These chargers are great for any emergency situation, or any other time when a power outlet is not readily available. The majority of solar mobile phone chargers on the market are small and lightweight, which makes them easy to transport and use anywhere. They are a perfect product for anyone who loves to venture into the wilderness as you’ll always be able to charge your phone, no matter where you are or what might happen. The other added benefit is that most chargers are universal and will work to charge most small electronic devices including smart phones, mp3 players, digital cameras, and some will even work for tablets such as the iPad.

Types of Solar Cell Phone Chargers

The photovoltaic cells on solar mobile phone chargers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some of which are better than others. The majority of chargers resemble a larger old clamshell cell phone, which flips open to reveal two solar panels underneath. A second very popular variety is a very simple flat solar panel, although usually these products come with a cover so as not to damage the solar cells. 

There are also many other varieties such as foldable cells, cells you can roll up, and even cells that spread out to resemble a fan. All of the different varieties have their positives and negatives, as some are more powerful than others, but also may be much heavier or bulkier which makes them much harder to carry around. When deciding on which type of charger to buy, it’s best to think about your needs. 

If you are someone who does a lot of outdoor activities such as hiking, then it may be best to consider one of the smaller, lightweight, compact chargers. While these may sacrifice something in performance, they are much more portable than some of the other chargers. Alternatively, if you plan on mainly using your solar charger as an alternative to using normal electricity, then you may want to pick a charger with a much larger solar panel that is capable of producing more power and charging your devices much quicker.

One of the better solar cell phone chargers on the market is the Universal Hybrid Charger from Solio. This solar charger can be used to power your cell phone, mp3 player, digital camera, and smart phones such as the iPod or Android. One of the biggest charms of this charger is its sleek, compact design. 

While most solar chargers rely on a larger solar panel to generate power, the Solio Hybrid Charger has a compact fan display. When not in use, the charger is a small oval shaped device, and in order to use it you must simply fan out the blades and expose them to direct sunlight. 

This makes it much more compact and easy to carry than many other chargers on the market and also helps to protect the delicate solar panels when not in use. 

One of the few negatives about this design is that the panels are slightly loose and don’t always stay open as much as they should. Another issue is that the charger needs to be propped up against something when it’s opened, as it will not stand on its side once the fan blade solar panels are opened. This is only an issue during the early morning and late evening hours however, as the charger can be laid flat on its back when the sun is directly overhead.

The Solio charger can charge your devices from its built-in battery - provided it has enough charge - or it can directly charge your device even when the battery in the charger is dead, simply by placing the charger in direct sunlight. A fully charged charger battery will hold enough energy to fully power a cell phone twice. The added bonus of the Solio Hybrid Charger is that an hour’s worth of direct sunlight will charge a cell phone enough to talk for at least ten minutes, or stay in idle mode for over a day, making it ideal for an emergency situation. 

Solio also guarantees that the charger’s internal battery will last over a year unlike many of the competitor’s batteries, and they provide a full one year warrantee on the charger. One of the biggest advantages of this charger is the price - you should be able to purchase one for between $40 and $100 which makes it much cheaper than many of its competitors.

Another very popular product on the market is the Powermonkey line of solar chargers. Powermonkey offers a line of chargers which resemble a flip phone and can be used to power almost any small electronic device. The Powermonkey Explorer is probably the most popular in their line of solar chargers, and comes with many adaptors to fit almost any product, however if you use a newer version iPhone, then you’ll have to purchase an extra adaptor. 

The Explorer is small and compact, but it still charges devices at much higher speeds than many of its competitors, and the price still usually comes in at less than $130. One of the biggest advantages of the Explorer is that it is incredibly well-made and durable when compared to many other chargers- however it does have a few drawbacks. 

The Explorer still has relatively small solar panels when compared to some of the flexible panel solar chargers available. This makes it less efficient at producing energy than some of the chargers with larger foldable panels; however it is also much more portable than many other chargers and can fit easily in most any handbag or backpack.

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