WakaWaka Power - Solar Charger, Yellow (Older Model)

I like the small size of this, and its ease of use. Having 4 levels of power for the LED lights is also great, not to mention the ease of charging it from a microUSB charging cord, or the ease of charging or powering any USB device from it.The only negative is that its battery capacity could be larger. Once fully charged, I tried to use it to recharge a 50% depleted latest generation iPad Mini Retina, but it was only able to raise the iPad from 50% to 68% before dropping from from 4 to 1 bars of power.

It worked as claimed but I was really surprised that it broke after leaving it on my car dashboard to recharge. After returning to my car at about 7pm the device was completely dead/unresponsive. After further examination, I noticed the case had deformed. So it basically melted :(I do the same thing with a similar product-  ReVIVE Series Solar ReStore External Battery Pack with Universal USB Charging Port for Portable E-readers , MP3 Players , Smartphones & More USB Powered Devices  and thought I could do the same with this more expensive product. No.Weather on the day that it melted: mostly sunny, high 97F, mean 86F, (2013-07-18 from 10am to 7pm in northern Baltimore, Maryland).

I typically don't take the time to review products that I buy, but I love this little gadget so much, I just have to share. I live and play hard in the mountains of Tahoe, and also travel quite a bit, and I have put the WakaWaka to the test. Long story short...for travel, hiking, and camping, it is simply a must-have for me. It has also come in handy at home when the power goes out (which happens often in the winter here), and around the garage/yard when I'm doing projects and need a light.The design is simple yet effective, the durability is awesome, and the performance has never disappointed. It packs enough juice and charge-holding power that it changes the way I pack and plan. For example, I recently bought a camper trailer, and have been doing a fair share of "dry camping" (i.e. without hookups). Rather than install a fixed (and more expensive) solar panel system on the RV, I just take along 2 WakaWaka's, and we have more than enough light and gadget-charging capability, for both me and my wife, which totally saves the RV's batteries for other stuff. Or, for general travel, I often now leave the headlamp and wall plugs at home, and instead just bring the WakaWaka.I have not suffered any of the disappointments mentioned by some of the other reviewers. If you understand how it works and what it was designed for, you will not be disappointed either. As for compatibility: I have lots of different gadgets, big and small, Apple and non-Apple, and it definitely charges every one of them. It's USB, people...if you think your gadget is not compatible, you are either mistaken, or using some obscure technology from another planet.And if all this wasn't enough, we can also feel good about supporting the mission of the company and the foundation, which is to bring sustainable power and light to those in developing areas who don't have it. Take a moment to read up on that. This product truly deserves 5 stars in my book...

This looks great and has a compact smooth design. It does charge with the sun and the light works great. The light system that says whether it is charging or not and when it done is kind of confusing. I have left it in the sun and then came back and the whole thing just seems dead, no light nothing works....then later it comes on....did it get to hot? was it overcharged? who knows? But like I said the light is a strong light and the design allows it to set up nice...but I don't see it being that helpful as a battery charger.

Anyone wishing to charge cell phones or cameras and travelling away from mains or car electricity should have one. Even the lights are well designed to avoid casting a shadow like you get with a head torch. Haven't tested it with a tablet but doubt it could do much as tablet battery capacity is 10 to 20 times that of phones, which in turn are 2 times camera battery charge capacity. Of course with patience, it should be possible to eventually charge even a tablet.Reckon the website could make it clearer there are two distinct products; one is the light only, the other provides power for small electrical gizmos plus has the light. Also was surprised the solar collecting surface was matt black and looks like plastic. All PV converters I've seen before look like black, shiny glass. Even the Waka Waka photos make this surface look shiny. Reckon they should explain this as when I received it I looked for ways to remove the 'black plastic cover' - which of course was the actual operating surface. I would have wrecked it if I'd persevered with force!

This product has a lot of uses and it recharges by the sun. So, at night you can run it for light, then hook up your cell phone or tablet and let it charge, and then in the day when its sunny and you don't need the wakka wakka for light, just place it in the sun and it powers back up to repeat. I got this because after hurricane sandy many people had no power for an extended period of time and this device solves two problems in that kind of situation. It has other uses as well though, if you camp, just throw it on the back of your ruck to charge while you are walking, and then at night you've got light. No more hauling around large camp lights and extra batteries. If you are doing something like the AT you will really appreciate saving the weight. You can also use it as a flashlight or if you walk at night use it for safety, its got the ability to have different light settings for different uses, so its really handy. I really love this product and think that every household should have one.