You’ll find that most solar chargers come with a battery pack as not all of them can be plugged directly into a device. If you’re planning an outdoor adventure where you’re more likely to stumble across an Emperor penguin than a mains plug, it’s worth investing in a solar charger to keep your gadgets in full working order. Shop now
A decade ago it was more common to see backpackers with a small portable solar charger on the back of their backpacks or charging up their phone during an extended break. But today’s power hungry electronics make the weight-to-power potential harder to justify.
The Goal Zero Nomad 50 is a larger solar charger that also wins our award for Best Solar Charger for Car Campingand Best Solar Charger for Basecamping and our Best Upgrade Solar Chargeraward. At 50 watts, it’s the biggest and heaviest solar charger we tried.
Portable solar chargers don’t have this problem, and as long as the proper conditions are met, they can provide a practically unlimited supply of electricity for your mobile devices, flashlights and battery packs or portable chargers. Compact and lightweight, they’re perfect for camping, travel and emergency use.
Once you get an idea of charging capacity and your intended use for a portable solar charger, it's time to figure out what devices you plan on using. For smaller handheld items such as smartphones, a portable solar charger with five to fifteen watts should suffice.
The Goal Zero nomad 2 has everything you might need in a solar charger: high wattage, an abundance of USB ports and a business-like folding design and the leading monocrystalline panel type. For mains-style power output on demand, the Ecoflow portable power station and 220W panel is highly recommended.