Solar Panels

The iBeek Portable 12,000 MA Hour Dual USB Solar Battery Charger Power Bank is a lightweight, portable solar panel with a built-in 12,000 mA hour high-capacity polymer battery.

There are two USB charger ports so you’ll be able to charge smart phones, tablet computers, camera gear, or anything else that can be charged through a USB port.

The iBeek Portable Power Bank comes with a carabiner so the solar panel can be hung from a backpack while you’re out hiking to charge up the battery so that you will have power for your devices even after the sun goes down.

There is also a built-in LED flashlight/emergency light. Just push the button twice for flashlight mode, and press it one more time for emergency mode which will cause the LED light to flash on and off.

Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.8 x 3.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• 12000mah High Capacity
• Dual USB Charger Ports
• LED Flashlight/Emergency Light
• Superior portability design: Easily hang it on your bagpack with the INCLUDED HOOK, hands-free on the go. Perfect for hiking, climbing and other outdoor activity.

The Reviews

When researching the iBeek Portable 12,000 MA Hour Dual USB Solar Battery Charger Power Bank we found over 700 customer reviews online and the reviews are mostly positive but somewhat mixed. This product received an average customer rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars.

One of the problems that several customers who left 1 star reviews had was that the solar panel doesn’t seem to work. The built-in battery can be charged just fine by plugging it into an AC outlet, but several customers said the built in battery will not recharge when using the solar panel. One customer said that he took this product on a camping trip and had the solar panel sitting in the sun for five days straight and it did not receive any charge at all.

Of course there were also hundreds of positive reviews online from people who have a lot of great things to say about this inexpensive solar panel and battery kit. It’s important for us to point out however that even a lot of the 5 star reviews from customers, who are saying what a great product this is, are saying that they haven’t used the solar panel and their review is based on charging their devices just using the built-in battery.

People who are using the iBeek Portable Power Bank has an extra battery are saying that they are able to charge things like iPhones and tablet computers very quickly, in fact even more quickly than simply plugging it into the wall at home.

The iBeek Portable 12,000 MA Hour Dual USB Solar Battery Charger Power Bank is very inexpensive with a price tag of just about $22. $22 for a 12,000 mA hour backup battery is a pretty good deal, but this device has a solar panel and is marketed as a product that can be charged in the sun. That is where this device seems to fall short for a lot of customers.

If you want an inexpensive backup battery to extend the life of your gadgets when you’re away from home, you may want to consider buying the iBeek Portable Power Bank, but if you’re expecting the solar panel to do all of the charging, you may be disappointed.

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If you own a car, motorcycle, or other vehicle that you don’t drive very often, the ALLPOWERS 18V 5W Portable Solar Car Battery Charger Bundle is a product you may want to look into.

With this kit you can use the power of the sun to keep the battery of those idle vehicles charged and ready to go.

Of course the ALLPOWERS Portable Solar Bundle is also small and lightweight so it can be used to provide power when you’re on a camping trip or if you’re spending some time in the outdoors.

If you are using it to charge the battery on a car, you can simply plug the charger into your vehicle’s 12 V lighter socket and position the panel so that it will pick up as much sunlight as possible. There are also alligator clips included so you can connect directly to the battery if you choose.

Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• ALLPOWERS Car battery maintainer can charge 12V batteries with the power of the sun and create 5 watts of energy
• Mono-crystalline silicon panel works in all daylight conditions and is weatherproof / splash proof for added durability
• Works with automobile, motorcycle, tractor, boat batteries and more
• Built-in blocking diode to prevent reverse discharge
• Package: ALLPOWERS car battery charger, cigarette lighter plug, clip line, suction cupds, manual

The Reviews

When researching reviews for the ALLPOWERS 18V 5W Portable Solar Car Battery Charger Bundle we found close to 1000 customer reviews online and the reviews are good, but they are not stellar. This product received an average customer rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars.

Some of the people who left negative reviews said that the ALLPOWERS Portable Solar Bundle is of poor quality. For example, one customer said that the cloth on the sides and the back has basically disintegrated and turned into a black powder. A solar panel is meant to be positioned to collect as much sunlight as possible, but the cloth around the panel breaks down when it is exposed to ultraviolet light.

Some customers are saying that the ALLPOWERS Portable Solar Bundle is not a quality product, but it’s important to remember that this is a solar panel that is currently available for just $19.99 and you could easily spend five times as much for a similar solar panel.

Having said that, when you’re buying a product you do have the right to expect it to work properly. Fortunately, the majority of reviews are positive reviews from happy customers who are saying that it does in fact work the way it’s supposed to, even if it’s not the highest quality product on the market.

Many customers are saying that this solar panel kit works great for keeping things charged. One customer said that he was storing a car in his garage and he has to jumpstart the car every 30 days. He has a truck that has been sitting for four months that he used the solar panel with and it started right up.

Another customer said that he uses the ALLPOWERS Portable Solar Bundle to keep the battery on his 1967 tractor charged. His tractor will sit idle for months, but when he’s ready to use it, the battery has plenty of power and it starts right up.

