When choosing a solar charger for your iphone (3g, 3gs or 4g), there are two basic options: products manufactured primarily for the i phone, and products that are universal. With specialized chargers, you have more thought going toward the iphone, yet if you have multiple devices and want to power all equally, there is the less expensive option of purchasing a unit that can multi-task.

The Most Recommended Solar Chargers Are:

• Go Power! GPDL-20 20-Watt Self Regulating Unbreakable Solar Module
• Sunforce 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit
• Brunton 26 Watt Foldable Solar Array
• HQRP 20W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel

Integrated and Separated Solar Chargers

There are two main designs: solar panels that integrate with your iphone, and solar chargers that are separate, with a cord linking the two.

Novothink is the 1° licensed solar iphone 3g charger

Novothink, the “first licensed solar chargers for the iphone,” has a solar panel on the back of their unit, which attaches to the iphone as a whole. Yet on their website they say that placing in a hot area may damage your iphone, as the operating temperatures of the phone may be more sensitive than the temperatures of the solar charger. So, put it in the sun, for hours, but make sure it’s a cool sun?

Other chargers, such as Solio, Lenmar, and FreeLoader either use a device that is attached to the bottom of the iphone, or have a linking cable that keeps the devices separate, in the off chance you want your battery juice served medium well, yet your iphone kept on a cold plate to the side.

How to Calculate Charging Time

Novothink has a 1500 mAh lithium battery, and provides 30-60 minutes of talk time after 2 hrs of solar exposure.

Video Review of Solio Magnesium Edition

Solio has different options, from 1000 mAh to 1800 mAh, and they boast 15 min of talk time per hr of solar exposure.

Lenmar has a 2200 mAh lithium battery, with a charge time of 4-6 hrs, depending on the intensity of the solar exposure. Run time of an iphone when connected is around 1.5 hrs.

Freeloader Video Review

FreeLoader has a 1000 mAh lithium battery, and with 8 hrs of solar charge, can “charge an ipod for 18 hrs.” That doesn’t say if the usage is standby or talk time. Customer reviews for these products were partly cloudy, and many people may need to test-drive for a few days to see if this solution is right for them. Going green is definitely a newer phenomenon in the marketplace, and companies are answering the call; the difficulty is being able to distinguish a genuinely reliable alternative energy source from those that are just looking to make a quick buck.