Solar Phone Charger: The Best Picks and How to Choose
Suppose you’re in the middle of a scenic hike, and your phone runs out of battery. Now, you can’t rely on GPS or access your trail map. That’s a challenging moment for you, and finding wall outlets or other means to power smartphones can be even more difficult. That’s where a solar phone charger comes in handy.
You don’t have to worry about enjoying outdoor adventures or handling emergency situations without a smartphone because Jackery solar generators make powering devices easy. The solar generator is source of renewable energy that makes powering devices easy.
Cell phones consume around 2-6 watts of power. The portable and cost-effective nature of solar power chargers allows you to charge mobile phones, laptops, etc., to make your trip memorable. A small solar power generator of 160 watts would be sufficient to power up small devices like cell phones, whereas you might need a large generator to charge devices like coffee makers, etc., during your trips.
This article will reveal everything from different types of portable solar chargers available on the market and what size you should purchase to ensure you always keep your phone charged.
What Is A Solar Phone Charger
Admit it or not, smartphones are the lifelines, especially when you are away from your house. Whether you’re enjoying a breathing camping view or facing a long-term power outage home, having your gear charged and working is essential.
A solar phone charger does the same for you when no electricity is available. It is one of the best methods to use clean and renewable energy and power your devices. However, checking the capacity of solar panels and the device power requirement is essential before finalizing any solar battery charger for a phone.
Solar Charger For Phone
Solar charger for phones uses solar panels to convert sun rays into electricity and store it in the battery. They are portable charging methods that allow you to charge smartphones anywhere and anytime. Whether planning camping, hiking, or other outdoor activities, you can take your solar charger to power devices.
The solar phone charger is an economical, environment-friendly, portable, and sustainable energy source available to charge small devices. It works by absorbing sunlight with the help of a solar panel or photovoltaic cells. Solar energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery, so you can power mobile phones at night or during cloudy days.
Types Of Solar Phone Chargers
Many types of solar-powered phone chargers with different capacities allow you to keep your gear charged during an emergency, camping trip, hiking, etc. Some of the most popular and common types of solar phone charges include:
Portable solar charger generator – allows you to charge your cell phones anytime. The solar generator’s lightweight nature and wireless charging option make it suitable for beach trips. Jackery offers multiple solar power generators that are portable and waterproof. In addition, numerous USB ports available will help you to charge devices at once.
Solar panels – enable you to charge cell phones directly with the sun. Instead of transferring electricity to the battery, the solar panels charge the smartphones with direct sunlight. Jackery 100-watt solar panel are an alternative choice to power bank for charging phones or other small appliances. The robust nature of solar panels is a renewable and clean energy source for everyone.
Heavy-duty solar panels – these large solar panels can charge everything from phones to laptops to mini-fridges. As these panels come with a charge controller, they transfer their charge to the power bank to charge all the devices.
Below are the best portable solar charger for phones available on the market.
Built-in Battery
Output Ports
BigBlue 28W Solar Charger
Hiluckey 25,000mAh Power Bank
Battery Capacity Of iPhone, Samsung, And
Solar chargers are built for outdoor usage, and they are powered with the help of sunlight. While choosing the best solar charger for your needs, analyzing the solar panel size, charging speed, battery size, and the number of ports is essential. Watt and watt-hour should be considered to narrow your research and purchase the best solar panels.
What Are Watt And Watt Hours?
A watt is a power unit that measures the energy transfer rate. In electrical terms, the watt is the rate of electrical work done by a device during appliance powering.
The simple formula of watt is equivalent to volt-ampere. Here is how to calculate it:
Power is the energy rate at which energy is consumed or generated; hence, it is measured in watts. Meanwhile, watt-hour is the rate at which one-watt power is consumed in one hour. Here is the formula to calculate the watt-hours of any device.
Watt-Hours = Total Number Of Watts Total Number Of Hours
Battery Capacity of Phones
Generally, a solar phone charger that can supply 10 watts is sufficient to charge a smartphone for one day. Many solar power panels have robust battery protection systems, so you can power all your devices safely.
