Portable power for your iOS device

I've found two really good products that can recharge your iOS device (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) on the go. One is cheaper, but has two major advantages, and the other is, of course, a bit more expensive but has a major advantage. Let's take a a look:

The first one is the cheaper alternative of the two: The Scosche solBAT II - Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger. Major advantages:

• Price. MSRP is only $29.99; if you search around, you can find it for as little as $15-$17 or so.

• SOLAR POWERED! Yes, that's right, the solBAT II can charge itself by either solar power, or using the miniUSB adapter (included.) So if you're a hiker/camper/outdoor-sy type, this is a great option.

The battery in the solBAT II is a 1500 mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the one included with the iPhone or iPod - but much smaller than the one in the iPad, so this is not a good option for iPad users.

(Geek Notes: the iPhone 3G had an 1150mAh battery; the 3Gs had a 1219mAh battery, the iPhone 4 has a 1420mAh battery, and the 4S has a 1432mAh Li-Polymer battery, while the iPad 2 has a 6930mAh battery, so you can see that this might not be the best option if you have an iPad you want to charge on the go.)

The second one is the ZAGGsparq 2.0 from ZAGG. A bit more expensive at the MSRP of $99.99; however, you can watch their website and Facebook page, and you might be able to catch it on sale for as much as 50% off. Major advantages:

• The battery. The ZAGGsparq 2.0 has a massive 6,000mAh Lithium Polymer battery, which is more than enough to fully recharge any iOS device, and adds 5 to 6 hours of video playback to the iPad® - which is great if you're a frequent traveler, and want to watch movies on a flight or something where there isn't an electrical outlet to plug in to.
• Multiple USB ports. The ZAGGsparq 2.0 has two USB ports, so you can recharge multiple devices at the same time.

I've used both of these, and found them to both be excellent battery backups for my iPhone. I carry the Scosche solBAT II with me in my backpack wherever I go,and it's come in handy on more than one occasion. I've been able to recharge my iPhone 4 from less than 10% battery to over 75% battery life in around an hour or so, giving me almost double the battery life of the iPhone 4 by itself - and the Scosche solBAT II is really small, so it fits in your pocket or bag really easily. The ZAGGsparq 2.0 is larger, obviously, but the bigger battery is a HUGE advantage, especially if you're stuck on an airplane or somewhere else where an electrical outlet isn't handy. I only carry it when I'm traveling, but it's quite useful as well.

There are other portable battery chargers, but these are two that I recommend. Of course, if anyone would like to send me one of theirs for testing, I'll review it as well. ;)