ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

If you enjoy spending time outdoors while barbecuing or camping, or if you simply find yourself suffering through periodic power outages, having a reliable LED lantern on hand makes sense. The ECOXGEAR EcoLantern gives you 360º sound as well as a 400 Lumens bi-directional light. It’s portable, versatile, and it will even charge your mobile phone.

ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

Included in the box are the EcoLantern, a microUSB to USB charging cable, a wall charger, and a quick start guide.

Features:

  • IP67 Waterproof / Shock Resistant
  • Shock Resistant, Submersible, & Floats
  • 400 Lumen Wide Pattern White Lantern Light
  • Up to 20 Hours of Play Time
  • 5V USB Charge Out Port
  • Music & Light Controls
  • 5W Speaker with 360° Sound
  • Bi-Directional Light Control
  • Modes: White, Red, Party, and Emergency
  • Integrated Bottle Opener
  • Bluetooth 4.2 streams audio wirelessly from up to 100 feet away via your Smartphone, tablet or any Bluetooth enabled device.

The ECOXGEAR EcoLantern measures approximately 10.4″ tall by 3.6″ wide, and it weighs 26 ounces. It has ruggedized rubber ridges at the top and bottom, and it has three main sections composed of milky white plastic, rubberized matte black plastic, and an orange metallic speaker grille. It feels very solidly built, although I wouldn’t recommend throwing it on a pile of rocks unless you don’t mind possibly cracking the milky plastic.

ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

There is a small ECOXGEAR patch glued to the bottom front of the EcoLantern.

A thick, orange, rubber-coated wire loop is built into the top; it can be used to hang the lantern from a hook or as a handle.

ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

On the metal bottom, there is a built-in bottle opener.

ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

The ECOXGEAR EcoLantern is IP67 rated, so it is able to handle (and survive) rain, dirt, and snow; it can even be submerged in water.

On the back, there is a screw off cover that is held in place with a nylon strap. Under the cover, there is a 5V/2.1A fast-charge USB-out charging port for your phone, an Audio/Aux-in port for non-Bluetooth music devices, an on/off switch, and a microUSB charging port. Obviously, the cap needs to be screwed on for the water and dust-proof qualities to work, so you’ll only want to have it off when necessary.

On the front, there is a lot going on. Let’s start at the top with the microphone (yes, the lantern can operate as a speakerphone), then there are two LEDs that will glow to show when EcoConnect is in use and when Bluetooth is in use. Last are the four charging bars with LEDs that will blink blue as they charge the internal battery in 25% increments, glowing solid as the battery is filled.

Under the LEDs, there is a circular button panel. In the middle, there is an option to turn the light on or off; this button also has four modes. Mode 1 will turn the lantern off, Mode 2 will make the lantern 360º, Mode 3 will make the lantern glow 180º on the back, and Mode 4 will make the lantern glow 180º on the front. Under the lantern power button is an option to turn the speaker on or off.

At the top of the circular buttons, there is a lantern brightness toggle for up or down. Going clockwise, the Mode button controls the lantern’s five modes, which are Mode 1: warm white light, Mode 2: red light, Mode 3: color fade (cycles through red, green, blue, and purple lights), Mode 4: music sync colors (pulsates in various colors with the music you are playing), and Mode 5: emergency (which flashes red and white lights). Continuing clockwise, there is a Play/Pause/Answer button which when pressed once pauses or plays the current song, or answers mobile calls (when the phone is connected via Bluetooth) followed by the volume up and volume down buttons. On the bottom left, there are forward and back track selection buttons. The Bluetooth button works to connect multiple devices to the lantern; the ECOXGEAR EcoLantern will remember the last device that was paired, and it will automatically search for past connections when turned on or when a previously connected device comes back in range. The last button is EcoConnect, which allows you to pair two ECOXGEAR EcoLanterns together for stereo sound.

ECOXGEAR EcoLantern: 360º Waterproof Rugged Speaker & Lantern

The first time the ECOXGEAR EcoLantern is turned on (via the switch on the back, under the cap), and the speaker button has been pressed, the speaker will announce, “speaker on, ready to connect.” Once you’ve paired it with your device, it will say, “connection successful.” Should you need to connect additional speakers (or if ready to connect isn’t announced), you can trigger pairing by pressing the Bluetooth button.

Music played through the speaker is loud enough to fill a tent or create a sound envelope at the pool or on your back deck, but considering the size of the speaker, it’s only fair that you not expect it to produce bass-thumping party music that will fill your backyard. For what it is, it does very well.

It takes about 3 hours to fully charge the ECOXGEAR EcoLantern, and once fully charged, battery life will depend upon how you are using the lantern. It has a 4,400mAh Lithium-Ion battery that will give you about 20 hours of music playback time at 75% volume and about 8 hours of lantern light at 50% brightness, but you will substantially cut down on both times if you use it to charge your mobile device.

Portable LED lanterns are definitely something that you want to have on hand when you are camping, but they usually get put away until you leave home or there is an unexpected power outage. I like that ECOXGEAR has created a durable lantern with a built-in speaker, because it gives you an excuse to keep it out of the storage shed, kept on hand. Whether you are at the beach, camping, hiking, or hanging out on your back deck (in any weather), the ECOXGEAR EcoLantern is a great option for sound and music.

 

The ECOXGEAR EcoLantern retails for $129.99, and it is available directly from the manufacturer and from other retailers including Amazon [affiliate link]. 

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Rugged lantern that has 400-Lumens LED light and options for multiple light effects including a safety flasher; 360º sound that will fill your tent; Built-in top hanger; Built-in mobile phone charger; IP67 rated for water, dust, snow, and submersion; Great item to keep on hand whether you are camping or not; Can pair with multiple Bluetooth devices; Built-in bottle opener

What Needs Improvement: Nothing, it works as advertised

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.