For instance, if you know the battery capacity (mAh) and volt (V), you can easily calculate the watt-hour.
Formula is (mAh) (V) /1000 = Wh.
Suppose the battery capacity of the solar power charger is 300 mAh, and the volt is 5V. Here is how to measure watt-hours.
Watt-hour = 300 mAh 5V / 1000 = 1.5 Wh.
Here is the breakdown of the estimated solar power needed daily to charge different types of smartphones.
Phone Types
Battery (Watt-hours)
How Many Charges Daily
Estimated Solar Power Needed Daily (Watt-hours)
iPhone 14 Plus/ iPhone 14 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Most solar generators can charge your phone several times. That said, you don’t have to worry about recharging and charging your solar power.
Portable Solar Charger For Phone
If you are looking to choose the best solar panel charger for a cell phone, you can never go wrong with Jackery solar generator. It combines a portable power station and SolarSaga panels that capture the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity.
Compared to traditional generators, solar panel generators are portable. Not only does it allow you to charge cell phones, but it can also power other small electrical appliances depending on the power they consume.
Jackery solar generators are available in different sizes. This solar generator is suitable for campers, emergency backups, and RVs. The best part about all the solar chargers for a phone is their foldable design and less weight. It makes it easy to carry wherever you go.
Customer Reviews
I bought this for dry camping in my RV. I wanted an easy way to recharge my multiple Ipads, iPhones, and computers. I just returned from an 18-day trip, and the Jackery 500 with the 100-watt solar panel performed flawlessly. Recharging it was the easiest system I have ever worked with. In sunny AZ, the system went from 83% to 100% in 2 hours. If it was cloudy, I plugged into my 12-volt plug while driving and generally went from the low 80s to 100% within a 3-hour drive. I have not used the 120-volt charger yet as it was not needed. In total, I recharged 2 Ipads, 2 phones, 1 computer, and 1 jet pack overnight. The battery would be in the low 80% by morning, sometimes 75% by evening back to 100%. I highly recommend this system. Addendum photos first photo 11:48 am, 2nd 12:42 pm, 3rd 1:48 pm, 4th 3:02 pm, 5th 3:55 precharge in Tucson, AZ. May 23, 2021 Went from 100% to 81% after charging 2 Iphones, 2 Ipads, and 1 jetpack. 1 iPad in use for a couple of hours while being charged-Susan
Jackery 500 gave me a lot of power for 7 days of camping. It powered my Alpicool ref, USB lights, cell phone, etc. The lowest power I had overnight was 87% until I could charge my solar panel the next day. I highly recommend this. I will use my CPAP on my next trip and trust it will give me power all night. I used Goal Zero before. I was not impressed, and Jackery’s price is more reasonable. Buying expensive things like goal zero does not prove great performance but is overrated as a waste of money. Go for Jackery. It is also lightweight.Maria
As you can see, Jackery products are loved by the customers. They are durable, cost-efficient, and powerful solar generators that ensure you never run out of power. Here are the top Jackery power stations you can purchase to charge your cell phone.
Portable Power Station Capacity
Phone Capacity
Supported Charges
(When the portable power station is fully charged)
Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel (This solar panel has a USB output and can charge the phone under the sun directly)
Depends on the weather condition
Jackery Solar Generator 240 (Explorer 240 SolarSaga 100W)
- USB-A Output: 5V, 2.4A
- USB-C Output: 5V, 3A
- AC Output: 110V, 60Hz, 200W (400W Surge Peak)
- Car Output: 12V, 10A
- DC Input: 12V. 30V (65W Max)
Jackery Solar Generator 300 (Explorer 300 SolarSaga 100W)
- USB-A Output: 5V, 2.4A
- USB-C PD Output: 5V, 9V, 15V, 20V, 3A
- DC Input: 12V. 30V (90W Max)
- Quick Charge 3.0 Output: 5V, 2.4A
- AC Output: 110V, 60Hz, 300W (500W Surge)
Jackery Solar Generator 500 (Explorer 500 SolarSaga 100W)
- USB-A Output: 5V, 2.4A
- Car Port: 12V, 10V
- DC Output: 12V, 7A
- AC Output: 110VAC, 60Hz, 500W (1000W Surge)
- DC Input: 12V. 30V (100W Max)
Even if the portable power station is out of capacity, you don’t have to worry about charging your appliances. The pass-through charging capability lets you recharge the device and solar generator at the same time. In addition, the input and output ports on the portable solar generator protect your device from overcharging.
