The Solio Solar Charger

The sleek and futuristic looking Solio Solar Charger is one of the new breed of what are basically solar powered batteries. The Solio charger works by harvesting energy from the sun through its photovoltaic solar cells. There are currently three models of this device available: the Classic, the Hybrid 1000 and the Magnesium Edition.

The Classic Solio is about the same size and weight as a mobile phone. It consists of three plates: a top cover, middle plate and back cover. The back cover is the thickest and also incorporates the Lithium Ion battery for energy storage. The three plates fan out into a triangular shape that can be easily propped up to face the sun in virtually any location.

The full name of this item is the Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger. The name sums up what it is trying to achieve. Its battery is capable of being recharged from either sunlight or mains electricity and it comes with a collection of different adaptor tips and plugs to allow it to plug into many common devices.

The charger adjusts its output within the range of 1.5 to 8 watts depending on the device that is plugged in for charging. The match between the output wattage and the amount that is best for the device is not always a perfect match. In most cases this does not present a problem, though to maximize the battery life of devices being charged, using the mains power with an adapter is preferable when possible.

The Battery

The battery in the Solio Solar Charger is a 3.7V 1800mAh Lithium Ion battery. To put this into perspective, the charge this battery can hold is the equivalent of a single middle range AA battery. While this may be sufficient for recharging a mobile phone, it is not of itself going to be a solution to your mobile power needs.

The battery in the Solio unit becomes fully charged after 10 hours of sunshine. This is due to the small amount of current generated by the panels (0.83 watts) rather than the large capacity of the battery. The battery is also stated as having a one year lifespan, after which it will need to be replaced. Clearly it would be worthwhile to investigate the cost of these replacement batteries when considering buying this unit.

Issues With The Product

When the Solio Solar Charger was first released several years ago, some users encountered problems with dead units or units that would not function sufficiently to fully charge the devices plugged into them. These seem to have been teething problems and have become far rarer in recent years.

As with all electronic devices, it is important to read the manual carefully before use rather than just plugging it in and switching it on. Failure to read the manual thoroughly may result in substandard performance of the Solio and / or damage to the device attached. It is also worth noting that although the Solio is clearly meant for mobile use, it does not claim to be waterproof and should be kept dry at all times.