10 Best Ultralight Solar Chargers & Their Reviews [Updated 2022]

The need for the best ultralight solar chargers in daily living came about because of the proliferating use of electronics. During adventures like camping, taking a trip to remote sites, traveling and hiking you always need to carry around your electronics and hence the need to recharge them.

On such occasions you need a source of power to charge your electronics and why not take the advantage of using portable solar charger devices that use sunlight which is essentially free to charge your devices. In this article, I will take you through the best ultralight solar chargers, how they work and what their specifications are.

There are many available options in the market but I have reviewed the 10 best ultralight solar chargers for you to choose which one best fits your specifications.

1. Rhyno-tuff

This portable solar charger is essential to those who love outdoor adventures and have bigger power needs.

Its unique sun power x-series solar cells are highly efficient to produce large quantities of power to charge your devices.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; when open it extends to 11.8winches wide by 18.1 inches high.

When not in use, it folds up to 5.9 x 11.8 inches hence it’s easy to carry around.

-Charging; The solar charger provides 21 W with 2 chargers capable of charging your phone in under 2 hours.

With its unique charging algorithm, it can charge 2 devices at the same time by distributing the power to the devices in the most efficient way.

It also stops charging automatically when your device is full.

It delivers 2.4 amp per port and when both ports are in use it delivers a max of 3 A.

-Protection; The rugged waterproof PVC canvas material covers 3 panels against water.

-Compatibility; It’s compatible with iPhone, battery pack, LG, Galaxy, iPod, Nexus and all USB devices

-Battery; No internal battery.

This solar panel charges your device when exposed to sunlight.

Check Price on Amazon

2. Bigblue 3

This portable solar panel charger can fit into any camping backpack and hiking daypack and hence perfect for adventures.

It produces 28 W of power which enables it to charge devices faster.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; when folded its compatible size is 11.1×6.3×1.3 inches and 33.1×11.1×0.12 inches when unfolded.

-Charging; it comes standard with 28 W.

The 3 USB ports offer a total current of 5 V/3.4 A.

It has a safety feature that prevents overheating or overcharging.

-Protection; The special polymer surface covers its 4 panels against rain or mist.

-Compatibility; It’s compatible with iPhone 8/7/6s/x, LG phones, Samsung Galaxy and many more.

-Battery; No internal battery. The solar panel converts 21.5 – 23.5% of solar power into energy.

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3. Eceen

Tired of your phone running out of juice when you’re engaging in outdoor adventures?

Do not worry as this solar power charger produces 10 W which is more than enough to power your phone.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; Its unique design ensures a compact size 11.5×6.0 in. when folded and 12.8 x 12.0in. when open.

It weighs 0.8 pounds and hence easy to carry around while doing outdoor activities.

-Charging; Its 4 ports distribute power to the devices according to the sunlight level and is efficient to cut the charging time.

-Protection; Its zipper pack design protects its 2 panels against damage; it also makes it easier to hang it on trees, backpacks, and tents.

-Compatibility; It’s compatible with most smartphones and tablets.

-Battery: No battery required as its solar panels cells convert the solar energy to power which you can use to charge your power bank and devices.

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4. Braxus

This solar panel charger is both flexible and lightweight.

It converts solar energy into electric power to charge your devices anywhere at any time.

Its flexible solar cells are small, lightweight and can easily be attached to tents, backpacks, etc.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; its’s compact size makes it 10.25 x 6.3 x 0.25in with a net weight of 10.6oz.

-Charging; it features the latest sun power efficiency solar cells that deliver efficient and fast charging.

It converts 21 – 25% of solar power to energy.

It comes with a built-in regulator system that stabilizes the low voltage output to cut any risks.

-Protection; its design makes its solar panels and ports dust-proof and waterproof.

What makes it perfect for outdoor activities are the 4 loopholes that make it easier to strap to your backpack.

-Compatibility; It’s compatible with iPhones, Bluetooth headset, digital cameras, iPods, Galaxy note/ edge, LG, Nexus, PSP, MP3, and GPS.

-Battery; No built-in battery but you can carry along your Braxus solar charger power bank on all your adventures.

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5. Suntactics

This product is a powerful solar charger that is essential to hikers who need a tight fit for their packing needs as its lightweight and reduces in size when folded.

