The Freeloader Pro is a professional solar charger that uses the sun's rays to charge its internal battery...

Product Overview

Overall rating:

87%
Overall score:87%

Pros:

  • Works well, good value

Cons:

  • Can take a while to charge

Product:

Freeloader Pro Solar Charger

Price as reviewed:

£70.00

Gadgets, gizmos and cameras – as great as they are – always succumb to the simple fact they need power to run. Batteries always seem to deplete at the most inconvenient times, but now there is a solution.

The Freeloader Pro is a professional solar charger that uses the sun’s rays to charge its internal battery. Then by attaching one of many tips from the USB output – almost all phones, iPod, Playstation Portable (PSP), Nintendo DS Lite, most PDAs, a variety of Media Players including Archos and even Garmin and Sat Map are catered for – it’s possible to recharge wherever you are. And the best thing about it is that it actually works. The voltage maxes out at 9.5V, however, so don’t expect to go charging up laptops or power-hungry portables as this just won’t work.

Adding extra bang for your buck the Freeloader Pro also includes CamCaddy, a tray-like camera battery charger that’s capable of charging batteries for DSLR, compact and video cameras. So long as the terminals are visible on the battery it can be connected and recharged using the Freeloader Pro’s battery.



Available from www.solartechnology.co.uk

Verdict

For around £69.99 this is nothing short of a bargain for what it's capable of. Do note however, that after two to three years the battery will wear down, and you'll need to send it to Solar Technologies for an as-yet-undisclosed replacement fitting in the £13-15 region.