What Size Solar Charger For a Phone Do I Need?
Solar cell phone chargers come in different sizes, shapes, and types. The simple rule to purchasing a solar panel is understanding its compatibility with your device.
Calculate the size of the solar charger for a phone with this formula:
Working time = Watt-hour of the solar power station 0.85 / operating wattage of your device.
For instance, if we assume that the cell phone consumes 10 watts and the watt-hour of the solar power station is 167Wh, the working time will be 167 Wh 0.85 / 10 = 14.2 hours.
Purchasing a solar power station with a 167 Wh battery capacity can charge a phone at 13 Wh capacity 11 times. You can calculate the number of charges a solar panel supports with a simple formula:
The number of charges supported = 0.85 Power station capacity/phone capacity.
Depending on the requirements and phone capacity, you can determine the size of solar panels you’ll need.
FAQs About Solar Phone Chargers
Solar phone chargers come in many variants with different designs, functions, sizes, etc. Checking on the tech specs and understanding the power requirements are the two most important aspects you’ll need to consider before choosing the best solar power generator. Here are a few common questions that people often ask before buying a solar power generator.
What is the best solar phone charger?
Jackery is the best solar phone charger amongst all the other power generators available on the market. The combination of the portable power station and SolarSaga solar panels charges all your small appliances, including cell phones, multiple times after full charge. Some unique features that make Jackery military-grade solar phone charger the best choice include:
- Lightweight and compact in nature that makes it easy to carry around wherever you go.
- As it receives power through the sun and no other forms of fuel are required, it is clean, quiet, and renewable.
- Multifunctional outputs like USB-A, USB-C, Car Port, etc., ensure that you can charge multiple devices simultaneously and save time for charging.
- High conversion efficiency solar generator ensures that you use maximum sun’s energy and store it to power devices.
The input and output USB ports available on the solar phone charger make it easy to use. You can power your cell phone by plugging the USB cable from the charger into the smartphone. Jackery solar generators have a device protection system, so you don’t have to stress about overcharging the appliance. Another feature of the solar phone charger is another USB input port that allows you to recharge the solar generator even if you are powering the devices.
Where to buy a solar phone charger?
You can purchase the best solar phone charger from the solar power generator collection of Jackery. They have a wide range of solar generators that last decades and power all your devices without hassle.
How does a solar phone charger work?
As the name suggests, the solar-powered phone charger absorbs and transfers sunlight. Here’s how it works in simple steps: photons carry the sun’s energy to create an electric field. This sunlight powers the photovoltaic cells or solar panels, transferring the power to cell phones. Most solar panels come with a battery to store the power. This means you can charge your phone even when there is dark or no solar energy available.
Conclusion
So, if you have ever put off your camping and hiking idea thinking about how you’ll charge your cell phone, consider purchasing a solar phone charger. You can use the solar phone charger to power all the small appliances that consume less power, including smartphones, and stay connected.
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How to Build a Solar Charging Station Anywhere
One of the most amazing innovations in the last five years has not been a new invention as the perfection of existing technology. Solar panels, which were once the territory of only the very rich and very environmentally dedicated, have gotten smaller, more efficient, and more affordable, and you don’t even need to mount them on your roof. Many people still think that solar is in the realm of “Go Big or Go Home,” but we’re here to tell you that times have changed.
Building a Solar Charging Station
While you can start your adventures into solar power generation with a full rooftop-mounted and grid-connected installation, you can actually learn about solar and build yourself a disaster-ready power generation and charging station for less than 500 and a little elbow grease. With this simple and easy to connect contraption, you’ll be able to generate enough power to slowly charge an electric vehicle or keep several mobile devices powered for as long as the equipment lasts.
