About this project
LuminAID Solar Inflatable Lantern and Phone Charger (2-in-1)
$279,743
3,964
The PackLite Max Phone Charger is solar inflatable lantern & phone charger. It packs flat and inflates into a lightweight, waterproof, 150 lumen lantern.
Thank you! We hit our $200k Stretch Goal, so we will be donating 1,000 lanterns to Syrian refugees on top of all of the lights pledged through the campaign. Read the update HERE.
- 2-in-1 solar lantern & phone charger
- Charges phone at the same speed as a wall outlet! 5V, 2.4Amp USB output port to recharge phones, tablets, cameras.
- Packs flat to only 1" thick and inflates into 6" cube lantern
- 150 lumen output on Turbo mode
- 50 hour max run time on Low Mode
- Two ways to recharge: 1-2 hours by micro USB or 12-14 hours by built-in high efficiency solar panel
- Use in any weather: it's waterproof, floats, and can be submerged up to 1 meter deep (IP67).
Product Specs
Multi-Purpose Lantern & Phone Charger
Perfect for emergency use when the power goes out, camping, task light, as a night light, or phone charger - the LuminAID PackLite Max Phone Charger will replace all those bulky lanterns and flashlights you have around the house.
How it Works
LuminAID invented solar inflatable technology based on a simple idea: inflating diffuses the light, similar to a lantern, and protects your eyes from harsh glare. It twists flat to less than 1" thick and inflates into a 6" cube. Lightweight, portable, waterproof, and super bright-- what else do you need?
How Bright Is It? How Long Does It Last?
A Powerful, Fast Charger -- Not Just For Phones!
Need to recharge your phone, camera, or tablet and don't have access to an outlet? No problem. The PackLite Max Phone Charger has a 5V USB output port with a fast charging output of 2.4 Amps. Its built-in 2000 mAh battery has enough capacity to recharge most cell phones 100% and give your tablet a boost.
What Can It Charge?
How Many Times Will It Recharge a Device?
An Ultralight Solar Lantern & Phone Charger
The PackLite Max Phone Charger offers the benefits of a traditional lantern and a rechargeable battery pack all in one product at less than 1/3rd the weight!
Lightweight and Waterproof, Two Ways to Recharge
The PackLite Max Phone Charger recharges by Micro-USB input in 1-2 hours or with the built-in solar panel in 12-14 hours.
Give Light, Get Light
We have worked closely with our charitable partners and customers over the last 5 years, collecting feedback and testing. From our customers, we have learned of a second ever-growing need: connectivity. There are a total of 8 billion mobile phones in the world which means there are now more phones than people. This product aims to meet two important human needs: connection & light.
Our Give Light, Get Light campaign allows our customers to purchase lights for themselves and choose to send a matching light to someone in need through one of our partner charities. Phone charging is a capacity our nonprofit partners have been asking for quite some time, and we have seen a particularly great need for refugees fleeing Syria, who use their cell phones to stay in touch with family members, find safe passage, and tell their stories.
NGO Partner: SCM Medical Missions
Our nonprofit partner SCM Medical Missions is shipping a container of relief aid supplies to Jordan at the end of March, so the first shipment of sponsored PackLite 16 lights from our campaign will be delivered to Syrian refugees in Jordan through their efforts. They have experience distributing relief supplies and medical aid to refugees in Greece and Jordan, and have sent over 1,000 of our lights to Greece already.
NGO Partner: The Karam Foundation
Our nonprofit partner The Karam Foundation is based in our hometown of Chicago, and works to support Syrian refugees through sustainable development and innovative education. This summer, they will distribute our 2-in-1 solar phone chargers to refugee children and families so that they can continue their studies after dark and stay connected to family. Karam means generosity, or giving, in Arabic. In other languages, Karam means duty. We are proud to support their good work. They have already rebuilt and sponsored 30 schools, and supported the education of 8,000 refugee children.
Our Story
We were graduate students at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture when our semester started a few weeks after the Haiti Earthquake in January 2010. We set out to design a simple, smart lighting solution that could be cost-effectively shipped in emergencies. We invented solar inflatable technology and launched LuminAID when we graduated in 2011 through a crowdfunding campaign to fund our first production run.
