A little bit ago I took a look at the iGo EveryWhere Max universal charger, while it was a device that worked, I found that with purchasing multiple tips for all of the gadgets you own it could get very expensive very quickly. I’ve got another type of universal charger today for review, while it’s sort of in the same position where you’ve got to buy tips, not quite as expensive though, and it does offer you a dual power solution which includes the sun as a power source, yes this is a solar charger, but it’s hybrid so you can use the USB port on your computer to charge it as well.

It’s a New year and we’re staring it off Green! On the review block today we’ve got the Solio Hybrid 1000 Solar Charger that allows you to charge all of your gadgets with the sun. The Solio H1000 comes with common tips for many devices, and you can buy more as well if needed for you other devices. The H1000 is well made, and very easy to use, it includes a carabineer style clip so you can attach it to your bag or wherever and let it charge while you’re on the go.

So read on to check it out…

First up we’ve got the unboxing video for you:

Specifications:

The Solio Hybrid 1000

Never be caught without a charge!

When on the go power for your gadgets is key, plug into the Solio Hybrid 1000. This hybrid boasts a powerful solar panel and battery in an incredibly compact and slender case, conveniently geared with a built-in rugged carabineer and cable. The Hybrid 1000 is simple to use. Just clip on, plug in, and charge up!

The Hybrid 1000 accepts power from either the USB port of any computer or the sun and stores this energy within its internal rechargeable battery. Solio then uses this energy to power your gadgets at the same rate as if they were plugged into the wall. Solio will also hold its charge for up to a year. Simply plug into the sun and charge Solio through its solar panel – it’s free and green! Or use our Global Wall Adapter to charge from the wall.

Solio limits your need to purchase and carry around multiple chargers for all of your gadgets and is your one stop charging solution for all of your products from cell phones and iPods, to digital cameras, game players, and GPS.

* A full Solio H1000 will charge a typical mobile phone once or give 10 hours of MP3 music – just 1 hour of sunshine = 14 minutes talk

time or 40 minutes of MP3 music.*
* Provides an emergency power source when away from power outlets.
* Adapter tips allow you to power multiple gadgets with a single charger ( tips for most products included in pack.)
* Works with multiple gadgets, including mobile phones, iPhone, Bluetooth headsets, smartphones/PDAs, MP3 players, portable
gaming devices, digital cameras, GPS and much more.
* Reusable – use it again and again.
* Compact lightweight design – convenient for travel or emergency use.
Price: $79.95

When you first get the Solio Hybrid 1000 it does need charged, you can charge it with the sun or just use your computer’s USB port, I used the USB port as it is faster.

There’s not much really exciting about this product in that I can’t show you a video of it working or run tests on but at the time it just so happened my phone needed charging, so I charged my phone with the Solio H1000, it takes a little longer than the wall charger but it works fine. My ATT Tilt has the mini-USB connection on it and the H1000 comes with that so that worked out well. Many cellphones and gadgets use this type of jack for their phones so the H1000 can be used with many of these devices.

The Solio Hybrid 1000 seems very well made, it’s very easy to use and included in the price are tips for very common devices. It seems to do exactly as it is advertised to do, it charges your devices or provides extra power when needed. This could be a great little gadget gift for the person who likes to spend time outdoors or even just something to toss in your car for emergencies. I can’t really test the claim that it holds a charge for a year, but from my time with it it seems to hold its charge well.

Conclusion:

The Solio Hybrid 1000 Solar Charger is something that I think most anyone would appreciate, green or not. It allows you to save money on charging your gadgets, and since it includes common tips most people won’t have to spend extra money on buying tips either.

The downside to this product is that you may have to spend more money to get it to work with all of your devices, it’s not really the products fault as more of the manufactures fault, they need to come up with a common type of connector so consumers don’t have to spend extra money.

Pros:
Well made
Easy to use
Dual power, USB or sun recharging
Small and portable
Holds charge for long time
Includes common tips

Cons:
Must pay extra for other tips, costs can add up quickly

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance