Gear Review: Biolite AlpenGlow Laterns Ideal for Travel, Recreation

By John Roberts 
I much prefer life in the outdoors, soaking up the sun and breathing fresh air. That could mean biking, hiking, a trip on a sailboat or just relaxing on the backyard patio at my house in Colorado.  
However, when the sun goes down, you don't necessarily have to pack it in. We've been using AlpenGlow laterns from Biolite to accent our patio lighting system, and these cool little lights are both decorative and versatile.  
We have a pergola over our patio, and we have strung them with classic white string lights. They provide a nice amount of ambience, and the AlpenGlow laterns add just the right boost so that we can continue to enjoy the evenings outdoors long after darkness arrives.  
We were asked to review these compact lights, and we really love them. Not only are they perfect for at-home use like we have been enjoying them this summer, but they also are small and easy to pack for use on backpacking, yachting or camping outings. They also are great lamps for marine activities.

We have two different sizes, the AlpenGlow 500 and the AlpenGlow 250. 
Check out these features:  

• Offer eight lighting modes, including bright red and green -- ideal for marine navigation emergency lighting systems. You can hang the lanterns in your boat cockpit (they have a hook loop) or even set them on the cocktail table for a perfectly lit evening on the water.  
  
• Two available sizes and lumen outputs, the AlpenGlow 500 and AlpenGlow 250
  
• AlpenGlow laterns feature ports to serve as a charger for your devices
  
• Runs for five hours on high and 200 hours on low
  
• Has a waterproof rating that protects from splashing waters
  
• Shake to access special lighting modes
  
• Rechargeable 6,400 mAh battery
  
• Modes include Cool and Warm White (Dimmable), Candle Flicker, Single Color, Multicolor and Cycling Color 

We use the lanterns by setting them on our patio tables. The lights are adjustable and offering brighter whites or nice soft tones and colors, including pink and purple. We've found that they work well to give light for evenings spent eating, drinking, playing card games and listening to music with friends.

They are easy to use. The shake feature to access the different light modes takes a little time to get used to in order to know just how to make it work for your choice. The button on top is the easier way to go to toggle through all the choices. 
The laterns sell for about $60 for the AlpenGlow 250 and $80 for the AlpenGlow 500.

Thanks for reading,
JR