Best Solar Power Banks & Portable Chargers UK 2026
Solar power banks promise free power from daylight. However, the result depends on one thing the marketing rarely mentions, which is panel area. A small built-in panel cannot gather much energy.
That does not make them useless. However, you need the right type for the job, and our post on solar power bank versus folding solar panel sets out the trade-offs. Below we separate emergency-only power banks from folding panels that can charge a phone at a useful speed. This guide sits in our portable solar chargers hub, and we have not tested these products (see how we choose).
Since a laptop or a fridge needs far more energy, read our power station guide and the solar generators and power stations hub. To check what a home really uses, see the home energy monitor guide and home energy monitors. For garden lights that need no charger, see the solar garden lights guide in solar garden lighting, including our solar string lights guide.
The verdict
For everyday carry, buy a good ordinary power bank and treat any built-in panel as an emergency extra. For real off-grid charging, carry a folding panel of 28W or more and charge a power bank from it. Choose by panel watts, not by the battery size printed on the box, because panel area sets the energy you gather.
Our picks by role
Ordinary 20,000mAh power bank (for example EcoFlow RAPID 20K)
EcoFlow lists its RAPID 20K at 20,000mAh with 45W USB-C output. The listing claims about 3.87 charges for an iPhone 17, although that is a manufacturer figure.
- 45W USB-C output listed
- Built-in cable and display listed
- Under the 100Wh airline limit (about 74Wh)
- No solar panel, so charge it from the mains or a folding panel
- Manufacturer charge counts are best cases
Folding solar panel, 28 to 45W (EcoFlow 28W or 45W, Jackery SolarSaga 40W Mini)
These panels charge devices directly over USB, while a power bank stores the energy. EcoFlow lists the 28W at 600g with an IP68 rating, and Jackery lists the SolarSaga 40W Mini as IP68 too.
- Direct USB charging, with USB-C on the EcoFlow 45W
- Listed IP68 ratings
- EcoFlow lists the 28W at only 600g
- No battery, so use a power bank to store the energy
- Output falls in cloud and shade
Solar power bank with a built-in panel
Because a built-in panel is small, it adds only a trickle. Treat it as a way to claw back a little charge, not as a daily charging plan.
- One device to carry
- Useful when no other power is available
- Panel area is tiny next to a folding panel
- Charge it from the mains before you leave
100W folding panel (for a power station)
Since PVGIS gives about 4.1Wh per rated watt in June, a 100W panel could gather about 410Wh on an average June day in London. Jackery lists the SolarSaga 100W at IP68 with two kickstands.
- Meaningful daily energy for a power station
- Kickstands listed
- Compatible with named Jackery stations
- Overkill for phones alone
- Bulky to carry
Why panel area decides everything
Energy is power multiplied by time. For example, PVGIS data for London gives about 4.1Wh per rated watt of panel on an average June day, and about 1.17Wh in December. So a 28W panel could gather about 115Wh in June, or about 33Wh in December, at best.
Power banks print their capacity in milliamp-hours, so convert it first. Multiply mAh by the 3.7V nominal cell voltage and divide by 1,000 to get watt-hours. A 10,000mAh bank is therefore about 37Wh, and a 20,000mAh bank is about 74Wh.
Even in ideal June sun, then, a 28W panel could refill most of a 20,000mAh bank in a day. In contrast, a built-in panel rated at, say, 3W would gather only about 12Wh at best. That is why such panels only trickle.
Solar power bank or folding panel?
- Commuting and everyday carry: a large ordinary power bank. Solar is optional insurance.
- A weekend festival or camp: a 10,000 to 20,000mAh bank, fully charged before you leave.
- A multi-day hike or true off-grid use: a 28 to 45W folding panel, charging into a power bank as you walk.
- Charging a power station: a 100W or larger folding panel, as covered in our power station guide.
Taking a power bank on a plane
The Civil Aviation Authority allows power banks up to 100Wh in cabin baggage without airline approval. However, banks above 100Wh and up to 160Wh need the airline's approval, and you may carry no more than two. You may not recharge power banks on board.
This is where capacity claims matter, because a 50,000mAh bank at 3.7V is about 185Wh, which is above the 160Wh upper limit. A 20,000mAh bank is about 74Wh, so it falls under 100Wh.
What to look for on the spec sheet
Look for a watt-hour figure on the label, USB-C Power Delivery for laptops, and an honest panel wattage. Be wary of very large mAh numbers on unbranded banks, because a printed Wh rating is easy to check against the airline limits. A missing rating is a warning sign.
Who it's for
- Hikers and backpackers who need real off-grid charging
- Festival-goers wanting a weekend top-up
- Anyone building an emergency kit for power cuts
- Not the answer for charging laptops all day, which is a power-station job
How we chose these picks
We compared manufacturers' published specifications with independent sources. We have not physically tested these products. Every figure here is therefore a published claim or a sum we show. Read the full method on how we choose.
Sources
- What items can I travel with and which are restricted (power bank limits: 100Wh, 160Wh, two per person) — UK Civil Aviation Authority
- EcoFlow RAPID Power Bank (20K, 45W, built-in cable) product page — EcoFlow UK
- EcoFlow 28W Portable Solar Panel product page: 600g, IP68 — EcoFlow UK
- EcoFlow 45W Portable Solar Panel (Type-C) product page — EcoFlow UK
- Jackery SolarSaga 40W Mini solar panel product page: IP68 — Jackery UK
- Jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel product page: IP68, kickstands, compatibility — Jackery UK
- PVGIS photovoltaic estimates (EU Joint Research Centre), PVGIS-SARAH3, 2005 to 2023, fixed panel, 35 degree tilt, south-facing, 14% system losses — European Commission Joint Research Centre
Disclosure: We don't use affiliate or sponsored links and we don't run ads, so we earn nothing from the products we mention. Our picks are chosen on published specifications, not payments.