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5W Solar USB Charger Bundle
Product Description
This is a solar charger which can charge most portable electronics, including battery packs from PortaPow and other manufacturers. It features a powerful 5 Watt solar panel, more than double our Standard Solar Charger and around 5x more than rival products. This is enough to charge most devices as fast as a wall charger in bright sunlight, and even provide a useful charge in slightly cloudy conditions. The pack has a standard USB socket to output power, and is also compatible with our cables and interchangeable tips.
Although the panel can charge some devices directly, the pack is supplied with our PortaPow USB battery pack so you can store energy until its needed, and charge your gadgets at high speed when you need to. The pack has a capacity of 3400mAh, in real world use this is enough to store several days worth of charge from the solar panel. You can also charge the battery pack from the panel and your devices from the battery pack simultaneously.
Which devices does it charge?
Since the battery pack features a USB socket, it can charge the thousands of devices which charge over USB. the panel also has a cable which is compatible with our interchangeable tips to extend the range of devices even further, allowing you to power many phones, PDAs, digital cameras, GPS navigators and mp3/video players. For more information and a listing of compatible devices, please click here.
Note: Apple products, smartphones, tablets and other high-power devices will not charge directly from the panel and must instead be charged through a battery pack.
How powerful is the solar panel?
The charger uses a large 5 Watt (5V x 1000mA) monocrystalline panel. This is the most energy dense form of panel, and gives more power for the same area compared to poly/multi crystalline panels.This means it can charge your devices 5-10x faster than rival portable solar chargers. Note, solar panels will only achieve the stated power in ideal circumstances, and will only output a fraction of the power if it is cloudy, the panel is inside a window, or if the panel is not directly facing the Sun. This panel is powerful enough that even in these conditions it will still very slowly charge your devices.
The power of a panel is measured in Watts, if you're comparing a rival product that does not state the wattage, this is calculated by Voltage x Current, eg 5V x 1000mA = 5000 milliWatts, which is 5 Watts. Remember to look at the power of the panel, not the battery pack supplied with the panel which is usually more powerful.
| Portable Solar Chargers Compared | ||
| Product | Solar Panel Power | Battery Capacity |
| Powerbee Solar Phone Charger | 0.5W (5V x 100mA) | 2000mAh |
| Powermonkey Explorer | 1W (5V x 200mA) | 2200mAh |
| Freeloader Pro | 1.1W (5.5V x 200mA) | 1600mAh |
| PortaPow Solar Charger | 3W (5V x 600mA) | 3400mAh |
| Powermonkey Extreme | 3W (5V x 600mA) | 9000mAh |
| PortaPow Premium Solar Charger | 5W (5V x 1000mA) | 3400mAh |
| Solar Gorilla | 10W (20V x 500mA) | Not included |
How do I get the best from my solar panel?
Solar panels work best in direct sunlight, as a general guide the hotter the sun feels on your skin the better the panel will work. You should also angle the panel towards the Sun, not facing straight up at the sky.
Solar Panel Specifications
- Size: 190x190x30mm (folded)
- Weight: 280g
- Panel: 5W (5V 1000mA) Monocrystalline
Product Reviews
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Worth the outlay for piece of mind
Posted by Matt, Adelaide, Australia on 3rd May 2012
I bought the 5W panel and standard 3400mAh battery because I had tried cheaper options -- bought on eBay, shipped from HK or China -- and had had enough. Yes, there are bargains out there but it's hit-and-miss. I was just wasting money on stuff that let me down when I needed it, didn't last and needed replacing. There are just so many claims being made when it comes to solar panels by manufacturers and retailers, probably safe in the knowledge that the average person doesn't have a clue what a Watt or mAh is (myself included) and has no way of testing or verifying the information provided. We just want something that will work and last under trying outdoor conditions.
No more. I considered the 2W panel (now sold as a 3W) from Portapow which would probably do the job well enough. After my eBay experiences and thinking that solar is a giant con, I went for the 5W panel which is advertised here as being able to work in cloudy and non-optimal conditions. I'm glad I did.
The battery pack is well-regarded enough online from the company but there's not a lot of information about their solar panels.
I do bicycle touring and wild camping. I also use a smartphone for maps, MP3, camera, internet, phone, etc. It's the nature of my travels that I don't know when I'll be in a hotel. It could be tonight, it could be in three or four days' time.
The solar panel is simply excellent. It's late-autumn here in Australia. My phone was hovering just above flat at 10am. Between 10am and 2pm we had a fine, clear few hours, at 14 degrees celcius temperature. Through connecting my Samsung phone direct to the 5W panel, it fully charged within that time.
The mounting eyelets are excellent, the canvas backing has a quality feel to it. There's attention-to-detail here which I like. I did a lot of research before buying and felt I was taking a chance outlaying the cash but I have no regrets. I'd feel comfortable taking this solar charger on a one month + ride, safe in the knowledge I always have power when I need it.
Do yourself a favour and spend the extra pound or two on the little felt bag they sell. It is attractive and fuctional. It will keep a retractable cable, spare battery, a phone attachments and other small items safe and dry.
