For the past few weeks now, I’ve had my very own set of CARRY THE SUN solar lights bringing the sunshine into my apartment. Compact-sized, unassuming, wireless, weightless, and completely powered by solar energy, the lights are the perfect way to shine a little bit of eco-friendly goodness into any home.

Lacking in any serious bulk and weight, CARRY THE SUN solar lights are simple cube-shaped lights powered by solar energy.

Woven threads of durable material make it so this light can withstand even the harshest of environments and the strongest of the sun’s rays. These threads also help to distribute and diffuse the light from inside the cube into a soft glow that is perfect for accentuating homes, providing backlighting for at-home zoom calls, and building a soothing atmosphere at a summer campsite.

CARRY THE SUN is available in two basic tones; white and warm, which can be adjusted to three different levels of brightness. There is also an additional SOS flashing function for use in emergencies.

They come in two different sizes; small and medium, with the small folding down to a size of 1.5cm and the medium to 1.2cm. Both of these sizes are easily portable, and with the included pouch for each individual light, moving CARRY THE SUN is incredibly easy.

The lights arrive in a folded state, but ‘inflating’ them to their cube shape couldn’t be easier – simply pull the two attached belts at either end of the light simultaneously and the light will transform into a three-dimensional cube.

With the lights passing both my work-from-home and room atmosphere tests, there was only one more trial left for these lights to take-on: how would they fare on a camping trip?

So, before Japan’s summer humidity could do its worst, we packed up our tent, sleeping bag, and pillow and headed west to Japan’s alps with the collection of CARRY THE SUN solar lights in tow. We travelled by car, so these little fold-up lights were not a burden in any way, but even if we had gone by train, they still wouldn’t have been a bother as each weighs less than 90 grams.

Originally designed to provide light during emergency situations, the CARRY THE SUN solar lights fitted in perfectly with our camping set up deep in the mountains of Nagano. Of course, we weren’t in any danger ourselves, but the lights offered atmosphere, comfort, and a much-needed supply of brightness well into the long hours of the night.

There was one thing I noted that could be either a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it; was how the lights naturally were an attraction for all the wonders of creepy crawlies and winged critters of the night. To some, this may sound like the ultimate horror nightmare, but why it wasn’t – with all the attention on the cubes of light, there were little bugs to deal with around our BBQ and the entrances to our tents.

With our bellies full of food, drink, and good company, we said our goodnights and headed off to bed, switching off the lights behind us. Technically we could have left the lights running throughout the night, as they run on solar energy, there would be no waste of battery power if we had done so. But, I am a creature of the dark, and I don’t sleep well even with the faintest of lights – seriously, our tent is a blackout tent, which has worked wonders in actually allowing me to grab some sleep when out camping.

After a few hours, the sun began to peek above the horizon, hitting both our tent doors (not an issue for me as I mentioned above) and the solar charger on the CARRY THE SUN lights. By the time we actually crawled out of bed the lights were fully charged once again and ready to provide lighting should we have needed it – but, as we had only planned out one night for camping, it was time for them to be packed away ready for the journey home.

Storing the lights is an incredibly easy feat; by simply tugging on two opposite sides of the cube, it takes on a diamond shape that can be folded flat to just 1.22cm.

Once folded, you can slide the lights back into their individual pouch. These pouches actually come with a hanging loop that can be used to attach to a backpack, so if you tuck the lights back into the pouch with their solar panel facing outwards you could potentially charge the lights whilst hiking. With some personal dreams and goals involving multi-day hikes, I’m really considering taking CARRY THE SUN lights with me if I ever get the chance, and if I do, they will be attached to the back of my backpack soaking up the sun.

CARRY THE SUN sizes and specifications

Small
8.8cm x 8.8cm x 8.8cm when in use
8.5 x 17 x 1.5 cm when folded
Weight: 57g
6 LED lights
Charging time: 5-7 hours

Medium
11cm x 11cm x 11cm when in use
11cm x 21cm x 1.2cm when folded
Weight: 86g
10 LED lights
Charging time: 7-9 hours

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As a sustainable light source, CARRY THE SUN was developed with the following Sustainable Development Goals in mind:

GOAL 1: No Poverty
CARRY THE SUN can help to extend activity hours long after night has fallen by providing lighting in non-electrified areas. By extending these activity hours, CARRY THE SUN will be contributing to improving the income within an area. Additionally, the light is charged by solar energy, which means a reduction in utility costs and a contribution to lowering the poverty rate.

GOAL 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
The burning of wood and oil in traditional light sources often leads to respiratory issues in individuals due to the release of soot or harmful substances during use. Additionally, these traditional methods of lighting are one of the most common causes of injuries inflicted by flame or uncontrollable fires. By implementing CARRY THE SUN solar lights, these issues can be eradicated.

GOAL 4: Quality Education
By providing sustainable light that can be used throughout the evening, CARRY THE SUN can help contribute to increased literacy rates and school enrollment numbers in developing countries.

GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
CARRY THE SUN is powered by solar energy alone and is clean energy that can be used by anyone, anywhere. Solar energy devices such as CARRY THE SUN can help solve energy problems on a global scale.

GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
CARRY THE SUN promotes ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ in order to best make use of the world’s limited resources. All CARRY THE SUN lights can be returned to the headquarters for recycling.

GOAL 13: Climate Action
As a solar-powered light source, CARRY THE SUN can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and helps to slow down global warming.

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If you are an avid adventure seeker who has a thing for sustainability as well as trustworthy lasting gadgets, you may want to look into getting your very own collection of CARRY THE SUN solar lights. Weighing under a kilogram and lacking the need for any fiddly wires or heavy batteries, these solar lights are a great choice for sprucing up any outdoors activity.