Battle of the mini eco-torches : wind-up versus solar

'green' torches seem to be getting more popular (happily), and many are very cheap and meant for a small amount of light (no idea of the amount of lumens. They never usually say, but not much).

In this case I tested an inexpensive Rolson 3 led wind-up torch against a cheap solar 'keyring' 3 led torch available on Amazon or Ebay.

Update Feb 2014
The solar torch bought on ebay/amazon seems to be unable to recharge decently, to the point of being useless now. Either the battery and/or solar panel is not good enough.

I have since bought a solar torch out of Poundworld (UK) which seems to retain power ok. Perhaps they have better Quality Control.  

Conclusion : For me the Solar is the easy winner for brightness and size and practicality and it's cheap.

Update after 2 months : The Solar torch doesn't seem to recharge well. The light is pretty dim. I hope I can sort this out by putting it in strong light for a while    

The details of the 2 torches :

Rolson wind-up torch (comes with wrist strap which I removed):
cost £2/$3.20 (from a shop)

Energy source : Uses dynamo energy. You wind the coil and it stores the energy, which you can then use for light.
3 LEDs
On/off button (a bit awkward to press on mine)
Weight : 65g
Brightness : I found it to be quite dull. The solar was brighter
Staying power : I left it on for over 3 hours and it was still giving light but very dimly.
How long have I wound it ? About 45 seconds max, probably. Winding is a bit of a nuisance.

Likes :
It's better than no torch, I guess.
It has an on/off switch
It lasts for hours (although starts dull and gets duller)

Dislikes :
A bit heavy and bulky.
Winding it is a pain.
It's not as bright as the solar torch (both have 3 LEDs) and fades quick. More of a blueish light.
Dearer than the solar keyring torch

Conclusion : I can't see wind-up torches competing with solar torches for long. Not in the 3 LED market anyhow.

3 LED solar-power flashlight keyring torch :  
Cost : £1/$1.60 (from Ebay or Amazon)
Energy source : Built-in solar panel.
3 LEDs
On/off : You need to hold it down to keep it on.
Weight (with keyring) : 17g
Brightness : I was surprised at the brightness. Still very few lumens but whiter and brighter than the wind-up
Staying power : As you always have to hold the on button down, I haven't kept it switched on for long. But for the few minutes I have tried, it seems to keep its brightness to a decent level.     
Recharge : The torch has never run out, and it's not really in anywhere bright for long lengths of time. I guess as long as you keep the panel on the top-side, it will get some energy.
Note : The 'official' info says you get 3 hours power from a 30 minute recharge. I would say if you leave it around the house withthe panel topside you will never run out of light.

Likes :
Everything apart from not having an always on/ always off button (you hold the on button down)
Very cheap
Light and small
A decent bright light for 3 LEDs
Doesn't seem to dim much over say a minute (that's about as long as I tried)
Doesn't need much light to recharge (keep the panel turned upside for recharge)

Dislikes :
I guess the solar panel could break but it's a very cheap torch  
Having to hold the on button down to stay on (as mentioned above). So you can't have this torch always on without holding the button down. I guess that's why it's termed a 'flashlight' torch. 

The winner :
The 3 LED solar-panel keyring 'flashlight' torch

This is the one I bought :

Amazon USA : Solar-powered LED Flashlight w/ Keychain
In the UK I bought it on Ebay

Other Amazon solar torch searches :
Amazon USA : search 'solar torch'
Amazon UK : search 'solar torch'