Solar chargers for cell phones & tablets: Current recommendations
Many people who talk extensively about VPNs in Austria surfing know the problem of a running out of battery. The VPN draws a lot of power during intensive use. One possibility on the road is a solar charger for cell phones and tablets. Here you will find a selection of the best devices.
So why not use an energy source that is available to everyone for free almost every day in the spring and summer?
That's exactly what a solar charger does: it charges connected USB devices with the power of the sun's rays.
Thus, it is possible that you can conveniently charge the cell phone anywhere you want. All you have to do: Unfold the solar charger and connect it to the smartphone via cable.
The smartphone is already charged - from an environmentally friendly and infinitely available energy source.
In the following guide, we present our Top 5 solar charger recommendations. We also show what to look for when buying / using a solar charger.
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What is the difference between solar charger and solar power bank?
Online there are two different categories of devices.
One category are the Solar chargers. These are unfoldable solar panels that connect to your phone via a USB port. They have a large solar area and thus can generate a lot of electricity.
Solar Power Banks are conventional powerbanks with few solar panels on the surface. They usually produce too little energy and need to be charged at home beforehand.
In this post we mainly present on foldable solar chargers.
The best solar chargers for cell phone in detail
1. SUAOKI 28W Charger
The manufacturer SUAOKI offers 2 models of its solar chargers.
The weaker one has an output power of 25W, the stronger one offers 28W.
Due to the large surface area and high efficiency, the SUAOKI 28W enables an output power of up to 3.1A per port. A special "Sun Pointer" helps to align the solar charger ideally to the sun to get the most out of it.
Up to 3(!) devices can be charged simultaneously. The battery of smartphones is charged quickly in very good to good sunlight, large powerbanks can take a whole day until they are full. Of course, it takes even longer when it is cloudy.
Nevertheless, the SUAOKI 28W is one of the most powerful solar chargers on the market.
2. anchor PowerPort - 2 x 21W charger
The Anker company has been present on the smartphone and gadget market for many years and is also very popular among customers.
Especially powerbanks from Anker are characterized by high performance data.
So is the Anker PowerPort solar charger: it comes with 2 21W ports and is compatible with all modern smartphones and tablets.
With solar efficiency of up to 23.5 percent, the Anker PowerPort can charge 2 devices simultaneously.
The eyelets at the corners of the solar charger ensure that the Anker PowerPort can be fixed anywhere - this is practical, for example, when you go hiking and want to attach the solar charger to your backpack.
The manufacturer also promises increased durability - so we recommend the Anker PowerPort especially to those who like to be out in nature.
3. RAVPower 16W Charger
The RAVPower 16W solar charger offers uncompromising performance - thanks to a high conversion efficiency of 23.5 percent.
The price is comparatively low for a solar charger.
On the side of the charger there are 2 USB ports that can be used simultaneously.
The material of the RAVPower 16W is more resistant to moisture than comparable material of competitor products. Thus, you can also use this solar charger ideally for hiking tours or other outdoor activities.
Also, holes on the sides ensure that you can attach this solar charger somewhere - for example, on your backpack.
What we particularly like about the RAVPower 16W is that the device measures just 24 x 15.5 cm when folded - that's smaller than a conventional A4 magazine.
4. CHOETECH solar charger foldable cell phone solar charger
The CHOETECH solar charger has only 1 USB port for charging smartphones or tablets.
In return, however, the gadget is a real price-performance bargain and looks comparatively chic.
The solar panel is coated with nylon and thus waterproof. A special feature worth mentioning are 2 hooks located on the top of the charger. They allow - as with other solar chargers - an uncomplicated transport.
The output power of CHOETECH solar charger is 2.1A.
5. Hiluckey solar charger with powerbank - Cell phone solar charger
The Hiluckey solar charger is a powerbank hermaphrodite.
Besides the classic solar charging function, it also has an integrated power bank. This means that the device also has an internal battery.
Although this makes the device significantly heavier, the powerbank function offers a decisive advantage: You can leave the device charging in the sun and then charge the smartphone later - when you are no longer in the sun - from the integrated battery.
Per port (there are 2 USB ports), the Hiluckey solar charger with powerbank offers an output power of about 2A.
Solar charger: Our guide
A solar charger uses the power of the sun to charge smartphones, tablets and other USB gadgets.
Special solar cells (or "photovoltaic modules") are installed for this purpose.
They convert the incident sunlight and the resulting thermal energy into electrical energy. This in turn is passed on to the receiver device via a USB cable.
However, solar cells are known to deliver comparatively little power compared to their surface area. Therefore, even for smaller electrical loads, a larger area is needed to produce enough electricity.
So when buying a solar panel, you should look at the area and the maximum power output.
Taking a look at the customer reviews in the online store is also not a bad idea.
This way, you can immediately see whether the manufacturer has cheated when specifying the info - or whether smartphones can really be charged without problems with the product in question.
The ideal combination is between a large solar charger and a powerbank. The devices can also be purchased separately and then used together - if both have a USB port.
Thus, you do not have to wait for the comparatively slow solar charger and can permanently charge the powerbank.
For example, the powerbank can be stowed in the backpack and the solar charger is carried on the back.
