Green Holiday shopping: Green charging solutions from under $5 to over $9,000
Most of us own laptops, mp3 players, cell phones, and other portable gadgets that we need to charge from time to time. In this, the first of several Green Holiday shopping guides, we will be discussing the different options for charging your portable devices using renewable energy chargers or a couple of cordless options. Included in this shopping guide are chargers that have gotten the high reviews/ratings in their price category.
The prices on green energy chargers can vary from under $10 to one over $9,000. Likewise, sizes of these various charging devices can vary as well.
$10 – $50
Two hand crank cell phone chargers are available from Amazon and both are less than $15. The first, the Crank Type Universal Cell Phone Charger (nothing like honesty in naming) has absolutely no reviews and looks like a knock-off of the second more expensive crank charger. This one is a mere $4.97.
Amazon’s second cell phone crank charger is the Gaiam SideWinder cell phone charger. Only one person has reviewed this product and they were highly enthusiastic. It costs a mere $14.98. As with all crank products whether they be cell phone chargers, radios or flashlights, expect to get a work out cranking. This is only for those with great arm muscles and good stamina. Two minutes of cranking gives you only five minutes of talk time. However, if you get caught with a dead phone in the rain or snow, this may be the charger that lets you make that one emergency phone call.
The Silver Solar charger is one of the cheapest and solar chargers on the market. At $14.45 it is a best buy and has gotten high rankings from users. It takes 10-15 hours to charge by sunlight. It can also be charged by AC power. It comes with a few tips for a variety of devices. The attached wrist strap makes it easy to carry.
Solio has a variety of solar chargers at various charging capabilities and price points. All Solio chargers can be charged either by solar energy or AC power and come with adapters for use with a variety of devices. Solio also offers the Solio Flexible LED Snake Light that can be used with any of the Solio chargers. The Solio LED light can be purchased for $14.95.
iceTech has two main solar chargers at vastly different price points. The cheaper iceTech i-101 has less power and takes eight to ten hours in the sun to charge. You can also use an AC outlet. This charger will charge MP3 players, cell phones, GPS units and other similar products and will easily fit in your pocket. For $29.95 at Amazon it isn’t bad but the Silver Solar Charger may still be the best buy in this low cost category.
The Solio H1000 Charger has a rugged appearance. It consists of a single solar panel and can be easily attached to a backpack, belt or fanny pack with the built in caribiner. It takes approximately 10 plus hours to fully charge by sunlight alone and then has approximately five watts of power. It can be purchased at the Solio Store for $39.99. As a special holiday bonus Solio will through in a free Tread Case. At Amazon the charger is $40.79 depending on your color choice.
The POWER Boost received the highest rating from Amazon buyers. It is billed as the back up charger for iPod, iPhone 3G(S), all BlackBerry’s, Kindle 2 & Kindle DX. Adaptors for the mentioned devices are included in the package. Like other solar chargers, you can also charge this device by AC power and by plugging it into a USB port. This charger only takes five to seven hours in the sun to charge. For $24.99 at Amazon it provides a lot of power for a small price.
A slightly different take on green charging is the Charge4All portable charging mat. Although this charger doesn’t use renewable energy it does allow you to charge multiple devices more efficiently saving electricity. Rather than multiple chargers all drinking electricity, you can use one device removing a great deal of electronic clutter from drawers and boxes while also lowering your energy consumption and electric bill. The Charge4ALL includes adaptors for Mini USB, Micro USB, iPod/iPhone, Samsung SCH, and LG. This charger rolls up for easy storage or mobility. It is capable of charging four devices at the same time unlike the solar, wind and crank chargers listed in this shopping guide. Best of all, the Charge4ALL only costs $29.99 at Amazon.
$50 – $100
A very small solar charger from Devotec is not available on Amazon but can be bought from the company in the UK. The charger is approximately the size of a Nokia candy bar phone and can easily be slipped in a pocket. It takes a full 12 hours to charge by the sun alone. AC power will charge it from any computer USB port. The price is 29.99 British pounds or $50.
Firebox.com has two small solar power chargers the FreeLoader and FreeLoader Pro. Both come with various adaptors for cell phones and the Pro can also charge digital camera and video camera batteries. These chargers are unique in that they don’t have the backup AC or USB adapter. Instead you can charge the FreeLoader batteries using a USB adaptor for the battery only. Weird. The Freeloader is $50 and the FreeLoader Pro is $116. Firebox customers gave these chargers 4.5 out of 5.
iPower SX solar powered charger can be found at Outdoor GB for $57.61. It comes with a variety of adaptors so that it can be used for various gadgets. This charger has quite a lot of power and is rumored to be able to “power an iPod classic for a whopping 50 hours.”
The HYmini Wind and Solar portable charger is similar to the K3 Wind and Solar Mobile Charger discussed below. It has components to capture wind energy and a solar panel that can be added on to the HYmini. Both components can be sold separately or in a package. Additional accessories like a bike holder and armband can also be purchased. The HYmini was the original unit. Small easy to hold in your hand, attach to your bike, or wear on an armband. One hours time “in [an] office window on a nice spring day and…fully charged up…[the] iPod.” The separate solar panel can be attached to the HYmini on days when the sun is shining but there is little to no wind. 
