The Best Portable Solar Panels: My Take After Years of Testing
The 350-W panels are fairly easy to set up; though the metal fasteners on the kickstands take a bit of fiddling. Unfortunately, the 500-W panels
The 350-W panels are fairly easy to set up; though the metal fasteners on the kickstands take a bit of fiddling. Unfortunately, the 500-W panels are downright finicky. To fold down compactly, it is broken into twelve separate sections and folds out in a double row, so I found I had to wrestle with it to get the feet set up and ensure it was stable. You’ll also need to watch out at the higher angle if there’s any wind, or a gust might just catch them and flip them over. The flip side is that they fold down impressively small with a nice rubbery handle that makes them easy to carry. Setup aside, I don’t think you’ll find anything more compact for the wattage. Lightweight and flexible, this panel is ideal for mounting on top of your RV, van, or other vehicle. You could attach it to a cabin roof or a hardtop tent too, and it can bend up to 270 degrees. Though no fixings are included, it's possible using adhesive or strong double-sided tape and it also has holes for bolting. It’s thin, weighs just shy of 9 pounds, and boasts an IP68 rating. Conversion efficiency is 25 percent, and I was able to get 165 watts out of it when the sun was at its highest. Now, it’s not really all that portable, in that it doesn’t fold up or have a handle for easy carrying. But it’s a great option for mounting and has standard MC4 connectors. BougeRV also offers a smaller 100-W model. Other Good Solar Panels I’ve Tried Anker Solix PS200 for $450: I have tested several of Anker’s older solar panels, including the Solix PS200.
These folding 200-watt panels are IP67-rated with a familiar design of molded plastic handles, folding feet, and metal fasteners. They offer 23 percent conversion efficiency and couldn’t quite hit the same highs as the Solar Saga 200 despite a higher price and weight. The reason you might pick Anker instead is the inclusion of MC4 connectors and an XT60 connector cable. Anker has just released some superior-looking bifacial panels, both PS100 ($220) and PS200 ($500), but I haven’t tested them yet. They appear more compact and efficient. DJI IBC Power 200W for $419: DJI sent me these panels, and they have the same slide out folding feet with a strap and metal fasteners, though the molded handle is only at one end. They are IP67, came with an MC4 to XT60 cable, and produced up to 160 watts when the sun was out. Sadly, you need the DJI Power Solar Panel Adapter Module (MPPT) to use them with some DJI power stations, though they worked fine charging the Anker Solix C1000. What I Plan to Test Next The last EcoFlow panel I tested seems to be discontinued, but the latest 220W panel ($299) looks good and is reasonably priced. I haven’t been able to test any Renogy panels, but they seem to be highly rated in online reviews. Two other brands on my radar are Goal Zero and Biolite. Portable Solar Panels: Frequently Asked Questions What to Look For in Solar Panels AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Portable solar panels come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but they always have a stated maximum wattage they can produce. While a panel might be rated at 200 watts, it’s important to note that it will likely produce less in real-world conditions.
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