Q: What Is A Good Mah For A Solar Charger
A 10,000 mAh is plenty of power to recharge your phone a couple of timesif you are looking to power a laptop, something in the 30,000 mAh range will work better. Another important consideration is the amperes, or amps. If your solar charger is only capable of 1 amp, it will have a significantly slower charging time than one that can deliver 2 amps.
Price Per Watt Of A Solar Panel
The easiest way to determine value is the price per watt. Take the price and divide it by the number of watts. For example, if your panel costs $70 and is 7 watts, that is $10 per watt. $10-15 per watt is a good value in our eyes. Anything more than $20 a watt is too expensive unless it’s also coming with valuable accessories, batteries, or inverters.
Should You Buy The Big Blue 28w
The other incredible aspect of this panel is the cost, as it’s one of the lower-costing panels of its size. It delivers almost 30W of power and comes at an excellent price. Many panels we’ve reviewed are more expensive and have a lower capacity you do the math! The BigBlue is one of our favorites it humbly charged our gadgets quickly, with no extra frills or features. The simplicity makes it less expensive to produce, and in turn, keeps its price tag relatively low.
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Shopping Criteria For Solar Phone Chargers
Until we can develop cell phones with unlimited battery, we will always need external chargers to avoid running out. Nowadays, solar phone chargers are an efficient alternative that will get you out of trouble when youre traveling or performing outdoor activities. In order to choose the model that best fits your needs, we recommend that you pay close attention to the main criteria that we have detailed in the following section.
- Power and charging time
- Material quality
Blavor Solar Power Bank
Blavors Solar Power Bank is another budget-friendly option. At under $30, the Blavor Solar Power Bank offers incredible value. Like the BioLite option above, the Blavor Solar Power Bank also comes with a large battery: the 10,000 mAh battery can charge your smartphone several times over before needing to be recharged. The main drawback of the Blavor Solar Power Bank is the weak capacity of the solar cells on top. It can complement the electricity thats already stored within your power bank, although it takes a long time to charge the battery using just sunlight. Nevertheless, the Blavor Solar Power Bank has Qi wireless charging, two USB ports, and a waterproof rating, among other surprising perks at this price range.
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Best For Multiple Devices
Why We Love It: It folds and has holes for easy hanging.
What to Consider: Its unable to store power for future use.
With three USB-A ports, this four-panel solar charger is able to power up your favorite devices, such as your phone and Bluetooth speaker. This charger comes equipped with smart chips to ensure your device is always protected and charged safely without experiencing over-voltage. Its extremely thin for slipping into a backpack or tote, and when you need to hang it up to soak in the sun, holes with heavy-duty metal lining come in handy.
Price at time of publish: $76
Number of ports: 3 | Weight: 1.34 pounds | Power: 28 watts | Dimensions: 33.1 x 11.1 x .2 inches or 11.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches | Built-in battery: No
Ring Super Solar Panel
Now, if we talk about the power capacity of this solar panel, it is 2.5x more than regular solar panels by the Ring. This panel has an advantage in terms of keeping the cam alive for more time. If we talk about the degree of sunshine, a certain part of the world enjoy longer sunlight. On the other hand, few regions of the globe arent lucky to get good sunshine.
So if you are living in a less warm country, with more cloud covers, 5W SUPER solar panel is the only option. More power means power camera action.
According to the manufacturer recommendation, for 30+ motion events, SUPER solar panel works better and longer.
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Dizual 5000 Mah Portable Solar Charger
- Capacity 5,000 mAH
- Outputs Dual USB Output
- Weight 0.5 pounds
- Solar panel 1.2 Watts
The affordable Dizual charger offers more than it costs. We fully back with charger and all of its great features. It comes with a backpack-ready design, including a lanyard to attach to your bag, protecting you from loss or damages.
The eco-friendly pack has a hard-nose ABS material, protecting it from falls and water damage . Rubber caps on the dual USB outputs keep dirt and debris out and protect it from damaged or clogged ports. The LED light lets you know how much power the pack has left.
Editors’ Recommendations
The Best Portable Solar Battery Charger
Weve added the Eceen ECE-627 13W Solar Charger to the Competition section, since it seems to suffer from the same problems as a similar version that we previously tested and dismissed.
Unlike the finite energy stored in a battery pack, a USB solar charger offers a tiny power plant that can generate power for your phone and small electronics to keep them charged when the sun is outyou can even use one to recharge a power bank and save that energy for later. After spending more than 60 hours testing 12 models, were confident that the BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger is the best portable solar charger for people who need to charge their gadgets and stay connected in an emergency or when theyre off the grid.
Our pick
This lightweight solar charger gives you the most usable power for the size. Plus, it has three output ports to charge more devices than the competition can at the same time.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $60.
