Your iPhone does more than just make calls. It’s the perfect companion for almost every situation because there’s an app for almost everything. Having taken my iPhone 4 with me on a couple hikes to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, I can attest that it’s an amazing tool to keep by your side during outdoor excursions. Of course that is until you see your battery meter dip below 3%. At which point the iPhone 4 becomes just an expensive piece of metal and glass. To aid your charging dilemmas on your next camping trips, Solio has created a great line of portable solar chargers.
Solio’s Mono Charger ($60), combines a high-efficiency solar cell, with a long life lithium-ion rechargeable battery in a solid impact resistant casing for all those adventurers who need battery power no matter where they journey. The design of the device is incredibly simple. Nothing detracts from the solar panel, and it’s very easy to use. To begin charging simply place it in the sun and press the Start button on the back of the device. A red LED light will blink to indicate that it’s collecting energy.
Solio claims that the Mono should reach a full charge after being exposed to 10 hours of direct sunlight. On my first attempt, I set my Mono outside in the hot Phoenix sun from 10am till 5pm but the device only reached about 40%. This could have been due to the fact that I never went back and adjusted the positioning of the solar panel every few hours, but that’s not something I would want to have to do if I were using the device regularly on a camping trip, or if I’m placing it on the dash of my car while at the office. The results on the next charging attempt where slightly better as I got 60% from nine hours of exposure.
An LED button on the back of the Mono indicates how much battery power is currently available. Each consecutive blinking green light equals ten percentage points, so three blinks equates to 30% battery. It’s a simple system but it works and that’s all you need. There are also two charging ports on the side of the Mono. One is for when you wish to connect your iPhone/iPod to the Mono to get a charge, and the other is so users can plug their Mono into an electrical outlet to charge the battery before going out. It seems a little redundant at first that a solar-powered battery would charge from a wall which takes away all of its Green/Eco-Friendliness but the benefits of having an extra battery in tow are always nice.
My iPhone only managed to reach about 30% battery power after charging from a 60% Mono battery. The Mono also comes with a plethora of different charging cables to support 3200 different devices, as well as a USB dongle.
The Solio Mono is a nice product. It works well and is very easy to use. It’s not as rugged as the Rocsta, but it’s $20 cheaper. My biggest gripes with it is that the device is pretty thick. I know my iPhone isn’t sporting a solar panel, but the Mono is three times as thick as my iPhone 4 which has a better battery. Also, the battery doesn’t provide as much power as I wish it did considering how big the device is. I carry a Duracell Instant Charger in my bag just in case and it provides almost just as much juice in a much smaller package. Of course, the Solio Mono is using renewable energy to provide me with my emergency supply of electronic power, and perhaps that makes all the difference.
[xrr rating=60%]
