Single Jar
One lantern in the colour of your choice, shipped with a canvas carry strap.
$50per reward
- One Lumen Jar
- Clear, amber or smoke glass
- Backer number on the base
- Delivery early next year
Crowdfunding now · Nineteen days left
A jar of sunlight for the longest night.
Lumen Jar is a hand-sized lantern that soaks up the sun all day and glows through the evening for as long as you need it. It is built from recycled glass and a solar cell the size of a coaster, and it asks for nothing: no cable, no battery to buy, no app. We are raising the money to fill our first full production run, and every backer gets a jar made in the first batch.
Backers are charged only if the campaign reaches its goal.
Campaign progress
- Raised so far
- $318,450
- Backers
- 4,126
- Days left
- 19
Choose how you want to back Lumen Jar
Every reward ships from the first production run. Switch to early-bird to see the reduced pledge while the first 500 places last.
20% off for the first 500 backers
Trio for the Table
Three lanterns for a long dinner table, a balcony or a garden path.
$125per reward
- Three Lumen Jars
- Mixed glass colours
- Matching tin carry crate
- Priority shipping slot
Camp Pack
Six lanterns plus one given to a family through our relief partner in your name.
$250per reward
- Six Lumen Jars
- One jar donated in your name
- Hanging hooks for six
- Name card in the donation book
Where the campaign stands tonight
- Pledged toward a 250k goal
- $318k
- Backers from 38 countries
- 4,126
- Of the funding goal reached
- 127%
- Of light per full day of sun
- 8 h
From pledge to your porch
We publish every date here and update this page when something moves, even by a day.
- When the campaign ends
Pledges are collected
Payments are taken once the campaign closes at or above its goal. You will see the charge on your statement the following morning.
- Four weeks later
Glass is cut and sealed
The studio starts the first production run in batches of two hundred, photographing each lantern before it is packed.
- Eight weeks later
Solar cells are fitted and tested
Every lantern spends a full day on the roof of the workshop and must hold its glow for eight hours before it leaves.
- Ten weeks later
Shipping begins
Backers receive tracking details in backer-number order, starting with the earliest pledges and finishing with the latest.
Light you do not have to think about
We tested forty prototypes on porches, campsites and balconies before settling on the one you can back today.
Charges on any windowsill
A full day of ordinary daylight, even through a cloudy window, is enough for six to eight hours of warm light after dark.
Made from rescued glass
Each jar starts life as a bottle from a Portland recycling depot, cut, ground smooth and sealed by hand in a studio that runs on hydro power.
Rain, spills and campfire smoke
A sealed lid and a rubber gasket keep out water to a depth of one metre, so a thunderstorm on the patio changes nothing.
Dimming with a gentle twist
Turn the lid a quarter to move between reading light, dinner glow and a night-light soft enough for a child's room.
One jar given for every ten sold
We partner with a relief charity to place lanterns in homes without steady power, and we publish every delivery with the backer total.
What the first testers said
“I left it on the balcony rail all summer. Every evening it came on by itself, and my neighbours started asking where I bought it.”
“We took three on a canoe trip. The kids slept with one each, and I never once packed batteries.”
“I have placed lanterns with relief teams for years. This one is the first that survived a month of monsoon and still came on.”
Questions backers ask first
What if the campaign misses its goal?
Nobody is charged. Pledges are only collected when funding reaches the goal by the deadline, and we explain what happens next on this page.
When will my reward ship?
The plan above is our honest estimate. Delays in glass or solar cells happen, and when they do you will hear it from us first.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Yes, to most countries. Shipping is added at checkout after the campaign, based on your address and the weight of your reward.
What if my jar arrives damaged?
Send a photo and we replace it at no cost. Each crate is drop tested from one metre before it leaves the studio.
How long does a lantern last?
The solar cell and battery are rated for roughly 1,000 charge cycles, around three years of nightly use, and the glass lasts a lifetime.
Help us turn the first batch of glass into light.
Pick a reward, tell a neighbour, and be one of the first backers to light a jar while the winter evenings are still long.
Reserve your reward and ask the makers anything
Leave your pledge choice and any questions. We confirm your reservation by email and keep your early-bird price until the campaign ends.