Accessory Power ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL Review
Accessory Power ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL Review
Accessory Power ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL Review
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<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong> | Gadget<strong>Review</strong><br />
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/07/accessory-power-revive-solar-restore-xl-review.html<br />
Page 1 of 6<br />
7/11/2012<br />
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong><br />
<strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong><br />
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Review</strong>s <strong>Review</strong>s <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>Power</strong> USB — 10 July 2012<br />
I’m a big fan of hiking and once I moved to California from the East Coast, I ramped up the<br />
amount of time my feet and the ground visited each other. My basic accoutrements through
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong> | Gadget<strong>Review</strong><br />
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/07/accessory-power-revive-solar-restore-xl-review.html<br />
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the years haven’t changed, but as camping out became more a part of my life, I found that all<br />
those electronic devices being brought along were becoming a drag. A power drag, that is.<br />
Times may have changed to where a laptop is no longer the prized item in a backpack, but a<br />
smartphone pretty much rides along with every step. And drains power big time, once GPS<br />
and other functions (be they serious or gaming) get broken out. Not being one of those folks<br />
who uses portable generators in the great outdoors, I knew I would need a battery backup to<br />
take up the slack. I just didn’t know how eminently useable <strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong>’s <strong>ReVIVE</strong><br />
<strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> could be until I got it out and about.<br />
The <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> is bigger than most battery backups and there’s no way you<br />
can put it in a pocket (that and its durable white plastic body making it stand out amidst the<br />
flora and fauna). But in exchange for its size you get some pretty nifty features. One side is a<br />
honking big solar panel to soak up the rays and charge the 4,000 mAH battery — on the other<br />
side there’s a big button whose pressing lights up an LED in one of the slots below to show<br />
you how much power is already inside. <strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> wants you to charge the solar panel<br />
in the sunlight for about 13 hours the first time and that’s about right — after that a few hours<br />
seated while you’re actively doing something should take care of it. Apparently you can even<br />
add an additional solar panel to pump up the speed of the charging — frankly here in SoCal<br />
that isn’t needed (overcast days being few and far between, as are rainy days).
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong> | Gadget<strong>Review</strong><br />
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/07/accessory-power-revive-solar-restore-xl-review.html<br />
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There’s a USB socket for plugging in a device for charging — it’s on the same side as the<br />
“Charge/On tab (a blue LED glows on the edge to let you know whether you’re in charge or<br />
output mode). Also on the edge of the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong>, you’ll see where you can<br />
send it juice, courtesy of a USB connection. That kind of obviates the whole purpose of this<br />
“green” guy, but having an alternative is always good policy.<br />
I mentioned before that the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> is well suited for traveling — thank<br />
the built-in handle and the overall “build” for that. You also get a carabiner that attaches to the<br />
<strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong>, along with a suction cup (to use against a window or windshield<br />
— though the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong>’s weight precludes doing this safely, in my<br />
opinion). These accessories are nice freebies, along with a USB cable, and are appreciated.
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong> | Gadget<strong>Review</strong><br />
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/07/accessory-power-revive-solar-restore-xl-review.html<br />
Page 4 of 6<br />
7/11/2012<br />
Now as I said, the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> can go out and about with the best of them. Or<br />
perhaps better, because there’s an LED flashlight along the edge. The same button that<br />
activates the charge “meter” also controls the light: a double-tap gives you a steady beam,<br />
while a triple tap brings up a pulsing light instead. Where the pulsing light comes into play I<br />
don’t know – maybe it’s just me — as all I can think it’s good for is having it aimed at you<br />
while doing impersonations of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever. We all have our<br />
blind spots, I guess.
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong> | Gadget<strong>Review</strong><br />
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/07/accessory-power-revive-solar-restore-xl-review.html<br />
Page 5 of 6<br />
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A real issue is the usability of the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong>. As in does it charge a power<br />
sucking device efficiently, and do so enough times to justify its being brought along. I was<br />
able to use it for charging my iPhone up quite a few times while I was out in the wild —<br />
basically the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> removed the issue of my running out of power and it<br />
sat off to the side while I did some fishing (it was quiet too which made it an excellent<br />
companion for this fisherman wannabe).<br />
Editor’s Rating:<br />
Great<br />
Bottom line: The <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> fulfills its purpose of providing backup power<br />
when you need it, while obviating sucking on the teat of electrical power by using the Sun.<br />
Going green with a solar panel battery charger is good, but being able to get a value out of<br />
going green is better. The $109 retail price isn’t so daunting, once you find that the “street”<br />
price is around half that. But the real issue is that with the <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> you’re<br />
not just getting power when you need it, but a companion for your mobile devices that can<br />
handle any trek that you take it on.<br />
Pros<br />
• Large solar panel
<strong>Accessory</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>ReVIVE</strong> <strong>Solar</strong> <strong>ReStore</strong> <strong>XL</strong> <strong>Review</strong> | Gadget<strong>Review</strong><br />
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2012/07/accessory-power-revive-solar-restore-xl-review.html<br />
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Cons<br />
• 4,000mAH battery capacity<br />
• Black model available as well as white<br />
• No dust covers for exposed sockets<br />
• Side-mounted flashlight may be preferable to some