Sun King Pro Solar Light and Charger

When I first received the Sun King™Pro for review, I was impressed that this durable LED lantern, with its rugged solar panel and the ability to charge your USB devices, had a retail price of only $44.99. After looking past the nylon strap on the back, plus the included wire stand, I realized that while it may appear to be a simple design, there really is a lot to it.

There is so much to like about this light, I’m not sure where to start. For instance, the battery meter is an easy to read image of a battery, with green LEDs to show the state of charge. That’s fairly standard. But when you plug in the 3.3 watt solar panel, there is a second meter which indicates how well it is charging, to help you place the panel in the most efficient spot and angle, by displaying 1 to 5 bars. This takes the guesswork out of charging, so you can get a full charge in the least amount of time, as long as the sun cooperates.

Inside, there is a 2800 mAh, 3.3 volt Lithium Ferro Phosphate battery. Translation: enough juice to top up your cell phone, or provide up to 45 hours run time on a single charge on the lowest (17 lumens) setting. At the 50 lumen setting it will run for 16 hours. Turbo mode puts out 100 lumens for 8 hours, and is plenty bright. You can cycle through the settings via the easy-to-see orange rubber switch on the back of the light, opposite the in and out charging ports, which have their own rubber cover. I’ve found that on a full charge, using the battery to top up your phone cuts those run times to about half, but that’s still plenty for a weekend of camping, or an overnight power outage. When the battery gets very low, it will switch to the low power setting to extend the run time.

At 5-1/4 inches by 7-5/8 inches, the solar panel itself looks like a photo frame. A rugged, aluminum photo frame. Specs are 2.7 watts at 4.9 volts. It’s got a five meter cord attached, so you can find a good spot for it when camping. It will hold up to bad weather, so it’s also a good choice for a cabin, or even a garden shed. This panel is so efficient, I got one bar on the charger in full shade. The light itself is a durable mix of polycarbonate and ABS plastic, with an IP 64 rating. That 6 is the highest rating for solids, so no dust can get inside. The 4 tells us it can resist a splash of water with no issues, and it can be used during light rain, in a pinch.

With its frosted dome, the Sun King Pro puts out a nice soft light, which makes it perfect for use in a tent or at a table. The strap on the back also makes it easy to hang from a hook or even a tree branch. Although a bit bulky, it’s not too heavy to slip your hand under the strap, and use it to light your path to the loo. While the steel wire stand is not exactly backpack-friendly, I like the fact that you can tilt the light at any angle along one axis, from pointing straight up, to straight down. That allows it to be used for cooking, lighting a tent, or just adding a little mood lighting.

While the Sun King Pro comes with a two year warranty, the LFP battery should last five years, and I think that if the unit is taken care of, it should outlast the warranty easily. We may have dropped the light and the panel a few times, but you would not be able to tell by looking at them. It makes a great light for car camping, emergencies, or just enjoying the outdoors in the evening. And in a pinch, you can plug your phone or other device into the USB port with the included cord and adapters, and top them off, or even give them a full charge (for many small portable electronics charged via USB). That’s a big bonus on what already appears to be a well thought out light. Find it here.

– Brian