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See the 14 tests

1. In the box
2. Charging input & battery
3. Charging output
4. Light modes
5. Lumen output
6. Run times
7. Shine distance
8. Light quality
9. Handle
10. Charger storage
11. Portability
12. IP rating
13. Drop testing
14. Warranty
15. Pros, cons, recommendations
16. Bonus – MUST read!

In the Box

Here’s everything I got in the box after buying the Coleman Rugged Rechargeable Lantern:

• Coleman Rugged 400 lantern (batteries are in-built)
• Instructions
• Charging cable in charger storage
• USB plug adapter

Charging Input & Battery

Peel off the rubber flap at the back and you’ll find 2 ports — a micro-USB input on top, a regular USB-A output below.

• Full charge 6 hrs 15 minindicator turns red while charging, green when done
• Battery In-builtno removable pack, and no solar panel option

Charging Output

The USB-A output charges phones and other devices. Here’s what I got with my iPhone 12 from a full charge:

• Day 1 63% charge in 2 hrs 5 min
• Day 2 16% charge in 40 min
• Total 79% charge
• Leftover light 45 min on high, or 3.5 hrs on low
• Estimated capacity 3,500–4,000 mAhColeman doesn’t publish a capacity, so this is my own estimate

The connection got spotty near the end, dropping in and out — usually a sign the battery is nearly flat.

Light Modes

A switch in the middle gives just 2 modes — low to the left, high to the right. It isn’t dimmable beyond the low setting.

Lumen Output

Lighting mode	Official specs	My testing
High	400 lumens	675 lumens
Low	100 lumens	178 lumens

Run Times

Lighting mode	Official specs	My testing
High	4 hours	4.25 hours
Low	20 hours	20.75 hours

The official specs are pretty accurate here. Good for you, Coleman.

Shine Distance

Lighting mode	Official specs	My testing
High	12 meters	8.6 feet
Low	6 meters	6.9 feet

Light Quality

Coleman doesn’t specify a color temperature. The lantern was a little glaring up close even on low — the inside LED casing could be more frosted to soften it.

Handle

A single big handle at the top, the perfect size for most hands and comfy to carry.

It isn’t detachable, so I couldn’t hook it into a tent directly — but a carabiner solves that.

Charger Storage

The storage compartment at the bottom is the perfect size for the charging cable plus a few smaller items.

Portability

• Weight 21.8 oz lantern only, without the cable in its base
• Packed size 5 x 5.5 x 10.5 in

Note For comparison, the lightest USB-rechargeable lantern I own (excluding solar) is the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini at a mere 8 ounces.

IP Rating

The Coleman is rated IPX4 — protected from splashing water at any angle, so it takes rain decently well, but it isn’t fully waterproof.

I put it through 30 minutes of heavy rain and it still worked fine afterward, though water got in near the USB port because the black flap isn’t the most watertight.

Drop Testing

I’ve dropped it a few times and everything held up — though the charger storage at the bottom pops open and everything falls out.

Warranty

It has a 3-year warranty, which is decently long.

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Coleman Rugged 400?

Easy to use

If you want a lantern with a simple on-off switch and nothing else, this is the way to go. It took me 2 seconds to get the hang of it.

Lifetime LEDs

It charges via USB rather than taking batteries like most Coleman lanterns, so it’s more environmentally friendly — and the lifetime LEDs never need replacing, according to Coleman.

Lighting area of 232 sq. ft.

• Lighting area on high 232 sq. ft.a 14-person tent is about 230 sq. ft.
• Lighting area on low 149.6 sq. ft.the Coleman WeatherMaster 10 is about 143.6 sq. ft.

Cable storage

The charging cable storage at the bottom is unique and interesting to have.

Bulky

It can afford that cable storage because it’s a bulky lantern — and that’s the least of the problems.

Low mode is too bright

The biggest issue is too few light modes. Low comes in at 178 lumens, which is way too bright for me at night — once your eyes adjust to the dark it’s blinding. I’m used to a 0 to 10-lumen low setting for just a little illumination.

Short run time

Because low is so bright, the max run time on low is under 21 hours — not great for an extended power outage.

No emergency mode

There’s no flashing or SOS mode, which most other lanterns have.

No battery life indicator

There’s no battery indicator at all, so you can’t tell how much charge is left at any time.

Bonus – MUST Read!

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