The 5 Best Solar Powered Chargers for Your Phone or Tablet

We all know the sudden drama that happens during our outside pursuits when we see a “low battery” warning on our phone, tablet, digital camera or other device. Outdoors you’ll find yourself many times far from any power outlet to recharge your devices.

What will you do then? Have you ever considered carrying with you a solar powered cell phone charger?

Whether you’re on a camping trip, mountain biking, traveling the world or just walking around town a portable solar charger can help keep your devices powered up anywhere under the sun.

The idea of portable solar gear that uses free off-grid solar energy to power up our mobile lifestyle is pretty amazing. It’s surely one of the best inventions of this century.

Solar battery chargers come in many different shapes, sizes and efficiency ratings. We’ve done the hard work already and picked the top five solar powered chargers available right now for sale on Amazon that have the latest photovoltaic (PV) technology and the best charging performance.

We have also included a buyer’s guide at the end of the article where you’ll find everything you need to know about choosing the best solar charger, so make sure to check that out as well.

Best Overall: BigBlue 24W Solar Powered Charger

The BigBlue 3 USB ports 24 Watts solar charger is our top pick for the best solar phone battery charger to buy in 2022 because it offers a remarkable combination of manufacturing quality, price, portability, and charging speed.

 

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It features highly efficient energy conversion SUNPOWER solar cells (up to 23 percent efficiency) and SmartIC technology, which means that this charger will automatically recognize the charging protocol of your devices so that it can deliver the most suitable and fastest charge possible. Three USB ports allow you to plug in and split the current between 3 devices at once.

What makes BigBlue the best portable solar charger for almost any kind of environment is also its charging performance in diverse weather conditions. This charger delivers a steady energy flow even on cloudy days so you can confidently plan your outdoor activities without having to worry about low battery devices.

The BigBlue solar panels delivers 24 Watts under direct sunlight and it charged our iPhone 11 from zero to full in about two hours. During cloudy days the charging capacity varies according to the cloud exposure, but it should be able to charge anywhere from 20 percent and above which will be very useful especially in emergency situations.

This solar charger is made of four SunPower solar panels sewn into a durable canvas and a fifth section that’s more like a small pouch for storing your iPhone or Android phone while charging and thus protecting them from the direct sun exposure and overheating – however, if you have a cable long enough, it’s always better to move your devices into the shade. You can also easily store all the cables in this department.

Inside the pouch there are three USB ports that deliver up to 2.4A per port or 5V/4A overall (depending on how much direct sunlight hits the solar panels), and a small LED that indicates when there is power flowing from the panels.

What about portability? The BigBlue solar powered charger weighs 754 grams or 26.6 ounces and the entire solar charger folds up to about 14 millimeters or 0.55 inches thick. This makes it perfect to carry around when traveling, backpacking, going to work, or school.

To get the most out of your portable solar gear, we highly recommend pairing the BigBlue charger with a USB battery pack. For example, the Anker PowerCore Elite 20,000 mAh power bank is fully compatible with the BigBlue 24W solar charger and it can store enough energy to charge an iPhone 11 from zero to full six times. A portable battery pack like this one is a must-have since the solar chargers themselves cannot store energy and provide it during night time when the sun is not around. With a charged power bank, you are powered up 24/7.

The Lightest and Most Flexible: Portable Solar Panel Sunslice Fusion Flex 12

Sunslice Fusion Flex 12 Watts with two USB ports (5V) each with max output of 2.4A is a perfect option for those who like to focus on their outdoor experience without worrying about maintenance of the devices they bring along.

 

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Two portable solar panels are extremely lightweight (just 270 grams/9.5 ounces) and easy to fold into a thin A4 like shape. That’s it, you can head out now! Then you just open the pack for solar cells to face the sun and use right away on the go by plugging in your USB devices like a smartphone and/or tablet. Additional plus are two elastic fasteners and two carabiners you receive with the product to easily attach the charger to your backpack.

