Customer reviews from goalzero.com
GOAL ZERO - Switch 8 Solar-Powered Lithium-Ion Battery/Recharger for Select USB-Powered Devices
Average customer rating
4.2
(101 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 101 reviews
5 Stars
57
4 Stars
28
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
4
1 Star
7
88%of customers recommend this product.
(
84 out of
95)
Customer Reviews for GOAL ZERO - Switch 8 Solar-Powered Lithium-Ion Battery/Recharger for Select USB-Powered Devices
Customer Rating
5
Awesome Device
on August 14, 2013
Posted by: Zach
from Waukesha, WI
Great device that is not too bulky to carry in a work bag everywhere you go in case you need extra power to get through the day. All the time I get asked what that is I am using.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Posted by: KD7JB
from Snohomish, WA
Verified Purchase:Yes
Limited use so far, but used on the beach at a lighthouse during an amateur radio contest to keep an android phone charged for spotting contacts.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Posted by: live music lover
from Lynchburg, VA
Verified Purchase:Yes
The Switch 8 recharger along with the Nomad 7 Solar Panel kept my smart phone in service during a four day music festival without the need for any other power supplies. Not only that, but I was able to keep two friends phone in service as well! These two devices along with a sunny weekend kept us powered up!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
4
Nice unit within its limitations
on October 11, 2013
Posted by: The Brick
from Seattle,WA
The switch 8 is a nice unit within its limitations. The unit will give recharge most ordinary phones completely. However, newer smartphones are energy hogs and the available power from this unit will not recharge many of them completely. This unit was designed to supply a certain amount of amp hours and when buying one should take into account the energy needs of the device you are using. This device is not intended to power a tablet computer and I have heard many complaints from people who think it should. If your device needs more power, spend the money for a larger unit. I have a non-smartphone pay-as-you-go cellphone and this unit recharges it 3 times per charge. I have friends who have late generation smartphones that only get an 80% charge. Considering that without this unit, their phone would be dead, their whining about 80% is out of line. Personally, I like this product so much that I bought 2. I keep 1 charging in my Nomad 7 in my bedroom window and swap off every three days. My cellphone now runs completely off solar power.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
4
It works!
on November 14, 2013
Posted by: Troynm
from Albuquerque, New Mexico
I started out by charging it to a full charge using my Nomad 7. It was a bright clear day and it took 3-4 hours. I then let my Blackberry completely discharge so it wouldn't even turn on. I plugged it into the Switch 8 and it charged my Blackberry to 100% in under 2 hours. I don't know the exact time as I checked it at 1 hour and when I came back at 2 hours it was done. Great performance in my opinion and exceeded my expectations. I repeated it again using my iPhone 5. I did not get a full charge on the Switch 8 because it was a little cloudy that day and I got a late start charging the Switch 8. I got it charged to about 80% before I lost the sun. My iPhone was at about 3% battery life when I plugged it into the Switch 8. In less than 2 hours it was complete and the phone showed 87% battery. That was excellent in my book. The charger appears to be very well made with a metal case that functions to provide cooling while charging your device. I carry this with me to work so if either my work phone or personal phone begins to die I can get it going again. I'm in a lot of meetings and it can be difficult to be in any one place for long enough to get a phone charged plus who wants to carry around two different chargers. I usually use a USB charger to charge the Switch 8 back up, but I love having the solar panel in case we lose power or I am up in the mountains hiking or camping. I would love for Goal Zero to publish an extensive pamphlet on their products incorporating a guide to using their solar panels and solar in general. I think it's important for the user to better understand the products they are using and especially the care and feeding of their power packs. Most of the literature on solar power is a little deeper than the average consumer wants to dive into, but a lot of us would like more information than the rather skimpy guide that comes with the products.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Posted by: Jwill
from Provo, UT
Verified Purchase:Yes
Great Product, easy to use and has a great design. People kept asking me about it.
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Posted by: Anonymous
from Tijeras, NM
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is my 2nd one of these. I lost my first one unfortunately. The first time I used it was on a flight to Iceland (about 7.5 hours) for my IPOD audio books.. This thing is a MUST HAVE item for me anymore. I use it almost daily. I use a thin rubber twisty tie from Nite Ize products to keep a short USB cable attached to the Switch 8 at all times. Works like a charm.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Posted by: Matt
from Huntsville, Alabama
Verified Purchase:Yes
Does not hold a charge long. Does not charge fully. I bought 2 and neither performs well. They lose their charge after a week or two with no use. Never charge full either. They are better than nothing. I e-mailed Goal Zero about some issues with this product and did not get a reply. I own some other Goal Zero products but may reconsider buying anymore due to poor customer service. I will use them until they die but I would not recommend them to a friend.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com