Currently, the solar panel is not a stand-alone product. You can also use a wall plug to charge the HYmini up before you leave and then keep it charged with wind and/or solar power. If you purchase just the HYmini from the company store it will cost you $49.99. The solar panel will be $25.99, the armband $14.99, and the bike holder $8.99. On Amazon, the HYmini and solar panel are $58.88 total. You can get the bike holder from NerdSeven or HYmini for $8.95. NerdSeven also has a separate hand crank for $8.95 that can be used only to charge up the HYmini. See hand crank comments above.
Wagan produces a two pocketable solar chargers, the Solar e Power and Solar e Power II ( or Solar eCharger). The Solar e Power is primarily a battery charger but can also charge devices. If the sun isn’t shining you don’t have an option of plugging it into a wall outlet. Instead you can put fresh fully charged batteries in to power cell phones. This sells on Amazon for $54.99.
The Wagan Solar e Power II (Solar eCharger) is similar to most other solar chargers because you can plug it into the wall or a car power outlet when the sun isn’t shining. This charger will charge most cell phones and small USB gadgets. This sells on Amazon for $68.65.
The Universal Solar Charger can use either solar or AC power to charge your various gadgets. It uses a USB cord with various adaptors to connect to your cell phone or other device. Presumably, you could use a USB cord that came with your device and just plug it into the charger. It can be found at USB.Brando.com for $69.00
The Solar Surge charger has been designed specifically for iPhones and the iPod Touch. Just slip your iPhone or iPod Touch into the charger, turn it over and set it in the sun. You can pick it up at SkyMall for $69.95
The Solio Mono consists of a single solar panel with a less rugged case than the Solio H1000. It takes approximately 17 hours to fully charge in direct sunlight. Although this charger costs more than the H1000, it takes longer to charge and only provides four watts of power. The cost is $69.95. Amazon carries this charger for $39.25.
The third solar charger from Solio is the Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger Classic. Unlike the Mono or the H1000, the Classic unfolds into three charging panels. It takes nine plus hours to charge and provides five watts of power. It can be purchased in the Solio Store for $79.99. Amazon offers this charger ranging in price from $65.22 – $143.99.
The iceTech Solar i9005 portable charger folds into a pocket sized item. This solar charger is more powerful than the i101. It will charge cell phones, cameras, GPS devices, MP3 players and more. It can be charged from an AC outlet or by the sun which takes 10 to 12 hours. The cost at J&R is $79.99.
$100 – $500
Powermat produces two chargers, the Powermat Home and Office Mat and the Powermat Portable Mat, which folds in two places to make it more portable. Both will charge your devices without cords. They can be purchased for $99.99 from the Powermat online store. You can also purchase the Powermats online from Bestbuy and Amazon or you can purchase them in Bestbuy, Target and Staples retail stores. The price is the same where ever you choose to purchase them. The only catch is that you have to buy special replacement battery doors or receiver cases for the devices that go on the Powermat. The prices range from $29.56 for a replacement Blackberry battery door at Amazon or $39.99 for the iPod receiver case also at Amazon. The price is the same whether you buy online from Amazon or Powermat or if you purchase them in local retail stores.
The Globetrotter Solar Charger is probably the most stylish of the solar chargers. This charger comes with its own pouch and a myriad of attachments for different cell phones, GPS devices and hand-held gaming device. For the $99.99 ($100) that you pay at Amazon it has some of the best stats. It fully charges in four hours of sunlight and will run most cell phones for 44 hours, an iPod for 18 hours and PSP for 2.5 hours. Not bad.
The K3 Wind & Solar mobile charger combines two renewable energy sources in one device. If the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, you are golden. This charger can be “pre-charged” with the included AC adapter. Once you get outside you can keep the charge level up with free available sunshine and wind. The charger has a built in USB plug for plugging in device adaptors and a storage place for the adaptors when not in use. A dust bag is included for carrying the charger and cords. This one piece unit is larger than the HYmini and more expensive than the HYmini and Solar Panel combined. SkyMall and GWS Tech have the K3 for $99.99. Amazon sells it for $89.99.
The Solio Magnesium like the Solio Classic mentioned earlier has three fold out solar panels. The Magnesium case is stronger and more rugged than the Classic. After 10 plus hours of charging it provides the most power of any of the Solio chargers, eight watts. This charger is the most expensive of the three at $169.95. Amazon is offering the Magnesium for $91.65.
Regen’s ReNu solar panel system – $199 – is a stylish way of recharging batteries and a range of devices. You can get the ReNu with a myriad of accessories or upgrades like a light – each for an additional price of course.
The Solar Stik – $150 and up – is portable solar power generator. Like its name, it is a pole that has solar panels attached. Some Solar Stik’s are strictly for use on boats to power a variety of electronic equipment while other Solar Stik’s are for land based uses. One version of the Solar Stik combines wind and solar power on the same pole. All of them can be attached to batteries and Power Paks to store energy or to directly power a variety of gadgets including power tools.
Last, if you should feel the need to really, really, really splurge, then the solar charger for your laptop and gadgets is probably the SOlo Lounge Table -$ 9,900 Canadian or $9,462.37 US . The SOlo Lounge Table looks a bit like a thick card table covered in solar panels that can charge laptops as well as gadgets. It also functions as a normal table, but the surface area covered in drinks or food, won’t be collecting solar energy. The table has a pull out drawer with USB ports, a car charger port and electrical outlet for charging gadgets and cell phones.
Anyone of these green gadget chargers should provide some savings in electricity. They should also provide a sense of security should you run out of juice while traveling and don’t have an outlet handy. Just pick your price range and type of preferred charger. Buy it for the gadget geek in your family or slip a note to your significant other asking for one for the holidays.
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January 12th, 2010
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