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A good solar charger lets you power your essential communication and outdoor electronics, no matter how far off the grid you go.
Over the last decade, we have tested almost 100 different solar panels of varying sizes. We take these hiking, backpacking, and camping while charging everything from phones to coffee makers in all weather conditions.
If you are mainly charging phones and smaller devices, we love the BigBlue SolarPowa 28, which is fast charging, affordable, and weighs around 21 ounces. Just about anything that fits in your pocket can be easily charged with this panel.
The best solar panel for camping is the Jackery SolarSaga 100. It impressed our testers with its lightweight and efficient energy conversion.
Not all of the models below include power storage, and plugging into a power bank allows you to take advantage of the sun when it's out and use the energy later. Many of these offer moderate storage and are backpack-friendly. For bigger devices that need more power, you might also be interested in a power station.
Editor's Note: Our solar charger review was updated on September 1, 2025, to include recommendations on who each recommended model would work best for, as well as comparisons of newly tested devices.
Who is this best for: The Jackery SolarSaga 100 is our favorite bigger solar charger. Despite its large surface area, it folds flat, and it's relatively lightweight. This makes it a good option for almost all car campers and others who go on multi-day stints living out of an adventure vehicle.
Why we love it: It's very effective in both full and partial sunlight, and it's easy to figure out how to use. It has USB-A, USB-C, and a DC output, and can charge either a power station or you can plug your devices directly into the panel. When it's time to go, packing up is as easy as folding down the legs, and closing the whole thing like a book.
Should you buy it? This is a great choice if you do most of your camping from a vehicle and have substantial(ish) power needs. It doesn't pack down as small as some origami models; it stores best in long and narrow spaces. However, it packs a big punch in terms of power delivery, and while it's not what we would call a budget option, it is more affordable than other models in its performance range. If you want an all-around 100-watt solar panel, this is a great option. Our main tester stated, “This panel really wowed me, and I recommend it to anyone seeking off-grid solar for their adventure setup.”
Who is this best for: The BigBlue SolarPowa 28 is the top dog of portable solar chargers. Although it is not the absolute lightest option we have tested, it folds up small enough to fit inside a backpack. This would be a good option for anyone who is ok with packing a little extra weight for improved charging efficiency.
Why we love it: The SolarPowa 28 has one of the most efficient charging abilities of all the portable models we have used, generating more energy in one hour than most other portable models we have used, and this is true in both full and partial sunlight. It has three charging ports, so it works well if you are hiking with friends or have multiple of your own devices to charge.
Should you buy it? As our tester noted, “I found that the BigBlue is impressively efficient in its charging capabilities and performed the best in all our testing of portable solar panels.” It doesn't have kickstand legs to optimize the panel angle, so you'll have to jigger up your own way to collect the sunshine. But if you need a lot of consistent power in a relatively portable size, the BigBlue is a great option that we highly recommend — and it's pretty affordable to boot.
Who is this best for? The Luvknit 100W Foldable is a good option for those who want to fulfill their charging needs on a budget. It's more affordable than pretty much every other full-size panel we tested, but it doesn't sacrifice performance. In both direct and partial sunlight, it produces more energy than other options in the same amount of time.
Why we love it: It's really the price-to-performance ratio that will appeal to most people, but there are other perks to the Luvknit. The single-fold design stores flat, has a carry handle, and comes with a small pouch to store cables and other accessories. It also has fold-out legs to help you find the optimal charging angle. It comes with a variety of adapters that make it compatible with most power stations from any brand, eliminating the need to purchase additional cables or adapters. This adds to the already great value of this panel.
Should you buy it? If you're in the market for a full-size solar charger to take car camping, this panel is a smoking deal. It costs about half as much as some of our favorite panels, and doesn't sacrifice much performance. However, it doesn't quite have the same juice when you compare side by side. But if you're ok with having almost the best (and saving a few bucks), we think the Luvknit is a great, high-value option for anyone looking for a reliable and affordable solar panel.
