Tired of seeing “This accessory is not supported by this device” messages? X-DRAGON will fix that for you so you can charge all your devices, regardless of brand. Most mobile solar charging units have at least one USB port, making it easy to charge most devices and batteries people take into the wild. Still, many smaller solar chargers will struggle to provide enough power to charge multiple devices simultaneously. Yes, Watson, Watts matter (or why watts matter)

Most people want a solar panel or charger that can deliver at least 2.4 amps, which is the power needed to charge a USB device. What is the difference between a solar charger and a solar power bank? It’s lightweight, foldable AND waterproof so it even does a great job in the harshest outdoor conditions.

Value For Money

The number of watts that a solar panel can create correlates with its size. Generally speaking, more solar cells mean more watt output. Watt output is much like solar panel size, as you can see. General Wattage Guidelines As for charging, you can use up to six 200W panels, and the one supplied with our review bundle averaged between 177W and 198W on a sunny March day. That’s enough to fully charge the Explorer 1500 Pro within seven to eight hours with a single panel. Each panel has four pull-out legs to hold it up at an angle, and folds down to a 540 x 615mm, 8kg bundle. The solar cells are encased in impact-resistant plastic and the units usually have an IPX4 water-resistant rating, meaning they can handle water splashes but not much more than that. That shouldn’t be a surprise since the majority of portable solar panels have standard USB-A ports with no waterproof cover. Battery capacity

For example, most cell phones can only receive up to one amp. Even if the solar charger has more than one amp, the cell phone will still charge at the same speed. It makes a difference for larger devices that most likely will receive more than one amp, such as tablets or iPads. To top it off, it comes with a built-in ammeter which allows you to measure the current output at any moment. watts to 30 watts: Many of the portable solar chargers we tested here fall into this wattage range. 20 to 30-watt chargers are great for faster charger speeds while still being relatively portable. We found this a very effective feature while walking over a trail with intermittent light and shade. With the BigBlue solar charger, we never had to worry about it becoming disconnected.

What Other Solar Panels Should You Consider?

Having a lightweight solar charger is ideal in this case. It may have to sacrifice its lighter weight for solar panels to achieve a lighter device. Usually, it will limit the product, like reducing the charging speed or having a lower power output. Take a look at our best portable solar chargers to find one that has the right level of compromise. When considering a solar charger, you need to consider how and what you’ll use it for and how many people are likely to need power from it for their devices. Before choosing a solar panel and power bank, ask yourself the following questions: What type of trips will I use it on? For a solar charger to produce optimal power while hiking, you’d have to be hiking primarily northbound in the northern hemisphere and primarily southbound in the southern hemisphere — all day, in direct sunlight, and without any shadows from trees or clouds. You’ll meet these conditions in desert or snowfield hiking. This kind of performance was unexpected based on what I’d read from other hikers. Many said they didn’t bother carrying a solar panel because it wouldn’t keep even a single person’s phone charged, let alone two. Technology is constantly improving though, and perhaps they haven’t tried the BigBlue. Durability

Some solar power banks, chargers or generators will have a control to pause charging while the sun is covered by heavy cloud, or at those times the solar panels are covered by shade. With some devices or power banks, this can cause the power bank or charger to “steal” charge from the device it’s meant to be charging, which obviously isn’t a good thing. Many will also have some form of overheat protection, to ensure that huge amounts of hot sun don’t cause the circuitry or battery to overheat, damaging the charger or power bank – or you.With its built-in ammeter and high wattage, the Big Blue solar charger has the potential to draw the most power though it needs full sun to achieve maximum charging output. In addition, with a whole range of advanced technology, it’s well-equipped to safely handle any type of condition. What we liked: includes integrated battery that works as power bank, can pre-charge included powerbank, easy to align with sun to get the most efficient charge, designed to reduce overheating (that impacts efficiency)