The solar panel is made off CIGS thin film solar cells, which are a versatile option when it comes to application and practical use of photovoltaic technology. The thin film is flexible, you do not have to worry about bending the panels to fit better in your backpack. According to the manufacturer, the solar cells reach up to 16.5% efficiency in the perfect sunny conditions. Thin film solar cells perform better than crystalline solar cells when exposed to the strong summer sun, they maintain better power production when their surface heats up – this happens quickly on hot days. On the other hand, in colder weather, their performance drops compared to monocrystalline cells.    

When it comes to performance under cloudy conditions or during the days when clouds come and go, you may need to carry a power bank with you rather than relying solely on this solar charger. The current drops pretty fast when shaded and takes couple minutes to restart once again. This means it may not provide enough power to charge your phone on cloudy days.

The manufacturer thought of the practical use for adventurers by designing the product with the protective and light transmitting EFTE coating – therefore, it doesn’t affect the efficiency of solar cells. The coating feels to the touch pretty much the same as a material of your backpack, yet it is scratch proof and has somewhat self-cleaning properties. Additional advantage is water resistance.

Sunslice Fusion Flex 12 is a practical and durable solution for spontaneous, short trips when you don’t know where and through which terrain your steps will lead you. On a sunny day, all you have to care about is your experience, meanwhile, this solar charger will be there to give you a bit of extra power to use your devices when they are running low of battery.   

Best for Price: Hiluckey 25,000 mAh Outdoor Portable Solar Power Bank

The Hiluckey 25,000 mAh had the best performance in the solar power bank category. If you’re looking for a solar power bank, look no further than this one.

 

It features 4 small solar panels that deliver in total 4.8W under direct sun. That’s the most wattage output you can get out of a solar power bank at this moment. While the solar panels on the BigBlue perform four to five times better than the Hiluckey, the PowerPort doesn’t have its own power storage. When there is no sun, there is no power flowing, so an additional external battery is needed to keep devices charged up when the sun is not around.

The Hiluckey Outdoor Power Bank on the other hand, has a built-in battery pack with a capacity of 25,000 mAh which can store enough energy to charge an iPhone 7 about three times and has two USB ports to charge your friend’s smartphone in the same time.

The built-in battery can be recharged by sunlight, but also by wall outlet. It comes with a built-in flashlight and four LEDs that indicate battery life. The casing is shock-proof, dust-proof and water resistant. Great for outdoors 🙂

The only drawback of this solar power bank is the charging speed from the small solar panels. In full sun, the Hiluckey built-in battery could reach just 15 percent battery after three hours. However, the charging speed from the built-in battery to our iPhone 7 was very similar to the BigBlue.

We recommend to always charge the power bank by wall outlet before heading outdoors. This way you’ll have enough power to recharge your devices several times, regardless of weather or time of the day. The solar panels on the Hiluckey are not designed as the primary source of charging, but they are a very good alternative to add extra power to the power bank anytime you’re under the sun.

What we like:

• Great value for the price
• High-capacity 25,000 mAh battery
• Overcharge protection
• Two USB ports
• High quality material
• Very compacted when folded
• 12-month warranty

What we don’t like:

• Slow charging speed from the solar panels

Versatile Solar Phone Charger: Neckteck 21W

No matter what environment you’re dealing with, the Neckteck 21W is the Range Rover of solar power chargers. With an ultra-portable design, this solar charger with two USB ports is IPX4 waterproof, dust-proof and shock-resistant. The whole pack weights a little over 17 ounces (approx. 480 grams) and is super easy to use without any worries about your devices.

 

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This charger features a solid construction and three monocrystalline solar panels based on innovative SunPower Maxeon technology that reach the maximum efficiency of up to 23 percent. The solar panels provide 2.0A per port or 3.0A max in total to charge your devices on the go. As other good quality solar chargers, it protects your devices from over current and overcharge, which could damage them if this feature were absent.

A great advantage of this handy solar charger is its compatibility with the most USB devices. It charges great variety of smartphones, which is not always the case with portable chargers. The package doesn’t come with cables. Do not forget to bring your own.

We would recommend it for charging your phone on a sunny day. An impressive feature unique to this solar charger is quite nice charging speed it provides when in the direct sun. In good sunny conditions it works flawlessly and can charge your phone as needed.

