Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro Glow Review
Cons: Glow-in-the-dark doesn't work very well, hook on the bottom is not very sturdy, hard to reattach bottom after replacing batteries.
Manufacturer: Ultimate Survival Technologies
Our Verdict
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Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro Glow | |||||
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| Price | $37.82 at Amazon | $64.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $28.42 at Amazon | $29.95 at REI | $34.91 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers |
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| Pros | Very long battery life, tough and durable, provides a nice soft diffused light | Rubber-tipped legs, dimming feature, dual metal hooks for hanging, durable | Durable, packed with features, water resistant, floats | Compact and lightweight, charges other devices, versatile for individual use | Solar powered, packs up easily, bright |
| Cons | Glow-in-the-dark doesn't work very well, hook on the bottom is not very sturdy, hard to reattach bottom after replacing batteries | Could be brighter for large groups, replaceable batteries run out quickly | Can't fully adjust the amount of light output, limited to four settings, small | Difficult to hang, need outlet or battery pack to charge | Light array difficult to arrange, carrying case awkward to store |
| Bottom Line | Unmatched battery life in a traditional, durable lantern | If we could only choose one lantern, this would be it | Sweet little lantern that's tough as nails, magnetic and floats | A tiny, lightweight flashlight and lantern with USB charge in and out | A set of solar-powered string lights that bring some fun to outdoor gatherings with friends |
| Rating Categories | 30-Day Duro Glow | Black Diamond Apollo | Streamlight The Siege | Lighthouse Micro Charge | Luci Solar String Lights |
| Brightness (40%) | |||||
| Durability (20%) | |||||
| Features (20%) | |||||
| Ease Of Use (10%) | |||||
| Weight (10%) | |||||
| Specs | 30-Day Duro Glow | Black Diamond Apollo | Streamlight The... | Lighthouse Micro... | Luci Solar String... |
| Weight (with batteries) | 29.28 oz | 10.19 oz | 9.14 oz | 3.10 oz | 11.43 oz |
| Rechargeable? | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Manufacturer run time (hours) | 30 days (low) 22 hrs (high) | 24 hrs | 7 hrs (low) 37 hrs (high) | 170 hrs (low) 7 hrs (high) | 20 hrs (low) |
| Lumens | 700 | 225 | 200 | (Lantern) 150; (Flashlight) 120 | 100 |
| Size (inches) | 7.2 x 3.75 | 9.5 x 3.3 x 5.3 | 2.4 x 2.4 x 5.4 | 4 x 1.75 x 1.2 | 2 x 5 x 5 (collapsed); 18 foot long string lights |
| Number of batteries | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Battery type | D | AA | AA | Rechargeable | Rechargeable |
| Waterproof rating | "Water resistant" | IPX 4 | IPX7 | IPX6 | IPX4 |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The UST Duro Glow puts out 30 lumens on the lowest setting for 24 hours a day and just keeps going and going and going. It lasted for 33 days in our testing, using a set of generic batteries on its lowest setting. It glows in the dark, has four settings, and a sturdy, rubberized, impact-resistant base. This light scores well for its brightness and durability. It has some minor annoyances, but even so, with no glaring weaknesses, it's still towards the front of the pack.
Performance Comparison
Brightness
This light puts out a blasting 700 lumens on high and can do so for just over 22 hours. The frosted dome makes the light softer than it otherwise would be without it. The medium setting puts out 140 lumens (for up to 106 hours) and the low and SOS modes both glow at 30 lumens. You have the option of taking the dome light cover off and hanging it upside down by its plastic hook in order to illuminate a larger area with slightly more light.
It doesn't have the same dimmability as many of the other models in this review. It just goes from 700 to 140 to 30 lumens with a lot of the spectrum just getting skipped in between. However, its longevity makes it well worth keeping around.
Durability
The 30 Day Duro Glow has a rubberized housing which makes it a very durable product. UST claims that it is water-resistant, not waterproof, but we did submerge it in a river during testing and it came out totally fine.
It didn't fail during testing, but we think that hook which enables the lantern to be hung from above could be one of the first pieces to break. The lantern is relatively heavy, especially considering its 3 D batteries, and the hook is just not very sturdy plastic.
Features
The 30-Day Duro Glow has a bunch of subtle but useful features. This light has four modes; high, medium, low, and SOS strobe.
Its handle also makes it easy to carry around if you need to walk away from your campsite for a while. It glows in the dark — not as well as we would like, but just enough that you can see it a few feet away at night, say, in a tent. If you charge it up next to a very bright light source, it glows in the dark a little bit better. You can also unscrew the dome lid and hang it upside down by its plastic hook to increase the illumination area. The plastic hook is not super sturdy and bends when taking it out of its snapped-closed position. The base is hefty. Because of the grippy rubber material and the lantern's overall weight, it certainly won't slide off of a table or get knocked over easily. However, when you unscrew the bottom to replace the batteries, it is kind of difficult to put it back on.
Ease of Use
This model is fairly easy to use. Press the power button successive times to cycle through each of the light settings. The light cover detaches and attaches easily, however, we found that the battery compartment lid/bottom isn't as simple — it's just tricky to line up the two pieces to screw them together smoothly.
There are no feet at the base. However, between its weight and the gripping rubber base, we felt good about setting it down on relatively flat surfaces and confident that we weren't going to knock it over.
Weight
The 30-Day Duro Glow weighs a little under 2 pounds with three D batteries installed. It measures 7.2" tall and has a diameter of 3.75". It is not nearly as light and compact as any of the Black Diamond models we tested. This light probably isn't going to accompany you in the backcountry, but it is really trying to replace the role of a traditional propane lantern without any of the hassle, mess, or safety concerns.
Value
The 30 Day Duro Glow comes with a limited lifetime warranty. If you need something with a rockstar run time, this is your product. If its applications are right for you, then this lantern is well worth the investment.
Conclusion
We love that this light has the capability of running on low, 24 hours a day for over 30 days. On high mode, it puts out a bright 700 lumens. This lantern is sturdy and durable and would make a good addition to any car camping box, RV outdoor lighting option, or emergency kit. It earns our top award for use during power outages because of its awesome runtime.
— Ben Applebaum-Bauch