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PortaPow 7W USB Solar Charger for Portable Electronics

3.4 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
Brand PortaPow
Connectivity technology USB
Connector type USB
Compatible devices Cellular Phones
Compatible phone models Samsung
Special feature Portable,Water Resistant
Input voltage 5 Volts
Mounting type Tabletop Mount
Wattage 7 watts
Number of items 1

About this item

  • 7 Watt panel to power your device purely from the Sun. Charge most devices as fast as a mains charger in bright Sun
  • Built in voltage regulator so you can safely charge almost any Smartphone, Satnav etc
  • Some iPhones/iPads do not support trickle charging so require constant sunlight, or can be charged via a battery pack (available separately)
  • Charges devices directly without first having to charge a built in battery pack, a much more efficient and compact design
  • Just 400g, folds in half for storage, water resistant casing, a pocket on the back to store your device and a stand to angle the panel towards the Sun and charge at the fastest possible rate
› See more product details

Additional details

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Product description

Product Description



Powerful - This solar charger outputs 7 Watts (1400mA x 5V) of power, charging your phone, satnav or other portable device at high speed even in less than perfectly sunny conditions. iPhones/iPads do not support trickle charging so require constant sunlight without cloud cover, or can be charged via any USB battery pack.

Straight to the Point - The panel connects directly to your devices via a USB socket. Unlike rival products you do not need to first charge a built in battery resulting in a more efficient, lighter and smaller design. If you do need a battery pack to hold the charge until you need it, the pack is compatible with any USB battery pack.

Safe to Use for All Devices - The USB socket is voltage regulated - rival products which do not have this will output higher than 5 volts in sunny conditions, which may damage your device.

Well Designed - The panel includes a pocket on the back to hold your device during charging, a matt surface to absorb more light, and a stand to angle the panel towards the Sun. Angling a solar panel correctly can have a huge impact on the energy captured. Purchase the 'PortaPow USB Power Monitor' to see exactly how fast your device is being charged and get the optimal angle. The panel also includes mounting holes, and is covered in a water resistant fabric.

Accessories Includes micro USB cable with Apple 'wide' USB connector for older iPhones. These work with the majority of devices currently on the market. Including the latest tomtom, garmin edge, Kindles, samsung galaxy s, etc. Since the panel has a standard USB socket you can also use the USB cable provided with your device to charge it.

Box Contains

Solar Panel;
Micro USB Cable;
Apple connector;
User Guide

Product details

  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 25 x 17.6 x 3 cm; 400 g
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ 14 Mar. 2013
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ PortaPow
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BU38MG0
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 7W Solar Charger
  • Guaranteed software updates until ‏ : ‎ unknown
  • Customer reviews:
    3.4 out of 5 stars 64 ratings

Customer reviews

3.4 out of 5 stars
64 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the solar charger effective, with one noting it works even on overcast days, and they appreciate its portability for camping and traveling. The device is well-made, has a spacious pocket on the back, and features handy loops on each corner for secure attachment. While customers consider it worth the investment, opinions about power consumption are mixed.

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Charge rateSunlight useValue for moneyPortabilityBuild qualityPocket sizeEase of usePower consumption
31 customers mention ‘Charge rate’29 positive2 negative

Customers are satisfied with the solar charger's performance, reporting that it fully charges smartphones and other devices, with one customer noting it works even on overcast days and another mentioning it charges at 1% per minute in full sun.

"...But it is managing to charge my htc in direct sun with the WiFi on as i type this out...." Read more

"...whipped out anywhere for charging your phone or GPS and anything that you can charge via USB...." Read more

"...It's all very well that it charges devices 'quickly' in mid-summer but here on good old Blighty, we don't quite get the privilege of year round hot..." Read more

"...Tip: once you open the panels to face the sun they are charging immediately - it took me a while to figure out how to 'switch it on'...." Read more

23 customers mention ‘Sunlight use’20 positive3 negative

Customers find that the solar charger works well when the sun is up and is particularly effective for camping. One customer mentions it performs effectively even in cloudy conditions.

"Works better in direct sun but over the day (9hrs) in just daylight it charged my Samsung tablet to 90% but in direct sun it took just 5hrs so its a..." Read more

"Does the job as advertised,portable ,works well on my s4 which I use a lot on sat nav .its not to large when folded out and there are plenty of..." Read more

"Works great for camping, even in cloudy conditions it keeps a trickle to stop your phone losing charge, in bright sunlight charges well" Read more

"...Very pleased to finally find a working solar thingy, right where's my cider..... UPDATE..." Read more

21 customers mention ‘Value for money’21 positive0 negative

Customers find the solar charger to be worth the investment, with one mentioning it's perfect for reading a Kindle.

