Solar Phone Charger: The Best Picks and How to Choose

Suppose you're in the middle of a scenic hike, and your phone runs out of battery. Now, you can't rely on GPS or access your trail map. That's a challenging moment for you, and finding wall outlets or other means to power smartphones can be even more difficult. That's where a solar phone charger comes in handy.

You don't have to worry about enjoying outdoor adventures or handling emergency situations without a smartphone because Jackery solar generators make powering devices easy. The solar generator is a source of renewable energy that makes powering devices easy.

Cell phones consume around 2-6 watts of power. The portable and cost-effective nature of solar power chargers allows you to charge mobile phones, laptops, etc., to make your trip memorable. A small solar power generator of 160 watts would be sufficient to power up small devices like cell phones, whereas you might need a large generator to charge devices like coffee makers, etc., during your trips.

This article will reveal everything from different types of portable solar chargers available on the market and what size you should purchase to ensure you always keep your phone charged.

What Is A Solar Phone Charger

Admit it or not, smartphones are the lifelines, especially when you are away from your house. Whether you're enjoying a breathing camping view or facing a long-term power outage home, having your gear charged and working is essential.

A solar phone charger does the same for you when no electricity is available. It is one of the best methods to use clean and renewable energy and power your devices. However, checking the capacity of solar panels and the device power requirement is essential before finalizing any solar battery charger for a phone. 

Solar Charger For Phone

Solar charger for phones uses solar panels to convert sun rays into electricity and store it in the battery. They are portable charging methods that allow you to charge smartphones anywhere and anytime. Whether planning camping, hiking, or other outdoor activities, you can take your solar charger to power devices.

The solar phone charger is an economical, environment-friendly, portable, and sustainable energy source available to charge small devices. It works by absorbing sunlight with the help of a solar panel or photovoltaic cells. Solar energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery, so you can power mobile phones at night or during cloudy days.

Types Of Solar Phone Chargers

Many types of solar-powered phone chargers with different capacities allow you to keep your gear charged during an emergency, camping trip, hiking, etc. Some of the most popular and common types of solar phone charges include:

Portable solar charger generator – allows you to charge your cell phones anytime. The solar generator's lightweight nature and wireless charging option make it suitable for beach trips. Jackery offers multiple solar power generators that are portable and waterproof. In addition, numerous USB ports available will help you to charge devices at once.

Solar panels – enable you to charge cell phones directly with the sun. Instead of transferring electricity to the battery, the solar panels charge the smartphones with direct sunlight. Jackery 100-watt solar panel are an alternative choice to power bank for charging phones or other small appliances. The robust nature of solar panels is a renewable and clean energy source for everyone.

Heavy-duty solar panels – these large solar panels can charge everything from phones to laptops to mini-fridges. As these panels come with a charge controller, they transfer their charge to the power bank to charge all the devices.

Below are the best portable solar charger for phones available on the market.

Battery Capacity Of iPhone, Samsung, And More

Solar chargers are built for outdoor usage, and they are powered with the help of sunlight. While choosing the best solar charger for your needs, analyzing the solar panel size, charging speed, battery size, and the number of ports is essential. Watt and watt-hour should be considered to narrow your research and purchase the best solar panels.

What Are Watt And Watt Hours?

A watt is a power unit that measures the energy transfer rate. In electrical terms, the watt is the rate of electrical work done by a device during appliance powering.

The simple formula of watt is equivalent to volt-ampere. Here is how to calculate it:

Watt = Volt * Ampere

Power is the energy rate at which energy is consumed or generated; hence, it is measured in watts. Meanwhile, watt-hour is the rate at which one-watt power is consumed in one hour. Here is the formula to calculate the watt-hours of any device.

Watt-Hours = Total Number Of Watts * Total Number Of Hours

Battery Capacity of Phones

Generally, a solar phone charger that can supply 10 watts is sufficient to charge a smartphone for one day. Many solar power panels have robust battery protection systems, so you can power all your devices safely.

For instance, if you know the battery capacity (mAh) and volt (V), you can easily calculate the watt-hour.

Formula is (mAh) * (V) /1000 = Wh.

Suppose the battery capacity of the solar power charger is 300 mAh, and the volt is 5V. Here is how to measure watt-hours.

Watt-hour = 300 mAh * 5V / 1000 = 1.5 Wh.

Here is the breakdown of the estimated solar power needed daily to charge different types of smartphones.

Most solar generators can charge your phone several times. That said, you don't have to worry about recharging and charging your solar power.

Portable Solar Charger For Phone

If you are looking to choose the best solar panel charger for a cell phone, you can never go wrong with Jackery solar generator. It combines a portable power station and SolarSaga panels that capture the sun's rays and convert them into electricity.

Compared to traditional generators, solar panel generators are portable. Not only does it allow you to charge cell phones, but it can also power other small electrical appliances depending on the power they consume.

Jackery solar generators are available in different sizes. This solar generator is suitable for campers, emergency backups, and RVs. The best part about all the solar chargers for a phone is their foldable design and less weight. It makes it easy to carry wherever you go.