These are very common among hikers.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; its size when folded is 11.5’’ x 7’’ x ¼’’ and 11.5’’x 14.5’’ when open.

It weighs 7 ounces.

-Charging; it comes with 5 V, 1200 A, dual USB ports (14 W) that can charge 2 devices at once and 4 devices per day in full sunlight.

It can use your normal existing charger.

The solar cells are well configured to optimize light-voltage conversion.

-Protection; the solar panels are extremely dust-proof, waterproof, corrosion-resistant and durable.

-Compatibility; It’s compatible with all chargeable devices including iPhones, Samsung, tablets, iPods, power banks, flashlights, and SLR cameras.

-Battery; No built-in battery.

Its solar cells boost the best conversion of light to voltage to ease fast charging.

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6. Lixada

This monocrystalline silicon paper panel is perfect for those who want paperweight design solar panel chargers.

With its unique design, it can easily be carried in a notebook.

It’s the perfect energy-saving solution for outdoor charging.

It produces 1700 A.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; 20.7 x 14.1 x 0.8cm. It weighs 80 g / 2.8oz.

-Charging; It provides a 22% – 23% ultra-high photoelectric conversion rate compared to other solar panels.

-Protection; its frosted surface prevents scratches on the surface.

Without a built-in battery, it reduces heat on the device.

-Compatibility; It could be used to charge many of the smartphones and when there is no power on your car or boat battery you can easily connect 2 crocodile clips to start it.

-Battery; No built-in battery and hence it does not cause any heating problems.

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7. Lensun

This solar panel design is ideal for those looking for higher power output solar panels to power their devices as it provides 100 W.

Its foldable design makes it easy to carry around while doing your adventures like hiking.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; Its compact size is 58 x 44 x 66cm and comes with a self-contained bag to fit it.

Its size makes it easy to use, carry around and setup.

Its ultra-lightweight feature makes its weight range from 4 kg to 8 kg depending on the type of solar panel you choose.

-Charging; uses Grade A monocrystalline solar cells that have higher efficiency than other cells.

The solar cells are 5 bus bar technologies that do better than 4 bus bar, 3 bus bar, and 2 bus bar.

It comes with a power output ranging from 100 W to 200 W

-Innovative technology; It comes with the latest technology including; metal leg support, (ETFE) film and four eyelets for mounting options.

-Compatibility; It’s ideal to power caravans, solar generators, camping vans, RVs, and motor homes.

-Battery; No internal battery.

Its solar cells convert energy by absorbing sunlight.

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8. SunJack

This product is ideal for those looking to do outdoor activities while carrying around a solar panel charger that is both portable and with good power output.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; Its compact size when folded is 10.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 in. and when unfolded 20 x 10.5 x 1 in.

It weighs 1.3lbs/ 0.5kg.

-Charging; It comes standard with 2 USB ports with up to 4 Amperes max to offer outstanding charging capability.

Its smart IC chip prevents overheating and maximizes the charging speeds to the devices.

Its power output is 15 W.

-Smart Features; Its layer of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) can withstand more chemical aggression and temperature stress.

(ETFE) has a UV permeability ability of about 95% and that makes it more efficient.

-Compatibility; It can easily be used to charge devices like iPods, iPhones, Samsung, Pixel and many more.

It also comes with a 12-month warranty offer.

It’s ideal for outdoor activities.

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9. Suaoki

This product design is ideal for those who have seasonal automobiles that stay for months without being used.

It’s designed to fully charge the battery and keep it so that your vehicle’s battery stays the same as the day you left it.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimension; It has an ultra-thin design weighing 1.65lbs and a foldable design of 11.4 x 6.69 x 1.57 in when folded and 34.4 x 11.4 x 0.78 in when unfolded.

-Charging; It comes standard with 28 W with 3.0 fast and smart charging capabilities that optimizes the current to speed up and cut the charging time.

It comes with 3 USB ports; 2 built-in ports and 1 smart charge port.

It also has quality built cells that convert 23% of solar energy to power which in turn allow it to charge 3 devices simultaneously

-Protection; This solar charger features an IPX4 waterproof rate that makes it resistant against water and dust.

