Review: Solar Technology Freeloader solar charger

Having your mobile flash ‘battery low’ when miles away from a power socket is never a pleasant experience, especially if you’re relying on it to keep you in touch with the outside world.

Solar Technology has come up with a nifty gadget that lets you use the sun’s energy to charge your mobile – or indeed your iPod or PDA.

With the solar panels tucked away, the device measures in at 62x123x17mm (wxhxd). Although by no means bulky, it’s bigger than most mobile phones and is not something you’d want to carry around in your jeans pocket.

To reveal the solar cells, you simply split the unit in two, open up the end containing the solar cells, and then re-attach them to either side of the main device. The plastic joins don’t feel hugely sturdy and we don’t think it would take much to accidentally bend or snap them.

However, this is only when the solar cells are opened out - when back in the storage position the Freeloader is unlikely to come to any harm.

Two LEDs (one for each solar cell) light up when charging is in process. It takes around five hours to charge the internal battery using solar energy, but you can always top it up via USB (a full USB charge takes three hours) before you head out. The charge will be held for up to three months and will be good for roughly 44 hours when charging a mobile, 22 hours for a PDA and 18 hours for an iPod, which isn’t at all bad.

A large selection of adapters is included to cover most mobiles, mp3 players and PDAs, but it’s worth checking the Solar Technology website for compatibility before you buy.

When you want to charge your device, simply locate the appropriate adapter, connect it to the extension lead, and then plug it into the Freeloader. A single red LED indicates charging is progress, but there’s no way to find out how much charge the internal battery is currently holding.

We were very impressed during testing. With the cells opened out, the Freeloader immediately started charging its internal battery, even in overcast conditions. The varying brightness of the two green LEDs helped us sit it at the best angle, but a fold-out stand would have made this easier. We then hooked it up to a Nokia N70, which in turn began charging just as if it were attached to the mains.

In most cases, the Freeloader will use its internal battery to charge your device. However, as long as there’s sufficient sunlight, it’s able to charge even when its battery is depleted.

While we can see the Freeloader being put to regular use by hikers and those who are frequently a long way from civilisation, it’s more of a gimmick than anything else to the rest of us. You’re unlikely to carry it around at all times and if you suddenly find your phone is out of juice the chances are you won’t have your Freeloader handy.

But if it means getting to make that important phone call just once, you’ll probably find the price tag more than justifiable.