We pitched LuminAID on Shark Tank Season 6. LuminAID received an offer from all 5 Sharks! We chose Mark Cuban as our investor and are fortunate to work with him and his team. Read more about our Shark Tank Experience and why we went with Mark Cuban.
Custom Printed Lights
Make our lights and phone chargers your own by having us print your logo! Our solar lights and chargers are unique items that are sure to make a memorable impression at any event or as gifts for employees, customers, and supporters of your own initiatives.
Learn more about our Custom Printed Lights.
Our Team
Meet Team LuminAID! We are based in Chicago and are a hardworking team focused on delivering great service and great product. We love being able to work with such a diverse group of customers all over the world. Our customers are extremely important to us. With the support of our customers, we've been able to send over 40,000 lights to charitable partners through our Give Light, Get Light program and send tens of thousands more lights to those in need via our nonprofit customers.
In the Details
Andrea and I have been designing inflatable solar lights and perfecting our techniques since 2011. We listened to our customers and paid close attention to the materials and components going into the PackLite Max Phone Charger to ensure it out-performs other solar phone chargers on the market and is built to last.
We have a fully-functioning prototype of our PackLite Max Phone Charger, and have lined up a high-quality manufacturing partner to produce it. We have worked with this factory for the last 6 months, and they have produced our other inflatable solar lights, so we are confident in their ability to produce this product at scale, with the highest level of quality.
Rewards
Add-Ons
Want to add something extra to your reward? Pick from the options below and add those funds on top of your pledge (Kickstarter only allows you to select one reward level at a time). When the campaign ends, we'll send out a survey at the end of the campaign so you can confirm which add-ons you want. For example, if you want to add 1 PackLite Spectra ($18) on top of your $100 pledge, increase your total pledge amount to $118.
Artist Edition
We teamed up with the artist Sam Larson to create a limited number of Artist Edition PackLite Max Phone Chargers. The Artist Print will feature a mountain drawing by Sam Larson. When you turn the lantern on, the design will be backlit for a stained-glass effect. For every Artist Edition light we print, we are also donating one PackLite 16 lantern to Syrian Refugees. You can choose the Artist Edition ($50) as a reward level, or add one onto your existing pledge by adding $50 to your pledged dollar amount.
Sam Larson is an incredible artist based in Portland, Oregon. His drawings explore the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Check out his Instagram @samlarson to see more of his work!
Project Timeline
Warranty
We strive to create high-quality products with the best components. In the unlikely event that you are experiencing any difficulty with your product, just email us at orders@luminaid.com! We offer troubleshooting support and honor a 1-year warranty. Simply put, we stand by our products and always want to make sure our customers are completely satisfied.
Credits
Video Credits: Morgan Arnold, Sionnie Lafollette, Avery LaFlamme, Liv Williams, Erick Klein (Can-Do.Org) and Melissa Donovan
Photo Credits: Peter Thuli, Karam Foundation, Twendy Solar, Avery LaFlamme, SCM Medical Missions
Risks and challenges
We bring six years of design and manufacturing experience to this project, and have a strong relationship with our manufacturing partner, so we aim to make production and delivery as efficient as possible. We have finished prototypes of the PackLite Max Phone Charger that are fully-functional, and have sourced all of the materials needed for our first production run so that it can be placed as soon as we are ready. To speed things up for our backers, we have ordered the initial raw materials to reduce lead times and be able to ship the first units to customers in April.
With the Give Light, Get Light component of our project, there is the possibility that travel or shipping policies may impact the distribution timeline. We have been distributing our PackLite 16 lanterns all over the world to nonprofits in the tens of thousands, and the charities we work with have experience with the lights and customs/shipping requirements if applicable. As a backup, we have an existing grassroots network of volunteers and small nonprofits who would be willing to hand-carry lights if necessary. This is how many of our lights have been carried into disaster zones when normal shipping channels are unavailable.
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Funding period
- (26 days)