Harbor Freight's Waterproof Lantern Also Charges Your Phone, But How Well Does It Work? Here's What Users Say

When it comes to your camping trip, you want to be conservative about your backpack — ensuring that you pack the easily forgotten camping essentials while leaving behind anything that adds extra, unnecessary weight you'll have to haul around. As a result, you may find yourself reaching for products that can pull double-duty, freeing up space in your bag for other camping trip must-haves. Fortunately, if you're in need of a lantern, there are a variety of 2-in-1 products to choose from.

Harbor Freight offers a waterproof LED lantern that's also a battery bank through the brand name BRAUN. This 2-in-1 lantern produces 2000 lumens with a specified runtime varying from 6 to 50 hours depending on usage. It also has a built-in storage compartment for smaller items like keys or change, saving more space in your bag while packing, and keeping them safe and secure. The lantern can also be used to charge phones and USB-connected devices (though you may need adapters for some connections).

Overall, Harbor Freight's lantern and battery bank appears to be well-liked by consumers, having received a 4.8-star rating across over nearly 130 reviews on Harbor Freight's website at the time of writing. To understand the full extent of what customers thought about this multi-use lantern, we wanted to note both the positive and negative experiences individuals had. This included looking beyond the ratings to see if those who left a positive rating mentioned any negative features.

Currently, 98% of the reviews are positive, including one from a verified buyer who said, "The spotlight and flashlight are useful onshore. I use the red light and SOS light when boating and fishing at night. Runs a long time on a full charge." While many reviews revolved around the functionality of the lantern, several also touched on the battery bank feature for this product. For example, another verified buyer included in their review that this lantern is "very bright and charges [their] phone no problem."

However, while there was praise for the BRAUN's battery bank capabilities, a few customers did report problems with this feature in their reviews. Username Swampthing, a verified buyer, left a 5-star review for this lantern with positive remarks for the light output but did include this note in their review: "I couldn't get it to charge my phone like it stated." Another verified buyer on the Harbor Freight website shared a similar experience in their review: "I have an Apple phone and thought I'd use my charger to charge it. NEGATIVE GHOST RIDER! Oh well, it's still a great little light!" In some cases this may come down to having the right connector adaptors.

In all, the BRAUN lantern and battery bank received high praises for its lighting capabilities, as well as its long battery life. However, there were mixed reviews with its battery bank feature, with some individuals unable to charge their devices. It's essential to test your camping supplies before you venture into the wilderness, helping you avoid one of the biggest camping mistakes when packing gear. If you're interested in the BRAUN lantern and bank, you can purchase it from Harbor Freight for around $48.