Freeplay Energy is the leading manufacturer of windup and solar powered products, specialising in Emergency Preparedness, Aid and Development, and Outdoor Leisure.

Freeplay Energy has been the original and leading global brand of clean, dependable energy products since 1994. Freeplay Energy's patented technology harnesses human, solar and rechargeable energy and converts it into electricity to power unique portable consumer products, replacing conventional disposable batteries that are environmentally toxic and expensive.

The current product range includes radios, flashlights, lanterns, and mobile power devices. Freeplay Energy's Lifeline radio has been distributed throughout the developing world by aid and development organizations such as UNICEF and other United Nations agencies.

It was whilst watching a BBC documentary in April 1994 when Chris Staines first realized the potential of an innovative idea from British inventor, Trevor Baylis. "The Clockwork Radio", as the device was first known, was proposed as a means of halting the spread of Aids in Africa through better education. Traditional radio, although widespread, relied on an electrical supply or the availability of disposable batteries - both of which were in short supply across the continent. Chris immediately realised that the potential for self-sufficient electronics could go much further than radio and Africa. And so the "self-sufficient electronics industry" and the Freeplay Energy Group (the company formed to develop the idea) were born.

                 The Clockwork Radio

Improved Technology and Design
The latest generation of Freeplay products have seen a change from the old steel spring mechanism to a direct-charge generator, allowing the user to keep winding for as long as they like - storing all the energy they need. The characteristics of the new technology include:

- Smaller size

- Lighter weight

- More efficient

- Rugged design

- Lower price point