Description
- 【Foldable & Portable】: The solar battery charger comes with handle, with a small size of 13.5x 9.75×1.75 inches (when folded) and a lightweight design of 3.1lbs(1.4kg) that can be easily squeezed into your backpack, Quite convenient to carry it to wherever you go, the hiking buckle makes it ideal for attaching to your backpack while hiking or walking around town.
- 【Made for Solar Generator】: 30W solar panel comes with 10*DC connectors, compatible with most solar generators/portable power stations on the market. Includes different size of connectors perfect to charge our MARBERO portable power station. 18V DC output also can charge car refrigerator, air pump, etc, keeps your DC devices full of juice, without having to rely on a wall outlet.
- 【MULTI-OUPUTS】: The solar panel designed with different USB output ports: 1*USB port(5V/2.4A), 1*QC3.0 USB port(5V/3A,9V/2A,12V/1.5A), 1*USB C port(5V/3A 9V/2.22A 12V/1.67A), 1*DC port(18V/1.6A) will efficiently charge your smartphones, tablets, iPad, digital cameras, GPS, power banks and other electronic devices.
- 【Durable & Easy To Carry】: Advanced lamination technology and ETFE coating material make the solar panel durable. You can hang the solar panel on your camping tent, backpack, RV, van or boat, making it easy to charge your equipment when you need it. Can also be used as an emergency power source at home when there is an unexpected power outage.
- 【Package & Support】: You will get 1*Solar Panel 30W, 1*User Manual, 4*Carabiner, 1*DC cord, 1*MC4 cord and 10*Changeable DC Connectors. Note: Any clouds or covers may affect the charging efficiency. If you have encountered any problem with the product, please feel free to contact us and we will reply within 12 hours.
Nina –
I decided to request this solar panel for emergency preparedness and to use during camping trips.
The two-fold design, handle, and the zippered pocket on the back make for good portability. I like the options it provides for plugging different devices in. It would be nice if there were a kickstand or something on one side so you could angle it for better sun exposure, but the canvas has reinforced holes in each corner and comes with four carabiners so you can hang it up if desired. It’s simple to use: just lay it out in the sun and plug in your device.
The panel was able to charge my phone as promised. I had an old phone laying around; since the battery was drained I left it plugged in to see what charging speeds I could get. I jostled the cable and covered the panel with my shadow to see if I could cause an interruption and the charge kept going, but it does seem relatively easy to unplug the USB and USB-C ports.
For one 17-minute period at midday the phone’s charge increased by 21% (from 59% battery to 75%). This rate slowed as the day progressed and I lost direct sun exposure, as expected.
I found several online sources that advised against connecting a laptop directly to a solar panel, since the amount of sunlight (and thus the amount of power going to the laptop) will vary. I tried plugging a Macbook into it briefly to see what would happen, as I could still see it being helpful on a rare occasion when you don’t have other options. It read as plugged in, though for the time I had it connected the laptop did not charge the battery. I only tried for a few minutes so it’s possible the laptop simply opted to run off the battery, but I can’t be sure if that’s the case or if it wasn’t getting enough power to the laptop for a charge.
Since laptop charging was not my main objective this does not bother me too much, but I do find it odd that the product imagery suggests plugging a laptop in directly when it seems there are multiple sources that warn against it.
It’s nice to have the panel for future camping trips and power outages. I may consider getting a power station down the line to go with this as well.
Jay –
Features
30W
Small
Sturdy
Durable
Foldable
Effective
Versatile
Lightweight
High quality
Easy to travel with
Handle aids portability
Built into carrying case
All-in-one convenience
Wide range of connectors
Flat black panels, with silver strips
Helps eliminate need for a wall outlet
Made for solar generators/power stations
Three (3) USB outlets for wide variety of uses
How this arrived
I received the three (3) “foldable” solar panels in a plain brown, non-illustrated, cardboard package, its size being roughly the size of the folded array, which is about 14” x 8” x 2”, and weighing about (2½) pounds, of which all the cords and connectors made up about ( ½ ) pound.
What’s inside
Inside of course is the solar array.
Describe the array
The three (3) panels are packaged to form a small briefcase, with an 11” x 6” x ¾” external double zippered pocket, that houses the panels, connectors, and USB connectivity.
Describe the carrying (briefcase).
The material is a durable, soft cotton like nylon fabric. It’s a bit coarse, like the cloth found on a cotton Oxford shirt. From my understanding, this is rated as IPX4 waterproof, is dust resistant, high temperature resistant, and is the fabric to have this made from for the heavy outdoor use this gets. Caution, there is not much padding, so I avoid dropping this (which I have, luckily without any damage). Holding the folded panels closed is a 5” x 1” Velcro like strip that has the correct size teeth to really keep the briefcase from accidently opening. There are four (4) metal grommets to be creative in hanging this out, for instance, on the back of my backpack as I am walking, juicing up with each step.
The panels.
Simply unfold the solar array briefcase to reveal the three (3) panels, which I would guestimate each provide (10) watts of power, since this has a maximum output of (30) watts. Each panel is sewn in and the exposed area measures 6½” wide x 13¼” tall and provides about 258 square inches (1.75’ square foot) of sun catching power. Totally stretched out, this measures just over 28” wide.
Generating power
I am no electrical engineer; however, this does the job, based on the proper tilt angle and orientation where the array is placed (latitude makes a difference). Proper positioning and direct exposure can maximize output. I used this in near all conditions and I always had some generation of power. Again, mad sun gets max output.
Three (3) USB + DC ports
USB-A; USB-C; and USB QC 3.0
I really like the versatility this offers, with the many DC connectors, which I could use, however, the USB ports are my main connections. The three (3) are as follows: one (1) USB-A port at (5V/3A Max); (1) QC3.0 USB type A port at (5V/3A, 9V/2A,12V/1.5A Max), and one (1) USB C port at (5V/3.3A, 9V/3.3A, 12V/3.3A, 20V/3.3AMax). The QC3.0 port is kind of interesting. It’s a proprietary port that had been developed by QUALCOMM for managing power delivered over a USB port, it’s said to be highly communicative with the source delivering the power and to the receiving device, negotiating what it believes is to be optimal.
Looks
This is a nice-looking set-up.
Value
The price seems competitive, when considering the totality.
Would I select this again?
Yes.
I hope my thoughts added information.
Nina –
This is a pretty good folding solar panel. This is going to be useful if you’re a prepper, a hiker, camper, or even if you’re hosting/doing something outside and you need to plug in any devices you’re running continuously.
One thing to note – this doesn’t do well indoors, or in anything other than direct sunlight. For most applications that’s fine – just know it needs direct LOS to the sun (and not behind a window) to really work.