Solio Bolt Solar Charger

The claim

Using two rotating solar panels and an on board battery, the Solio Bolt Solar Charger keeps your electronic gadgets charged. A fully charged on board battery can typically charge your smartphone close to two times.

How does it work?

While in sunlight, two rotatable solar panels charge up the on board battery. In order for the maximum amount of sunlight to be achieved there is a small hole for a pencil to fit through and turn the device into a tripod allowing it to stand and maintain the most efficient angle with the sun. When the electronic gadget needs to be charged, simply use the USB slot and begin charging.

 How did it work for me?

There is nothing worse than being ‘powerless’ in today’s smartphone society. I have lost count of the amount of times I have found myself out of battery. Too frequently I find myself guessing at directions or having to walk the last few miles home instead of a nice taxi ride, all because my phone has run out of battery. Therefore I was excited to get my hands on the Solio Bolt Solar Charger, which claims to charge your smartphone through the sun. Too good to be true? Well I found that although it is durable, waterproof and looks great, the efficiency of it harnessing the sun’s energy is not as promising as first suggested. While it claims to hold enough power to charge two smart phones, I found that anything beyond 120% (1 full charge and an extra 20%) was a bonus. The charging capabilities while in direct sunlight are good, however it seems to struggle when the clouds come over, something that may worry us all in Great Britain as we seldom witness clear skies.

However it is still effective and does provide you with that extra battery life that may be crucial for your camping trip or day out.