The Black Diamond Apollo rechargeable lantern has been one of the best rechargeable lanterns on the market for a few years now. With it’s solid build, high performance and useful features, it still remains one of the best rechargeable lanterns on the market.
While I had my doubts about this lantern at first, after using it on a few trips it has become one of my favorite go to lanterns and will be a piece of gear that I use for a long time on future camping trips.
Check Out Our Post On The Best Rechargeable Lanterns to see even more great lanterns.
Overview of The Black Diamond Apollo Rechargeable Lantern
| Editor’s Rating | 33/35 |
| Brightness | ★★★★★ 250 Lumens high, 10 lumens low |
| Battery Life | ★★★★★ 6 – 30 hrs on internal battery, 18 – 120 with AAA batteries |
| Weight / Size | ★★★★★ 12 oz – 3.3 x 5.3 inches |
| Durability | ★★★★★ |
| Features | ★★★★ Device charging, Hi – Low, Folding legs |
| Ease Of Use | ★★★★★ |
| Overall Value | ★★★★ |
| Price | $64.95 |
| Purchase | Purchase at REI |
Pros
- 250 Lumens
- 6-30 Hour Run Time on internal battery
- Backup batteries for additional run time
- Can charge devices like phones
- Retractable legs make for easy positioning
- Soft diffused light is easy on the eyes
Cons
- Expensive price tag for a rechargeable lantern
- Can’t recharge in the field without a separate power source
Editor’s Opinion
The Black Diamond Apollo is a fantastic rechargeable lantern that hits all the right notes for campers. It is light weight, small, offers a bright 250 lumens, and has great battery life to last your entire trip.
Purchase
You can purchase the Black Diamond Apollo rechargeable lantern at REI.
About The Black Diamond Rechargeable Lantern
Brightness
The Black Diamond Apollo offers plenty of light for small or large groups. The frosted casing makes the light easy on the eyes and perfect for a dark night.
With a max of 250 lumens of brightness, you should be fine either lighting up your tent, a small campsite or the trail in front of you.
Battery Life
The Apollo is unique in that it is the only rechargeable lantern that we tested that also offered replaceable battery backup power.
The internal battery should give you up to 6 hours on high and 30 hours on low, which is pretty good by it’s self.
With the added battery backup, you can run the lantern on high for an additional 18 hours and on low for an additional 120 hours.
Personally, I have not added extra batteries to my lantern yet and don’t see this as something I will be doing. For me, the best part of rechargeable lanterns is that I don’t have to worry about replacing the batteries. That being said, I do see this as a nice feature to offer and a small set of batteries will give you a lot of extra lantern life.
Battery / Charging
With the included USB cable, you can have the internal battery charged in roughly 8 hours.
Weight / Size
The Black Diamond Apollo really shines when it comes to weight and size. Of all the rechargeable lanterns I’ve reviewed, the Apollo isn’t the smallest (check out the Biolite Sunlight or the Black Diaomond Re-Moji), but at 12 oz, it is light weight and the 3.3″ x 5.3″ packing size is great for all types of camping.
I wouldn’t have a problem packing the Apollo on any lightweight trips to use as my main campsite light source. It would also be great on any car camping trips as well.
Durability
The Black Diamond Apollo comes across as a really well built lantern. I’ve taken it on a couple of camping trips and have not experienced any issues.
It has an IPX4 water rating, meaning that is is water resistant to splashing/rain from every direction.
The legs, which I though would be a concern, are completely solid and won’t detach from the lantern.
Features
At first glance, the Apollo lantern is simple and sleek, but on a second look, it is full of great features.
First, the ability to have AAA backup power is great for those long camping trips where you won’t have a power source to recharge the lantern.
Next, as with many rechargeable lanterns, the ability to charge a phone or other device can always come in handy in case of an emergency (or you need to get a couple last pictures!).
Last, the built in legs and hooks at the top of the lantern come in extremely handy when hanging the lantern in your tent or trying to set it up on uneven ground.
Ease of Use
While not difficult to use, the Black Diamond Apollo is probably one of the more tedious to control lanterns that I have used.
All operations are done by one button, but while many other single button controled lanterns are easy, this one comes across as confusing.
I had to get the directions out of the packaging to be able to figure out the different button press combinations to get the lantern to cycle through different modes such as brightness and flashing.
It does seem to me that this could have been made easier, but it is definitely not a deal breaker by any means. Black Diamond should take a note from Nite Ize and their Radiant 314 lantern. It has one button operation but is intuitive and easy to use.
Overall Value
At $64.95, the Black Diamond Apollo isn’t cheap. It is actually one of the more expensive rechargeable lanterns I’ve reviewed.
But it is a great lantern. With plenty of brightness, absolutely solid construction, water resistance, battery back up, and great design, it will be a lantern that you will use for many years to come.
Final Opinion
I really enjoy the Black Diamond Apollo rechargeable lantern and plan on using it as one of my regular lanterns on future camping trips. The size, weight and features are all nicely balanced in a great design and build that makes it a lantern that any camper would be happy to own.
Purchase
You can purchase the Black Diamond Apollo rechargeable lantern at REI.
Check Out Our Post On The Best Rechargeable Lanterns to see even more great lanterns.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Hey there, I’m Ryan, the face behind Beyond The Tent.
With decades of camping experiences, my journey into the wilderness began on the rustic trails of a farm in southern Minnesota, where my childhood was filled with explorations and camping by a picturesque river.
My family’s adventures across the United States, from the majestic Colorado mountains to the serene national parks and the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota have given me a broad perspective. With each journey, whether in state parks or private encampments, and through the homely comfort of our camping trailers, we’ve amassed a trove of stories, experiences, and invaluable camping wisdom.