The Best Portable Solar Chargers of 2023
Adam has been writing about mobile technology since 2011. He is the former host of the Android Authority podcast, and his work has appeared in numerous publications.
Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire.
The best solar chargers use the sun’s abundant power to keep your devices and batteries topped off. Solar chargers aren’t just for nature enthusiasts. Anyone who spends time away from an electrical outlet will find them helpful.
We recommend the X-DRAGON SunPower Solar Panel Charger for its 40W power output and high-efficiency cells. This charger doesn’t include a power bank to store all that juice, but if you are away from power and need to charge your phone or even your laptop, this is a great option. Opening the eight solar panels will give you plenty of power as long as there’s daylight.
Best Overall
X-DRAGON 40W Portable Foldable Solar Panel Charger
Our best overall charger can produce up to 40W of juice from its eight efficient panels. It opens wide to collect a lot of sunlight with eight high-efficiency panels, but it folds down small enough to fit into your backpack. There’s no water-resistance rating here, so be careful not to get caught in the rain, and no battery is included. But if you have large items that need a charge, the X-DRAGON SunPower Solar Panel Charger is a great choice.
You can plug in your phone and tablet, but you can also scale that up to your laptop with the five included different-sized barrel chargers and connection for your car battery. This is a great item to keep in your emergency car kit or your backpack for camping. The 18-month warranty will give you peace of mind too.
Number of Ports: 2 | Power Output: 2.8A max USB, 18V DC | Types of Ports: USB-A, DC | Number of Cells: 8 | Efficiency: 22 to 25% | Battery Capacity: N/A
Most Portable
BigBlue 28W Solar Charger
The Big Blue Solar Charger is a highly-portable solar charging solution that folds to a tiny 11.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches when closed. It’s long but narrow and thin, easily fitting into most backpacks. Included carabiners allow you to open and strap it to your bag outdoors.
There is no built-in battery, but the three USB-A ports allow you to charge any phone or tablet quickly. The panels are waterproof, which our reviewer tested by submerging the cells in a bathtub.
Our reviewer also noted that the advertised 28W output is misleading. There are four 7W panels which add up to 28 Watts. Unfortunately, the panels could output only around 17W maximum during our testing.
There’s a pouch for holding cables or devices while charging, which is a nice bonus. Given its water resistance, we’d recommend this for hikers and campers, even in inclement weather. Of course, cloudy days will mean less charging, but at least you know your panels can stand up to it.
Number of Ports: 3 | Power Output: 5V / 4.8A | Types of Ports: USB-A | Number of Cells: 4 | Efficiency: Not listed | Battery Capacity: N/A
What to Look for in a Portable Solar Charger
Water Resistance
Solar power works best outside, so looking for water resistance in case you unexpectedly get caught in the rain or snow is a good idea.
Built-in Battery
Solar panels generate power, and that power has to go somewhere. If you have a solar panel and nothing plugged in, the panels will not generate energy, which is fine, but a battery would allow you to generate power and store it until you need it.
Power Output
Keep in mind the kinds of devices you’ll be using. Most solar panels can do the job if all you need to charge is a phone or tablet. If you need to power something larger, such as a laptop or car, you’ll need a powerful setup to get the job done.
That depends mostly on the cells’ efficiency and the amount of sunlight you’re getting. Solar panels are getting more and more efficient these days, which means they’re capable of generating a lot of power. On a bright, sunny day, it’s not unreasonable to think you can generate enough power for a phone and tablet or even bigger items.
If it’s big enough, a solar panel can deliver a charge to your car’s battery to allow it to start. A jump start technically means you’re drawing from a power source to start your car right away. The solar option is more of a car battery charger, meaning you’ll need to wait some time for your car’s battery to charge before you can turn the key. But yes, it is possible.
Solar panels should never be left in a window or in a car to charge. The glass from the window can FOCUS with light on the panels and cause them to overheat. Solar panels are meant to be outside and under the sun, or put away.
The 4 best solar phone chargers of 2023
The struggle to keep your phone charged while out and about is real, especially while on the road, during camping trips, backpacking, at festivals, or spending the day in the park. The good news is that there is now an easy charging solution. solar phone chargers.
These portable chargers allow us to take advantage of free and abundant solar power to ensure that we’ll never be without a backup for charging all of our phones, no matter where we are.
There are virtually thousands of options for solar phone chargers available online. But don’t worry, we did the hard work for you and scoured the internet for the best solar phone chargers in 2023.
Note: This is an unbiased review: we have no financial ties with any of the companies mentioned, nor do we earn money from affiliate advertising. The content of this blog is based on research and information available at the time of writing.