"Great item , makes like easier when camping or traveling :)" Read more

"...This is a good bit of kit and i am pleased i made the purchase as it is always a gamble with solar stuff in the north of England...." Read more

"...What's more, it retails not only with a snazzy 'nylonesque' (or thereabouts) pocketed case, but also with most of the attachments you could need to..." Read more

"...I like the build quality - nice and sturdy yet light and portable...." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Portability’9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the solar charger's portability, noting it's lightweight and convenient for camping and traveling, with one customer mentioning it can be attached to a backpack.

"...I like the build quality - nice and sturdy yet light and portable...." Read more

"Great for your camping needs both in camp and on the go. Can be attached to a backpack 7 Watts of power..." Read more

"Great item , makes like easier when camping or traveling :)" Read more

"...It's really light, fits easily in a backpack and can be whipped out anywhere for charging your phone or GPS and anything that you can charge via USB...." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Build quality’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the solar charger well made.

"...The solar panels are made with a brilliant craftmanship. Good quality, and looks robust...." Read more

"...This little panel coped great and I was never without the whole trip...." Read more

"...I like the build quality - nice and sturdy yet light and portable...." Read more

"...I took it backpacking with me for 4 days it held up well. it managed to charge up mine and my partners phones...." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Pocket size’8 positive0 negative

Customers like the solar charger's pocket size, with one mentioning that the back pocket is big enough to store small items.

"...Has a handy pocket for placing your phone into whilst it's plugged into the female USB cable that is attached to the device...." Read more

"...it retails not only with a snazzy 'nylonesque' (or thereabouts) pocketed case, but also with most of the attachments you could need to attach to..." Read more

"...has a handy stand for positioning it into sunshine, a velcro pocket for storing small items and devices but where it really shone (no pun...) was..." Read more

"...The pocket will hold a smart phone or a battery pack. I recommend getting some short right angled usb leads to use with it." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Ease of use’6 positive0 negative

Customers find the solar charger easy to use, appreciating the handy loops on each corner.

"...with the panels hanging off the back of my rucksack with very handy loops on each corner...." Read more

"...As are the loops on the corners to help you attach it to rucksacks, bike paniers or anything you choose. But does it actually work?!..." Read more

"...my own bungee cords to attach it to the bike and the loops at the corners make this handy, though they do get stuck on to the velcro and will..." Read more

"...all the loops etc really handy for hanging out of windows... I used it with the porta pow battery pack too which seemed to charge about as quickly..." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Power consumption’3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed experiences with the solar charger's power consumption, with some reporting successful phone charging while others mention issues with power delivery.

"...The net result of this is that this device actually DRAINS your phone battery!..." Read more

"...It kept my phone topped up fully no problem. Works better in direct sunlight but still worked in cloudy times...." Read more

"...There is very little electricity where I am apart from a generator for a couple of hours each evening...." Read more

"...You will never run out of juice with this in your travel baggage." Read more

Field tested in Nepal
5 out of 5 stars
Field tested in Nepal
Excellent gadget. I used mine trekking around Nepal. During the day, I attached it to the back of my daysack and allowed it to charge my usb battery (a must buy to accompany this panel). the battery was fully charged by day's end allowing me to charge my phone over night. Works well in lower light conditions, but as always, expectations shouldn't be so high. The only negative was the connectors/adapters that were supplied; some were a loose fit meaning the transfer of power was intermittent. This is perfect for someone requiring a compact but efficient energy solution.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • MGM
    5.0 out of 5 stars actually works, the first one that does....UPDATE
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Right at the moment i am sat in the garden writing this using my phone ( and a bit of cider) anyway i have tried at least 4 different types of solar chargers including the solar monkey, all have been a disappointment especially the solar monkey. I got this on a deal, sorry can't remember the exact price (cider) but it's honestly the first solar thingy that has actually lived up to the hype. I really wanted the others to work but they just didn't. In good sun this just works simple as. If you use it to charge the power banks it's a great device. But it is managing to charge my htc in direct sun with the WiFi on as i type this out. That's to say charge it as i am using it not just maintaining the charge. This is a good bit of kit and i am pleased i made the purchase as it is always a gamble with solar stuff in the north of England. Of you want a relatively small panel that is capable of charging stuff then it's worth the investment, especially when coupled with the power banks. Very pleased to finally find a working solar thingy, right where's my cider.....
    UPDATE
    well just been away camping in keld, was informed that there was no phone signal for 4miles. So I was able to get online with wifi the whole time but having no electricity I only used this panel. It kept my phone topped up fully no problem. Works better in direct sunlight but still worked in cloudy times. What I didn't realize was that when you have no signal your phone uses more power to try to connect boosting apparently. So I didn't realize that it was needing more power than normal. This little panel coped great and I was never without the whole trip. Also topped up my anchor power bank and kindle.overall I think this is a viable solar solution.......
    2 people found this helpful
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  • JPhil
    1.0 out of 5 stars All, and then nothing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 July 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this following a little online research for a decent solar charger. It's really light, fits easily in a backpack and can be whipped out anywhere for charging your phone or GPS and anything that you can charge via USB. Has a handy pocket for placing your phone into whilst it's plugged into the female USB cable that is attached to the device.

