Shoestring Adventures is excited to feature UCO Gear as our Partner-of-the-Month. UCO Gear has been making durable outdoor lighting and fire starting goods since 1971. What does UCO stand for?
Utility, Comfort, Originality
Their products have been carefully designed to include useful features that make your time in the dark more comfortable and safer. To get more familiar with their products I tested out the AIR – Lithium Ion Rechargeable Headlamp and the Rhody+ Li-Ion Lantern and below is my review!
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Rhody+ Li-Ion Lantern and AIR – Lithium Ion Rechargeable Headlamp
Disclosure: The following products were donated for the purposes of the review
AIR – Lithium Ion Rechargeable Headlamp
Features: Head strap with adjustment, internal, rechargeable Li-Ion battery (USB cable not included), adjustable brightness up to 150 lumens, beam projection of 154 ft. on high, water resistant
Battery Life: 48 minutes on high, 1.5 hours on medium, 5 hours on low
Weight: 1.6 oz
Available Colors: Black, camo, pineapple party, reflective grey, sporty stripe
Rhody+ Li-Ion Lantern
Features: Magnetic landyard strap for easy hanging, adjustable brightness, additional blue LED light mode, Rechargeable 4400 mAh Li-ion battery, USB power, water resistant
Battery Life: 13 hours on high, 150 hours on low
Weight: 10.7 oz
Available Colors: Black
Pros
Weight
Both the headlamp and the lantern are pretty light. The headlamp is so light it doesn’t even feel like it’s a headlamp. The absence of batteries helps.
Design
The headlamp is by far the most stylish headlamp I’ve ever seen! With color options like “pineapple party” and “sporty stripe” it’s clear the designer had some fun! Both the headlamp and the lantern have real wood embedded in the product. It adds a woodsy and sleek appearance. The headlamp is so stylish-looking that I’d almost wear it as an accessory during the day! The detachable magnetic string for hanging the lantern is awesome and super useful! It can be hung from a tree, tent, or many other things!
Adjustable Brightness
The “Infinity Dial” on both lights allow you to adjust the brightness of the white LED light. If you turn the dial the other way, you’ll get a red night mode light on the headlamp and a blue moonlight mode on the lantern. The colored lights are nice if you’re in a tent or a confined space where you don’t want too much light. I tested them in my bedroom (not simultaneously of course) and found the red headlamp and blue lantern the perfect amount of light.
Rechargeable
Both lights are rechargeable using a USB cord. They both came fully charged which I found useful! The lantern even has a power out function which allows you to charge an item! Awesome feature (as long as you don’t drain the lantern power without having a backup light)!
Cons
Absence of USB Cord
I was expecting the items to come with a USB cord for charging. I can’t remember the last time I received an electronic item in the mail so I might have outdated/archaic expectations. At least they came already charged!
Comfort (Headlamp)
The strap for the headlamp is made of neoprene and isn’t stretchy. It has a hook and loop adjustment which helps with the fit but it feels a little bulky. Every headlamp I’ve ever owned has had a stretchy head strap so perhaps the rigidity is just something I need to get used to.
Overall
Both the AIR – Lithium Ion Rechargeable Headlamp and the Rhody+ Li-Ion Lantern are great accessories to bring on any camping trip, evening picnic, or hike! If you go for a fun headlamp color, you’re bound to get some compliments and style points.
Photos © 2018 Shani Leead
