Rayovac Virtually Indestructible LED Camping Lantern Flashlight, 600 Lumens, Battery Powered LED Lantern: Review by GeezerSpeak - November 04, 2020. UPDATE: November 18, 2020 NOT AS VERSATILE AS IT SHOULD BE FOR THE PRICE. For 2 weeks I've examined one of the Rayovac's I ordered... (I used my batteries, new, but same brand)... and sadly I finally decided to return both for refund. Look... it's a really great lantern, and very well built, and it is very, very bright.... but I have to think primarily in terms of use on a duck blind, deer stand, or campsite... and they just did not offer as much versatility as my favorite camp lantern (Streamlight 44931) . Below are some of the differences. Rayovac -- PROs: The Rayovac is built really tough and durably, with a drop-test rating more than double the Streamlight’s (15 ft. vs 6.6 ft.). No doubt this thing could survive some serious trauma. When you hold the Rayovac in your hands you'll know immediately why they call it “virtually indestructible.” It's like some beacon you'd find marking lanes out in the Gulf. This (and the light output, and run-times) are the selling points for the Rayovac. It has a stronger light output 600 lumen (but it’s not as versatile as the Streamlight). It runs on Alkaline, Lithium, and NiMH (but lacks battery level indicator). It is IP67 rated: Immersible, floats in water, and dust proof. It has a handle on top and a hanging hook on the bottom. CONs: The illumination is 360 shining outward with highly visible LEDs, which can be harsh on the eyes at close quarter. There is no other way to use or redirect the illumination. Also, the globe is not detachable so it cannot shine directly downward when hung inverted, or directly upward when placed atop a cabinet. The top handle and the bottom hanging hook are hard to access using just your fingertips. You'll need a coin or flat blade to pop them up. They'll probably get more supple with age. It lacks a red-light mode and there’s no SOS mode either. Red light is handy in a deer stand. It is larger and heavier than the Streamlight. It weighs a third more than the Streamlight (with D cells it weighs 1.134 Kilo* versus 0.850 Kilo for the Streamlight 44931) -------------------- Now My ORIGINAL REVIEW: Nov. 04, 2020 -------------------------- NOTE: I have deleted much of my prior review rather than be redundant. I’ve covered the basic comparisons above. CLARIFICATION: -- In my original review I may have given the impression that the Rayovac Lantern was made in the US. While Rayovac does make its D,C,AA,& AAA batteries in the U.S., the Lantern is made in China, as is the Streamlight… as is most everything. :-( --------------------------------------------- I am admittedly a flashlight wonk. I collect them. So when this particular Rayovac 600 Lumen Lantern went on sale on Prime Day I purchased two of them. While I feel it is very well built and should be very durable, and it is very VERY bright, I feel it IS NOT AS versatile as the Streamlight 44931 Siege Compact Lantern. I own nine Streamlight lanterns, going back to my first 44931 model in 2018. If you click on my name to see my other reviews, you will find a detailed review of that lantern. So the strong point for the Rayovac is its light output and its durability. If you want a very bright, heavy-duty lantern, you might consider the Rayovac, because it will broadcast more light, and not just because it is 600 lumens vs the 540 lumens of the Streamlight, but because the Rayovac places the LEDs so they shine directly outward, rather than in a reflected-defocused manner like the Streamlight. In fact as used right out of the box, when measured with my camera, the Rayovac was a full stop brighter. But this direct-shine arrangement is not my favorite… in general I prefer the reflected indirect lighting approach of the Streamlight. Especially if the lantern is to sit on a table where the gang is playing cards. The Rayovac is just too harsh for that. The Rayovac is best used above eye-line-of-sight or on the floor to illuminate a large area. For this task, the Rayovac is truly excellent. But for more intimate locations the Streamilght is better. Yet the Streamlight is also capable of direct illumination as well, but to have it you must remove the diffuser globe and hang the Streamlight upside down overhead in your tent (if camping). Or when indoors, with the globe removed and with the Streamlight placed on a cabinet or refrigerator top, the up-lighting reflects off the ceiling and gives very even illumination in the room. I much prefer this method during blackouts. And when I'm camping I feel that the reduced weight of the Streamlight minus globe makes it perfect for tent-top suspension where it offers a very bright 360 downward broadcast lighting pattern. You just can't do this with the Rayovac So In general I feel the Streamlight is a camper's lantern, whereas I feel the Rayovac is an emergency work light for harsh environments. The Rayovac would be a survivor on a rough job-site. With 15 ft. drop-test rating, if it fell through the floor joists and bounced off the cement a floor below, I would expect it to survive. I think that was Rayovac's intentions with it. So for that it is top of its class IMHO. I haven’t had a chance to verify the run-times claimed by Rayovac and have no idea how they calculate them. Streamlight calculates theirs only down to 10% capacity, which is a conservative estimate. But the Rayovacs have burned a long time so far... and I am not disappointed by the run-times. So both get high marks there, but Rayovac claims 40 hours on high whereas Streamilght claims 30 hours for theirs. Photos: (no particular order) There's a photo of the two lanterns side-by-side. The larger is the Rayovac. There's two photos of an illuminated lantern. The one with the three distinct light-points arranged in a vertical column is the Rayovac. Believe me... if you had the lantern on right in front of you on high, you wouldn't be staring at it. It is very, very bright. The Streamlight is also bright, but less harsh at eyeball level Thanks for reading. As always this old Geezer is trying to be balanced and honest, and I buy what I review, and never do I receive any compensation of any kind for my reviews. Thanks for reading.