    So, I took it camping and is was working just fine, charged my phone and my friends Iphones several times. And then, it just stopped. Dead. Nothing charges.

    So that was c. 1 week of operational time.

    Going back to amazon, don't know if I'll risk buying this again.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Mr. T. White
    4.0 out of 5 stars Potentially good Mid-Summer Solar charger. Here are my Winter sun findings...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 November 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The marketing spiel would have you know that on a warm Summer's day this thing should just about compete with mains electricity in its charging abilities. Nice! Problem is it's now November. So does that mean you should still buy it? And what would it do, if you did? Reading the reviews above I was none the wiser on that question. So please read on, if you couldn't resist seeing the results of a mid-winter challenge.

    Having a lasting passion for all things solar powered, I bought this recently and decided to charge with it on a very sunny November morning to check out what its mid winter performance is like. It's all very well that it charges devices 'quickly' in mid-summer but here on good old Blighty, we don't quite get the privilege of year round hot sunshine. What's more, in our best Summers we might get between three and four weeks of wall to wall sunshine all day. So, selling it on the basis that it charges 'quickly' (that word again...) on a hot summer's day is all very well, nonetheless what's its capability on an unusually bright and cheerful, cool winter morning?

    Ok, now... it's time to define "quickly" - i.e., at least as far as a sunny mid-winter morning is concerned: Performing my test, using this and an S3 smartphone while the outside temp was around 8 degrees it managed to charge said phone from 69% full to 79% full (when outside, angled roughly at 90 degrees, on a south facing terrace) in, eh, 2 hours. That effectively means: even if the sun was to shine all day mid winter from say 8.30am to 3.30pm or so, and you (ideally) had both the time & inclination to re-angle it every hour or so, even then you'd still not have enough sunlit hours in the day to complete a smartphone's charge. Best case scenario on my test result would be something near half charged, in rare & ideal mid winter conditions; and so, it's hardly anything like a year round replacement for mains electricity charging of any portable device, (nor, of course I now must hastily add, was it ever marketed as such). I'm just saying same, in case anyone entertained the 'ridiculously optimistic' belief that he/she need never plug a portable device into a charger on any sunny day again, whenever using this Portapow). At this point, you might think I'd be about to write that it's a total waste of time/money, but you'd be mistaken: I must confess, it was (& should always be) at least somewhat satisfying that my S3 was given at least *some* 'free' charging ...while the sun lasted.

    Nearly three hours later, with my S3's charge showing 84% (from it's starting 69%) it was time to pack my experiment in, and plug my smartphone into the mains to complete charging.

    That it took the best part of 3 hours, outdoors, mid winter to charge my power hungry S3 only 15% more, well that is simply the reality of it. Sure, during mid summer, on a hot June day, I really do expect this 7w solar charger to give my mains a run for its money, yet, the reality is, for most of the British year, this should only be used for some very, very, very, very, patient emergency partial top ups only.

    What's more, it retails not only with a snazzy 'nylonesque' (or thereabouts) pocketed case, but also with most of the attachments you could need to attach to various portable electronic devices. Full marks on that note.

