essential “must-pack” item for anyone contemplating extended time outdoors.

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