d.light D20 – Home Solar Lighting System – Review

It’s nice to finally see an overbuilt solar home lighting system that performs the way its meant to. d.light Design’s D20 solar home lighting system has impressed me because it is built for the developing world where off the grid is the only option and where durability and functionality are what drives design.

While most solar lighting that we see on the market has the quality of those solar patio lights that end up in the trash every fall, this setup is built for real-world use, making it ideal for your backwoods cabin, hot tent, lakeside boat house, or wherever you’ll need a real solar system that will work for years to come.

Let’s look at the features and then discuss in more detail why I like this system.

Features:

• 5w solar panel with 20 foot power cable
• 2 solar lamps with attached cables and switches (one has 13’ cable the other a 20’ cable)
• cordless solar lantern
• 3000mAh battery pack cable of running up to 4 lights
• USB output and six adapters for charging most USB devices
• 2-Year Warranty
• MSRP: $200 ($144 on Amazon)

 

Take a look at our video review below to get an idea of how easy it is to setup:

Testing

Currently this system is setup and my parent’s cabin/shed by the lake. It’s been up for 6 months with the solar panel set up on a Southwest facing wall (not ideal).

 

 

 

Setup was a breeze with a pocketful of screws to fasten the various components. The Switches are heavy duty utilizing a tap system to switch between low, high and off. There are two switches, one for each light, meaning you can turn on the lights separately (great if you have multiple rooms in your cabin or tent).

 

 

 

 

 

The setup includes a solar lantern that charges via the battery pack. There are an assortment of connectors, meaning you can charge your usb powered devices with it as well.

 

 

 

The battery pack has a 3000 maH battery. It’ll run the two lights on full power for 7-8 hours or 15 hours on low level. You can also buy additional lights to run a total of four off this battery pack. It can be precharged (and therefore used separately) or charged via the solar panel.

 

 

 

The solar panel is 5 Watts, and is of course weather proof. It is permanently attached to its power cable, so you don’t have to worry about losing it.

 

 

 

There is plenty of attached cable to power these devices. The switches are also installed inline giving plenty of distance to set them up in separate rooms in a small home or cabin.

 

 

The two lights were able to provide adequate lighting to read a book in the evening in a 16×12 shed and the hand lantern does a fine job of lighting your way should you need to go out for a midnight excursion.

 

Conclusion

 

The d.light systems are specifically created for the developing world, meaning they’re meant to handle long term use in real-world, daily life. As such, they don’t disappoint in simplicity or functionality. The price point ($200 MSRP) is excellent for this setup, making it a great choice for your cabin, tent, or even the kids’ playhouse.

 

disclaimer: dLight gave me this system to review free of charge. As always, my opinions are my own and what I would recommend to family and friends.