Solio Magnesium Edition Review
Telephone: +44 (0)207 424 7999
If you're in the market for a solar charger, you'll have come across the original Solio already. Launched in 2005, its gorgeous three-leaf design ensured its spot in the green gadget hall of fame. This Magnesium incarnation is its slightly more powerful, tougher and heavier successor.
Like the original Solio (now catchily renamed the Solio Classic Universal Hybrid Charger), this is basically a solar panel with a built-in battery. Here's what's new in this incarnation.
To start, the built-in battery's storage capacity is up 15 per cent, from 1,600mAh to 1,800. That's good, and on a par with two really good AA rechargeable batteries for capacity. It can also output more watts than the old Solio. Not enough to charge a laptop, but at nine watts it's enough for the vast majority of hand-held gadgets -- namely phones, portable games consoles, MP3 players and cameras.
Then there's the switch from Solio's own charging adaptors to the long-running iGo system, which is independent of Solio. That's sweet in the respect that you'll be able to buy an adaptor for virtually any gadget for a fiver, be it a Nokia N-Series mobile or a Nintendo DS Lite. But it also means you only get a female USB charger -- capable of powering iPods and some mobiles -- provided in the box. That feels stingy when cheaper solar chargers like the Freeloader come bundled with a selection of adaptors.
The Magnesium can power up virtually any gadget -- provided you're happy to buy the appropriate £5 adaptor tip
Finally, the other major switch is to magnesium alloy for the Solio's shell. We've used the old Solio long-term and it does scratch. In comparison, from our initial short-term testing, this new material does seem more impervious to scuffing. Despite magnesium being an abundant material in the sea and in minerals, we wouldn't go as far as describing it as an eco material, though. Recycled plastic, yes. Virgin magnesium, no. There's also a scratch-beating carry bag supplied in the box, which is another addition.
In day-to-day use, the Solio works well. Like its predecessor, it's a superb design that feels robust and is practical for pocketing with the panels shut and quickly unfolding to convert solar rays into free green electricity. In that respect, it's much less fiddly than the Freeloader.
Another neat design touch is the hole in the Solio's pivot, which -- with the addition of a Solio pencil bundled in the box -- allows you to prop the Solio up to face the sun (see here). It's a small feature, but one that most of the competition is missing. One small thing that did disappoint is the disappearance of the window sucker mount that used to come in the box with old Solios. The charger's makers, Better Energy Systems, have confirmed it no longer comes as standard.
We found the Magnesium roughly on a par with its rival the Freeloader for charging speed in the sun. Three days in March (around ten hours of prime sun) at the UK's latitude lit up just one bar on the charger's handy built-in battery level indicator -- something the Freeloader frustratingly lacks. That sort of charging speed is quite a distance from the official suggestion that ten hours will fully charge the Magnesium.
Still, the paucity and intermittent nature of British sun is a problem we've found affecting all the solar chargers we've tested. Like the competition, it's not waterproof and it does charge slower behind glass than outdoors.
Along with most of its rivals, you can also charge via the mains.
For full greenie points, make sure you're on an electricity tariff that
uses renewable energy, such as Good Energy or Ecotricity. The battery is theoretically good for 350-500 charges, after which you'll will need to contact Better Energy Systems for a battery swap -- the old one gets recycled.
Folded up, the Magnesium is small enough to carry in a pocket
So far, so good -- but what about the manufacturing process for the Magnesium? Its maker, Better Energy Systems, scores highly on our ethics rating since it only makers solar and recycled products.
It gave us a strong commitment to working conditions for those
people assembling the Solio in China's industrial heartland, the
Guangdong region. "All workers within our supply chain receive fair
wages and are treated fairly and with respect," the company told us.
"Factories and suppliers are vetted and undergo audit before becoming
an approved supplier." Since that's not independently verified, we have
to take Better Energy Systems at its word, but it's more than many
electronics makers claim.
Other nice eco and ethical touches at a corporate level include a toxicity study on the original Solio by the Fraunhofer Insistute (which sadly isn't on the public web), packaging that's part-recycled, previous gifting of Solios to charties including British Red Cross, plus a pledge to offset the company's entire carbon footprint before the end of June 2008.
Overall, there's a lot to like here. But there's a big dirty fly in this green ointment, and that's the price. The Magnesium's good, but it's not £100 good. If money's no object, this is one of the better solar chargers on the market, but for most other green gadget shoppers, we'd recommend cheaper alternatives such as the £20 Freeloader, £65 PowerMonkey-eXplorer and, yes, £50-60 original Solio.
Our Solio Magnesium Edition was kindly loaned by Ethical Superstore.
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
