PowerMonkey-eXplorer Review

We like:

Its solid water-resistant build; that it charges from mains, USB or solar; the big battery

We don't like:

That you can't charge while it's being charged

SmartPlanet judgement:

It's a tough, competent universal charger with the largest capacity of any we've tried plus it's got a flexible solar charger. It's let down only by not being able to charge while it's being charged. In spite of that, we fell for the PowerMonkey hook, line and sinker.

Despite its comic name, the PowerMonkey-eXplorer feels like the most serious and solidly-built charger we've tested. It's a two-part device, which can be used separately or together.The PowerMonkey is a fat, water-resistant, tubular unit that holds a rechargeable battery (at 2200mAh, the best we've tested) and its solar component is the 'solar slave', a small, fold-up solar unit.  Continue reading...