REVIEW: BioLite AlpenGlow 250 Lantern

BioLite continues to deliver useful, well-designed, and thoughtful products with the AlpenGlow 250—a rechargeable lantern for use around the home or while camping. The lamp is lightweight, produces an incredibly bright light, and has a dizzying array of features and modes. But in true BioLite fashion, it is also easy and fun to use, making it a must have for any gear closet.

Brightness (5) ★★★★★

As you might have guessed, the “250” in the AlpenGlow 250’s name is the number of lumens it produces on its highest setting. That’s plenty bright for most outdoor settings, although those who feel they need more light can bump up to the AlpenGlow 500 instead. When running at its highest setting, the lantern has a burn time of about five hours. Drop it down to its lowest brightness level however and it can run for up to 200 hours on a single charge, while still putting off enough light to illuminate a tent, RV, or cabin.

Design (4) ★★★★

The AlpenGlow 200 features a durable and functional design. It is nicely sized to fit in the palm of your hand and with a weight of just 7.4 ounces (210 grams) it doesn’t add a lot of bulk to your pack either. The lantern comes with a built-in hook for hanging it up inside a tent and it is IPX4 rated for resisting rain and splashing. My only knock on the design is that the lamp still uses a micro-USB port for charging. As most of the world makes the transition to USB-C as a standard charging port, it would be nice to see future versions of the AlpenGlow make the change as well.

Features (5) ★★★★★

Users will love all of the features that BioLite has packed into the AlpenGlow. In addition to its standard lantern mode—complete with two brightness settings—the lantern can shift its lamp to a warmer white light that is easier on the eyes and provides more natural color tones at night. The light also has the ability to change colors or cycle through its various colors as well. The AlpenGlow can even simulate the flicker of a candle or combine multiple colors in party mode. Changing these modes is as simple as lightly shaking the lantern.

The AlpenGlow 250’s 3200 mAh battery pack keeps it nicely powered up and running for hours at a time. Recharging the battery when it’s empty requires about 2.5 hours in total. The device even has a charging port to plug in a smartphone or other small device and charge it up while on the go. Best of all, the lantern can be paired with BioLite’s SiteLights to create an even more elaborate outdoor lighting solution.

Overall (5) ★★★★★

The AlpenGlow 250 is a versatile, powerful, and bright lantern to have at your disposal. While it is certainly designed for travel and backcountry adventures, chances are you’ll find plenty of other uses for it as well. It makes for great mood lighting when just hanging around the house or backyard and it is even a good light source to keep in your vehicle. The plethora of features and functions makes it a lot of fun to use and its light weight allows it to be carried to just about any campsite, even for some diehard ounce counters.

Priced at $59.95, the AlpenGlow is a great addition to any home, RV, tent, or car. Its various modes and incredible versatility is sure to make it a favorite piece of gear for many. Find out more on the BioLite website.