Energizer LED Lanterns Use Diffusion to Bright Effect

Energizer LED Lanterns Use Diffusion to Bright Effect

Brought to you by Energizer®. Click here to learn more about Energizer® Portable Lights with Light Fusion Technology.

Energizers new LED Lights with Light Fusion Technology
Energizer’s® new LED Lights with Light Fusion Technology

I’ve been playing with three new portable lighting products from Energizer®: the Energizer® LED Folding Lantern, Energizer® LED Pop Up Lantern, and the Energizer® LED 3 in 1 Light all use something they call “Light Fusion Technology” (LFT) to deliver the light from some high-output LEDs to interesting effect. What is this LFT? Well, it’s actually rather simple. They project the LED light at a right angle through textured clear plastic surfaces to create unidirectionally diffused lighting. The effect creates a glow of light, rather than a focused beam.

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All three units have slightly different uses. The Folding Lantern is the powerhouse; running off 8 AA batteries and putting out a strong glow. I took it outside after sundown to use as a reading light in the dark. I pulled out one of our deck chairs, and put the Folding Lantern on a small table. It was a perfect companion for a little quiet time outside.

The LED Pop Up Lantern is a bit more of a niche item— turned on, it looks like an old-fashioned liquid-fuel camp lantern (albeit about 1/4 scale). It mostly feels like something a kid might take to camp, to light up their pup tent or their bunk in the cabin. I’m going to give it to my younger son, and see if it ends up becoming his “reading under the covers” light.

The LED 3 in 1 Light actually seemed to be the most versatile to me, working both as a flashlight and a work/room light. Indeed, I had to do some challenging work over the weekend on the drain to our washer out in the garage. While we have overhead fluorescents to light the room, the corner where the drain stubs up is rather dark. I put the LED 3 in 1 Light on a stand next to the drain, and it provided all the room light I needed to do the bulk of the job (which sadly involved fishing a snake down a dark pipe to stop some rather annoying overflows), while a couple of times I switched it over to flashlight mode so I could actually look down the pipe. Handy!

The three lights turning an otherwise black room into a bright workspace.
The three lights turning an otherwise black room into a bright workspace.

All three units are a solid heavy-duty plastic, and all have rubberized handles that make them pretty grippy. All their electronics are gasketed, making them “weather resistant.” So, you don’t want to drop them in the lake, but the mud or a rainy night in camp is probably OK.

My top three ideas for fun or practical use of these lights:

  • The LED Folding Lantern is made for backyard camping, and could be perfect to use as a backlight to a white sheet for a shadow-puppet show.
  • Hang the LED Pop Up Lantern from the end of a pole, and use it to lead small kids around on Halloween.
  • Make sure every family member has a LED 3 in 1 Light on their nightstands. It can be a “late night sneak to the fridge” flashlight, as well as the perfect “power is out, keep the closet monsters at bay” lantern.

Brought to you by Energizer®. Click here to learn more about Energizer® Portable Lights with Light Fusion Technology.

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Ken is the Grand Nagus of GeekDad.com. He's a husband and father from the SF Bay Area, and has written three books filled with projects for geeky parents and kids to share.

View more articles by Ken Denmead
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