Solio Magnesium Hybrid Solar Charger
6th January 2009
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Not giving up on solar energy as a viable means of alternative energy, I decided to give the Solio Magnesium Hybrid Solar Charger, a try.
Complete with all the adapters you can possibly need, the Solio has a clever design that opens up to reveal its three solar panels that is propped up to help it absorb the sunlight with a pencil.
The hybrid in the name means that you can charge the internal battery directly from the wall so for non-summer months where there may not be much direct sunlight, you can still use this as a portable charger.
With a stylish and sturdy design, the Solio feels like a quality product that is designed to come with you on your travels. Included in the recycled box is a fabric tote to keep it protected. Whether intentional or not, the design of the solar panels when unfolded resembles the head of a flower that has three flat surfaces to soak up the sun.
The internal Lithium Ion battery stores up to 1800mAh of energy and will hold its charge for as long as a year allowing you to charge and forget. Charging the battery via the solar panels is a bit of a hit and miss. According to the instructions, charging time takes up to 12 hours on a bright sunny day with direct exposure and no obstructions. Considering I haven’t experienced a bright sunny day since last Summer, I wasn’t expecting the charger to be able to achieve the recommended time unless I moved to some other foreign land such as Australia.
When situating the Solio behind a window, charging time is dramatically increased. Instructions state that charging can take up to 14 hours. In reality, it takes a lot longer and in some cases never charges the battery to its capacity as I experienced.
As I stated in my review of the Freeloader solar charger, don’t expect to be able to use this as an alternative to the mains grid. It just won’t happen unless you live next door to the sun. Solar panel technology has not reached the levels of efficiency and capability that will feed our energy hungry gadgets.
Baby steps I say. This is just one step towards better products that will be coming. If car manufacturers like Toyota think they can make their Prius work with solar panels, then surely I can expect to charge my iPod up using the same technology at some point in the near future. For now, the Solio Magnesium is a cleverly designed portable battery that will find more use being charged from the mains.
The Solio Magnesium Hybrid Solar Charger is not the definitive answer to renewable portable energy, but it’s a step in the right direction. It’s one of the most complete solar chargers you will find on the market today, complete with all the adapters you’ll need to charge your gadgets up as well as the international travel adapters for charging wherever you are in the world.
