Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro 2
Rs 2,300
Greenlight Planet aims to harness the power of the sun by day, subsequently bringing light to areas off the power grid by night. The Pro 2 version is a quick and affordable way to become a little less dependent on BSES or DESU or TATA or DVB or whatever company provides load-shedding-infested power to our homes. The LED lamp has an inbuilt battery that can last all night; it’ll charge a phone and produce light bright enough to serve your basic needs.
We left the lamp out to charge through day, under sunlight. It’s a relief that the cable to the lamp is long enough to keep the solar panel out while the lamp’s battery gets charged inside, also charging a phone or lighting up the room at the same time. We were also surprised to find that even on a cloudy day, the solar panel managed to charge the lamp to its full capacity.
The Sun King Pro 2 is light, comes with a stand, and is also quite reliable, equipped as it is with a water resistant enclosure, and a LiPo battery that should last you five years. There are three modes of operation on the lamp: The main unit can be strapped to the hand, set up on a flat surface, or placed on the easy-to-hang stand. The lamp can operate in three different brightness modes, and can last for up to two days at its dimmest setting. The Pro 2 also features a USB port that can charge a phone.
However, it can’t charge the phone to its full capacity so using that function during the day, when the light lasts, is advisable (although it does a reasonable job with the lamp switched off), and reading under the light of the lamp is comfortable only at maximum brightness. So, don’t expect it to do everything. The Pro 2 can be a great companion for vacations and camping excursions. Keep an eye on the battery level indicator to make sure you always have some juice left for emergencies. If the price isn’t quite right for you, though, Sun King has an entire range of Greenlight Planet lamps starting at Rs 650.