    Having said that, I still (yes, you might still be surprised to read this...) recommend it, with the above (year round) caveat - & you may call me sad for saying so - but it really is somewhat satisfying to turn even a fraction of that ever so evasive winter sunshine into wondrously 'free' electricity, i.e., on those rare few glorious mornings. For this item brings out the boyish spirit in me; the same one which took some satisfaction many years ago from occasionally burning holes in dried leaves with a magnifying glass. If that was you back then too, then this might well be up your alley. LOL. Alas, it remains a pressingly realistic shame, that even the relative cost savings from a thousand perfectly glorious Autumnal/Winter mornings worth of 'free' charging still won't cover its 'admission charge'. In that sense I must duck a star. Otherwise: it stands recommended within reason, for all solar charge aficionados. And I'd give it a score of 3.5/5. Lastly, if you need the ability to charge your smartphone from the UK sun within just a fair few hours, then just forget about the above marketing blurb, because you'd need something far more realistically powered - such as this beauty (which I hope to review for you all, when its price drops substantially/it becomes more affordable): Goal Zero Nomad 27M Solar Panel HTH

    -

    EDIT - UPDATE MID MAY 2014: Now that Summer's arrived I need to update my review. Not least because I returned the 7W version before the Spring and bought their 11W "High Efficiency" version instead. BTW, Amazon have my same review up for both the 7W and 11W versions. Nonetheless, I just want to confirm that Summer performance, particularly with the newer, so called "High Efficiency" 11W version, while the sky is cloudless, is ever so nearly as good as mains power; at least as far as charging my Galaxy S3 while powered on, with wi-fi on, is concerned. Their High Efficiency unit charged the S3 from 16% to 100% in just under 3 hours on a bright, sunny May day. That's impressive enough. I might add that I'm definitely *not* a fan of Portapow's customer service, however I have to be fair in reviewing the unit itself... and, I do recommend it, particularly for Summer usage. Anyway, please ask me below, if there's anything else you'd like to know. Last but not least - thank you to those who've liked my review. HTH.
    16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Max
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sehr gut verarbeitet es gibt Abstrich
    Reviewed in Germany on 18 February 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Solarzelle Kam mit neutraler Verpackung an und als ich ausgepackt hab ist die sehr großflächige Zellen größer als die von Easyacc Solar charger.

    Top ist Verarbeitung, Zellen Qualität, Ölsen zum Aufhängen.

    einziger Nachteil ist das Kabel ( keine Komplette Ummantelung des USB Kabels.es gingen 2 Adriges Kabel (schwarz u Rot) von der Innenseite herraus. ohne sonstige fixierung. hab das Kabel mit Schrupfschlauch dicht gemacht, so dass ich den Akku bzw Handy gefahrlos in der Tasche hineinpacken kann ohne dran zuziehen..
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  • Canarion55
    2.0 out of 5 stars Está bien, pero no resulta útil
    Reviewed in Spain on 10 July 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Tal vez porque aún no está conseguido, pero no me ha dado el servicio que quería.
    Tardaba mucho en cargar y tuve que irme a otras opciones, como son los cargadores de petaca.
    El cargador da las prestaciones que oferta, pero es que son pocas y por debajo de las necesidades de carga de algunos aparatos (máquinas de fotor, smart-phones, etc.)
    Esperemos que puedan mejorar las prestaciones
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  • Manu
    2.0 out of 5 stars manuel
    Reviewed in Spain on 29 July 2014
    Verified Purchase
    este producto no carga a la luz ni tan siquiera a la luz del día, solo carga a los rayos del sol y si son de 35 grados mucho mejor, y para eso necesita 7-a 9 horas para cargar una batería de un samsung galaxy3.Los cargadores solares tienen que mejorar mucho, esta es mi opinión manuel
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  • Christian
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gutes Paneel
    Reviewed in Germany on 19 July 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ansich ein sehr gutes wohl durchdachtes Paneel
    und lädt mein Handy aber nur mit so nem Adapter auf!
    http://www.amazon.de/Digitus-DA-11004-Ladeadapter-Tablet-PC-wei%C3%9F/dp/B006DYR7J4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=17A6579395Q04&coliid=IXTEKSJUU7NAE
    bzw mein Adapter ist schwarz

    Weil die Datenleitungen scheinbar nicht als Ladegerät beschalten sind!? (Ein Punkt Abzug)
    Sehr gute Aufstellmöglichkeit!

    Was ich sehr gut finde ist die stabilisierte Ausgangsspannung von 5 Volt!!
    (Die Elektronik dafür befindet sich im Stecker)
    Ansonsten ist das Preis/Leistungsverhältnis sehr gut! (ca50 Euro)

    Mfg Christian S.
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