About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the light, which I purchased with my own money in February of 2018.

My take

The BioLite Sunlight 100 is a great travel light for car camping to backpacking. Anyone can use this product at any age with a simple button click.

About the gear

• Model: 2018 BioLite Sunlight
• Charging Type: Solar and electricity

Test conditions

• When I bought this: February 2018
• Days tested: 6-8 months in total
• Used for: I used this light for car camping, van life, yurt camping, hiking, backpacking, hanging around camp, in the backyard, and a power outage. Name it, and this light was probably there.
• Where I’ve used it: I used it all over the United States and now in Spain.
• Seasons I’ve used it in: I have used it in every season.

About me

• Experience: I started camping when I was a small child with my family up until college. I graduated college in 2012 and got back into camping then, so I have 10 years of experience as an adult.

How it performs

What I was looking for

When I purchased this, I was looking for a product I could charge in the sun as I would be camping out of my car in many places without electricity. I was also tight on space and wanted something small but mighty when it came to its brightness. A bonus is that it has a fun party mode and changes colors on its own.

Why I chose this gear

I chose this item because of my success with other BioLite products. The BioLite Sunlight 100 is small and doesn’t take up much space. It offers a hook for easy placement in a tent, on a pack, or to stand on a table. There are three modes: white light that can be dimmed or brightened, a full-color mode that allows me to choose one color (so if I need the red light at night, I can do so), and a party mode for a little added fun. I also know its battery life because it notifies me by blinking. When charging (whether by solar or wall charging), it blinks green when full, yellow if it is charging/dying, and red if it is almost dead. When charging in the sun, I use a small dial in the corner to find the prime spot of full sun power. It offers a 2.8 Wh (750 mAh) li-ion battery with 100 lumens for up to 50 hours of runtime, so it is nice and bright for a little light that lasts a long time. And I can charge it on the go with the power of the sun.

What I love about it

I love that it is very bright, lightweight, and not very big. It’s great to stuff anywhere, whether it’s a car camping or backpacking trip. While I love how much light it offers, I also love its party mode feature to add extra fun on trips.

• Durability: This product is very durable, although the charging port cover broke off quickly. It has been shoved in many bags, knocked around at campsites, fallen from the top of a tent, and made its way from the U.S. to Spain. I have had it for five years, and it just has some scratches on its cover. BioLite offers a one-year warranty on this product that ensures the product is free from defects in workmanship and materials under normal use. If purchasing, please read the full warranty descriptions on their website.
• Weight: This light is only 95 grams, so it's extremely light.
• Ease of Use: The button is really easy to use, but getting the correct number of times to push it to find the mode I want can be a little difficult sometimes. However, once I have it down, it's not so bad. It's also easy to hold down when I want to dim or brighten the light.
• Versatility: It not only offers white light. In fact, I can put it on a standstill color of my choice or in party mode. It has a hook that I can use to hang it or as a stand on a table or the ground.
• Reliability/Battery Life: The battery life is reliable. I have had it for five years, and it still lasts just as long as when I first got it. However, be sure to follow the six-month charge rule (which is listed in the instructions) for the best battery life.
• Car camping: This product is great for car camping because someone can use it in their tent for very bright light or set it up near their picnic table to help with cooking, playing games, or reading a book. They can also set it to party mode for a little added fun.
• Backpacking: This product is lightweight and compact, so it will not take up a lot of space in someone’s pack. Additionally, it charges via solar, so they do not need access to electricity to charge it. The battery life is about 50 hours. It offers a red light for those nights when they need to walk around camp.
• Brightness: The Sunlight has 100 lumens. It provides a ton of light, and I can dim it in white mode.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Charging Type: This is a solar charging item, but I can also charge it via an outlet. The toughest part about the solar charge is that I must continuously follow the sun for the fastest and best charging time (seven hours in full direct sunlight), just like most solar charging products. The hole used to find the perfect sunlight is in a weird spot, and it's small, so it can be hard to use.
• Other: This light is not weather resistant or waterproof.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite moment using this gear was when I snowshoed to a yurt in the backcountry of Colorado mid-winter. It was freezing. I had to cut my own wood for fires to heat the yurt and melt snow for water. The bright light made cooking and playing games easy, and the party mode added a little extra fun. The hook made it versatile to hang above me or stand on a table.

Value for the money vs. other options

The BioLite Sunlight 100 is worth the money. It is one of the best lights I have purchased. I recently moved to Spain and had to make the hard decision to get rid of most of my camping gear, but because of how small and durable this product is, it came with me. I have had it for five years and would purchase it again and recommend it to anyone. A similar product is the GoalZero Light-A-Life 350, which comes in at around $39.95, and while it offers some really cool features and higher lumens, it is heavier and bulkier. Also, it doesn’t have a party mode.

Final verdict

The BioLite Sunlight 100 is a small but mighty light at a great price. It is ideal for any kind of camping and offers some added fun in party mode.