Save and Conserve

This is a post that aggregates online reviews and comments about the Solio Solar Charger (shown in the picture to the right). I have been looking for a small solar charger device that I could use to charge my iPod or cell phone, and since the Solio kept popping up in my searches, I have decided to pull together reviews and comments from several websites. Thought I'd share what I have found ...

TreeHugger - 4 out of 5 Hugs - Comments:

• It works
• Took 7 hours of sunlight to charge an iPod
• Simple to operate
• Difficult to attach to a backpack during hikes
• Difficult to position the charger perpendicular to sun’s rays

CNet - 8 out of 10 (Rated Excellent) - Comments:

• Compact design
• Does not balance on its side when open
• Adapters fit most Motorola, Nokia & Samsung phones
• Sony Ericssons are not supported
• 8 – 10 hours of charge time required
• Charging takes longer on cloudy days (Editor's note: duh!)
• Suction cup included for attaching to a window

MyMac - 4 out of 5 - Comments:

• 500 - 1000 charge cycles until you will need to replace the Solio internal battery
• 2 flashes (of the Solio charge light) would charge a (iPod) mini and a 20GB, 4 flashes should charge a 40GB and 60GB iPods
• Solio is weather resistant
• Use a damp cloth to clean the Solio
• The red “being charged” light goes away when the Solio is fully charged

Sustain Lane - 4 out of 5 - Comments:

• I love telling people that I have a Solar-powered cell phone!
• One of the best features is that it holds the charge so if you are off camping in the rain with no sun in sight, you can still use the solar powered Solio to charge your devices

Retailing for around $90, the Solio seems like a solid choice for the gadget-head with a conscience. You should also check out the comments at Amazon because there are some negative reviews posted there. I've come to take the Amazon user reviews with a grain of salt because it seems like people get really over-heated on that site.

If you have any experience with the Solio, please leave a comment right here.