The Biolite Sunlight 100 is a great lightweight, versatile and sustainable option for all your hiking and camping trips. Read my hands-on review of the BioLite Sunlight 100 camping light below!
The pro’s and cons
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Several colours and dimming function
USB & solar charge with sundial
360 degree kickstand
Affordable!
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Need internet for first-time setup
USB cable not supplied
Hands-on review of the Biolite Sunlight 100
The Biolite Sunlight 100 has been with me throughout all of my camping trips! From lightweight hiking to staying in one place for several weeks. It is a lightweight (95 gr.), versatile option that never left me in the dark. From charging on the back of my pack, to disco parties in the tent (to be honest, I’ve never seriously used the discofunction). The BioLite Sunlight 100 has a nice dimming feature, but also provides plenty of light to find everything in your tent and your pack. I’m extremely happy with it – here’s my hands-on review of the BioLite Sunlight 100 camping light.
Weight & packed size
The BioLite 100 is a very lightweight and relatively small light to bring with you on backpacking trips. It easily fits in or on your pack, but also in your back pocket for easy acces. It comes in at 95 gr, which makes it one of the lightest options compared to other camping lights on the market (such as the Black Diamon Apollo, BioLite Alpenglow 500 and Coleman Rugged Rechargeable).
Ease of use
The Biolite is extremely easy to use. With only one button you can use all functionalities. Just click it and it turns on, hold it and it dims and double-click to use the multi colour mode. Furthermore, it has a 360-degree kickstand which enables you to put it in all kinds of angles, either for solar charging or for using it as a light. The kickstand also has a well-invented litte hook that you can attach to any cord in your tent.
The only downside I found with this light is that for first-time use the instruction manual directs you towards a video on a website. The lamp is in demo made, which means it cycles through different modes and then shuts off. The solution for this is to press and hold for 10 seconds to get out of demo mode. Since I didn’t have internet at that time to look at the video, I couldn’t set it up. So make sure to do this at home before your first trip!
Weather resistance & durability
The lamp is IPX4 rated, which means that it can withstand some rain and splashing. I’ve never really tested this feature, but I trust BioLite about this. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t put this light outside in the rain, just because I love it too much! The BioLite sunlight 100 also has a quite robust plastic casing, which shouldn’t pop or deflate and can withstand some wear and tear.
Battery life & charging
For me the battery life of this light has always been more than enough. After a long-day of hiking I spend some time in the tent sorting things out, playing a game and perhaps reading a book. Usually this takes only 2-3 hours at most. During the day the light charges again. Before my trips I also always charge it at home. This takes 2 hours, but leaves you with 50 hours of run time in low mode and about 3 hours in high intensity mode I believe (I always use low or medium intensity). Solar charging takes a bit long (approximately 7 hours), but if you put the light on your pack for a day or leave it in a see-through tent this is totally fine.
Overall
Overall I would definitely recommend to buy the BioLite Sunlite 100 for your hiking and camping trips. It is relatively cheap, lightweight, extremely easy to use and provides you with a nice warm light for some a cosy atmosphere in the tent. It also has quite a big solar panel and charges with USB. If you’re looking for a light that also charge other devices (yes they exist!) such as your phone, you could consider the Black Diamond Apollo. But I always have a powerbank with me for this!
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