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See the 13 tests

1. In the box
2. Micro-USB input
3. USB output (power bank)
4. Button & shake control
5. Lighting modes
6. Battery life & run times
7. Battery indicator lights
8. Lumen output
9. Shine distance
10. Hook
11. IPX rating
12. Drop testing
13. Portability
14. Pros, cons, recommendations
15. Bonus – MUST read!

In the Box

I bought my AlpenGlow from REI Co-Op, though it’s also on Amazon. Here’s what came in the box:

• The BioLite AlpenGlow 500 (not charged out of the box)
• Warranty info + user guide
• Charging cable

Micro-USB Input

Two flaps sit at the back — a micro-USB input and a USB-A output. Charge it through the micro-USB with the supplied cable.

• Full charge 5 hrs

Note While charging, only the cool and warm white modes work.

USB Output (Power Bank)

The other flap is the USB output, for charging phones and other devices. Here’s what I got with my iPhone 12:

• Capacity 6,400 mAh
• Day 1 80% charge (19–99%), 2.25 hrs
• Day 2 61% charge (31–92%), 1.75 hrs
• Leftover battery 6 hrs on dim white

That’s almost 2 full phone charges, plus leftover light.

Button & Shake Control

• Single button Top of the lantern
• Shake control Shake up and down, not side to sidebuilt-in accelerometer

Lighting Modes

Short press	Long press	Shake control	Long press after shake
Cool light	Brightness adjustment	Directional lighting	Brightness adjustment
Warm light	Brightness adjustment	Candle flicker	Brightness adjustment
Single color	Color adjustment (manual)	Single-color auto cycling	Cycling speed adjustment
Multicolor	Color adjustment (manual)	Multicolor auto cycling	Cycling speed adjustment

In multicolor cycling, shake it again for a fireworks mode. Hold the top button to adjust its speed.

Note The fireworks mode is on the AlpenGlow 500 only, not the AlpenGlow 250.

It also has:

• Memory setting Remembers your last mode
• Low power mode Dimmest cool or warm white only, for one hour
• Lock mode Hold the top button 8 secondsflashes twice then goes off; hold 8 seconds again to unlock

Battery Life & Run Times

My measured run times:

• Brightest cool white (full lantern) 5.25 hrs
• Dimmest cool white (full lantern) 148.5 hrs
• Dimmest cool white (half lantern) 203 hrs

Battery Indicator Lights

Battery lights at the bottom make the charge easy to read at a glance. Here’s what each level meant during my dimmest run-time test:

• 4 lights 100%
• 3 lights 62%
• 2 lights 48%
• 1 light 27%
• 0 lights 0%

Lumen Output

Measured with a lux meter against the marketed specs:

• Brightest white 690 lumensmarketed 500 lumens
• Dimmest white 7 lumens
• Brightest warm 640 lumens
• Dimmest warm 5 lumensmarketed 5 lumens

Shine Distance

On the brightest setting the shine distance measured 10.8 feet — about the size of a 24-person tent. The high-quality frosting diffuses the light outward and spreads it nicely.

Hook

A metal hook at the bottom hangs it from the top of your tent for top-down light.

IPX Rating

The AlpenGlow is rated IPX4 — splashproof, but not submersible.

I drenched it head to toe in 30 minutes of heavy rain and it kept working. Water did seep into the sides of the ports though — the seals aren’t tight enough.

Drop Testing

I drop-tested it multiple times from hand height, and it held up.

Portability

• Weight 14.5 oz
• Dimensions 3.6 x 3.6 x 5.4 in

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the BioLite AlpenGlow 500?

Large battery capacity

At 6,400 mAh this has one of the biggest internal batteries of any rechargeable lantern I own — enough to charge my phone fully almost twice.

Impressive shine radius

The high-quality frosted globe throws a shine radius wide enough to light a 24-person tent on the brightest mode.

Warm and cool lights

There’s a functional cool light and a cozy warm white. Most of my other lanterns give you one color only, with no way to switch.

It beats them all on color too — every shade of the rainbow, plus that fireworks mode.

Note One downside: it takes 30–60 minutes to learn a lantern like this. I still prefer it to simpler lanterns — my Coleman Rugged 400 Rechargeable Lantern is easy to use but so lacking in features that I never actually use it.

Accurate run-times

Brightness	Official specs	My testing	Leftover power
Brightest cool white (full)	5 hours	5.25 hours	6 hrs on dimmest
Dimmest cool white (half)	200 hours	203 hours	None
Dimmest cool white (full)	Not specified	148.5 hours	None

Completely adjustable brightness

Full control from 7 to 690 lumens, stopping anywhere in between. I’d have liked brightness control in the color modes too, but you can’t.

1-year warranty

The warranty is only 1 year, which isn’t generous, though there’s lifetime support. The support team got back to me within one working day when I had an issue, and we fixed it in the end.

No SOS, strobe, or pulses

There’s no emergency strobe or pulse to signal for help, so this is no survival lantern.

Bonus – MUST Read!

Every figure above is from my own testing — measured by hand, bought with my own money.