Kilos Gear Rover Light X Review: A Telescopic Camping Light Tested at the Italian Lakes
We think we have found the Swiss Army knife of camping lights. A 16 night trip through Lake Maggiore and on to Lake Garda felt like the perfect playground to test a light that, on paper, promised to do just about everything. It didn't disappoint.
By Martin · Nest Nomad & Beyond · Last Updated September 2026
Gifted: Kilos Gear sent us the Rover Light X to review. They have not seen this review before publishing and had no say in what we wrote. We also earn a small commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.
Quick Verdict
Our rating | 4.5 out of 5. If we only had room for one light, this would be the one. |
Best for | Families and campervan owners who want one main light for the table, the awning and the van, with a torch and a magnetic base thrown in |
Not for | Lightweight backpackers counting every gram |
Standout feature | The telescopic mast and four panels you can angle |
Biggest niggle | The power bank output is USB-A only |
Price | £85 / $109.95 |
What You Get in the Box
The Rover comes with everything you need, plus one thing we weren't expecting: three ground pegs. Once you see them, they make complete sense, and it's a nice touch from Kilos Gear. In the box you get the light, the three ground pegs and a USB-C to USB-A cable.
Collapsed, the Rover packs down to roughly the size of a water bottle, which is really handy. Ours lives in the back cupboard of the van alongside our Lepro solar festoon lights. It's small enough that, if it were your only light, you could keep it in the driver's door pocket for those late arrivals in the dark.
Setting It Up: The Telescopic Mast, Tripod and Pegs
This is the part that makes the Rover different from a normal lantern. The mast extends, so instead of lighting the middle of the table and leaving everything else in shadow, you can lift the light up and spread it across the whole pitch.
Each of the four panels angles on its own, so you can put the light exactly where you need it. If all four pointing down is too bright, angle them up at the awning roof and bounce the light back down for a softer glow.
Fully extended, it stands just under a metre tall (a meter, for our North American readers). On a table, that's perfect. Put it on the ground with the panels angled up and it works really well too.
The tripod base folds out underneath, and the three ground pegs are there for uneven grass or when the wind picks up. We never needed them on this trip, but I'm glad they're in the box.
Setup takes seconds. Our daughters set it up every night without any help. The only real learning curve is working out the light modes and which press of the multifunction button does what. If you're a gadget nut like me, that's the fun part.
Four Panels and 600 Lumens: How Bright Is It Really?
The light comes from four separate panels, and each one angles on its own. That means you can point light down at the table, out towards the awning door, or up at the sky if you want a softer glow bouncing around the pitch.
At full power it puts out 600 lumens, which is plenty for a dark campsite. Being able to angle the panels gives you two useful options: bounce the light off a surface to spread it further, or point it down to concentrate it on one spot.
That second option makes it a great light for wild camping too. If you're stargazing, you can angle the panels at the ground so you're not lighting up the sky around you, and still see where you've put your drink of choice (in my case, a cider).
I had a proper play with all the settings. In the end, we used it most with all four panels on full, bounced off our roll-out awning to give a soft fill light under the canopy. For more on how we light the rest of the pitch, see our camping lighting ideas.
Light Modes: Warm, Daylight, Colour and a Torch
The big extendable panels have three colour temperatures: a warm golden glow, a cooler daylight setting, and a midway option in between. The midway one is my favourite. The daylight setting felt too stark for me and the warm one turned everything a bit too orange, but the middle setting gives a natural light that's easy to live with.
Alongside the main panels there are coloured ambient modes with warmth and brightness control, a mode that fades slowly through a range of colours, and a breathing mode that pulses gently.
Finally, there's a spotlight torch on the end. When you've left your keys somewhere and everyone else is in bed, it's very useful.
The Magnet and Tether: Using It as an Awning Light
As well as the tripod, the Rover has a magnetic base and a built-in hanging tether. The magnet is strong. It stuck to the side of the van with no problem, and it's strong enough to hold the light upside down.
It also makes a really good campervan awning light, and that's how we used it every evening it was out: standing under the roll-out awning, with the panels bounced off the canopy.
The Power Bank: Charging Phones From Your Lantern
The 10,400mAh battery doubles as a power bank, so you can top up a phone from the light. I ran a quick test at home. The light started at 34% and my iPhone 17 Pro at 14%. After ten minutes, the light was down to 17% and the phone had only reached 15%.
So this isn't going to recharge your phone. It will give you enough for an emergency call or a message. But you don't buy this light for phone charging. You're buying a light with a useful extra.
If you need proper power for phones and more, our portable power station reviews cover the bigger kit.
Battery Life on a 16 Night Trip
We took the Rover away fully charged on a 16 night trip and used it on eight of those evenings. I honestly can't remember charging it once. When I switched it off on the last night, it was on 6%.
That was with the main panels on full strength each night and the ambient colours cycling on low, for 60 to 90 minutes an evening.