However, to get the best outcome when the weather is not perfect or when hiking through shady areas like in a forest, you should consider using this solar charger to charge a portable power bank and use the power bank to charge your phone later. The results are better this way, as the charge interruption recovery is on a slower side.

What we like:

• Great value for the price
• Monocrystalline solar cells
• Two USB ports
• High quality material
• Great for charging variety of smartphones, tablets & power banks

What we don’t like:

• Slower charging speed on cloudy days
• Could be more flexible

Best Solar Panel to Charge a Power Station: Goal Zero Nomad 20

This amazing device boasts an impressive charging speed that performs very similar to the BigBlue Solar Charger.

 

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Goal Zero Nomad 20W uses industry leading monocrystalline photovoltaic solar cells to offer a rapid and steady charge during unobstructed sunny conditions and can bring a smartphone to full battery in less than two hours. This 20 watt solar charger is compatible with most small and medium devices, but can even charge a laptop in approximately 6.5 hours when under direct sunlight (the time is dependent upon the conditions).

The three solar panels are waterproof, UV protected, and scratch-resistant, offering you a durable and reliable portable power anywhere you go. The set comes even with a kickstand, allowing you to position the panels to reach their best potential when you need them to. Although the Goal Zero solar chargers are a bit on the pricier side, they do well when you need to charge smaller portable stations for storing extra power. It is compatible with a reliable Goal Zero 200x power station, which will safely charge your laptop, camera and other latest USB-C devices.

Weighing 2.26 pounds (1,000 grams), the Goal Zero Nomad is not as lightweight as other solar chargers we mentioned earlier, but it’s still a compact charger that can fit just about anywhere. When folded, it occupies pretty much the same space like a small laptop. Because of its reliability and power, this portable solar charger is frequently used by mountaineers in their expeditions.

What we like:

• Amazing charging speed
• Overcharge protection
• Compatible with laptops
• High quality material
• Very compacted when folded
• 12-month warranty

What we don’t like:

• Expensive
• Could be more lightweight

Most common uses of solar chargers

In the hectic world of today most of us cannot imagine our lives without gadgets. And the more advanced they get, the more power-hungry they become. That’s when a portable solar charger comes handy. Think of it like having your personal power supply, anywhere you go.

Complete freedom from power outlets!

Solar chargers are lightweight, foldable and easy to carry around. All you have to do is position the solar charger under the sun and it will immediately start recharging your devices. You can even strap it on your backpack and power up on the go. This way you can enjoy your daily activities without rushing to look for a power outlet somewhere inside.

Considering the fact that solar powered phone chargers are now so much more affordable and efficient, they can be a life-saver in many situations.

• Everyday Use

• Backpacking

• Mountain Biking

• Traveling

• Boating and Sailing

• Emergency Situations

Solar energy brings light to our unsustainable developing world and by going solar, be it portable or not, is a great way to join the climate change battle by reducing your carbon footprint.

Important solar charger considerations

The most important features you should look for when choosing a portable solar charger are:

#1 Charge Interruption Recovery

Chances are you won’t be able to use your portable solar charger in full sun all the time. Especially if you live in a place like the United Kingdom. Areas with shade or clouds will affect the performance of your solar phone charger to a certain extent. We measured the output power of each model in full sun, and then in fairly cloudy conditions for one hour each in order to see which solar charger recovers the fastest and gets back on track after being shaded.

The best performing models in this category were the chargers with the most wattage power like the BigBlue. The Neckteck 21W scored the lowest in this test because of the small wattage power.

Larger solar chargers have more solar cells exposed to the sun simultaneously and this makes it easier to recover to maximum output after an interruption.

#2 Charging Speed

Most of the time, portable solar chargers are being used to charge devices such as smartphones, tablets, camera batteries, etc. when a source of electricity is not available. This is the reason why we decided to test the charging speed of our solar chargers with an iPhone 7 and see how much it can charge from zero of full in direct sun.

To our surprise we found that the charging speed performance of our models was very different. This significant variability is clearly because of the wattage output power, but also due to type and quality of solar cells.

The winner in this category, the Goal Zero Nomad 20, outperformed the competition with an impressive charging speed.

