Still, when compared to using disposable batteries, you’ll get far more life out of the solar chargers, and their use will pay back the amount of energy used to create them. The hefty 28W output of this BigBlue solar charger enables it to deliver a consistent charge even in cloudy conditions, making it ideally suited for replenishing battery packs, smartphones and tablets while camping and hiking.

Overall, I have 20-plus years of exploring, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, climbing, guiding, and playing in the wild. USB-C, on the other hand, has an oblong-shaped plug that is smaller, more rounded, symmetrical, and can be inserted in any direction. You can eyeball the angle, or you can use a compass or a level app on your smartphone to help determine the angle at which you’re setting it.

The largest portable solar panel we tested was the 6 pound Goal Zero Nomad 50, which folds down to just over 17 inches long by 11 inches wide and is well over an inch thick at its thickest parts, making it hard to fit in most backpacks. Ports: Different devices have different charging ports, and your power bank should be compatible with them. If you’re setting and forgetting them while going out on day trips and leaving them connected to a battery, the best angle to set them at in most of the US is around 37 degrees. For instance, Anker 537 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K for Laptop), with its 24,000mAh capacity, offers an impressive 18-month worry-free warranty.

We highly recommend using these with a backup battery rather than plugging a smart device directly to them. However, the actual lifespan may vary based on factors such as the quality of the power bank, your usage patterns, and how well you maintain it. All three (the Anker 21 Watt PowerPort Solar charger, the Nekteck 28 Watt solar charger, and the BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger) use the same basic design with two USB-ports and a light to indicate that they’re getting a charge; the Big Blue’s light indicator is the ammeter.

If you have an existing backup battery and know you’ll be camping out for days and need extra power for your electronics when camp is set up, it’s a decent investment. Use Solar Portable 1080p projector’s built-in stand to adjust the angle of projection by up to 13 degrees. The energy harvested by the solar charger costs absolutely nothing, so yes, if a smartphone or portable power bank is charged exclusively from a solar panel, that energy will have been free. The power output is rated for charging larger batteries, such as those found on boats, barges and trucks. Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may receive a small percentage of any purchase you make at no additional cost to you.

We trialled them under the changeable weather conditions of south England, as well as while camping and at a festival in Portugal (admittedly our tester had access to wall power, but for the purposes of review they went as long as they could without). The nominal value represents the average value of mass production and is tested under ideal laboratory conditions. Year Full-Device Warranty: The average warranty lasts 2 years, but the Anker 555 has a better 5-year full-device guarantee so you don't have to fear. We placed the solar panel in the sun for an hour and it produced 1560 mAh, which was a decent metric for our panel. Ultimately, even when the Anker was available, we found the Big Blue to be a better choice given the amount of power it generated.

Solar panels are among eco-friendly gear swaps to reduce your environmental impact , especially if your base camp would otherwise run on a gas generator. We looked at a wide range of solar chargers and, in some cases, energy storage units (aka batteries). So, choose a power bank with a capacity that suits your charging needs and can juice up multiple devices. Ounce for ounce, the panel is miles above the other 20W panels and even outdoes some of the panels of smaller capacities. Anytime you’re out for multiple days or weeks in the backcountry, you’ll likely have electronics that need charging.

Charging your e-bike with solar power isn't just about being eco-friendly or saving on electricity costs. So the 220W panel from Ecoflow will charge a phone more quickly, in the same sunlight, than one rated at a lower wattage.Our power banks are designed to keep you connected and powered up wherever your adventures take you. Support for Remote Communities: In remote areas where electricity is unreliable or non-existent, solar chargers can provide a vital means of charging e-bikes. There’s a lot to understand about solar power chargers, but at their heart, a small solar panel consists of several photovoltaic cells grouped together to absorb some of the sun’s energy and convert it into an electric charge that you can use to charge electronics. However, in the end, it didn’t perform quite as well as the Big Blue — even though it uses the same solar cells and design.