If you cant get our pick, this model is about the same size and almost as powerful but equipped with fewer ports and panels.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $55.
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How Did We Chose These Solar Chargers
We analyzed several products in our search for the best solar chargers and powerbanks, carefully reviewing and comparing each product to find the very best options that the market has available.
These are some important features to help you find the best powerbanks and solar chargers for your needs:
- Size: The size of the solar panels will determine how much solar power you will receive when away from an outlet.
- Charging speeds: When you do not have a lot of time to waste, the charging speed can be a big deal. Solar panels typically charge significantly slower than wall connections, so consider how long it will take to charge your devices both ways.
- Battery size: The size of the battery also determines how much charge you can receive. While a 10,000mAh is suitable for a quick charge on the go, you will want to consider a higher battery, around 25,000mAh or more, if you plan on charging multiple devices or living remotely for a few days.
- Functions: While some solar chargers and powerbanks stick to just charging, there are other models that incorporate additional features, like a flashlight or seat belt cutter.
- Ports: If you plan on charging multiple devices, it is important to consider a solar charger or powerbank that has multiple ports to accommodate your devices.
Before you buy, take the time to consider your specific needs. Then you’ll know which product will be the best solar charger and powerbank for you.
What To Consider When Choosing Best Solar Powered Phone Charger
- Choose the best solar powered phone charger that best fits your requirements.
Anyone purchasing best solar powered phone charger confused because of the market the best solar powered phone charger a lot. When releasing a product to the market, the maker must clearly convey information about the product on the package. Aside from recommendations from friends and family, the Internet, personal experience, or certification from a reputable and independent organization, one of the most important sources of information for consumers to better understand the product they intend to purchase is the parameters provided by the manufacturer and customer reviews of best solar powered phone charger.
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What Are The Features Of Cell Phone Solar Charger
A cell phone solar charger is a device that uses solar energy to provide electricity to your cell phone. This can be an efficient way to charge your battery, as well as save you money on the cost of batteries. There are a variety of cell phone solar chargers available on the market, so its important to get one that will fit your specific needs. Some features that may interest you include: how much power the charger provides, how often it will charge your battery, and whether or not it comes with a built-in speaker.
Power Wherever You Go
Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Finding ways to power our favorite electronics by using clean energy is a great way to not only help the planet but make for more enjoyable excursions. When the weight of what you’re carrying is at the top of your packing list, taking a solar panel with charging capabilities is a great way to ensure you have portable power without adding too much weight.
The Anker 515 Solar Panel has not only the output but also the ports to get you plenty of power. But its size may not fit with your lightweight goals, so reach for the Goal Zero Nomad 5 to fill that slot. When you need power during light or dark, consider a solar battery pack like the Tekpluze option. Its 30,000mAh capacity and multiple charging port will be ready when you are, thanks to the built-in solar panel to recharge it when the sun comes back out.
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Features To Look For In Solar Chargers
Portability
As we just said above, CIGS panels are extremely portable, but other power banks with solar panels can be pretty heavy.
Connections
Quite simply, how many connections it has to charge devices. In most cases, youre only going to see one or two USB or micro USB connections. But dont let that put you off. You have to think about how much energy its taking in, versus how many different conduits it has to output through. In our humble opinion, one USB connection is plenty to get the job done.
Power
This all plays into efficiency percentage . How much power your charger can hold when its just soaking up the sunlight? Pay close attention to the power-related features to see which one is right for you.
What Are The Best Solar Chargers For Cell Phones
- First off, there are those that use solar power to charge cell phones. These chargers typically have a built-in battery that can be used to recharge your phone. They come in both small and large size, so you can find one thats perfect for your home or office.
- Next, there are those that use an electrical outlet and a phone jack. This type of charger is perfect if you have an existing electrical outlet at home or office and you want to charge your phone using that instead of using a wall wart or cable.
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Best Single Panel Goal Zero Nomad
The Goal Zero Nomad is as simple a solar charger as you can find today. Its a single panel charger that provides up to 5W to charge your phone wherever theres sunlight. The trendy design allows you to wear it like a backpack on your backpack to explore the outdoors.
Moreover, it has an inbuilt kickstand to get the best angle for the suns rays. In addition to smartphones, this solar power charger will charge your GPS, camera, and Bluetooth headphones.
Its designed for the simple adventurer looking to go hiking without the bells and whistles of full-gear camping. The device is straightforward to use and easy to transport.
However, the lightweight feature of this device is a double-edged sword that makes it portable to carry yet easy to blow over in windy conditions. Keep in mind youll need the Goal Zero Sherpa to store energy for later use.
