Comparing Portable Solar Chargers
Showing 12 products | Change
Awards | |||||
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Price | $70 List $58.37 at Amazon | $249.95 at REI | $65 List $56.99 at Amazon | $105 List $89.99 at Amazon | $80 List $79.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Small, efficient, does well on cloudy days, inexpensive | Durable, works well in most conditions, large capacity, 12V connection, can daisy chain together, has a built-in stand | Good charging speed, lots of places to clip carabiners, great value, lightweight | Folds and unfolds quickly, portable size, fast DC charging, multiple USB charging ports | Durable, well-designed, fast charging times, rugged design |
Cons | No kickstand legs | Expensive, heavy, not very portable | Hard to reach pouch makes the panel lay crooked | Relatively heavy, nothing to protect the charge controller and outputs | Expensive, bulky, ridged design is harder to pack, weak magnetic closure |
Bottom Line | This speedy solar charger powers up to three devices at once and offers reliability at a reasonable price | This massive panel has a large capacity and excellent efficiency, though it's far more expensive and much bulkier to cart around | This low-priced, incredibly efficient solar panel converts the sun into electricity effectively | This panel quickly unfolds to six panels for fast and efficient charging and packs away just as easily | A powerful, well-designed, durable panel, with average solar charging speeds |
Rating Categories | BigBlue SolarPowa 28 | Goal Zero Nomad 50 | X-Dragon 20W | FlexSolar 40W | SunJack 25W |
Direct Solar Charging Speed (35%) | |||||
Indirect Solar Charging Speed (35%) | |||||
Portability (15%) | |||||
Functionality (15%) | |||||
Specs | BigBlue SolarPowa 28 | Goal Zero Nomad 50 | X-Dragon 20W | FlexSolar 40W | SunJack 25W |
Power Output (Watts) | 28 W | 50 W | 20W | 40 W | 25 W |
Energy Generated in 1 Hour Direct Sun | 1849 mAh | 1389 mAh | 1043 mAh | 902 mAh | 624 mAh |
Energy Generated in 1 Hour Indirect Sun | 919 mAh | 616 mAh | 535 mAh | 195 mAh | 105 mAh |
# of USB A Outlets | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
# of USB C Outlets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Max USB Output Current (Amps per Port) | 2.4 amp | 2.4 amp | 3 amp | 2 amp | 2 amp |
Weight (Measured) | 20.9 oz | 110.4 oz | 21.7 oz | 47.25 oz | 29.4 oz |
Size Folded | 11 x 6 x 1.5 in | 17 x 11.25 x 2.5 in | 12.1 x 7.2 x 0.51 in | 11 x 7.5 x 1 in | 12.6 x 7.8 x 0.8 in |
Size Opened | 31 x 11.5 x 0.2 in | 17 x 53 x 1.5 in | 23.3 x 12.1 x 0.12 in | 49 x 11 x 0.1 in | 24.6 x 7.8 x 0.8 in |
Battery Included | No | No | No | No | No |
Battery Capacity (mAh) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Tablet Charging | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Laptop Charging | Yes | Yes; with power bank | No | Yes | No |
Charge iPhone/Smartphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Panel Exterior Material | Polyester Oxford fabric | Hard plastic | PTFE | Plastic | PET polymer fabric |
Panel Type | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline |
Battery Input (Volts / Amps) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
USB Output | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Able to Daisy Chain | No | Yes | No | No | No |
12-Volt Connection | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
DC Output | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
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