Light Up the Darkness with a MalloMe™ Lantern
Power outages don't normally warn you before they occur. Your power can fail any time -- not just in stormy weather when you might be half expecting an outage. All it takes is for a car to hit a power line. Suddenly you may be in the dark -- unless you have an emergency light supply handy.
As I learned one day, even birds on a power line can cause a short. Two weeks ago I learned a fuse can blow out in a transformer in my neighborhood. That day we lost power for four hours. These men were fixing the problem.
The Night the Lights Went Out
Silly me! There we were watching TV. There was a popping sound that silenced the TV and knocked out all the power. We had one flashlight within reach. I didn't even know where the candles were. After scrounging through the cupboards I found a few, but they weren't really suitable. I had to use them anyway since my camping lanterns were all at our other house. I hadn't thought to bring them here.
Except for those candles and a couple of flashlights, we were in the dark. Fortunately, the outage only lasted about an hour. It was a wake-up call. The next day the power was off during the day for about four hours. When it came back on I was off to Amazon to prepare myself for the next failure. I bought several more flashlights and these wonderful MalloMe™ LED Lanterns.
Why Did I Choose the MalloMe™ Lanterns?
I wanted lanterns that were powered by AA batteries and were easy to operate. They needed to be small and lightweight. I wanted them to be able to hang or to stand on a table. These lanterns met my requirements. In addition, they are built with military grade water-resistant materials.
The lanterns in my photo above are about 2/3 of the actual size. With the handles all the way up, these are ten inches high. When they are fully collapsed for storage with the handles down they are only 4.9 inches high. Their footprint is just 3.46 inches in diameter. They are about the size of a soft drink can, but a tad wider.
Getting My Lanterns Ready to Use
The package was user-friendly. Unlike the flashlights I ordered, these lanterns came in an easy-to-open cardboard box. I didn't hurt myself trying to open it. Each lantern had its own compartment and all I had to do was pull them out of the box -- not pry off clamshells to get at them.
I bought a box of four, each in a different color. That makes it easy to tell them apart if necessary. Each color could be assigned to a different family member. One can also keep track of when batteries are changed in each lantern more easily.
The Amazon description page said there would be two light colors, but mine were all white -- the way I like them. There was also mention of a marshmallow roasting and Smores making recipe ebook at no extra charge, but I can't find a way to access it. It seems someone used the description of the two-pack on the page for the four-pack. I don't really care about getting the book, so it doesn't matter to me.
Inserting the batteries is easy. Just unscrew the bottom of the lantern to expose the battery compartment. Then insert the three AA batteries (not included) as clearly indicated. The lid as pictured here is larger than the actual size.
Now screw the lid back on and you are ready to roll.
Operating the MalloMe™ LED Lanterns
To turn the lantern on, pull the handles up. What could be easier! To adjust the amount of light, just move the handles up and down to expose more of the lantern or shield it.
How Much Light Can You Expect to Get?
I took some photos to show you. First, let's see how dark the bathroom is with only a rechargeable flashlight plugged in. It's a pretty good night light, and it turns into a flashlight when the power goes out. It also gives light when it's recharging. I bought two of those at the same time I bought the MalloMe™ LED Lanterns. For some reason the light reflects twice against the shower door, multiplying the light.
The flashlight is plugged into the wall by the door and you can't see it here. It's behind me as I take the picture.
The lantern is on the top of the toilet. I unplugged the rechargeable flashlight before taking this photo. The lantern provides enough light to do what one needs to do in the bathroom safely. One can still brush teeth, wash hands, etc.
Since the lantern has a stable bottom it can sit on any flat surface. It can also hang if you have a place to hang it. You can also easily carry it to a different room. We can carry them wherever we need to go, so four is enough. My husband found it gave him enough light to read by. I can use my Kindle's light for reading.
Where Can I Use These Lanterns?
You can use them in the house, in the garage, in a workshop, or outdoors. Although I purchased these to use indoors during power outages, they are really camping lanterns. They are light enough to go in a backpack, and they don't take up much room. They are perfect for lighting tents. They are described as water resistant. Some reviewers have used them in rain with no damage.
I can see they would be great to have in the car in case we have a problem on the road. I think I'll also take one along next time we go to a motel, since they are easier to carry to the bathroom than a flashlight and will stand flat. Normally we use a flashlight because we don't want to wake each other during the wee small hours.
My Opinion of the MalloMe™ LED Lanterns
I am very happy with this purchase. I'm actually sorry that I didn't buy more of these and I probably will buy another set later. The light is bright enough to keep us functional during power outages and it spreads in all directions, unlike a flashlight. Here I turned out all the lights in the family room at night. All the light comes from the lantern. I did not use a flash to take this photo. Unfortunately, the lantern gave enough light for you to see my husband's stack of stuff he's supposed to sort to see what we can get rid of.
I like the small size and the light weight that makes these lanterns so portable. Even with batteries, they are not heavy. Though they are light, they are not flimsy. They take very little storage space. Their simple design and attractive colors help them blend into the rooms where I want to keep them.
I have hidden a couple in the family room. Photo A has a lantern on the mantle. If I didn't have the handles up you might not see it at all. I shot from a different angle in Photo C to make the lantern clearly visible. Photo B is the top of the TV cabinet. I shot from an angle to make the lantern obvious. In Photo D I almost hid it. You wouldn't notice it at all if you were looking straight at the photos from the front.
I really appreciate how easy it was to get these ready to use. Compared to the heavy camping lanterns we bought years ago that we keep at our rural house, these are much more convenient to set up and use. No pouring of fuels or priming. No odd-sized batteries. The lanterns use the same AA batteries (not included) that I keep on hand for my flashlights, computer keyboard, and mouse. Some reviewers use rechargeable batteries.
I highly recommend these to anyone who needs a temporary light supply inside or out. I am very glad I bought them. Get a set or two of these and you'll be prepared to see your way around whether you have electric power or not.
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