As solar enthusiasts, we see a lot of solar-powered products come across our desk at the Museum of Solar Energy. To help make your gift-giving simple this year, we’ve narrowed the search by creating our short-list of 2023 solar-themed gift ideas.
This list includes solar-powered products, solar-minded books, and some old-fashioned solar swag. These items would make excellent gifts for the solar enthusiast, the eco-minded person, or just someone who forgets to charge their devices.
If you have any products that you think we forgot, we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Malibu Solar Speaker
Available from Urbanista, $149
We LOVE these speakers because they have excellent sound quality and truly endless power — thanks to the seamless integration of the Powerfoyle™ solar technology by Exeger.
The Urbanista Malibu is a solar-powered portable speaker perfect for outdoor adventures. It’s durable, waterproof, and delivers powerful 360° like sound with a 20-hour battery life. Charge it with sunlight and enjoy your music wherever life takes you.
Solar Charged Jacket
Available from Vollebak, $645
Embrace the power of the sun with Vollebak’s Solar Charged Jacket. This innovative garment absorbs light and converts it into energy, making it glow in the dark with an otherworldly luminescence. Perfect for night adventures, it’s waterproof, windproof, and breathable, keeping you comfortable while turning heads. This lightweight marvel packs down small, making it the ideal companion for any journey. Charge it with sunlight, moonlight, or even your phone flashlight and witness the magic come alive.
Instinct® Solar – Standard Edition
Available at Garmin, $229
Embrace the sun with the Garmin Instinct Solar smartwatch. Its MIP screen shines bright under any light, while the integrated solar panel keeps the battery charged, even on extended adventures. Built tough, it’s your reliable companion for outdoor exploration.
SUMxart SMART R MOUSE
This innovative mouse uses solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, inspired by Ricoh, to generate its own electricity, eliminating the need for disposable batteries. It charges in just 90 seconds with backup usb-c, keeping you productive wirelessly. Plus, its lightweight design and wheelless stroke sensor enhance both comfort and precision. Experience the future of eco-conscious computing with the SUMxart SMART R MOUSE.
‘Electrify’ by Saul Griffith
Available from MOSE or from MIT Press, $25
If you are curious about how the world will be in 10 years, this is a great read to understand why everything is being electrified. The author, Saul Griffith, is the founder of Otherlab and has worked on projects for the US Department of Energy. While this gift doesn’t include a physical solar panel, we felt this narrative is compelling enough to deserve a place in our solar-themed short list.
‘Solar Futures’ by Marjan Van Aubel’
Available from MOSE or Jap Sam Books, $40
We are excited about the publication of this book — partially because we had a hand in the historical content! ‘Solar Futures: How To Design A Post-Fossil World With The Sun’ by Marjan Van Aubel talks about the past, present and future of solar energy and how we need to incorporate solar into the new designs of everything.