Who is this best for: The Blavor 10W is a lightweight, 10-watt model that packs up into a book-sized package, power bank and all. It charges at a reasonable speed and is easy to toss into your backpack to keep your small tech powered up during a weekend on the trail. For such an affordable solar charger, we're pleased to find that it is more than powerful enough to keep a battery bank topped off and light enough for all but the most serious gram-counters.
Why we love it: Its biggest pro is the lighter weight and impressive portability. It's light enough to hang just about anywhere and has loops and carabiners included. You can even clip it to the outside of your bag for charging on the go. When you want to pack up, everything fits into a convenient zippered pouch, which is a big organizational pro.
Should you buy it? It's not as powerful as some 20 or 30-watt panels, so adjust your expectations of how many devices it can power. Though it's not the lightest portable model we tested, we feel the higher performance is worth a few extra ounces. As our lead tester stated, “I'm honestly shocked at how well this panel charges a battery bank considering the size.” It's our favorite budget option to power a simple tech setup for backpacking.
Who is this best for: The FlexSolar 40W is the compromise between the ultralight fastpacker and the loaded car camper. It's a high-output model with six linked panels that fold up to about the size of a large book. It has a DC output compatible with portable power stations, as well as convenient USB-C and USB-A outputs for smaller devices.
Why we love it: The FlexSolar is not the smallest or the most powerful, but it is the perfect compromise if you want the best of both worlds. It has a ton of surface area, and as expected for a higher-wattage model, it has a better charging speed rating than most other panels we tested (although it does best in full sun conditions).
Should you buy it? It doesn't have any magnetic, clasp, or velcro closures. This makes it easy to fold and unfold, but without secure closures, you'll have to be more conscious of how you store it. It's also pretty heavy, especially for a portable model. It weighs just shy of three pounds; however, this is less than half the weight of the 50W model we tested. So if you need a higher-output panel and understand the weight cost, this is the one we recommend.
Who is this best for: With the Allpowers SP012 100W, your transportation options are not limited to a car. This 100-watt model has a total of 15 panels that fold up to about the size of a large textbook, a velcro pouch to store a charging cable, and can fit inside a tote or backpack without a problem. It's not something we'd want to take on our next backpacking trip, but it is much easier to pack along than a single-fold model.
Why we love it: It's more portable than large capacity single-fold models, and it can fit into more oddly shaped nooks and crannies if you are the type to pack your car to the brim before heading out. And when it's unfolded, the flexible, blanket-like design allows it to be hung, draped, or laid out on whatever surface is convenient at the time. As our leader tester put it, “I was initially skeptical of this design, but it's surprised me with its efficiency.”
Should you buy it? The tradeoff for the ultraportable multi-panel design is that it is not as efficient as some other 100-watt models when it comes to energy conversion. However, it's enough to power multiple small devices or charge a power station. If you want portability over all else but still need a 100-watt solar charger, this is a great option.
Who is this best for: If you need to charge a LOT of tech on the road, the EcoFlow 110 is your best bet. This 110-w model is moderately efficient, but its four-panel design is more portable than single-fold models, and it packs up into a zippered carry case for better convenience wherever you need to take it.
Why we love it: We trust this panel to provide us with power no matter what kind of weather we're setting up in. It packs an impressive punch for its size, providing fast and efficient charging in both full sun and overcast conditions. Best of all, it's completely waterproof, so you don't have to worry about an unexpected storm rolling through while you are away from camp.
Should you buy it? The EcoFlow 110 is one of the few models that doesn't come with all the necessary cables, so you'll have to find and purchase the right ones on your own. It also lacks a kickstand to help angle it towards the sun; this saves weight, but is pretty inconvenient. It is also more expensive than comparable models, and the only added benefit is weatherproofing. That said, if you camp in a climate with unpredictable weather habits, this is a valuable feature, and the EcoFlow is a smart choice.