Durecopow Solar Charger 20000mah Portable Outdoor Waterproof Solar Power Bank
- High-Quality Portable Solar Charger – water-resistant, shock-resistant and dustproof solar phone charger, featured with carabiner, compass, and 2LED flashlight. Solar power bank provides more convenience in your daily or on your trip. Awesome for outside activities such as camping, hiking, and other emergency use. The solar USB battery pack can be regards as a nice gift.
- Two Charging Way – External battery charger with solar panel can recharge by solar or outlet. Compatible with your iPhone, Samsung, HTC, Nexus, Go-pro Camera, Tablets and other USB devices. More than 1000+ recharge lifecycle. more
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Best Foldable Tranmix 25000mah
Tranmix isnt at the top of the list because of its slightly lower battery capacity. Even so, the solar power bank has everything you need for an outdoor trip, including four large solar panels.
These panels provide up to 6w in direct sunlight four times quicker than single panel solar chargers. The 25000mHh battery capacity is not the largest on this list, but its large enough to solve your power issues for good.
Tranmix is designed for camping trips and other outdoor adventures that require heavy usage of your devices.
The power bank can charge a smartphone from 30% to 100% in minutes and has an inbuilt flashlight! Its also easy to operate and ships with a charging cable hidden in the side pockets.
Although an excellent device, the power bank doesnt absorb sunlight as efficiently as other power banks. However, it serves as a perfect backup charger. It is capable enough to ensure you never plug your phone into a wall again.
Eceen 13w Foldable Solar Charger
Courtesy of Amazon
If youre on the hunt for a no-frills solar phone charger, then the ECEEN solar charger is guaranteed to do the job. Despite having a panel size of only 13 watts, which supplies up to two amps, this charger is remarkably quick to bring your battery back to life.
Weighing in at only 0.85 pounds across two durable, monocrystalline silicon solar panels, its also extremely lightweight and will hardly add any bulk to your pack, although it doesn’t have an integrated power bank. While manufacturers claim it can charge two devices at once, its low charging power means we recommend using it with just one patience is definitely a virtue in this case.
When it comes to anything electrical, the fewer the features, the smaller the chance of anything going wrong. In this case, the ECEEN solar charger features no additional bells and whistles, just a canvas cover protecting the solar panels from damage when folded. Its proof that simplicity can be the greatest feature of all.
Price at time of publish: $40
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Power Output And Charging
We considered only USB solar chargers rated at 10 watts or higher because with anything less you may not get enough power throughout the day to charge a single phone, which just isnt practical. Although we preferred models that claimed to offer even more power, we didnt want that to come with a major increase in size that would limit the chargers portability.
We skipped any chargers that had only a single USB charging port. We preferred two output ports, a design that lets you charge a second device or share the power with someone else. Any extra ports were a bonus. Each port had to draw at least 1 amp, which is the minimum necessary to fully charge a phone like the iPhone X in three to four hours.
Solar Energy Can Power More Than Just Your Phone
The quality and efficiency of solar powered phone chargers are getting better all the time. As solar technology continues to improve, we might one day have small solar panels capable of generating a substantial amount of power.
Until that day comes, solar powered phone chargers will best serve as a backup option and not a primary source of power.
Your phone doesnt have to be the only thing you power with solar energy. By installing solar panels on your roof, you can power your whole home with solar. Not only does this decrease your carbon footprint, it can save you thousands of dollars on your utility bills.
You can use our one-of-a-kind solar calculator to get an estimate tailored to your specific home and find out how much solar could save you.
How much can you save with solar?
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Eceen 13w Solar Charger
Best For: Hikers who want a very cheap solar charger that works well enough in good weather
Specs:
- Cost: $ Buy Here
Review:
The ECEEN is one of the cheapest solar chargers you can get which is still lightweight enough for backpacking.
Considering how cheap this backpacking solar charger is, it surprisingly has a reliable auto-reset feature. Its also waterproof, durable, and easily straps to your pack.
Now for the bad. The ECEEN does charge in full sun but wont charge at all not even a trickle in low light. Its also unrealistic to expect to charge two devices at once. The 2amps is only for ideal conditions and even then it wont charge at a full 1amp per connection. Dont bother with this solar panel for backpacking trips in fall, spring, or which will take you through shady forests.
- Cost: $ Buy Here
The Voltaic Arc 10W solar charger seems fantastic at first glance. 10W is perfect if you only need to occasionally charge small devices when backpacking. The watts-per-ounce is good and its a nice compact size.
In clear skies and bright sun, the charging is actually very good. But, as soon as the weather gets a bit cloudy, the performance on the Arc 10W charger gets VERY slow.
I also dont like that the charging port is completely exposed. Youll need to be careful that it doesnt get wet or dirty. Theres also no pocket for holding your device while charging.
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