Most solar power chargers are built to be lightweight. All of those on this list happen to be around one pound or lighter. Easy portability is important in instances where you will be carrying it around for longer amounts of time. Devices usually take a few hours, so you can’t really be sitting by your phone waiting for it to charge. Durability

The great price of this charger is one factor that really sets it apart from the competition in terms of value. Another great thing about X-DRAGON’s solar charger is that it features its SolarIQ technology. Depending on whether it has direct sunlight or not, it’ll adjust the current and voltage to achieve the maximum power output. In all cases we were very glad to have the BigBlue along. When the time between towns stretched to 5 or even 7 days, it alleviated worry about our essential navigation and communication devices running dry. It saved us money during resupply stops because we didn’t need a hotel to recharge overnight. And it improved quality of life on the trail by allowing stress-free reading of Kindle books in the tent, which can be pretty darn important when you’re out for a month or two. In fact, with the combination of its quality construction and the very fair price, we feel it’s one of the best solar chargers out there.Since solar panels have become more efficient than older solar panels, two similarly-sized solar panels from different times would produce different amounts of energy. The one with the higher efficiency percentage would produce a higher amount of energy. Weight and Size With this more nuanced (and accurate) information taken into account, I went about testing the unit under various lighting conditions to see if it would perform as detailed in the product description. In my testing across various sky conditions, the unit performed right on par, maxing out at just under 17W in direct sunlight on a perfectly sunny day (when using the two 2.4A ports). Even in less-than-ideal lighting situations, such as a cloudy day with snow on the ground, I was able to achieve 10W output (when using both 2.4A ports). It’s my personal go-to choice – I’m a keen photographer so I keep this stashed in my trunk to re-charge my camera batteries on the go. When you consider the larger picture – i.e. efficiency and performance, the slightly heavier weight hardly matters. It’s a trade-off we totally accept for this solar charger. Having a lightweight solar charger is ideal in this case. It may have to sacrifice its lighter weight for solar panels to achieve a lighter device. Usually, it will limit the product, like reducing the charging speed or having a lower power output. Take a look at our best portable solar chargers to find one that has the right level of compromise.

The BigBlue solar charger comes loaded with a range of advanced technical features. This enables it to deliver superior efficiency and fast charging speed. Read our related article on the best solar charge controllers to see how they stood up to our tests. How to Choose the Best Solar Charger Do note that max current is not only determined by how much power the panel outputs, but is also dependent on the battery status of the device being charged and also the charging protocol supported by both devices. You would only see max charge current during the constant current phase, once the device is partially charged and switched over to constant voltage the current is restricted and progressively tapers as charge status approaches 100%.With easy to setup and even faster folding, this panel will have your devices charging at 40 watts in no time The charging speed of the BigBlue solar charger is excellent under the full sun but when it gets cloudy, the charging speed does drop a tad.

Above treeline on a sunny day, we could charge a 10,000mAh power bank completely within a few hours. Granted, the Colorado Trail does spend a lot of time above treeline, but afternoons were often cloudy. The maximum nominal / rated output of the SolarPowa 14 solar charger is rated based on the Standard Test Conditions (STC) – the industry-wide standard for the conditions under which a solar panel is tested. The test conditions are defined as irradiation 1000 W/m², temperature 25°C, and air mass 1.5.We can confidently say that it’s one of the most versatile, reliable and fastest chargers you’ll find. Moreover, the ports have intelligent circuit recognition to optimize the charging process along with an auto-restart feature. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items.

Most solar chargers will get their chance to shine (no pun intended) in the outdoors. It’s necessary to have them be as durable as possible because they perform such an important function. If you’ve sensed a recurring trend so far, Apple products tend to have a little bit of difficulty connecting some of the solar power chargers. X-DRAGON seems to not have that problem. In every TopNotch review, we provide you with in-depth information about a range of products to help you choose the crème de la crème from the many options . Solar chargers can be useful in any instance. Whether you’re camping outdoors, going on a long hike, or simply keeping it on hand in case of emergencies, there’s always some comfort in having a reliable and portable power source.Having said that, the high-quality of the inductors and the efficient voltage regulators mean it delivers optimum performance.