#3 Weight and Portability

The ideal portable solar charger would be light, small and easy to carry around. The most lightweight model in our competition is the Hiluckey 25,000 mAh Outdoor Portable Solar Power Bank, weighing just 11.8 oz. This is the only model to get a 10 out of 10 in this category.

However, keep in mind that small wattage chargers are less powerful, so if weight is not extremely important to you, we highly recommend choosing a charger with a higher wattage than the Hiluckey model.

#4 Durability

Since they are used mainly outdoors, solar chargers are constantly exposed to the elements, so durability is a very important factor. All the models we tested had more or less the same quality of material and stitching and all panels were weatherproof.

Solar technology is advancing very fast and companies have already integrated the most advanced features found in residential solar systems into portable solar panels as well.

Watts, Amps, and Milliamp Hours (mAhs)

These are the three most common terms and features that are worth considering when when looking to buy a solar powered phone charger.

mAh – Milliamp hours is the easiest way to measure the strength or capacity of a power bank. This term is not used for the panels themselves, but just for batteries. The higher the mAh, the more power it can store and therefore the longer the power bank will last.

Amps – Amps on a solar charger will determine how fast the electric current flows in order to charge up your devices. The current drawn is different from device to device but in the case of portable solar chargers, you’ll get between one and three amps. The solar chargers we picked in our review test feature the highest amp power available on the market right now.

Watts – Watts are a measure of how much energy is being released to charge your devices. It’s the result of multiplying voltage by amps and they are the most frequently mentioned unit of power. Since USB ports operate at approximately 5 volts, a single 2 amp USB charger port (for comparison: a laptop usually has 1.5 amps in a single USB port) for example, would have a wattage rating of 10W (5 x 2) and therefore would require a 10W panel to charge at 2 amps. But in reality, a 10W solar charger won’t produce exactly 2 amps USB charge because of imperfect weather conditions (cloud cover) and type of solar cells.

Types of portable solar panels

Solar chargers can either feature monocrystalline, polycrystalline or the super lightweight CIGS panels.

Monocrystalline Panels
Monocrystalline technology is the one that started the photovoltaic revolution and it’s still the most efficient even today when it comes to converting solar energy into electricity. As the name suggests, monocrystalline panels are made from a single crystal of pure silicon. They have an efficiency rating of up to 22 percent and can be easily recognized by their black uniform cells.

Polycrystalline Panels
Unlike monocrystalline panels, the polycrystalline modules are made up of multiple crystals but still deliver a great efficiency of up to 17 percent. Polycrystalline panels have a blue color and they usually cost less than monocrystalline panels.

CIGS Panels
CIGS panels consist of Copper, Indium, Gallium, and Selenide solar cells. They are very different than mono- and polycrystalline panels. These panels are the most flexible and lightweight, but also the less efficient out of the three types in converting sunlight into usable power. It’s a good option for backpackers or trekkers who want to travel ultra-light. These are not as durable as the monocrystalline modules but they still do a pretty good job in case of emergency.

Do you need an external battery, or is a solar charger sufficient?

Portable solar chargers can recharge your devices – but only in direct sun. If you want to recharge your smartphone during night time, or on a rainy day, the solar panels will not be of any help.

On the other hand, a battery pack like the Anker PowerCore Elite 20,000 mAh, can store energy and provide continuous and steady power to recharge the same devices you would charge with solar chargers.

Thanks to modern technology battery packs nowadays are very light and can be recharged by solar panels or wall outlet and they can store a lot of energy, enough to recharge a smartphone up to seven times in one go.

Since battery packs can be charged from solar panels as well, adding one to your solar kit means you can have power for your electronic devices available at any time – even when the sun is not there.

How to get the most from your solar charger

Simplicity makes solar power truly remarkable. The only care and maintenance most solar chargers require is making sure they’re clean and dust free. A moist cloth should get the job done most of the time.

To get the highest charging efficiency, it’s important to position your solar panels correctly. A good rule of thumb is that the angle, relative to flat ground, must be approximately the same as your latitude, with a few small adjustments according to the seasons (shallower in the summer and steeper in the winter time).