Wind and Rain: Water Resistant, Not Waterproof
Kilos describe the Rover as water resistant, not waterproof. It will cope with rain and splashes, but it isn't something to leave sitting in a puddle.
We had a spectacular lightning storm at Lake Maggiore that lasted 36 hours. The Rover stayed out under the roll-out awning the whole time. It wasn't in direct rain, but it was damp and wet for a day and a half, and it didn't miss a beat.
What We Would Change
This is an honest review, so here are our niggles. To be fair, they're very picky.
• USB-C out. The power bank output is USB-A only. Most of our kit has moved to USB-C, so a USB-C port would be nice.
• It's not a phone charger. It didn't bother us, but it's worth repeating: think of the power bank as an emergency top-up for a short time, not a way to charge your pho
ne.
And one thing that surprised us for the better: it really is the Swiss Army knife of camping lights. It covers a lot of situations and still packs down small.
Kilos Gear: Two Products In
This is the second Kilos Gear product we've lived with properly, after the GrandPeak high-back chair. What the two have in common is the small, thoughtful details that tell you the people designing them actually camp: the recline trick on the chair, the ground pegs in the Rover's box.
We've written our full, honest take on the brand, including the questions people raise online, in our GrandPeak review.
Where to Buy the Kilos Rover Light X in the UK and US
We'd buy direct from Kilos Gear, where the Rover Light X is £85in the UK and $109.95 in the US. Kilos Gear ships to the UK.
Who Is the Kilos Rover Light X For?
• Families who eat outside and want one light for the table, the awning, bedtime and the midnight trip to the toilet (or the washroom, for our North American friends)
• Campervan and RV owners, and anyone in a tent
• Skip it if you backpack and count every gram
Final Verdict
PACK SIZE 5/5 | The size of a water bottle. It lives in a van cupboard and would fit in a door pocket. |
SETUP 4/5 | Up in seconds. The button modes take a little learning. |
BRIGHTNESS 4/5 | 600 lumens, and the angled panels make it go further. |
LIGHT MODES 4/5 | The midway white is the one we lived on. The torch is a bonus. |
BATTERY 4/5 | Eight evenings on one charge, with 11% to spare. |
WEATHER 4/5 | Water resistant, not waterproof. Came through a 36 hour storm under the awning. |
ONE NOTE | The power bank is for emergencies, not for charging your phone. |
Would we buy it again with our own money? Yes. If we only had room for one light in the van, this would be the one. It lights the table, the awning and the walk to the toilet block, it packs down to the size of a water bottle, and it came through a 36 hour storm without a flicker. Just don't buy it to charge your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kilos Rover Light X waterproof?
No. It's water resistant, so rain and splashes are fine, but it shouldn't be submerged. In heavy rain we kept it under the awning, and it came through a 36 hour storm at Lake Maggiore without a problem.
How long does the battery last?
On our 16 night trip, one full charge covered eight evenings of 60 to 90 minutes each, with the main panels on full and the ambient colours cycling on low. It still had 11% left when we switched it off on the last night.
Can the Kilos Rover Light X charge a phone?
Only in an emergency. The USB-A output will top up a phone, but in our test ten minutes added just 1% to an iPhone. Enough for a call or a message, not a full charge.
How tall does the Rover Light X extend?
Fully extended, it stands just under a metre tall. On the table, we mostly used it at around 90cm.
Can you use it as an awning light?
Yes. We used it as our awning light every evening, standing under the roll-out awning with the panels angled up to bounce the light off the canopy. You can also stick it to the van with the magnetic base or hang it from the built-in tether.
Is the magnet strong enough to hang it upside down?
Yes. The magnetic base is strong enough to hold the light upside down, and it stuck to the side of our van without any trouble.
Is a telescopic camping light worth it over a normal lantern?
For families eating outside, yes. The height is the difference: it lights the whole pitch, not just the middle of the table.
Does Kilos Gear ship to the UK?
Yes. Kilos Gear ships to the UK, and you can buy the Rover Light X direct from their website.
Product Specifications at a Glance
Specification | Detail |
Brightness | Up to 600 lumens |
Light panels | Four, each adjustable |
White light | Three colour temperatures: warm, midway and daylight |
Ambient modes | Coloured light with warmth and brightness control, colour fade, breathing |
Torch | Spotlight torch on the end |
Battery | 10,400mAh |
Charging input | USB-C |
Power bank output | USB-A |
Mounting | Telescopic mast, fold-out tripod base, magnetic base, built-in hanging tether, three ground pegs |
Height extended | Just under 1m - 90.5cm |
Packed size | 67 x 67 x 305mm |
Weight | Just under 600g - 593g |
In the box | The light, three ground pegs, USB-C to USB-A cable |
Weather | Water resistant, not waterproof |
Price | £85 / $109.95 |
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