Welcome to KIWIreviews - product reviews
•  click here to return to the homepage  •
Welcome visitor.Join us or log in
  YOU ARE HERE : Home > Categories > Electrical Goods > Power Storage > Freeloader
  ProdID: 3335 - FreeloaderBrand / Manufactured by:B-Safe Product Score: 9.8 
Freeloader

Price : $109.95
Supplier :
Available : via Online Store and selected retail outlets

The Freeloader Classic is the new star of the solar mobile charging world. Sleek and robust it contains the most cutting edge electronics capable of powering the world's most popular devices including the Apple iPhone and iPad.

Covered in a hard wearing and stylish aluminium skin, Freeloader Classic now has super powerful solar panels and is capable of giving power to an iPod / iPhone for 18 hours, a smart phone for 44 hours, a PSP or Nintendo DS for 2.5 hours and an iPad for 2 hours.

Supplied with 9 connector's tips including the new standard micro USB and a USB socket, Freeloader Classic is ready for action, straight from the box!

Supplied with a master cable and nine adaptors to fit the following:
    •  Mini USB - Motorola, Blackberry, Smartphone, iMate etc
    •  Micro USB - Motorola, Blackberry, Nokia etc
    •  4mm straight jack - PSP, TomTom, EBook etc
    •  Nokia 3.5mm straight jack
    •  Nokia 2mm straight jack
    •  Sony Ericsson - wide adaptor
    •  Samsung - G600 series adaptor
    •  LG - Chocolate, Prada etc
    •  DS - DS Lite

USB socket in built to allow connection from devices with their own USB charge cable - e.g. Apple products.

Website: http://www.b-safe.co.nz/Click out to an external site
Price
Supply Duration
Eco-friendly
Personal Choice
Tucker   Review #5784 - Dated: 24th of April, 2012
  Author: Tucker

I got this unit about 2 months ago, after seeing it at a recent trade fair. I thought it would be a smart unit to have in the car, just in case - my smartphone isn't exactly the most frugal user of battery power and it would be just my luck for it to die when I needed it the most.

I have already lost count of the number of times this little beauty has saved me from disconnection in times of need. Nothing quite says "GEEK!" as someone standing at a bus stop powering their phone with a solar panel while checking the bus schedule online to see if he'll make it home in time to collect his youngest from daycare. ^;)

A recent trip to Auckland, that would entail much data usage, thus battery power, had me concerned as to the lifespan of my phone... so I quickly whipped this unit out of the glovebox and popped it on the dash to charge as I drove and while I was in the event. Sure enough, by the end of the day the unit was fully charged and my phone was at 40% battery. while heading home and needing to make some calls and the hands-free function active, the battery bars were disappearing at an alarming rate... once more, a quick stop to shunt the power from this unit into my phone and by the time I had completed the 2 hour drive, my calls were all made, and the phone was now at 62% power!

Frankly speaking, I think this unit is just plain amazing... so good in fact, I plan to buy another one to keep in my backpack for when I am riding public transport around town - one small way to try and reduce my carbon footprint. When I am near my PC I can charge it via USB, when I am out and about I recharge it via the built-in solar panels - it really couldn't be any easier! I would like to see a couple of added features - particularly an indicator that shows "full charge" when recharging via solar - you get one with USB, but not via the cells. I would also like to see a "running indicator" of charge - a small LCD panel, or even just a series of LEDs showing 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and FULL charge would suffice.

Overall, the cost of this unit is nothing compared to the relief you will feel the first time it saves your butt. I can only wish I had one of these 18 months ago when I was stuck on the shore of Lake Taupo with a busted trailer and no way to contact help due to my old cellphone having gone dead 20 minutes earlier.

User Comments
 

Printed at 05:20:35pm on Friday 19th April 2024