Who is this best for: The Renogy 100W Foldable an impressively sturdy and efficient solar charger. The rigid two-panel design has a hinge in the center that makes it more “portable”, but it's really made to be set up at a longer-term base camp. It offers one of the most efficient and speedy energy conversion rates out of all the panels we tested, and it's ideal for those who live the RV or van life and rely on solar energy as their main source of power for longer stretches.
Why we love it: This panel feels nearly bombproof. It is just about as rigid as solar panels that are made to be installed on the roof of a house, and has an aluminum frame and seriously sturdy angling legs that can be adjusted to a precise angle to catch the most rays. It is efficient in both sunny and overcast conditions, and it's fully waterproof, so you can set it and forget it. No need to worry about unexpected precipitation if you are away from camp for a couple hours.
Should you buy it? This panel weighs 21 pounds. That's a LOT compared to most camping solar panels, and it's one of the heaviest models we've tested. It's not super easy to pack or move around frequently, but it's a great option if you want to invest in creating a homelike setup for your van or RV. Luckily, it's not any more expensive than similar performing models, so the only sacrifice you're making is portability. If you don't need to move it more than rotating to follow the sun, it's ideal.
Who is this best for: The Hiluckey HIS025 2500mAh is a 12W solar panel/battery bank combo that is small enough to fit in your pocket. It works best in clear, sunny conditions, but isn't too shabby on cloudy days either.
Why we love it: We've tested quite a few of these combo solar chargers, and this design works the best by far. The battery pack has two USB-A ports and a fast-charge USB-C port. It's about the same price as a high-quality power bank, except your recharge comes from the sun, not an outlet. And like every good piece of outdoorsy tech, it has a light.
Should you buy it? While it works better than most combo designs, it's still not as efficient at converting sunlight into electricity as the dedicated solar models in our review. However, it's hard to beat the convenience of an all-in-one device. If your planned use is more casual, and you just want a device that charges and recharges via solar, then this is a great option.
The Hiluckey HIS025 25000mAh Power Bank is a pocket-sized and convenient battery bank/solar panel combo.
Credit: Sam Schild
How We Tested
Since 2011, we've tested close to 100 different solar chargers and solar panels of varying sizes and capacities. We've used them for everything from powering our laptops while overlanding to charging electric bikes at camp. We purchased and tested the most popular and most promising models currently available. We tested their charging speeds in direct sunlight and in overcast conditions, evaluated their portability, explored the bounds of their functionality, and pored over every detail. We hooked them up to portable power stations, our smartphones, laptops, and anything else that needed power. We camped, we hiked, we typed, and we loaded them into our vehicles, backpacks, and bike saddlebags.
Each panel was subjected to consistent conditions to ensure we could compare them apples to apples.
Why Trust GearLab
The test team for this review is led by Sam Schild. Sam is an outdoor lover of adventure who has spent countless nights camping far, far away from the power grid. He's an avid thru-hiker who has completed several long-distance trails and has crossed the country multiple times on a bicycle. His first experience using a solar panel while camping was a small battery pack with an integrated solar panel that he used for bike touring. Solar panels have come a long way since that fateful tour. When he's not adventuring far and long, he's often camping somewhere in Colorado or across the American Southwest, based out of his minivan, where his solar camping setup keeps all his technology charged so he can stay connected.
James Lucas has also contributed to this review. James spends hundreds of days outside every year documenting the outdoors and testing gear while traveling around his home in Boulder, Colorado, and where his heart is, in the Sierra. From working out of his van in the dispersed sun of the Rockies to base camping on top of sunny El Capitan in Yosemite, James uses solar panels from large to small to harness the sun and power his adventures, charging his camera gear and his connection to the world. GearLab and James performed rigorous testing on all the models in the thorough portable solar charger review.
We tested these solar panels in a side-by-side charging speed test.
Credit: Sam Schild
How To Choose the Best Solar Charger for You
Choosing the right solar device for your needs and intended use is very important. There's a big difference between a massive unfolding set of solar panels for camping and a small, lightweight, portable solar charger for backpacking, and that difference is size and weight.