What You’ll Need
Building a solar charging station is surprisingly simple because the components are now very efficient. All you need is power generation, power conversion, power storage, and the cables in between. All the parts can be bought on Amazon from various manufacturers, so compare and amperage until you find the right combination for your budget and power generation needs.
- Portable Solar Panels
- You don’t need a professional to affix some weather-resistant solar panels to a sunny spot and draw power. You don’t even need a stable location. Portable solar panels can be mounted, unmounted, and moved at any time, wherever you happen to need solar power.
- Solar Cables – One Red, One Black
- These will connect the solar panels (which have matching leads) to the solar controller and inverter, which will regulate the energy from the solar panels and make them useful.
- Solar Controller
- The solar controller device is part of what makes solar power so much more accessible than it used to be. It’s essentially a specialized charge controller with a useful info display screen.
- Inverter
- The inverter is what turns the DC solar energy into AC device and appliance energy. They usually have at least one power socket and often have USB ports as well. Some inverters come with their own batteries.
- Batteries
- A deep supply of battery storage ensures that you don’t waste solar power and have plenty to last you through the night and on rainy days.
- Battery Cables – One Red, One Black Per Battery
- These will connect the batteries and the solar controller, allowing the controller to balance voltage between, serve power out of them, and prevent them from over-draining.
Choose Your Structure
You can build your solar charging station on anything you want. For an electric car charge stop, you can put the panels on top of a carport and stow the rest of the equipment safely in a cabinet within. You can add them to a camp cabin or tent to power basic equipment like a camp stove or radio. With flexible panels, you can even stick them securely but temporarily to the top of your car, truck, or RV with 3-5lbs Command strips for convenient mobile device charging on road trips. The Command strips don’t damage the paint when removed, so you can experiment freely without having to make even semi-permanent alterations. Choose what you’ll mount the solar panels on and how you’ll protect the electrical equipment before getting started.
Putting Together the Charging Station
Step 1: Mount the Solar Panels
For a semi-permanent structural mount like on a shed or carport, use a metal frame and bolts to attach the solar panels to the roof of your structure. Make sure to use the right brackets and screws based on the type of roof you’re working with. Tents should rely on either foldable solar panels or those with holes so they can be tied to the top or sides. A car either permanently mounts them with a frame or temporarily mounts them with safe sticky strips.
Step 2: Emplace the Batteries
The batteries need to be in a safe, dry, moderately temperature-controlled, and stable position. Anywhere indoors is usually fine, but they need to be carefully secured in a vehicle and probably carried in a sealed box for camping.
Step 3: Place the Solar Controller
You’ll want the solar controller somewhere safe but easy to read, as it will tell you how much energy is being generated, how much is being drained, and approximately how full your collection of batteries is. Make sure it’s accessible before wiring and arrange your connections around where the solar controller needs to be.
Step 4: Connect Everything
Connect your solar panels and the solar controller with the solar power cables using parallel or serial wiring based on your amperage and voltage needs, then do the same for the batteries. If you need a converter from the batteries to the power ports you plan to use, connect this to the solar controller and its own cables.
Enjoy All the Free Energy
The sun is the most renewable energy source available to us, and now you can collect buckets of free energy every day with a simple installation. Whether you’re charging mobile devices, an electric car, a camp stove, or experimenting with everything that can be plugged into solar energy, every amp you use is one you made for yourself without a drop of fossil fuel. Now you know a lot more about solar power, can create a useful amount of electricity from anywhere, and are one step closer to a casually off-grid home with the capability of generating all the energy you need to live comfortably.
How to Make a Solar Phone Charger – Guide for DIYers
A DIY solar phone charger is a device that utilizes solar power to charge your cell phone. Unquestionably, the portability, energy efficiency, and convenience it offers are unexcelled.
Built using solar panels, this DIY solar USB charger won’t only help you save more on your electricity consumption but also charge devices quickly, even when you’re on the go.