Customer Reviews

"I bought this for dry camping in my RV. I wanted an easy way to recharge my multiple Ipads, iPhones, and computers. I just returned from an 18-day trip, and the Jackery 500 with the 100-watt solar panel performed flawlessly. Recharging it was the easiest system I have ever worked with. In sunny AZ, the system went from 83% to 100% in 2 hours. If it was cloudy, I plugged into my 12-volt plug while driving and generally went from the low 80s to 100% within a 3-hour drive. I have not used the 120-volt charger yet as it was not needed. In total, I recharged 2 Ipads, 2 phones, 1 computer, and 1 jet pack overnight. The battery would be in the low 80% by morning, sometimes 75% by evening back to 100%. I highly recommend this system. Addendum photos first photo 11:48 am, 2nd 12:42 pm, 3rd 1:48 pm, 4th 3:02 pm, 5th 3:55 precharge in Tucson, AZ. May 23, 2021 Went from 100% to 81% after charging 2 Iphones, 2 Ipads, and 1 jetpack. 1 Ipad in use for a couple of hours while being charged. --Susan"

"Jackery 500 gave me a lot of power for 7 days of camping. It powered my Alpicool ref, USB lights, cell phone, etc. The lowest power I had overnight was 87% until I could charge my solar panel the next day. I highly recommend this. I will use my CPAP on my next trip and trust it will give me power all night. I used Goal Zero before. I was not impressed, and Jackery's price is more reasonable. Buying expensive things like goal zero does not prove great performance but is overrated as a waste of money. Go for Jackery!!!! It is also lightweight.--Maria"

As you can see, Jackery products are loved by the customers. They are durable, cost-efficient, and powerful solar generators that ensure you never run out of power. Here are the top Jackery power stations you can purchase to charge your cell phone.

Even if the portable power station is out of capacity, you don't have to worry about charging your appliances. The pass-through charging capability lets you recharge the device and solar generator at the same time. In addition, the input and output ports on the portable solar generator protect your device from overcharging.

What Size Solar Charger For a Phone Do I Need?

Solar cell phone chargers come in different sizes, shapes, and types. The simple rule to purchasing a solar panel is understanding its compatibility with your device.

Calculate the size of the solar charger for a phone with this formula:

Working time = Watt-hour of the solar power station * 0.85 / operating wattage of your device.

For instance, if we assume that the cell phone consumes 10 watts and the watt-hour of the solar power station is 167Wh, the working time will be 167 Wh * 0.85 / 10 = 14.2 hours.

Purchasing a solar power station with a 167 Wh battery capacity can charge a phone at 13 Wh capacity 11 times. You can calculate the number of charges a solar panel supports with a simple formula:

The number of charges supported = 0.85 * Power station capacity/phone capacity.

Depending on the requirements and phone capacity, you can determine the size of solar panels you'll need.

FAQs About Solar Phone Chargers

Solar phone chargers come in many variants with different designs, functions, sizes, etc. Checking on the tech specs and understanding the power requirements are the two most important aspects you'll need to consider before choosing the best solar power generator. Here are a few common questions that people often ask before buying a solar power generator.

1. What is the best solar phone charger?

Jackery is the best solar phone charger amongst all the other power generators available on the market. The combination of the portable power station and SolarSaga solar panels charges all your small appliances, including cell phones, multiple times after full charge. Some unique features that make Jackery military-grade solar phone charger the best choice include:

• Lightweight and compact in nature that makes it easy to carry around wherever you go.
• As it receives power through the sun and no other forms of fuel are required, it is clean, quiet, and renewable.
• Multifunctional outputs like USB-A, USB-C, Car Port, etc., ensure that you can charge multiple devices simultaneously and save time for charging.
• High conversion efficiency solar generator ensures that you use maximum sun's energy and store it to power devices.

The input and output USB ports available on the solar phone charger make it easy to use. You can power your cell phone by plugging the USB cable from the charger into the smartphone. Jackery solar generators have a device protection system, so you don't have to stress about overcharging the appliance. Another feature of the solar phone charger is another USB input port that allows you to recharge the solar generator even if you are powering the devices.

3. Where to buy a solar phone charger? 

You can purchase the best solar phone charger from the solar power generator collection of Jackery. They have a wide range of solar generators that last decades and power all your devices without hassle. 

4. How does a solar phone charger work?

As the name suggests, the solar-powered phone charger absorbs and transfers sunlight. Here's how it works in simple steps: photons carry the sun's energy to create an electric field. This sunlight powers the photovoltaic cells or solar panels, transferring the power to cell phones. Most solar panels come with a battery to store the power. This means you can charge your phone even when there is dark or no solar energy available.

Conclusion

So, if you have ever put off your camping and hiking idea thinking about how you'll charge your cell phone, consider purchasing a solar phone charger. You can use the solar phone charger to power all the small appliances that consume less power, including smartphones, and stay connected.

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