Pure Woodland Glow review: a waterproof speaker and camping lantern combo
Space is always an issue when you’re camping – even when you drive to site, there’s only so much you can squeeze in the back of the car or van once all the people have piled in – so multifunctional products that tick more than one box on the must-have list are always a welcome addition to the outdoor kit cupboard.
And, of course, a good camping lantern is high on that list, as is a top quality weatherproof speaker, and a reliable portable powerbank. Happy is the camper, then, who finds themselves a unit that supplies light, sound and power. But, the risk with all multipurpose items, especially electrical gadgets, is that the quality of one (or all) of the functions will be compromised by the split focus.
With all this in mind I have been trail testing the new Pure Woodland Glow in various outdoor scenarios to see how it performs.
Pure Woodland Glow review
Pure Woodland Glow review: price and availability
The Woodland Glow from Pure is available to buy now, with a recommended price of ￡89.99 in the UK (approx. $113.79/ AU$ 172.43). For the best prices right now, check the price widgets at the top and bottom of this review.
Pure Woodland Glow review: specifications
Dimensions (in inches): 7 x 4 (180 x 100 mm)
Weight: 820 grams
Battery capacity: 5200mAh
Battery life: 14 hours
Charging: USB-C
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm Jack
Waterproof rating: IPX6
Pure Woodland Glow review: design and build quality
In terms of looks, the Pure Woodland Glow resembles a classic camping lantern, with sturdy, weighted bottom (in this case supplied by the speaker and the recharging unit) with the lighting system in the middle and a carry handle on op. It’s a tidy little unit, which is easy to transport to the campsite, comfortable to carry around when you’re there, and nice and stable when you put it down. If level spaces are hard to find, the carry handle can of course be used to hang the lantern up.
The Woodland Glow is also pretty tough. While you can’t fully submerge it (and why would you?), the IPX6 rating means it’s considered fully waterproof, not just splashproof, so it can be used in bad weather and rain.
Power is provided by a rechargeable internal battery, fed via a USB cable. There is no capacity for using standard batteries to power the Woodland Glow, but once it’s fully juiced it will last 14 hours. You can also use the unit as a powerbank, using the USB port to charge other electrical items including phones.
Pure Woodland Glow review: light
Evenings can be quite long when you’re camping, and when you’re in a tent or sat around a camping table talking, eating or playing games, it’s crucially important to have a good light source, other than headlamps (which are brilliant in lots of scenarios, but not when you’re sitting opposite one another) and hand-held torches (again, brilliant when you want shine a beam in one direction, but not for ambient light).
A top-quality lantern is the ideal solution here, and the Pure Woodland Glow is bang up for the job, supplying all-round illumination. Lit by LEDs, there are two options, a white light that projects from the top and is dissipated by a mirrored funnel-shaped column, and a warmer yellowy orange glow. You can easily alternate between the two options by using a dial on the top.
It isn’t the brightest light, it has to be said – I wouldn’t attempt surgery using it – but it’s more than sufficient for the vast majority of tent activities.
Pure Woodland Glow review: sound performance
After light, a lot of people will prioritise some sort of audio entertainment as an essential accompaniment to the evening in and around the tent. As well as offering 360° illumination, the Woodland Glow serves up surround sound.
Connection is via Bluetooth 5.3 technology, which facilitates a secure connection and means the battery lasts longer. Even I (a long-toothed Luddite) found this unit incredibly easy to link to and use, and if you do have any connectivity issues, there is an AUX output too.
The sound quality is decent, and two large buttons on the top enable you to skip forwards or backwards in your playlist. And, if you have a second speaker, you can get a stereo sound system going.
Pure Woodland Glow review: also consider
For a slightly cheaper light-and-sound system, the rechargeable Coleman 360 is a good choice – it’s actually a bit brighter in the illumination department, but the sound quality is not as good, so it depends where your priorities lie.
If you are simply looking for a great, easily portable waterproof speaker, and you’re not bothered about the light element, check out the pocket-rocket JBL Flip 6 or the Huawei Sound Joy, which has a mega battery life.