Review: Blue Tiger Solare solar-powered headset

At some point in the career of a tech product reviewer, you just start saying yes without determining the personal usability of an item. Such is the case with the Blue Tiger Solare.

All the use cases are not relevant to my lifestyle. Regardless, Blue Tiger is a reliable communications technology brand. The Solare should continue its legacy of creating functional technology. Hell, it’s solar-powered. That’s a start.

The target market for the Solare headset is primarily truckers. Construction workers and people that work mostly outside could also find the headset useful.

While it could be applied to office workers in a customer contact setting, the solar power aspect might fall short. Yet, the strong Powerfoyle solar cell holds a charge longer than it probably should.

Solar truckin’

The solar charging can be achieved through interior or exterior light. Regardless, it’s probably not going to charge as well under weak fluorescent lights, trapped in a cubicle.

Even if there is a window somewhere on your floor. That’s not the outside world, that’s an illusion of freedom.

This constant solar charging means nearly indefinite use. Who needs sleep when you can be in constant contact with anyone on the frequency?

If you are using the Solare while driving, then not having to charge the headset is helpful. Just lean a bit toward the sun and you’re good to go. No concerns about battery life at all.

That’s rare in any technology these days, much less a headset device that usually needs to be plugged in. Whatever the task, you can stay focused on it with a constantly self-charging headset. Eyes on the road, bud.

Side note: if you don’t like the solar charging, or generally work at night, the Solare headset can be charged through traditional USB as well.

Sounding off

Does it really matter how the Solare sounds? Of course it does. While these are not designed for music, they still take advantage of the Bluetooth 5.0 protocol.

The speaker is clean and readable. In the sense that with the 97% noise cancellation and a comfortable fit, you can understand what is being said. Whether you have the noise of the office behind you or the sound of the road.

The Wide Band Audio Speaker is powered by the solar cell. Since it’s continuously charging, that means you’ve got a clear connection constantly.

Voices were clear on Zoom and Teams calls, and my voice played back to me sounded just as disorienting and clear as through my Samson Satellite microphone. The single-ear speaker isn’t stereo (since it’s singular), but the depth is there.

With the Bluetooth 5.0 technology, you’ve got up to 100 feet of connectivity. I found that this was a fairly close assessment. Though when I was counting feet, I kept losing count. I was able to walk down to the mailbox while on a call, so that’s something.

If you don’t want to use your hands at all, there is Siri and Google Assistant connectivity available. Which actually lends to the accessibility options of this headset.

There is no cord, provides hands-free use, and constantly charges. The Solare basically maintains itself.

Staying tough

There are so many cheap headsets out there. Both in quality and sound. It’s difficult to find one that isn’t a flimsy piece of plastic.

You know the kind, your company probably handed it to you on day one. The kind of headset bought in bulk and about as sturdy as thin ice. The Solare is the opposite of that. This is a tough, reliable headset.

I am not kind to my technology, and for the sake of testing, I tossed the Solare around the room. It helps there is no cord to break, but also the thing is Military graded MIL-STD-810, which means it has met a rigorous standard of testing.

The Solare was put through the paces in extreme environments and came out a hardened warrior. Its durability can only be truly tested if you are actually trying to break it maliciously.

The actual earpiece is comfortable, as well. It’s not that sticky plastic that makes your ear sweat endlessly.

While I didn’t wear the Solare on a coast-to-coast trucking run, I had it on long enough to understand that it wouldn’t be terrible to wear all day with breaks. No one wants to wear a headset during every waking hour.

The Solare is also IPX4 water resistant, so if you do sweat, it’s not an issue.

Signing off on the Blue Tiger Solare

There are other solar-powered headphones on the market. Like the Urbanista Los Angeles, but the Blue Tiger Solare is a headset. There’s a difference.

When it comes to solar-powered headsets for communication, it appears Solare stands alone.

Sure, Blue Parrot makes a quality headset, but they aren’t solar-powered. Solare also offers a more traditional option with a detachable earcup if that is more your style.

Whether you work in your home office on the back porch, drive a truck, deliver goods or talk to customers all day, the Solare is a good addition to your work-related technology.

It currently retails for $219.99. That might seem daunting for a headset, but not ever having to worry about charging is worth the price.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: EPOS H6Pro Open Acoustic gaming headset
• Review: JVC Riptidz wireless earbuds
• Review: Monoprice Soundstage 3 portable Bluetooth speaker
• Review: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset

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