Why you can trust SolarReviews:
SolarReviews is the leading American website for consumer reviews and ratings of residential solar panels and solar panel installation companies. Our industry experts have over two decades of solar experience combined and maintain editorial independence for their reviews. No company can pay to alter the reviews or review scores shown on our site. Learn more about SolarReviews and how we make money.
The best solar phone chargers of 2023
Here are our picks for the best solar phone chargers on the market.
Best overall solar charger: BigBlue 28W USB solar charger
Our top pick, the BigBlue 3, with its four solar panels and a compact design. Image source: BigBlue
Price: 68.96 Buy Now
Pros: The BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger is our pick for the Best Overall solar charger. With four highly efficient foldable SunPower solar panels that fit into a compact bag, they can be easily stored in your backpack. It has two charging USB output ports, so it can charge up to three devices while still delivering decent power. Reviews consistently claim that the charger provides decent output in cloudy conditions, as well.
Cons: This charger’s on the heavier side for solar panel chargers, weighing in at 1.3 pounds, even though it doesn’t come with an external battery bank. Although it will fit nicely in your backpack, it might weigh you down. If you want to store power for later, you have to purchase a battery bank separately.
Compatibility: Most 5 volt USB rechargeable devices, including iPhones and Androids. Not compatible with the iPad Pro.
Best budget charger: BLAVOR Qi Solar Power Bank Portable Charger
The BLAVOR QI portable charger is a great option for avid hikers who need a durable portable charging option. Image source: Amazon
Price: 26.99 Buy Now
Pros: Because the BLAVOR Qi Portable Solar Charger is durable, shockproof, and weighs only 10 ounces. it is the best solar charger in terms of portability and is ideal for hiking and camping. It has over 25,000 reviews, with an overall 4.4-star rating on Amazon. This solar charger power bank adds virtually no weight to your backpack and is wireless. That’s right. you don’t have to worry about having a cord to charge your phone. Simply place it on the charger and you’re good to go. It also acts as a flashlight and comes with a compass.
Cons: The BLAVOR Qi is so lightweight because it has only one small solar panel. This means it can take a very long time to charge using the sun. Most users will charge the battery as much as they can at home and then let it sit in the sun to top it off.
Compatibility: iPhone, Samsung, Android, Windows, GoPro, GPS, tablets, and most USB charging devices.
Best travel charger: Hiluckey Outdoor USB-C Portable charger
Hilucky’s Outdoor solar phone charger has great reviews and is one of Amazon’s Choice picks for portable solar panels. Image source: Amazon
Price: 46.99 Buy Now
Pros: Hilucky’s Solar Phone Charger comes equipped with four fold-out solar panels that charge its battery bank. The included rechargeable battery can fully charge a smartphone over 7 times. It comes with LED light settings, making it perfect for outdoor use. It has enough USB ports to charge three devices.
Cons: Having four solar panels makes it a little bulky, even if it does increase the surface area of the charger in order to collect sunlight. It will also add an extra 1.3 pounds to your backpack.
Compatibility: Almost all 5V devices such as iPhones, iPads, tablets, and other smartphones.
QiSa 38,800mAh Solar Power Bank
The QiSa charger has a compact, foldable design that provides you power you can easily take with you. Image source: Amazon
Price: 89.98 Buy Now
Pros: QiSa’s charger is compact but doesn’t sacrifice on power. This makes it a great option to put in your backpack on a hiking trip or even take it with you on your commute, just in case. It can charge three devices at once and has a wireless charging function, so you don’t even have to fuss with cords. The device itself is waterproof and drop-proof. It also has a built-in flashlight!
Cons: Although it has overwhelmingly positive reviews, some commeters report that the QiSa’s charging speed is a bit slow, especially when on the wireless charger. The wireless charger also has an auto-off function that can make be frustrating if you’re trying to juice up a dead phone. Plus, this is a more expensive option than some others on our list.
Compatibility: most USB-C devices
What features to look for in a solar phone charger
When you’re shopping for a solar phone charger, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you get the right one for your needs, including:
Make A Solar Powered Phone Charger. Step By Step Guide
Keeping our phones charged all the time can be pretty challenging, especially when we are out backpacking, hiking, camping, or even spending the day in the park.
Fortunately, there is a clean and easy way to keep our phones charged without the need for wall outlets. Solar-powered phone chargers.
Solar battery chargers use the free energy from the sun and convert it to usable electricity that can help to recharge our phone’s battery no matter where you are.
In this article, we are going to show you how to make a solar–powered charger easily and efficiently. This project also makes a great science project!
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to make a solar phone charger, in fact, it’s pretty easy and in this guide, we will go through it step by step. A basic understanding of soldering is needed.