If you're going to be carrying a solar panel on your back, you obviously want it to be small and lightweight. But if you're going to load it into your car, weight isn't as much of an issue. However, the smaller the solar panel, the less energy it will produce, which translates to slower charging times.
There are also differences in usability between many solar chargers. Some models are easy to use and easy to set up, while others take a little more experience and maybe some head-scratching to start powering your devices. We'll walk you through all the different types of non-permanent solar panels available to help you decide what's best for you.
What Do You Want To Do With Your Solar Power?
Before choosing a solar charger, you should determine what you want to charge with it and where you want to take it. If you want to power a large power station for boondocking or powering your battery bank at base camp, you'll want a larger, higher-watt solar panel. If you're simply trying to keep your phone charged in the backcountry, you won't need to buy as big a panel because you don't need as much wattage to charge small electronic devices like a smartphone.
We found that larger panels work better than the smaller ones we tested, so you're often better off carrying a bigger one unless you seriously need to shed ounces.
Credit: Sam Schild
Portable Solar Chargers
Great portable solar chargers prioritize size, weight, and packability over all else. These smaller models are designed to charge electronic devices with lower energy needs, like cell phones and smartwatches. But if you're trying to charge something that takes a lot of power, they won't work as well. A portable solar panel generally has fewer solar cells, which translates to less power converted from sunlight to electrical energy or watts. The overall scores for each portable panel we tested are shown in the chart below.
Portable solar chargers balance packability and charging capacity.
Credit: Sam Schild
Solar Panels For Camping
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.
While many of these solar chargers are designed to be packed and unpacked to set up anywhere, they're typically not portable enough to throw in your backpack with a tent and sleeping bag when you're hitting the trail. However, solar panels for camping are portable enough to pack in the trunk of your car, truck, or van. They also usually include some way to carry them from your car to wherever you build your solar charging station. Still, they're definitely heavier than you'd want to carry for long distances.
Larger solar panels can pull more power even in lower light conditions but sacrifice varying levels of portability.
Credit: Sam Schild
Solar Charger and Battery Bank
Some portable solar panels also have an integrated battery bank. 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. You're often better off charging a model with an integrated battery bank at home before your trip than using the panel to top off as you go if needed.
Battery banks with an integrated solar panel are the most portable and also have energy storage capacity.
Credit: Sam Schild
What Else to Look for in a Solar Charger
Once you've figured out the type of solar panel that will fit your needs, looking at specific features of different individual models will help you narrow down the field.
Solar Panel Size
Choosing the right solar charger size depends on how much space you have to store it and set it up. A bigger solar panel will generally have a higher watt output, which means you can convert more energy from the sun. And more energy from the sun means faster charging speeds for your devices. A smaller solar panel will be easier to carry, though. If you will be backpacking with your charger, we recommend getting as small a panel as possible that will still generate enough power for your needs. If you're not going to carry your solar charger long distances, a larger size will generate more power to keep more and larger electronics running while you're out.
When car camping, a larger solar charger is a good thing, but for backpacking you'll probably want a smaller solar panel.
Credit: Sam Schild
Solar Charger Watts
The number of watts that a solar panel can create correlates with its size. Generally speaking, more solar cells mean more watt output. Watt output is much like solar panel size, as you can see.
When calculating how much power you'll need out there, keep in mind that even the best models are only putting out around 30-50% of their advertised capacity.
General Wattage Guidelines
Most solar chargers fall into these general watt ranges:
1 watt to 10 watts: Most battery packs with an integrated solar panel. These are ideal for throwing in your backpack to charge your electronics while hiking and backpacking.
10 watts to 20 watts: Most of the smallest solar panels without an integrated battery. These are best for charging small devices or a separate battery pack while hiking, backpacking, or traveling.
20 watts to 30 watts: Many of the portable solar chargers we tested here fall into this wattage range. 20 to 30-watt chargers are great for faster charge speeds while still being relatively portable.
30 watts to 50 watts: You'll see even faster charging speeds in this range. These are ideal for charging multiple devices or larger electronics like laptops or tablets. However, some are a bit too bulky and heavy for most backpackers' preferences.
