Portable Chargers to Keep You Powered on the Go

Cost: $140

Weight: 1.5 pounds

Compatible with: Most digital cameras, DVD players, GPS units, iOS devices, Kindles, LED lights, phones, MP4 players, portable game devices, USB radios, video cameras

Can be charged by: Sunlight, USB

Time to full charge: 12 hours (sunlight), 8 hours (USB)

The rugged, waterproof JOOS Orange Portable Solar Charger charges your gadgets quickly and works in "real-world light conditions." That means you can use this charger even if it's not a perfect, sunny day, such as under cloudy skies or light rain.

Cost: $100

Weight: 6.3 ounces

Compatible with: Most iPads, laptops, and standard USB devices (check compatibility here)

Can be charged by: Wall outlet

Time to full charge: N/A

Innergie's Compact 95W Universal Adapter isn't a charger so much as a one-stop adapter for all of your mobile devices, including your laptop. The smooth, compact charger allows you to charge your laptop and your portable devices at the same time, and even has a 10-watt USB power port for charging your iPad.

Cost: $60

Weight: 4.9 ounces

Compatible with: BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, and Sony devices; Bluetooth and GPS devices; digital cameras; Kindles and other e-book readers; and Nintendo DS and Sony PSP consoles

Can be charged by: Car charger, sunlight, USB, wall outlet

Time to full charge: 17+ hours (sunlight), 4.5 hours (car charger, USB, wall outlet)

The KIWI U-Powered Solar & USB Portable Charger is funky-looking--with fold-out solar panels--and versatile. The charger reportedly can hold its charge for up to six months.

Cost: $168

Weight: 3 ounces

Compatible with: BlackBerry devices; Creative Zen and other MP3 players; digital cameras; iPhone and iPod; Nintendo DS/DS Lite and Sony PSP consoles; and most Japanese cell phones

Can be charged by: Sunlight, USB, wall outlet

Time to full charge: 15-24 hours (sunlight), 5 hours (USB), 3.5 hours (wall outlet)

The iCharge Eco DX is yet another attractive solar-powered charger. It comes in a variety of appealing colors--silver, green, blue, pink, red, black, and white--for the stylish executive.

Cost: $110

Weight: 15.5 ounces

Compatible with: Most laptops, including Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP/Compaq, IBM, Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba

Can be charged by: Wall outlet

Time to full charge: N/A

The iGo Green Laptop Travel Charger is an excellent unit that doesn't require solar power--it's powered by standard wall outlets. iGo says the charger earns its "green" card by using 85 percent less standby power than does a standard charger. The charger also has a USB port for mobile devices. (A USB cord is included, but additional mobile device tips are sold separately.)

Cost: $140

Weight: 17 ounces

Compatible with: Most laptops

Can be charged by: Car charger, wall outlet

Time to full charge: N/A

The Targus Premium Laptop Charger may not be "green," but it's one slick portable device. This superslim one-pound laptop charger is wall-powered, with a swiveling AC plug that lets you plug it into a power strip without blocking other outlets. Included with the charger are nine interchangeable tips, as well as a free tip of your choice.

Cost: $80

Weight: 6 ounces

Compatible with: BlackBerry devices; Bluetooth headsets; digital cameras; DVD players; e-book readers; GPS devices; iPhones and iPods; LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson phones; MP4 players; Nintendo DS Lite/DSi and Sony PSP consoles; and PDAs

Can be charged by: Sunlight, USB cable

Time to full charge: 8 hours (sunlight), 3 hours (USB)

ThinkGeek's FreeLoader Pro Solar Charger is another cool-looking solar charger. The FreeLoader Pro's two solar panels swivel out to catch sunlight, and can hold a charge for up to three months. The device also comes with a "CamCaddy" that fits any size camera battery, using a variable slider bar and adjustable contact pins.

Cost: $99, $10 per HydroStik

Weight: Unknown

Compatible with: Most phones and mobile devices that can be charged via USB

Can be charged by: HydroStik cartridge

Time to full charge: N/A

The Horizon MiniPak Portable Fuel Cell Charger is different. Instead of using solar or outlet power, it uses solid-state hydrogen fuel cells. The MiniPak converts hydrogen from a fuel cell into electricity by pulling oxygen from the air through vents and releasing the stored hydrogen into the fuel cell at the same time. Unfortunately, one $10 HydroStik will refill a smartphone only twice.

Cost: $50

Weight: 3.4 ounces

Compatible with: Bluetooth headsets, digital cameras, e-book readers, GPS units, iPods, iPhones and most phones, MP3 players, PDAs, and more

Can be charged by: Your hand

Time to full charge: About the same as a wall outlet (depends on device)

If you really want to go green, check out YoGen's "human-powered" device charger. This portable gizmo is powered by you: Just plug your device into the charger and pull a cord. Charging a device this way takes about as many hours as from a wall outlet, so it's impractical to recharge gadgets fully in a hurry--but it looks perfect if you're in a bind and need a little extra juice.

Cost: $50 - $60

Weight: 1.12 ounces

Compatible with: Over 3000 devices, including cameras, iPods, GPS units, MP3 players, phones, and portable gaming devices

Can be charged by: Wall outlet

Time to full charge: N/A

The Callpod Chargepod looks especially handy if you're flush with devices but low on outlets. The Chargepod allows you to charge up to six gadgets at a time using a single wall outlet, thanks to the Chargepod base unit, which features spots for six different adapters.

Cost: $150 - $200

Weight: 1.5 pounds

Compatible with: Digital cameras; most laptop models (Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, NEC, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba); most phones; Sony PSPs

Can be charged by: Sunlight, wall outlet

Time to full charge: 8-10 hours (sunlight), 3 hours (wall outlet)

The Huge Capacity Solar Charger and Battery is the only solar-powered battery device powerful enough to charge your laptop as well as your mobile devices. This unit has a capacity of 3.7 volts and measures 8 inches wide by 11 inches long by 0.7 inches deep.

Cost: $50

Weight: 2.4 ounces

Compatible with: Most laptops between 15 and 21 volts

Can be charged by: Car charger, airplane charger

Time to full charge: N/A

The Innergie mCube Mini is a tiny, portable charger for travelers. It features a car charger and a special airplane plug, the EmPower aviatic socket. It also comes with 10 interchangeable tips and weighs less than 3 ounces. This charger looks useful for laptops, as it's compatible with those having up to 17-inch screens and up to 21 volts of capacity. Plus, it weighs just a fraction as much as a regular laptop power brick.

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