Customer reviews from bioliteenergy.com
BioLite - Solar Home System 620+ - Blue
Average customer rating
4.4
(300 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 300 reviews
5 Stars
212
4 Stars
45
3 Stars
14
2 Stars
11
1 Star
18
86%of customers recommend this product.
(
189 out of
221)
Customer Reviews for BioLite - Solar Home System 620+ - Blue
Customer Rating
3
No charger!!!! Didn’t last
on December 12, 2022
Posted by: Larry
from North Carolina
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
Bought mine not even a year ago and it won’t charge its showing an error and the thing never came with a wall charger.. for the money it should have there are way better options out there and way cheaper
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, January 11, 2023
Hi Larry! Thanks for your feedback! The SH620 is a crossover product, designed for use predominantly among off-grid households across sub-Saharan Africa. It was not intended to include a wall charger but we do offer this as an option to purchase separately. Please reach out to our support team at support@bioliteenergy.com. We are happy to troubleshoot your issue or look into a warranty claim.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Posted by: Aurelian
from New York
Length of ownership:1 month
Verified Purchase:Yes
Great product . I haven’t use it ,yet . I’m planing to use it in a hut , rural area where is no electric power . Will come back with the feedback .
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
2
Limited use case... Unfortunately
on November 20, 2023
Posted by: David
from Victoria BC
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
Purchased to light up a shed, I was disappointed to find out that it does not turn on around 5 degrees Celsius anymore. As someone who lives on the west coast of Canada, our winters seldom approach freezing temps, but even a few degrees above freezing prevented the lights from working.
It will depend on your climate/use case, but I would venture a guess that for the vast majority of people outside of tropical or equatorial climates, this just won't work for the months when you need it the most.
Even if they work - note that these lights are fairly dim. They work well enough to light up a smaller shed so that you can move about, but do not expect them to adequately light a larger space, especially outdoors, or to provide light to take on complex tasks (doing any sort of work underneath them).
The attached battery can charge devices - though unreliably. Battery in the SolarHome was fully charged and would also fail to operate at lower temps. Even then it has a small capacity and you can only expect 80-100% of an iPhone charge before it conks out, you will then have to wait until the next day to charge again (and even then, the included solar panel is only 6 watts - can fully charge if sun is available, but will barely do a thing without adequate, prolonged sunlight hitting the panel).
Summary: Overall this is a disappointing product. I am giving it two stars only because it may work for someone, though for me it would be a solid 1-star product unfortunately and was a complete waste of my money. If you are considering picking up this device, note that the use case for this solar setup is narrow - you live somewhere where the darker months are still warm, you are lighting up a smaller area, and you only need enough light to not bump into things. Do not rely on it outside of this.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy CS, November 20, 2023
Hey there, Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us. The SolarHome 620 is a unique product that was initially designed for daily use in sub-Saharan Africa. The annual climates in that region can be quite different from other places. One thing to note is that rechargeable batteries can be affected by freezing temperatures. To ensure optimal performance, we recommend keeping the Control Box indoors in an area with higher ambient temperatures. This unit won't be able to operate in temperatures below -4°F (-20°C) or above 140°F (60°C). However, it should work in 5 degrees Celsius. If you need any further assistance or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our support team at https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
ISLAND LIVING
on January 24, 2018
Posted by: Anonymous
LIVING ON AN ISLAND WE HAVE FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES.THIS IS A COMFORT ITEM FOR SURE
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
Awesome Product!
on January 24, 2018
Posted by: Anonymous
We installed this in our Chicken Coop. This saved us from having to run electric underground and wire the chicken house.It provides enough light in the entry to take care of feeding and watering now that it gets dark so early. It also provides enough light to keep our chickens laying in the winter.
I did have to learn to brush the snow off of it, but that was nothing. It has a full charge every day, even when it is cloudy and enough power to run all night long in the chicken house.
The only improvement I would make would be to add a sensor so that it came on automatically when it got dark That would make it perfect for this application. But for now, we switch it on when we feed the chickens and turn it off before we go to work in the morning.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
Great, flexible-use system
on January 24, 2018
Posted by: C Cooper
This is a great kit with all that you need to get you started playing with solar. It is portable enough to be useful for camping and can be permanent enough to use in a shed or as supplementary lighting on a porch, deck, or home room. The lights do not give off enough lumens to compare to a traditional lighting system in a home in a westernized country, but that's not really the purpose. The switches work great. The system charges quickly and holds a charge excellently. The system is fun, so find a creative use for it, and have some fun experimenting with what solar can be in your home. For that purpose, this is just the right package. I just hope BioLite continues to make creative, flexible products...excellent for camping and nudging ever closer to home solutions.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
flexible and reliable
on January 24, 2018
Posted by: Anonymous
The Solar Home 620 has been a reliable tool for light and power. I have it set up in the shed in the backyard; however, I like the idea that I can take it out and use it elsewhere in the future. I am planning on building my own tipi as a temporary shelter while I build a green, off-grid home, and the Solar Home 620 will be part of both shelters as each is built. I like the fact that it only creates light, allows one to play the radio, and power a cellphone because having dedicated, independent systems makes more sense to me than tying all appliances to one power source.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
Best investment that can be made for off the grid living for the price!
on January 24, 2018
Posted by: Anonymous
I purchased the Solar Home 620 as a gift for a friend who was living without electricity. The difference it made in the "quality of life" is immeasurable!
Previously he had to use gas lanterns and travel to his dad's house to charge his devices, both time and fuel consuming. The SH 620 is the solution to many problems. I highly recommend all your products to anybody that camps or truly lives off the grid. Well done BioLite!
Previously he had to use gas lanterns and travel to his dad's house to charge his devices, both time and fuel consuming. The SH 620 is the solution to many problems. I highly recommend all your products to anybody that camps or truly lives off the grid. Well done BioLite!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com