Its design and the 2 carabiners make it easy to carry around.

-Compatibility; It’s a good fit for iPhones, Samsung, LG, Huawei, and many more USB charging devices.

It can also be used to keep automobile batteries.

-Battery; It comes with an 18 W solar battery maintainer charger

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10.

This product is an ideal gift for those who love outdoor adventures.

It’s used to light your path, tent or reading.

It easy to hung or set on its base while illuminating.

Pros & Benefits:

-Dimensions; It weighs 168 g/0.37 pounds and its compact size is 2.47 x 5.9 inches when folded and 11.47 x 1.067in when unfolded.

-Charging; It also has quality built cells that convert 23% of solar energy to power which in turn allows it to charge 3 devices simultaneously.

It comes with a micro USB that has fast charging capabilities of 3.5 hours on a full battery.

-Smart Features; It comes with a chip that helps protect your devices against over-charging, over-circuit and over-discharging.

This guarantees safety for your devices while connected to the solar charger.

It has 3 lighting modes; high, low and SOS blinking which makes it perfect for versatile outdoor activities.

-Conveniences; It’s portable, foldable and durable due to its unique design.

It also has a hidden hanging hook design that allows you to place it anywhere while doing your outdoor activities.

Its 3 solar panels can completely fold to fit into any backpack and that makes it shorter than an iPhone 6 plus.

-Battery; It comes standard with a built-in lithium battery that produces 3.7v.

How Backpacking Solar Chargers Work

All the above solar chargers absorb sunlight and convert it to produce electric power.

They all contain one or more solar panels that contain small silicon photovoltaic cells.

When the sun hits the silicon panels, a reaction occurs that causes the loss of protons.

These protons produce electric power.

This electric power is then transmitted through the USB to charge up your device.

Some of the models in this article have a lithium battery that helps to store energy.

This allows the owners to charge their devices even when there is no sunlight.

Types of Solar Panels

There are many different models and makes of solar panels, so before buying a solar charger, be equipped with knowledge about the types of solar panels and how they work.

The major differences between the solar panels are size, weight, durability, and design.

I will discuss the 3 main types

Monocrystalline Solar Panels

They’re made of monocrystalline silicon.

They’re characterized by a dark color look and round edges.

Due to their silicon’s purity, their efficiency rate can reach 20%.

The silicon also makes them durable against high temperatures.

They have a high power output and that makes them expensive.

These types of solar panels are by far the most common and have been in the market for many years.

They have the best performance in cloudy weather.

Polycrystalline Solar Panels (pSi)

These solar panels are cheaper as they’re made from melting raw silicon.

They have a low-efficiency rate of 15%.

They’re also not durable especially when exposed to hot temperatures for a long period.

They’re ideal for those looking for a cheaper option.

They’re fairly heavy.

They’re more modern compared to monocrystalline panels.

Thin-film: Amorphous Silicon Solar Panels (A-Si)

They have thin-film solar cells and that makes them smaller.

It’s made by placing silicon, cadmium or copper on to a base; this makes them a cheaper option.

Considering that they’re easy to produce and are cheaper, they have a shorter lifespan

They’re less sensitive to high temperatures compared to other panels.

They have a 7 – 10% efficiency rate.

Concentrated PV Cell

Its panels are a multi-junction type with an efficiency of 41%.

They’re efficient due to their curved mirror surfaces, lenses and cooling system.

However, to reach their greatest efficiency, they’re required to face the sun at a specific angle.

To do this, they’re equipped with a solar tracker that follows the sun.

Final Thoughts

Due to the recent developments in solar technology, it’s now easier and cheaper to buy portable solar power chargers than it was before.

These products are completely safe and easy to use

When choosing the solar charger to buy, check the following:

• Power output; a normal phone uses about 5 W so if you’re looking to charge more than a single device in less time go for a solar charger with an output of more than 20 W.
• Charging speed; if you need to charge your devices often, I recommend you buy a fast charging solar charger.
• Size and weight; larger panels need more space but are highly efficient and offer the best performance and smaller panels take more time to charge but take less space for storage.

I hope from the above varieties of portable solar chargers, you get to choose one that best meets your interest and specification to carry around with you while enjoying your outdoor activities.