To get a good portable solar charger, it is essential that you take into account all the alternatives that exist on the market. The first thing you should know is that a portable solar charger will work with solar panels. And although the charger itself is important, the solar panels are a key factor since they will be in charge of collecting the energy with more or less power. For this reason, before buying a charger, it is important to know what plate powers we can find and what to expect from them.
And it is not the same to want to power a small appliance like a laptop, than a big one like a fridge. In each case, a type of charger with solar panels of different powers is necessary. For this reason, in this article we want you, before making an investment, to know all the available options so that you can make the best decision.
When we talk about a portable solar charger, we are referring to a device with the capacity to transform photovoltaic energy into electrical energy. From small power banks that you can carry in your bag or backpack, to small power stations that you can transport in your car or van.
Portable solar charger for hiking or excursions
For all fans of trekking, hiking, mountaineering and mountaineering in general; There is a device known as a portable solar charger that consists of a very small generator that can be hung on the backpack so that the plates collect photovoltaic energy while you walk. This alternative has become an essential in the mountaineering community since, due to its size and practicality, they are really useful for those outings that last one or several days and that ensure that you will never run out of battery on mobile, watch, camera or laptop.
This type of portable solar charger for hiking usually has a solar panel with power of 10W, 20W and up to 50W, almost all include three to six folding plates that are waterproof. In addition, the weight that these devices are usually around is 500 to 700 grams. Although there are also 1 or 2 kilograms.
In any case, it is always about devices that can be folded and hung so that the use is perfectly adapted to the activities of the mountain.
Taking into account the power of a portable solar charger with these characteristics, it is usually used especially to charge: mobile phones, watches, flashlights, cameras, GPS, headphones, etc. . In short, small devices that do not require much to be charged.
Portable solar charger for routes in vans
In addition to this type of small and portable chargers, we can also find another larger format with more power. And although they also self-determine as "portable", since they weigh more than one or two kilos, it goes without saying that the portable characteristic refers to the fact that they are devices that can be moved from one place to another with ease. For example, take them from home to the campsite.
In this case we can also find a fairly wide amalgamation of chargers and it is that the camper and motorhome culture has been in charge of making them known. They are useful for those trips in which we travel with some type of vehicle and spend more than two days in a place without electricity in the van itself.
Within this typology we find two formats, those that come only with the solar panel and those that also include a power station or a battery that stores all the photovoltaic energy so that we can use it when we are most interested . Like this tiny BLUETTI AC50S station, ideal to carry in your vehicle and power all your peripherals.
The power of solar panels is crucial for our energy capacity
As we said at the beginning, depending on the power of the solar panels we can respond to specific electrical needs. For example, portable solar panels for hikers have a maximum power of 20 W, with which we can charge small peripherals. On the other hand, with larger solar panels, we already have more powerful alternatives that give us a diverse scope, from laptops to small refrigerators.
We will find an infinity of powers that can go from 150W to 500W in solar panels. And the first deduction we will make from this is that the more power, the more range we will have to charge a demanding appliance.
But to see it more concretely we would like to talk about the characteristics and capacity of the 3 most popular powers in solar panels: 150W, 350W and 200W. In this way, you can get an idea of what you can expect from the solar panel you buy.
Solar panel 120w
A 120W solar panel is the simplest and most basic format of solar panels. Many of them can be found foldable so that they can fit in a car, in the saddlebags of a bicycle or, for the most daring, attached to a backpack. A solar panel with this power will be able to supply more than simple peripherals. In fact, this board is ideal, for example, for charging 12V or 18V batteries. So any type of appliance that allows a charge of 12 and/or 18 volts, can be charged with the energy of a 120W solar panel. For example: laptops, tablets, blenders, portable refrigerators, water pump, among others.
This, for example, is the 120W BLUETTI solar panel which weighs only 4 kilos, can be folded and is resistant to splashes and scratches.
200W solar panel
The next level of portable solar panels can be 200W, a power that will be useful to connect everything mentioned above and a little more. In fact, these plates are often used for installations in small vans and motorhomes to supply power for lights, USB sockets and perhaps a small fridge. You will find these types of plates mostly in a rigid format, although there are also folding versions like the ones we will show you later.
To better understand the capacity that you can achieve with a 200w solar panel, keep in mind that it could be used to supply power to your laptop for more than 20 hours or to run a coffee maker or a microwave oven for 1 hour.
The best thing you can do with a 200W solar panel is to buy it with a solar pack that includes a power station or battery, where you can store the energy and use it throughout the day.
As an example, we want to show you these foldable and resistant 200W plates from BLUETTI
Solar panel 350W
A 350W solar panel is a big word in terms of power and you can already consider powering large devices such as televisions for several hours. In fact, 300W plates are the ones that are usually used in residences, boats or large motorhomes. As with the 200W solar panels, for these we should get a battery or power station to store the energy and manage and administer as best interests you.
This is how some 350W solar panels look like. These in particular are from BLUETTI and are also foldable.
