For example, if you travel often for outdoor adventures, using a solar charger eliminates the need for multiple disposable batteries and reduces reliance on electric outlets, which can be scarce.
What is a solar charger used for?
A solar charger is often best used to charge up portable power devices (power banks) rather than the electronic gadget directly. Why? Solar panels often do not have circuitry to regulate the flow of electricity into your electronic device.
Are portable solar chargers a good idea?
Portable solar chargers don't have this problem, and as long as the proper conditions are met, they can provide a practically unlimited supply of electricity for your mobile devices, flashlights and battery packs or portable chargers. Compact and lightweight, they're perfect for camping, travel and emergency use.
One of the benefits of solar chargers is that they use a renewable energy source. Portable solar chargers come in different configurations that refer to where the collected power goes once it's converted from sun beams to electricity. Some solar panels fold for easy storage and travel and have built-in stands; others can be mounted.
Portable solar chargers balance packability and charging capacity. Solar panels for camping are generally larger than portable models. They also have a higher capacity to convert sunlight into energy. The chart below shows the overall score for each model we tested.
Can a solar panel charge a battery?
These chargers are usually designed to be used more like a portable battery pack and less like a solar panel because the solar panel often isn't big enough to reliably generate a lot of power from the sun. The panel will work in a pinch, but it can be slow to charge the integrated battery.
Off-the-grid trips of a week or more are likely to need a solar charger or other generator. Tip: Fully charge your devices and power pack right before your trip. Even if you did so a couple of weeks earlier, it doesn't mean they are still holding a full charge.