Although the ALLPOWERS 18V 5W Portable Solar Car Battery Charger Bundle is a very inexpensive item and some customers are saying that you get what you pay for and the quality suffers because of its low price, many customers are very happy with this product and thrilled that they are able to keep the batteries charged on vehicles and equipment that often sit for months without being started.

A lot of people are saying that this solar panel kit is like a little insurance policy that lets them know that their car, truck, boat, tractor, or other equipment will start right up when they need it to.

If you need a portable power solution, the Goal Zero Nomad 20 Solar Panel would be a great choice.

This model is their largest foldable solar panel, yet it is still lightweight and very portable.

You’ll be able to charge your smart phone, camera batteries, or other gear whether you’re hiking through the mountains or floating down the river in a canoe.

Goal Zero makes a number of different products and this solar panel can be paired with any of their power packs. Their products use an innovative plug-and-play system so you can charge items that use a USB charger just as fast as you can charge them by plugging them into the wall at home.

If you need more power, Goal Zero products are scalable because they can be daisy chained together to give you more power and faster charging times.

Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions: 16 x 11 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Built-in junction box with smart-charging chip, allows you to power handheld USB and 12 Volt gear from the sun
• Patented chaining technology combines Goal Zero Nomad panels for faster charge times
• Highly efficient mono-crystalline solar pumps out more power per square inch
• Pair with any Goal Zero power pack (sold separately) and charge gear day or night
• Foldable and portable for use anywhere

The Reviews

When researching the Goal Zero Nomad 20 Solar Panel we found over 150 reviews online and the reviews are fantastic. This product received an average customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Most customers are thrilled with their purchase. We found one review from a customer who originally left a 5 star review, and then came back a year later to say that the first panel is still working great and they liked it so much they’re buying another one.

After one year, the first panel he bought has a few scratches on the plastic, but all of the zippers and webbing loops are still in great shape and the panel itself still works as good as it did the first day he got it.

If there is one complaint about the Goal Zero Nomad 20 Solar Panel, it is that it’s a bit expensive. Several customers said that the price is a bit high, but these people are still leaving 4 and 5 star reviews and saying that it is a great panel.

It’s possible to get more powerful solar panels at a cheaper price, but those cheaper panels are not portable options that can be folded up and put into a backpack allowing you to charge your gear in even the most remote locations.

Customers are saying that the Goal Zero Nomad is a high-quality item that not only gives you a portable power option, it also has very good charging times. One person for example said that he was able to charge his iPhone from 0% to 100% in just 35 minutes.

Many customers who left positive reviews online said that they are actually fans of all Goal Zero products and the fact that their panels can be daisy chained together to provide more power comes in really handy for people who have a lot of gear that needs to be charged. If you are a camper, hiker, backpacker, or anyone who loves the outdoors, we would highly recommend this product.

The Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit is an inexpensive set up that is specifically designed for people who are just getting into solar power for the first time.

It is perfect for off grid applications like cabins or tiny houses and is also a great option for RVs, trailers, boats, etc.

The kit comes with everything you need: a Renogy 100W 12V Monocrystalline Solar Panel, a charge controller, an adapter kit, cables and brackets.

Product Features and Specifications

• Product Dimensions: 47 x 1.5 x 20.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 19.8 pounds
• The charge controller has been upgraded to Renogy’s new 30A PWM NegativeGround Charge Controller the Renogy Wanderer
• With the Renogy Wanderer 30A PWM Charge Controller, you can expand your system up to a maximum of 400W
• The kit now includes an 8ft 10AWG Tray Cable to connect your charge controller and battery
• Ideal output: 500Wh per day; can fully charge a 50Ah battery from 50% in 3 hours (depending on the availability of sunlight)
• Negative grounding controller ensures the broader off grid applications and safety, especially to be used on a vehicle which has battery negative on the chassis

The Reviews

The Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit is getting great reviews from customers online. When researching this product we found over 1000 reviews and it received an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

A number of reviews came from people with off grid cabins. One customer said that he used this solar panel set up with two interstate golf cart batteries and a 400 watt converter.

He’s able to run LED lighting, charge his laptop and watch television and the batteries haven’t even been drained very low while doing all of that. He said that this setup provides a good amount of power even on cloudy days, but he is planning on getting one more panel to make sure there’s plenty of power throughout the winter.

There were also a lot of reviews from outdoorsman; people using this set up on their boats or RVs. One customer in particular said that he works as an RV technician and a good solar panel is the first thing he likes to add to his personal RVs.

He said that he uses just one battery in his RV at night and this solar panel is able to have the battery fully recharged by 2 PM the next day. He said that the Renogy Solar Starter Kit is a great kit that everyone should have installed in their RV.

The Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit is getting a lot of great reviews, but there is one negative point that came up a number of times. A lot of people are recommending that you buy a different charge controller to go with this kit.

The charge controller will charge the battery but customers are saying that the wires don’t connect to the charge controller very easily. People are also saying that the DC outlet feed doesn’t work reliably. There is also an indicator that will display whether the battery is dead, charging, or full, but the indicator could be a lot better.

After thoroughly researching hundreds of reviews for the Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit we would certainly give this set up our recommendation.

Of course we wouldn’t ignore the people who suggest buying a separate charge controller, but even people who had concerns about the charge controller say that all of the other components are great and they are still very happy with this kit overall.