50 watts to 100 watts: Some of the largest-sized panels that don't need to be permanently installed somewhere fit in this range. These larger-capacity panels are ideal for charging a large power station when camping or boondocking.
100 watts or more: These are the largest solar chargers that you can still pack away to move. They're the best energy-intensive devices and have fast charging speeds to keep your large battery banks or power stations full.
A 110-watt panel is best for charging a large power station when off-grid camping.
Credit: Sam Schild
Direct Solar Charging Speed
Direct solar charging speed measures how quickly a solar panel will charge electronic devices. The primary purpose of a solar panel is to transform sunlight into usable energy efficiently. Therefore, we placed a lot of emphasis on direct solar charging speed in our testing. If a solar charger doesn't perform optimally under direct sunlight, it might not even be worth using.
The Luvknit 100W Foldable performs great under direct sunlight, producing one of the highest wattage outputs in our tested group.
Credit: Sam Schild
Indirect Solar Charging Speed
You don't always have ideal blue skies and sunny days when using a solar panel, so we also tested how well a solar panel performs in cloudy conditions. Most solar panels don't work as well in partial or indirect sunlight, but they still generate some power. Some panels are more efficient than others in indirect sun, so this is also worth considering when looking at solar chargers.
We tested indirect solar charging speed using a thin white sheet suspended above every panel. While this isn't exactly the same as using them in cloudy conditions, we used this test to ensure we could reproduce the exact same conditions every time we test these solar chargers. During a cloudy hour in Colorado, we found that our test sheet actually prevented more solar energy from reaching the panels than during overcast conditions.
We tested indirect solar charging speed using a thin white sheet suspended above the solar chargers.
Credit: Sam Schild
Portability
None of the solar panels we tested here are designed to be permanently mounted to a roof, so they're all at least somewhat portable. But some chargers are certainly lighter and smaller than others. Small and light solar panels are more portable than big panels, but those bigger panels will generate more power than something more portable.
We considered the packed size and weight of every charger when testing portability. We also looked at other features, like carrying handles and protective cases, when testing portability. You'll likely be transporting your solar charger often, so portability is key.
Most of the solar chargers we tested are portable, but some are more portable than others.
Credit: Sam Schild
Functionality
Functionality measures how easy it is to use the charger. When testing functionality, we asked ourselves, “How user-friendly is this panel?”
Functionality is a broad metric, but an important one. We tested things like ease of setup, cable integration and storage, fold-out supports to angle the panel at the sun in the mornings or evenings, and anything else that makes a solar charger function well during real-world testing.
Features like a fold-out kickstand can help you find the right angle and maximize charging efficiency.
Credit: Sam Schild
Multiple Device Charging
Many solar-powered devices can reliably charge more than one device at the same time. This is important if you'll be sharing power among a group of people or have lots of tech to keep powered. Some solar chargers only have one power output, so they can't charge multiple devices at once.
Many solar chargers have the capability to charge multiple devices at once, but not all do.
Credit: Sam Schild
Many chargers will charge multiple devices at once, but they'll charge those devices slower than they'd charge a single item. If you need a lot of reliable power, multiple-device charging is something to consider. Remember, though, if you're using a solar charger to charge a portable power station, that device likely has multiple device charging capabilities as well.
Stopping to recharge our batteries on a bike ride.
Credit: Sam Schild
Conclusion
This guide should help make your solar charger-buying decision easier. This list of solar panels and chargers is the best of the best, fully tested by the GearLab team, so you can't go wrong with any of these. Choose the one that fits your needs the best so you can return to adventuring. Rest assured that we'll keep buying, using, and reviewing the best solar chargers in the industry to keep this list current.
If you like getting outside and staying out there as much as we do, you might like our backpack review to find one suitable for carrying on your travels and adventures. If overlanding is more your thing, you may also love a rooftop tent or a canopy tent to create your perfect basecamp.
We make sure to test every panel side by side to ensure they're experiencing identical conditions.
