Holiday Gift Guide: The 8 Best Green Gadget Gifts

December 11th, 2008 by Ariel Schwartz

It’s once again time to start looking at potential holiday gifts for the green techie in your life (or maybe time to tell other people what you want). But don’t worry about spending hours combing the web — we have a bunch of awesome ideas for you right here.

This tough, lightweight solar backpack is big enough for weekend hikes or everyday use. Pockets and channels are placed throughout the backpack for multiple electronic devices. The pack’s solar panels provide 4 watts of power. A battery pack is included for energy storage.

This ultra-cool power strip tells you how efficient plugged-in appliances are by the numbers. The Kill-A-Watt monitors Line Frequency, Amperage, KWH, Current Leakage, and more. A surge protector keeps your electronics safe.

Do you a lack a green thumb but still have the urge to garden? It might be worth checking out Plantsense’s EasyBloom Plant Sensor. The device collects data on sunlight, soil moisture and temperature in order to determine the suitability of various locations for growing plants. The all-purpose sensor can also diagnose sick plants and tell you if they need watering.

This little gadget lets you charge electronics with a strong breeze. The Mini Kin comes with a suction cup and adjustable arm, as well as adapters for multiple cell phone brands. According to the product site, the wind-powered charger provides up to 150 minutes of call time from 60 minutes of charging.

This slick-looking clock uses water to power itself. Just fill the tank with tap water and a hint of lemon juice to get it working. The water supply needs to be changed every once in awhile, but otherwise Bedol’s clock is self-sustaining.

For the environmentally-conscious biker in your life, check out the Anklelite solar-powered bike light. The Anklelite provides 360 degrees of lighting and comes with both flashing and constant modes.

Solio’s compact charger can store power from the sun or the socket. When fully charged, the Solio can recharge an average phone up to two times or provide 15 hours of MP3 music. One hour of sun provides 15 minutes of talk time or 40 minutes of music. The Solio also features a USB charging cable, mini-USB tip, and cell phone adapters.

Simpletech’s attractive hard drive is made with renewable, naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum. The hard drive uses minimal power and comes with an Energy Star power adapter. And for time-conscious consumers, its Turbo USB 2.0 interface is up to 25 percent faster than USB 2.0.

Photo Credits: Voltaic Systems, P3 International, EasyBloom, Mini Kin, Bedol, Pedalite, Solio, SimpleTech











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