Things to Remember When Buying Solar Powered Phone Charger
Go on vacation and you most likely carry your smartphone, MP3 player and a host of other technological gadgets-they are part of our everyday life these days. Everything seems okay until the devices run out of power and you realize that you do not have the usual socket around.
At that point, the need for a pack of power becomes clear. The good thing is that that solution does not have to be tiring, whether in use or in transportation. Get a solar powered portable phone charger and you will remain connected to the world throughout your stay in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you have been planning to get the charger, but you don’t know where to start. Focusing on the following features will help you land the best solar powered phone charger.
Solar Panel Surface Area
The performance of a portable phone charger largely depends on the quality of solar panel, specifically the surface area. The smaller the solar panel, the less the sunshine it collects. Surface area is essentially the definition of size of panel. Whatever size you go for, make sure it is capable of producing at least 2000mAh as this is what the typical Smartphone will require.
Ease of Use
Nothing can be more frustrating than heading to the savanna for some fun only to spend hours on end trying to fix a solar powered portable phone charger. Most reviewers mention the “auto-restart technology”, wishing that it could be in all products. Unfortunately, some panels lack this important feature. A solar charger that restarts automatically makes usage extremely easy.
Ease of use will also be seen in convenience of set-ups. Before buying, make sure you have thought through your preferences and needs. Maybe you will be using the device in cold conditions and you want the cable easy to stretch. Or maybe you don’t want to expose the device to sweltering heat so you will need a stash pocket. The point is, this device should enhance your experience, not spoil it.
Portability
The weight of a solar powered phone charger is an important consideration too if you are buying the device for hiking or travel. If you need the charger for a one-off solution, then you may overlook the weight issue to some extent. Whatever the case, you need to be conversant with how different manufacturers express weight of the product. Some will list the weight of the panel alone. Others list the weight of everything, that is, panel plus all accessories.
If we were to award for this feature, Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) panels would win. However, considering weight alone can be misleading. Some of the lightest models are also the fastest to deteriorate. These versions are however ideal for short trips where you will need emergency charge. Since tablets and smartphones are power hungry, make sure that the device you pick has 2 amp ports.
Accessories
It is important to know what kind of phone you will be charging so you can decide what accessories you need. A USB connector is common in many modern panels, because most phones are compatible to this connection. However, other chargers come with extension cables, carabiners, adapters among other accessories.
Sometimes you need to buy some accessories separately, although it can be hard to tell if the panel has all accessories. To avoid trouble, identify all the accessories that you need and look for a suitable solar powered portable phone charger.
Conclusion
Life away from the grid can be frustrating, but not if you have a quality solar powered portable phone charger. Let those couple of days be full of excitement by grabbing one of the solar powered chargers that we have reviewed. The chargers can keep the phone and other gadgets charged all night, and they are no bigger than a hardcover book.
You can checkout this model featured by our editors
