Black Diamond Moji Lantern Review

For camping trips or family days out in nature, a small lantern is always handy as it provides a reliable light source when you’re in the middle of nowhere without electricity. We became fans of Black Diamond as climbers (their shoes are amazing) and we’re now fans of their high quality outdoor gear as a family. We have a few of their lanterns or headlamps for our camping trips and this little Black Diamond Moji lantern has got to be our favorite compact lantern.

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After testing it over a couple of years, the Black Diamond Moji Lantern has become a classic feature of our outdoorsy adventures. Here is my review after backpacking and camping trips in the mountains at high altitude, under mostly dry but also wet conditions.

You can get it here: US | UK

What I Love about the Black Diamond Moji Lantern

Simple to operate. Only one button that acts as on/off and dimmer.
Compact. Blob-shaped, it measures 3 x 3 x 2.5 inches and fits into an adult-size hand.
Water-resistant. Definitely handy if you drop it in water or if it rains at your camp.
Durable. Made out of polycarbonate, it can withstand rough handling.
Bright. 100 lumens bright. That’s a lot of brightness packed in a small lantern but the frosted globe gives out ambient light rather than brutal bright light.
Two collapsible hooks at the top. Great for hanging anywhere. You can also slip your fingers under a hook to carry it around, as you would a storm lantern.
Cheap. It’s very fair for what you get.

This is a night view of our tent with a single Black Diamond Moji lantern hanging in the middle of the tent. As you can see, it’s sufficient for a 4-person tent.

What Kids Love about the Black Diamond Moji Lantern

My youngest daughter loves this lantern, both when camping and at home. She always has it handy on her night table in her bedroom and as soon as we go camping, it’s the first item she packs in her bag. I’ve asked her what she likes so much about the lantern.

It’s super cute. It’s also quite soft to the touch with no sharp angles.
The lime color is great and makes it very easy to spot in a backpack.
With the dimmer, kids can use the lantern to read a few pages of their book before bedtime in the tent.
It’s large enough that if kids search for it in the dark at night (for nature calls), they’ll find it.
It’s sturdy enough that they don’t have to worry about breaking it. Neither do I.
Featuring two foldable hooks, it hangs perfectly from tent ceilings or nails in a wall or beam (think shepherd hut, youth hostel or mountain shelter).
You can’t beat one button for user-friendliness. It’s as simple as it gets.

What Could be Improved

Energy efficiency. Battery operated. I wish there was a USB-charging option. It’s such a small cool lamp.
Weight. With 3 AAA batteries, it weighs 120g (4 oz) which is a lot if you backpack. A gain, a rechargeable lithium battery like they ones used for bike lights would save some weight.

Given the great functionalities of the lantern, I’d say that the minuses are pure luxury and quite minor. This lantern is a great light source for short backpacking trips or car camping adventures.

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