While it requires a few supplies to get the job done, creating your solar mobile charger is a more eco-friendly and practical alternative than store-bought solar cellphone chargers.
In this guide, we’ll provide you with step-by-step methods on how to make a solar phone charger without hassle.
What are the Materials Needed for Creating Your Solar Powered Phone Charger
You can look for mini solar panels in nearby local stores that sell electronic or science materials and tools. Or, you can find most of the materials you’ll need for this DIY project online.
Materials Needed:
- Two mini solar panels (should be 3-Volt 20mA each)
- One large heat shrink tubing (4-inch)
- One cell phone charger
- One small heat shrink tubing (4-inch)
- One solder iron
- One Altoids tin case
- One double-sided tape (3-inch)
- One heat gun
- One solder (3-inch)
- One wire stripper
- 1 oz. Flux
- Toothpick
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make a Solar Phone Charger
Step 1: Cut the tubing and the wires.
The initial step is to get the two solar power panels and cut all four wires approximately an inch in length. From there, cut about ¼-inch of plastic off the edge of each wire using a wire stripper. In doing so, the copper wires will be exposed.
The copper wire that is exposed is referred to as the lead. Afterward, you should cut the mini shrink tubing into four equal parts. Each of them should be 1 inch; then, glide the mini heat shrink tubing into both black wires.
Step 2: Solder the leads of the solar panel.
Paint the leads using a toothpick and flux on the black wire from one solar panel. Do the same process with the red wire from the other solar panel. After that, place the two leads together, and from there, you may start soldering using the soldering iron and your solder.
Step 3: Heat-shrink the tubing.
Glide the mini heat shrink tubing over the soldered leads. Using the heat gun, gently heat the tubing for it to shrink.
Step 4: Cut the wire of your phone charger.
The next step is to cut the wire of your old charger to roughly 2.5-feet and take off about 2.5-inches of the exterior plastic from the loose edge. Then, you may now cut off approximately ¼-inch of the inner wires to form the leads.
Glide the entire length of the large heat shrink tubing into the primary wire, which you’ll utilize later.
Step 5: Flux, join, and heat-shrink the loose leads.
Take the primary wire and then glide a mini heat shrink tubing section into the red wire. With a toothpick, flux all the loose leads of the solar panel and the primary wire. From there, start soldering the red leads from the solar panels and primary wire together.
You may execute the same process for the black wires. Glide the heat shrink tubings over the soldered leads. To shrink the tubings, you’ll need to use a heat gun.
Step 6: Examine your mobile charger.
It is now time to examine your cellphone charger. To do this, connect it to a cellphone under bright light.
Step 7: Heat-shrink the leads of the solar panels.
For this step, pick up your primary wire and then glide the large heat shrink tubing over the two soldered leads linked to the solar panels. Shrink the tubing using a heat gun.
Step 8: Tape and seal.
At the rear section of your solar panels, using double-sided tape, cover the two brass rivets. This is to ensure that they won’t make contact with the Altoid tin. Afterward, tape the two solar panels situated on the inner lid of the tin.
Lastly, fold the primary wire together into the case and seal. Look for a sunny spot and start using your homemade solar cellphone charger.
You might want to take a closer look at this tutorial video:
What is a Solar Cellphone Charger
A solar-powered mobile charger is a device that could charge cellphones with the help of solar radiation. A compact solar panel is the primary component of a solar mobile charger. The solar panel captures the energy coming from the sun and generates an output voltage.
Nonetheless, the light radiation that falls on the solar panel can differ. As a result, the voltage output becomes unsteady. Fundamentally, a steady voltage is necessary when charging a cellphone.
So, it is essential to utilize a voltage regulator circuit along with the solar panel. This will execute a vital role in regulating and making the output voltage steady.
What are the Upsides of Using a DIY Solar Cell Phone Charger
A solar-powered battery charger is straightforward to operate and does not require high maintenance. Such a device comes with a solar panel that absorbs energy from the sun and converts the sun’s energy into electricity.
