Frequently Asked Questions

What is my light made of?

LuminAID lights are made of a durable material called TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). This material is 100% PVC-free and phthalate-free. Each light contains a a high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar panel, LED circuit, and a lithium-ion battery.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a type of halogenated plastic that contains two known human carcinogens: vinyl chloride and dioxin. These carcinogens are not only emitted in large quantities during production, but also on the plastic itself. Vinyl chloride is an essential component of PVC that is not used in any other plastic. Dioxin is a bio-accumulative substance that builds up over time in human bodies, and emissions from PVC are higher than other plastics. As LuminAID lights are meant to be safe for the entire family and inflated with direct contact to the plastic valve, LuminAID Lab is happy to produce 100% PVC-free lights.

Lumens are a standard unit used for measuring brightness of lights, while watts are a unit for measuring the amount of electricity required to power an electrically-powered object. In lightbulbs, watts are used to signify how much energy is required to power the bulb. Therefore, more energy-efficient lightbulbs may use fewer watts to produce the same number of Lumens (brightness). 

As LuminAID lights are solar-powered and do not depend on an electrical grid, it is more relevant to provide the number of Lumens that our lights produce. That way, we may explain how bright the light they produce is and how large of a space they can illuminate. Our PackLite Hero is our highest-performing light, and on it’s brightest Turbo setting of 300 lumens, it is able to light up a 300 sq. ft. space! Many of our customers find it comparable with battery-powered lanterns and easier to maintain.

Our lanterns have been independently tested and verified to have a CRI of 70. Color temperature varies by product. The PackLite Hero, Max, and Nova have a color temperature of about 5950K.

Yes! We offer custom printing of corporate logos, designs, or instructions on the all of our lanterns. This option is available for orders of 120+ units, and you can learn more on our Custom Print page for pricing and further details.

We design and build our lights for disaster relief first and expect them to last in even the harshest environments. The lights can be recharged and used every day for multiple years. The product has a lithium-ion battery which has 500+ recharge cycles at optimum efficiency, but can be recharged many times over 500. Similar to your cell phone, after a few years, you may see a slight decrease in battery life (run time of the lantern). 

Our lanterns are powered by the sun, so you don’t have to rely on any non-renewable energy sources to light your adventure. LuminAID PackLite Series lanterns collapse to just 20% of their inflated size which greatly decreases the carbon emissions associated with shipping to our warehouses, retail partners, and online shoppers. Our products are designed to last! With an IP67 waterproof rating and constructed from durable TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), most of the lanterns sold 5+ years ago are still going strong. Unlike PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a similar plastic material, TPU does produce or contain lead, dioxin, phthalates, or any other poisons that are hard to pronounce. This means both our users and the fish near our factories are free from harm. Finally, our products can be responsibly recycled at any local electronics drop-off.

All of our packaging is small, lightweight, and recyclable to reduce environmental impact from start to finish. Our PackLite Series products are packaged in plastic PE bags that can be responsibly recycled at any drop-off recycling center. Our Smart Solar Garden products are packaged in printed cardstock with a PET window and can be recycled curbside.