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See the 14 tests

1. In the box
2. Inflation
3. USB charging input
4. Charging output
5. Solar charging
6. Light modes
7. Lumen output
8. Run times & battery life
9. Battery level lights
10. Shine radius
11. Handles
12. Waterproofing
13. Drop testing
14. Portability
15. Pros, cons, recommendations
16. Bonus – MUST read!

Note I bought this 5 years ago when it was the “Mpowerd Luci Base Light”. BioLite acquired Mpowerd in 2024 and rebranded it to the “BioLite Luci Charge 360” — all the tests still apply.

In the Box

I bought the BioLite Luci Charge 360 from Amazon. Here’s what came in the box:

• Solar lantern
• Charging cable

Inflation

Pull the cap off the valve at the bottom and blow. It takes one deep breath, sometimes less. Then close the valve and push it back in until it’s flush.

USB Charging Input

Pull the cap off the charging port and use the provided cable. The battery lights blink while charging and stop when it’s done.

• Full charge via USB 6 hrs 15 min

Charging Output

It also charges phones and small devices. Here’s what I got with my iPhone 12:

• Capacity 4,000 mAh
• Day 1 15–95% (total 80% charge)
• Day 2 11–28% (total 17% charge)
• Total 1.25 charges of an iPhone 12

Bear in mind I’ve had this lantern for 5 years, so the battery may have diminished a little.

Solar Charging

There’s a solar panel at the top, so you can charge it entirely by sun.

• After 1 day of sun 15–20% charge12 hours of sunlight
• Full solar charge 5–6 daysof full, direct sun

Light Modes

The power button cycles through Low, Medium, High, Flashing, in that order. There’s no memory setting.

Pro Tip To skip cycling through every mode, press and hold the power button for 2 seconds to go straight to off.

Lumen Output

Brightness mode	Official specs	My testing
Low	No info	21 lumens
Medium	No info	172 lumens
High	360 lumens	330 lumens

A very decent range to pick from, and the high setting is accurate. It works as a personal reading light or to light a whole tent.

Run Times & Battery Life

Brightness mode	Official specs	My testing
Low	50 hours	54 hours
High	5 hours	3.75 hours

My Luci is 4–5 years old, so the battery has likely depleted by about 20%. The low setting is still ample for a weekend trip, used sparingly — just not an extended one on solar alone.

Battery Level Lights

A separate battery button powers the level lights. Both buttons sit flush with the surface, so finding them in the dark can take up to 10 seconds, more with gloves.

• 4 lights 100%
• 3 lights 70%
• 2 lights 44%
• 1 light 24%
• 0 lights 0%

Shine Radius

On maximum output the shine radius came in at 6.03 feet — about the size of an 8-person tent.

Handles

One adjustable strap at the top, which I use to hang it in my tent at night, and a non-adjustable one at the bottom that I don’t really use.

Waterproofing

Rated IP67 — submersible to one meter for up to 30 minutes. I dunked it in a swimming pool for 30 minutes and it survived with not a single droplet inside.

Drop Testing

I’ve dropped it from hand height dozens of times and down a small slope, and it’s held up every single time.

Portability

• Weight 10.2 oz
• Packed size, deflated 5.9 x 5.9 x 1.5 in

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the BioLite Luci Charge 360?

Super compact

Deflated, it packs down 4 times smaller than when fully inflated.

Easy inflation and deflation

• Inflate 20–30 secondsone full breath
• Deflate 15 seconds

Very durable

On top of the waterproof and drop tests above, I put my entire weight on it and it never popped.

Great quality light

The entire lantern is frosted with a matte finish, which diffuses light nicely across a tent. The warm white is easy on the eyes with barely any glare, even with 31 LEDs inside.

Note The overall look is very minimalistic — just a round frosted cylinder of light. If you want something more vintage, see my review of the Barebones Railroad lantern.

2 types of charging

USB when car camping, or solar when there’s no electricity around — much slower, but great in a pinch.

Short warranty

Ridiculously short at just 1 year.

Handles can be improved

I pulled the bottom handle a bit too hard and it almost came clean off, so you have to baby them a little.

Can be punctured

Puncture it with something sharp and it won’t fully inflate again.

Bonus – MUST Read!

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