Solid sorption refrigeration is a type of environmental benign and energy saving technology and the sorbents utilized can be divided into physical, chemical and composite sorbents, according to the nature of the forces involved in the adsorption process. The types, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of different adsorbents, refrigerants and working pairs are summarized in this paper, together with the models that describe the adsorption equilibrium. Moreover, some of the procedures to prepare composite adsorbents are presented. The application of different working pairs for different situations is related with the adsorption heat, the adaptability to the driving temperature and to the desired working pressure. The methods to measure the adsorption quantity of different working pairs are compared, and future research directions of adsorption working pairs are also analyzed.