Camping? Night Beaching? Cairn XL Lights Your Way

Flashlights for years have been the product of choice when you need a light in the darkness.  Perfect for directing light ahead of your path or wherever you need it when searching for something. 

But flashlights are not as versatile when you just need a stationary light like when tent camping or when you need a light around the food when preparing smores around the fire.

They make it difficult to use two hands to do something as well.  To give consumers more choices in their lighting options, Lander created the Cairn XL.  It’s not a flashlight, it’s a lantern…a smart one in fact.

It’s smart in that it adjusts its light intensity based on your proximity to the lantern (an optional setting in the app).  In other words, it gets brighter the further away you move from it. 

It comes equipped with an ultra-bright 350 Lumen light, that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and can be controlled via the Lander app.

Lander desires to equip and inspire people in the exploration of the world around us.  They believe their products live at the intersection of technology and the outdoors.

Cairn XL vs. a Flashlight 

The Cairn XL advantages are that it(s)

1. Lighter in weight
2. Smaller
3. Shines upward when on table or ground
4. Gets very bright, up to 350 Lumens
5. Cool to the touch
6. Also charges your mobile devices
7. Can be worn to light a path, keeping hands free
8. Can be found via sound and the app if lost
9. Can be changed from white to any color you choose for mood lighting
10. Has an automatic timer – schedule when you want it off at night and on in the morning
11. Water and dust resistant
12. Has a built-in tethering rope system to hang from backpacks, wires, fences, and more

The app adds a lot of functionality to the Cairn XL Lantern like the timers, proximity sensors, and color scheme.  You can even turn the lantern on and off with it.  But what if your phone isn’t handy? 

Just press the button on its side to turn it on.  Press it twice to change the color of the light to the last color you choose from the app.  Press the button three times for the light to blink.  Lastly, a long press allows you to control how bright or dim the light is.

Features:

• Bright 350 Lumen light
• Proximity sensor – dims or turns on or off based on phone’s distance from the light
• Light can change to whatever mood lighting color you’d like from the app
• Uses a 10,000 mAh battery, providing up to 250 hours of light (on low settings, 5 hours on high)
• Doubles as a battery back, capable of charging your mobile devices up to 4 times
• Sleep timer settings for morning and night
• Helpful anchor system using reflective nylon cord to hang light where you need it
• Free control app (iOS/Android)
• App includes a search feature to find Cairn XL via sound if misplaced

Pros:

• Extra bright light can fill a room with its 350 lumen light
• Choose from over 16 million colors to project from the Cairn XL
• Power doesn’t degrade when not in use over a period of time
• Huge battery, giving plenty hours of light while charging mobile devices
• Designed to sit on table/ground with light projecting up
• With included anchor system, you can suspend the Cairn XL from a post, wire, or even on the body to project light onto a path
• Turning on Proximity On will turn off the Cairn XL when your phone is 50 ft. away from it to save battery
• The Find My Cairn is just another luxury – helping you to locate it if misplaced
• Light is cool to the touch, even after being on for a while   
• A lot of uses and features in such a small lightweight light, at 3.5″ square and 1.75″ thick
• It is very rugged, can easily withstand tumbles, even a fall in water

Cons:

• A bit pricey

The Lander Cairn XL is available through REI for $99.95 with free shipping.

A Mom’s Perspective

I have to admit, when I first saw a picture of the Cairn XL online, I laughed.  I laughed because it was called XL and yet it fits in the palm of a hand!  Could such a small lantern, as it is called, really give that much light?

The answer is yes, it can.  And its small size is a huge feature because you can carry it in a backpack and barely feel the weight of it, at 10 oz.  Flashlights take more room and can weigh more.  It’s labeled XL because it’s actually much bigger than the other lanterns Lander makes but is very much smaller and convenient than many traditional camping lanterns.

I love the flexibility of uses for the Carin XL.  I did not camp while testing the light but I did find it very useful to bring light at night to my overgrown garden when I was desperate to clean it up before a party at our house the next day.  Having the ability to hang it proved super useful.

I also have used it while walking my dogs at night.  Having it hang from my body allowed plenty of light to light our path, especially where our street lights were burnt out or lacking. 

I found another good use for the Cairn XL is in the car.  It provides light for my son while working on his homework or reading without needing to turn on the overhead light, which can be distracting when driving.  I can’t wait to take it with us when we go RV camping, it will be helpful inside and outside the RV.

*I was given a Lander Cairn XL lantern in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.