Portable Solar Chargers & Power Banks
Solar power banks and folding panels for phones and small devices. Because panel area decides how well they work, we show the sums.
Solar power banks and folding chargers promise free power from daylight. However, panel area decides how much energy you actually gather. A pocket-sized panel gathers very little, while a folding panel gathers far more.
Our solar power bank guide explains the arithmetic and the airline limits. Our post on solar power bank versus folding solar panel compares the two. If you need to run a laptop or a fridge, step up to a power station. The power station guide and the solar generators and power stations hub cover that case.
At home, a home energy monitor shows where your electricity goes. Outdoors, solar garden lighting avoids the need for a charger at all, and solar fence lights are an easy way to start.
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How to choose a solar charger
Choose by panel watts, not by the battery size on the box. For example, PVGIS data for London gives about 4.1Wh per rated watt of panel on an average June day. So a 28W folding panel could gather about 115Wh at best, while a panel of a few watts gathers far less. Our method page lists the data we use.
Also check the watt-hour rating if you travel by air. The Civil Aviation Authority allows power banks up to 100Wh without airline approval. Larger banks up to 160Wh need the airline's approval first.