Customer Reviews

Wagan EL2230 Solar Powered Outdoor Lantern

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this lantern as a battery powered alternative for camping. Admittedly, my expectations were not high. It's solar powered; how great could it be? Pretty darn great, it turns out.

The adjustable solar panel is on one side, so I store mine in the window, to keep it fully charged. The led panel floods a 10-15' area with tons of light where you need it most. Unlike round lanterns, I don't have to set it in the middle of an area to be lit. I can face it forward on any flat spot or carry it by the well built handle.

The small spot light does its job too but not quite as brightly as a high powered flashlight. Still, it gives a smaller beam that allows me to find a dropped screw in the gravel or check out a far corner for "visitors."

It holds a charge for a long time, is well built, and very easy to use. Right now, mine is sitting in my car, solar panel up, just in case the wintery weather throws me a curve on the road. I love it!

I bought two of these to take to Burning Man, not knowing what to expect, and wow, they were great. They survived two dust storms, rain and were covered with mud by the end, but I brushed them off and they're still working great. Easy to tote, compact design... the solar panel is adjustable and the fluorescent light output is sincerely potent. The only thing is, with solar in general, that they take quite awhile to power up. Highly recommended... I'm a happy customer.

Would have given unit a 5 if it hadn't failed the first time I used it. I really like this lantern when it works. Note: for the warranty to be active you have to register w/in 30 days of purchase. Missed that little detail. My switch stopped turning the lantern off with 1st use. If you cannot turn it off, it is useless. Took the unit apart and a few metal flakes fell out. Jiggled the switch and reassembled. Working great now. Hopefully the problem is fixed.

I was a little aprehensive when i first decided to get a solar powered lantern because none of the reviews were coming up good...but i found this one and the reviews all seemed well and in order so i took a wild stab and purchased this lantern. I'ts great! I couldnt have asked for more. I have never seen another solar powered lantern to compare the light output and life time of it too but it works just as great as an ordinary flashlight except without all the money that you have to spend on batteries. I was surprised actually by how well it works. I initially bought it for a camping trip but a week or so after i got it and charged it up in the sun, a storm knocked out the power at a family members house. They had just brought home their newborn baby. I thought it would be a pretty good test for the product and i took it over for them to use. After two days of no power i returned to collect it and they said it was great...of curse they were thankful and the light was still charged and as bright as the day after it finished charging. Besides the fact that it duals as a lantern\flashlight with a optional switch i dont think it could be much better. I reccomend it to anyone whether you want a lantern for camping, one for around the house in case of blackouts or just for emergencies i believe this lantern is perfect for everyone...you really cant go wrong with it. It also comes with a warranty for up to a year but you must mail that in within 30 days of purchase i would advise doing that just in case but mines working like a champ.

I've been looking for a solar powered lantern to use during power outages. The spotlight is a bit anemic, but the lantern with all the LEDs is quite bright. Both the solar panel and LED panel can be lifted for optimal charging or use. Other reviews have mentioned that it doesn't appear well made and it does seem the plastic is a bit flimsy. It will also run from the outlet in the car. I have yet to use it for long periods of time (lantern is supposed to last 17 hrs on a full charge) but I still believe I got my money's worth.

it works great - the only drawback is the solar panel is not attached that well since the plastic frame could break if handled rough. otherwise ok. no more battery flashlights for me!

This is a good solar lantern but I would limit this recommendation to people that can care for a product without abusing it much. Other reviews have stated the Wagan lantern has a lot of plastic, and if you're not careful while moving the solar panel up to the right angle, you can overstress the plastic. However, the illumination is very good through both the LED spotlight and the LED lantern.

I would rather give this unit 3 1/2 stars instead of 4 simply because of the Wagan Corporation's lack of customer service. The first unit (purchased through Amazon) came with two of the lantern's LEDs not working. I attempted to communicate with Wagan through their website, but did not receive any response. I hate being ignored by a company that wants my money.

In contrast when I contacted Amazon regarding a return, their website was VERY user-friendly, accepted the return without question, provided shipping and RMA paperwork, and immediatly sent a replacement lantern. I was also contacted, via e-mail, by an Amazon representative who asked if I needed anything else, or needed any further help with the return. The replacement lantern arrived the day I dropped the defective lantern in the mail for shipment back to Amazon.

What a pleasure to work with a company (Amazon, not Wagan) that still cares about customer service. The lantern is good. The Amazon experience was fantastic.

This Lantern is worth its wait in gold, i bought one last year to go camping with the family and it worked a treat after charging in the sun.It produces enough light to read a book in a tent at night, has a fairly good spot light as well. We used the lantern again this year and turned it on after one year in its box and it still worked, hows that for holding its charge.Liked it so much i bought all the other family members who went camping a lantern each.

Use it under a car; or on vacation; give to your loved ones. Just a super light that does not require batteries. I use it all the time. I bought three and gave two as gifts. I might buy a couple more. Dave

Purchased this lantern because of the size of the light... had purchased a cheapie from Walgreens for 1/3 the price, but that wasn't very bright and just a wind-up. So much better to have solar and a large, real bulb. It's for emergency, but I've used it a bit... and keep it charged up.