I seem to hear about new solar chargers coming out all the time, which is great news. Of course, whenever I come across a similar product, I like to compare them with my kit. If someone else comes out with a better product, then clearly I need to pay attention. Most of the time, though, I look at the new offering and say "Eh, over-priced, under-powered... as usual."

Today, I came across the Changers Starter Kit, so I'll do a little comparison for you.

	Chi-qoo	Changers
Standard solar wattage	5W	4W
Max solar wattage	10W	5W
Output	1.5A	1A
USB Ports	2	1
Battery capacity	6000mAh	4400mAh
Replaceable battery	Yes ($25)	No
Replaceable solar panels	Yes ($25)	?
iPad support	Yes	?
Enclosure*	Bamboo	Plastic
Software integration	No	Yes
Price	$120	$149

*I didn't claim a win on the enclosure because I think this is a subjective judgement. Some people will like the bamboo, not just because it's a renewable material, but because it's also aesthetically pleasing, while others may prefer the sleek but less eco-friendly plastic.

So, spec for spec, the Chi-qoo beats the Changer charger and at a lower price. The Changer does have a nice sleek (albeit plastic) design and appears to be more compact than the Chi-qoo. There's also software/social media integration, which I think is interesting. But for $149, you can get a Chi-qoo plus another 5W solar panel, with enough money left for a latte. If it were me, you know where my money would go (but, I admit, I'm biased).

Welcome to the new BootstrapSolar web site and store! After the Kickstarter campaign ended a couple of days ago, we scrambled to get a site up so people can continue to pre-order the solar power pack kits (now renamed the "Chi-qoo", btw). Speaking of scrambling, I (Ryo) have been focusing on product development, but I now have a couple of helpers (say 'hi' to Eric), so hopefully things'll smooth out a bit and there will be less scrambling around here (...right).