Whether you often camp off the grid, go backpacking, or grapple with power outages, a solar charger is a nifty gadget to have in your arsenal. It can charge your phones, tablets, mobile accessories, and more.
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Best Overall
SunJack 40W Folding Portable Solar Panel Charger
$160 $267 Save $107
Featuring a weatherproof design with built-in kickstands, the SunJack 40W solar charger is an excellent choice for keeping your phone, tablet, or power station topped up. It can also charge some laptops with its 30W USB PD output via the Type-C port. Plus, you get USB-A and 21V DC5521 ports.
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Best Budget
Elecaenta 30W Solar Panel Charger
$59 $89 Save $30
With a reasonable price tag and a foldable design, this Elecaenta solar charger is perfect for juicing up phones, tablets, and mobile accessories on a budget. It has three USB ports, including a Type-C port that supports USB PD fast charging. The charger is also rated IPX5 for splash resistance.
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Best Portable
Flexsolar C60
$80 $180 Save $100
The Flexsolar C60 is quite portable with its foldable design and built-in handle. It has three built-in USB ports and a DC5521 port to charge your devices. It’s also reasonably priced and can deliver up to 60W, depending on sunlight. In other highlights, the solar charger is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance.
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Best for Backpacking
Anker Solix PS30 Solar Panel
$70 $80 Save $10
The Anker Solix PS30 is ready for backpacking thanks to its slim construction, lightweight design, and smaller footprint when folded. It can deliver up to 30W to connected mobile devices and has built-in USB-C and USB-A ports. The Solix PS30 is also rated IP65 for dust and water resistance.
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Best for Camping
Flexsolar C100
$140 $220 Save $80
Flexsolar’s C100 is excellent for camping needs as it not only offers a relatively high 100W output but also foldable and features two USB-A ports, one Type-C port, and a DC output. It can charge your phones, tablets, laptops, mobile accessories, and power stations. It’s also pretty durable.
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Best for Charging Phones
BigBlue 3 Solar Charger 28W
$68 $80 Save $12
If you just need a solar charger for your phone and mobile accessories, the BigBlue 3 28W is a good option. It’s compact, lightweight, and pretty small once folded. As the name suggests, it can deliver up to 28W power and has three built-in USB-A ports. Remember, each USB-A can only offer up to 12W power.
What to Look for in a Solar Charger
Solar chargers are handy gadgets with built-in solar panels to convert sunlight into DC power to charge your devices. These are available in different sizes and with different outputs to match varied needs. So, if you are shopping for a solar charger, you need to keep a few things in mind to get the best option.
One of the first things to decide is what you want to charge using a solar charger. This is because different products have different power requirements. While you can charge a phone with just 20W of power, you’ll need more to juice up a laptop or power station. So do consider your power needs while picking up a solar charger. It’s also vital to remember that the output of a solar charger depends on the available sunlight. If there is a clear sky, it’ll produce closer to its rated power; however, the output will reduce under a cloudy sky.
Another important consideration is the included port selection. You want a solar charger with all the ports needed for your devices. For newer smartphones, tablets, and laptops, a USB-C port is ideal for getting good charging speeds. You can also check for fast charging standards supported by the various USB ports. Similarly, you may need a DC output to juice up power stations. That said, some power stations can also charge over USB-C.
The form factor and portability of a solar charger can also matter, depending on how you plan to carry it. Foldable solar chargers are typically easy to carry around, but if you don’t need to carry it everywhere, a non-foldable panel may work better and have more ports.
Finally, it’s a good idea to have some weatherproofing in a solar charger, as you don’t want a sudden spell of rain or splashes of water to damage it.
