BigBlue 14W Solar Panels with USB(5V/2.4A), IPX4 Waterproof, Folding Portable Solar Phone Charger Compatible with iPhone, Tablet, Samsung LG etc

I love my portable camping solar panels. Have taken them on several hikes in the UK and France and they are great for keeping my devices topped up with power.The fabric is durable and the design is simple to use with two USB ports. It is worth noting that to get the maximum power output you need to use both ports. It will only provide a maximum of 2.0 per port.If works well in both direct sunlight and shade, although the power drops off a lot in the shade. For best output I prop the panels so they are at 90 degrees to the sun if it isn’t directly overhead.I also pair it with a portable battery pack, which I then charge my other devices with.As more devices switch to USB C, I would look for panel with high output on a single port to charge the battery pack faster, but this model will keep an iPhone topped up.I also like the display so that I can adjust the position to maximise output.

Bought this after a smaller one failed to charge my phone.I love that it has an ammeter so it shows the charge going in and works in shady conditions (but at a lower charging rate).Very robust and worked after getting caught out in rain.This meant I was able to keep a mobile phone fully charged without any other electrical means for a week at the IoM TT races

I like the overall design and the build quality is good but the USB-A port is too exposed to potential scratches and damage, so extra handling care is required.The stitched on clip pouch beside the USB-A port is sewn on well, sturdy and practical, many small things can be placed inside, like a power bank, charging cables and a mobile phone etc.I have 2 Anker power banks, the 10000 and 20100, each fit inside the clip pouch fine but I found the 20100 feels more secure as you have to stretch the elasticated strap over the top of it to securely fasten.As for charging, I was very pleased by the performance of the solar charger, BigBlue claims it is 14W but my own opinion is that the device is more closer to or actually 12W, as 5V x 2.4amp = 12W (5 x 2.4). This calculation I've demonstrated may not be entirely accurate as I wasn't able to fully test the amps and watts input/output of the solar charger first.This being said however, the solar charger performed better than I expected, on a clear sunny day I was able to charge my Anker 10000 from 25% to 50%, that's 2500mah to 5000mah in 1 hour 20 minutes.Even on a fully overcast day with no sun and either white or light grey clouds the solar charger still worked, albeit the amps and watts would have been heavily reduced by probably half or more; this is still impressive considering you're not only restricted to just using the device on a clear sunny or partly sunny day, and can charge your small electronic devices in more variable weather conditions.I put the solar charger through it's paces and tested it's IPX4 waterproof rating, didn't really want to get the device wet but felt I needed to test BigBlue's claim properly and thoroughly to see if they were right.Using my Anker 10000 power bank and during a 20 minute light to medium continuous shower, the solar charger stopped working because the clouds became very dark grey, the rain peltered the device, soaked each one of the 4 solar panels and the water partly seeped into all the front of the solar charger's blue stitched fabric, but not the back.After the rain had stopped and the the clouds turned from dark to light grey the solar charger sprang into life again and the blue light on my Anker 10000 power bank began flashing. (Please refer to my photos for an accurate visual reference)You get a 65cm USB-A to USB-C cable and 2 carabiner clips on the box which are nice extras, both serve a practical use and the quality of them is decent.I purchased the solar charger when Amazon had a sale on, so got the device for £40 which I believe is a more realistic and fair price than it's RRP of nearly £60.To maximise quick charging capabilities of your electronics, use at least 2.4 amp cables as this is the maximum USB output of the device. On a cloudless day you can get a relatively steady 2300 - 2400mAh, as long as you keep the solar charger directly facing the sun and at the right vertical angle.Would I recommend this solar charger... absolutely, as long as you look after the USB-A port and handle the device with care it should give you years of solid quick charging pleasure.

Purchased to add versatility to my off-grid/disaster kit. I wasn't expecting much and initially I got very mixed results. You do need to work with this solar charger to get to know what it can do and what it'll do badly.1. The bad - On intermittent charging days (good sun mixed with fleeting clouds) don't try charging a device ie phone. Mine went from 75% charged (looking to a top up) to 40%. It was the first day I used it nearly returned it until I worked out why. Every time the charging cut in or out, the phone was waking up to vibrate/alert resulting in a net drain. Use a powerbank and that'll work a bit better.2. The good - On a sunny (northern UK) day in early spring, I've got about 1000mA per hour into a powerbank consistently. Which is pretty good as I wasn't trying to optimise it.3. The average - On a cloudy day, you're not going to get much or at least, for me, where I am, zip. To be honest, that's no worse than expected.Is this a good device? Yes.It seems to be well made and certainly it works.It is not 'wallet sized' unless you have a truly well stuffed wallet!! Joking aside, it will fit in a trouser cargo pocket (tight squeeze maybe) but it is compact for what it does.Overall, considering that it's the price of three or four packs of AA batteries, buy one quick before they put the price up!

Worked for a few days. Now displaying 0.0 charge under direct strong sunlight. Not impressed.