What Parts Tools Do I Need To Make A Solar Charger?
Solar Panel (4V minimum)
To make a solar phone charger, we will need a solar panel that is at least 3-4 volts to do the charging process efficiently.
Consider also the size of the solar panel to fit into your container. For that, we can combine several smaller panels to fit.
It’s very easy to get your solar panel from the internet, just make sure it has the requirement you need for your project.
1N914 Diode
The 1N914 diode is used to ensure the flow of power in one direction. In other words, it protects the solar panel by preventing the current from flowing back and damage your cell.
USB Charging Circuit
As you probably know, your phone’s battery has a charging voltage of 5V, as any higher than this can damage the battery, and any lower than this won’t be sufficient to charge it.
The DC to USB converter’s main job is to take the power of the AA batteries and convert it into 5V that we need to charge the USB.
There are a few ways to get your DC to USB converter like
You can just rip one out of an old USB charger you had
AA Rechargeable Batteries
To store the electricity produced by the solar cell, so we can use it later, we need to build a storage system using rechargeable batteries.
For this project, a 2000mah battery is sufficient.
The reason we went for a relatively small battery size is to make sure that our solar panel will be able to fully recharge the battery.
This will help to protect the battery and prolong the lifespan of your solar charger unlike opting for higher capacity batteries that will lose most of their efficiency due to the memory loss effect.
It’s important to mention that you should size your batteries according to your solar panel current output, as you can’t opt for a big solar panel that throws more than 10% of the battery’s capacity at one time.
For instance, if you have a 2W, 200ma solar panel, your battery should have a capacity of around 2000mah.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Connect The Solar Panel To The 1N914 Diode
The first thing we are going to do is to set up our solar panel by connecting it.
Similar to the solar panel, the 1N914 Diode has two ends, one positive and one negative (the one with the black bar).
Use the solder iron and solder to connect the diode’s positive side to the positive end of the solar panel and the negative side to the negative end.
This way, we make sure to have a current flow in our system. If we connected it wrong it will backflow and will not work. Don’t forget to tape for protection.
Step 2: Connect The Solar Panel To The Battery
Next step, we connect the panel wires to the battery pack wires.
It’s very easy, just connect all the positive wires to all the negative wires and that’s it.
Step 3: Connect The USB Charger
Similarly, the USB charger has 2 points on it, positive and negative.
Now, all you have to do to connect the positive wires we have to the positive point on the circuit and the negative wires to the negative point.
Make sure all the parts are in their right place, then start soldering.
Step 4: Fitting The Circuit In The Container
We now have our charger and ready to use, but we can’t leave it scattered like that.
Therefore, in this step, we will put everything and glue it inside the container or the container you chose.
And Viola! You just made a solar-powered charger yourself in less than 10 minutes.
Now, it’s time to give it a try and start using it as you want.
Last Words
As promised, in this article, we provided you with a step-by-step guide to easily make your own solar phone charger. Making our own alternative energy is both satisfying and cost-effective. This project also makes a great science project!
Guest Author, Kami Turky, founder and editor at SolarEnergyHackers.com. When he is not having fun with his family and friends, Kami loves to spend his time writing about renewable energy, sustainability, and tips to reduce carbon dioxide.
E15 Solar Panel Charger Highlights.
-IP67 waterproof and rugged materials make the solar panel work under unexpected weather and last longer than other solar panels.
What Can Charge and Charge Time.
Effortless charging via the integrated USB port under sunlight or pair with a power bank, the 15W solar charger can charge the following devices:
What Can Charge and Charge Time.
Effortless charging via the integrated USB port under sunlight or pair with a power bank, the 15W solar charger can charge the following devices:
Q: Does the solar panel store power? A: No, there is no built-in battery in this solar panel. But it supports all the power banks charging, so that you can collect solar power and store it for using. Or just plug and charge your USB device.
Q: If my USB device needs an input current of 1A, will the 3A output of the solar panel damage it? A: No. This solar panel has intelligent charging, automatically detecting the needs of your device, and delivering exactly what it needs. If your phone accepts 1A, the charger will deliver 1A to your phone.
Q: How to clean the surface of solar panels? A: Please use a dampened soft cloth to wipe the surface of the solar module, and remove all dust or other adhesives as soon as possible to avoid performance degradation.
Q: Does it keep work when gets wet? A: Yes, the durable and self-cleaning material provides lasting durability to protect against unpredictable weather conditions, and can easily withstand high temperatures, and are water-resistant, dust-proof and feature an IP67 rated junction box.
Q: Does it come with charging cables? A: No, to make the solar panel more eco-friendly and affordable, it doesn’t include a cable. You can use your USB or Type-C cord to connect the solar pnale to charge.