A solar-powered mobile charger is also quick and convenient to hold and store. It comes with an AC outlet, so you can utilize it to charge your mobile phone battery. Aside from your cell phone, you can use this device for gadgets that require power, like tablets, iPad, laptops, and more.
You can place a solar phone charger at a secure and safe spot where it could captivate total sun exposure.
And, if you wish, you can also create a suitable charger as per your requirements. Did you know that the number of solar panels contained in your charger influences the amount of energy it could keep? The solar charger’s specifications also rely on the gadget that you want to charge.
This device is handy, so carrying it with you anywhere is not a hassle. Best of all, it does not call for an external power source to charge your gadget.
There’s no denying that a solar charger is ideal for different types of outdoor activities. Since you can bring it with you when hanging out with friends at a party or other outdoor adventures, you can always get in touch with people when you’re away from home.
You see, even if you don’t have a power source to charge your device, a solar phone charger can save you from trouble.
Final Thoughts
As you read in this post, the entire solar charger-making process isn’t as complicated as you might imagine. Ultimately, making a DIY solar mobile charger can offer you multiple benefits. This device is portable, eco-friendly, easily storable, and a money-saver.
Now that you’ve learned the step-by-step guides on how to make a solar phone charger, you’re now just a few steps away from creating your own version of a solar-powered charger. The entire process is fun-filled, and assembling takes only a few minutes. It’s a DIY project that everyone can try.
Did you enjoy this tutorial? Hopefully, it can help you as you create a worthwhile DIY solar project in the future.
Make your own Solar Mobile Charger
A solar panel converts solar energy into electrical energy. Solar mobile charger regulates this electrical energy such that it could be used to charge mobile phones. Read this article to know how to make a solar mobile charger at home.
Solar mobile charger
Solar mobile charger is a device which can charge mobile phones using solar radiation. Its major component is a compact solar panel. This solar panel traps solar energy and produces an output voltage. But, since the light radiations falling on the solar panel can vary, the output voltage becomes unstable. For charging a mobile phone, stable voltage is required. So, to make the output voltage stable and regulated, we use a voltage regulator circuit along with the solar panel.
Most of the mobile phones have computer connectivity via USB cable. USB port establishes 4 connection terminals. The connection terminals at the two extreme ends are the supply terminals. In a female USB connector (port via which we plug in USB devices to computer), these terminals carry 5V DC. When a mobile phone is connected to the USB port of a computer, it utilizes this 5V supply to recharge battery. This feature is used in a solar mobile charger. It converts and regulates solar energy to 5V DC and the output will be available through the female USB connector. To this connector, we can easily connect a mobile phone via data cable.
Materials required
1)Solar panel 12V, 4W2)Voltage regulator IC 78053) 100uF, 25V capacitor4) 10uF, 25V capacitor5) 100nF capacitor6) USB female connector7) PCB8) Connecting wires9) Soldering accessories
All these components can be purchased from any electronic spare parts shop or online store.
Let’s start building
Solar panelFirst of all, take the solar panel. On its back side, we can see two connecting wires. One is in red colour and the other is in black. The red wire is the positive terminal and the black wire is the negative terminal. There is nothing much to do with the solar panel.
Voltage regulatorThe regulator circuit consists of the following components.
1) IC78052) 100uF3) 10uF4) 100nF
Regulator on PCB
Solder all the components on a PCB as shown in the circuit diagram. To test the regulator circuit, connect voltage between 8 V and 18V to the input of voltage regulator. Now, measure the output. The output should be constant and it can be any value between 4.75 V and 5.25V. If so, your circuit is working properly.
Next, we need to connect it to the USB port. This has to be done carefully
Solder the positive output wire of the voltage regulator to the USB’s positive. Similarly, connect the negative output of regulator to the negative of USB. The USB port must be fixed properly to the PCB. Next, connect the solar panel to the input of the voltage regulator (positive of solar panel to positive input of voltage regulator and negative of solar panel to negative input). Once everything is connected, measure the output voltage in open sun light. It should be around 5V. Now, connect your mobile phone and you will see it charging.
Once everything is done, fix the circuit properly on a plastic box. The solar panel should face the Sun.