ECEEN 13W Foldable Solar Charger Panel With Dual USB Output Charge for Smartphones, Tablets, GPS Units, Bluetooth Speakers, Gopro Cameras, And other 5V Devices

***** Genuine review !! My reviews are of something I wanted and bought full price for my own future use via amazon.co.uk *****13W foldable Solar charger PanelFolds in half making it roughly an inch longer but an inch thinner than a sheet of A4. Folds mostly flat but 1 inch thick at the widest point (USB output sockets) Has zippable storage pocket for bits on one side (contains the manual, a short USB to micro charger cable plus some climbers clips . Seems nicely made. Twisting /bending when closed it has a bit of flex but I'm not going to try and break it -see above !!Technical testTested in 'English summer' on a USB test set it managed<4V 0.01A (i.e. no good at all) in deep shade or indoors although the red LED still lights at times. .5V 0.6A out outdoors facing sun location when sun locatable in sky but hidden by cloud - no distinct shadows on ground5V 1.1A out when sun still in thin cloud but warm on face with distinct shadows on ground5V 1.6A late afternoon direct sun but still through wisps of cloudSadly full midday sun was never available for testing :-) but I can believe the spec that it manages the full 2A specification thenPractical Usage testsThe unit has a small red LED visible between the two USB outputs that helpfully lights whenever the two USB power socket output's have any power. This LED going out while in sun therefore confirms my observation on my test meters during the tests above that as sun conditions change between sunny and less sunny it sometimes cuts the output for around a second; presumably re-configuring itself for producing 5 volts efficiently despite the large change in the voltage it gets from the two solar panels in sun/shade. The process is automatic and did not affect it then resuming to supply 5V to charge any of the three 'USB battery power bank' blocks I own. It will conveniently charge two packs at a time and it was successfully tested with 1,000mAH 2,000mAH and 30,000mAh (yes really!) banks in a changing bright sun /less sun /dark /shade scenario. Couldn't fault it for this.It had more trouble charging my iPhone 5 directly as once on charge if the sunlight and therefore voltage fell below a certain point the iPhone naturally stopped charging - but with light restored it only resumed charging about 2 out of 3 times. The manual mentions this as an iPhone thing and says unplug /re-plug which does indeed provide a temporary reset and charge resumes. Of course you need to be there, watching, to do this . It likely wouldn't be a problem in continuous full sun but it means leaving it to charge an iPhone in transit or on a dull day is going to be a bit hit and missSO I would say it's a nice unit. Small, robust and portable and fine for a quick iPhone boost in full sun but for leaving out / carrying round all day etc it will be better to let it charge 1 or 2 USB power bank blocks and refill your phone, camera etc from the power banks at the end of the day. (Also if worst came to worst I would rather leave this and a power bank out of my sight in a field than my iPhone)

Great for those 2 days of summer here in the UK------------This was bought as an emergency purchase at short notice during my holidays last year, and as a result I didn't make use of it's full potential immediately and thought it was a flop.However after doing my homework I have a few handy tips to share...------- Face directly at the sun, not behind a panel of glass if this is at all possible. This makes a huge difference to volts and amps that charge your devices via your panels.- ‎Move the solar panels throughout the day to always face the sun if you can. Moving the panels even slightly can make or break the difference to the amps that charge your devices.- ‎Charge a power bank, not your smartphone. Smartphones aren't the most reliable gadgets to charge via solar panels and and keep switching on/off from charging and resetting constantly. Charge a power bank and then charge your phone and other gadgets from that in the evening instead.- Use a new or decent USB cable. Old and worn USB cables end up with a weak and loose connection and might disconnect from your gadgets without much force. This has a big impact on charging your devices.- Buy a USB voltmeter and connect it to your solar panels. This is very handy to gauge the power generated by the panels whatever the weather!- Buy a couple of carabiners and strong suction cups to hang your solar panels wherever you can! Carabiners are handy to hook on bags and backpacks. Suction cups are fab for windows.---------The solar panels in question are strong, durable and lightweight. It's very well made and showerproof. There is a zipped pouch on the outside which houses a single USB socket and a cable to charge your devices. The pouch is large enough for a smartphone and my voltmeter and a long USB cable.On the outside are several strong loops stitched into the outer fabric and the accompanying carabiners attach to this so you can hang it anywhere you deem fit.When the panels aren't in use, you simply fold it and zip it up!The solar panels do well when we do get sunny days here in the UK which can be hit and miss at times. If you use it abroad like Spain/ America/ Australia/ Sahara Desert that consistently gets sun, I'm sure it would give continuously positive results no problems.Great wee panels to hang off your backpack. Or recently, I've hung them on my house windows to face the sun!------------------Side note: About Solar Irradiation - UK vs the World-------I would like to make an important point with regards to reviews about solar panels. Not just this particular panel - but any panels that are for sale.I live in the UK, I know that lots of people, including myself will look at a lot of reviews on here, and likely, Youtube at solar panels before purchasing them. Generally this is a good rule-of-thumb before buying anything, but IMO it's a little different for the purchase of solar panels.Let me explain!When I was looking at reviews on Youtube about this particular solar panel, the reviews were raving about the product and how well it works. This was great! However, I noticed that the majority of these reviews were made in sunnier climates like America, or central Europe for example and so the solar panels worked a treat consistently.However, I found that here in the UK, the use of solar panels are hit-and-miss, since we don't have no way near as much solar irradiation compared to America.The closer you are to the equator, the sunnier/ warmer it will be and so your solar panels will work better. We have a cooler climate here in the uk, as well as being cloudier and have shorter days come autumn and winter.So when I see reviews about people using their panels in the UK being a bit 'hit-and-miss' it's simply because of the location of the UK and we tend to get less sun compared to other countries. There is nothing wrong with the panels!The panels will work brilliantly in the late spring/ summer months, but not in winter time with less sun and shorter days.My two cents, before investing in solar panels.

I had high hopes for this solar panel, and when it arrived, at first, lived up to my expectations. Beautifully made, cable, carabiners, all included.The charging port on the back looks a bit of an afterthought, and doesn't appear to be of the same quality as the rest of the product.I have a little 7" fire tablet, battery was flat, Sun was up; plugged it in and all was well. It started charging no probs.However, as soon as any cloud last over, it stopped, then restarted, then stopped for the next cloud.This became so frequent that I didn't want to wreck my battery and unplugged it.I think that this solar charger would work well abroad, in hot climates.But to use in the uk, you would need a bright cloudless sky, and with uk weather being as predictable as ever, this doesn't make it suitable.⚓

These portable solar panel have a great design. The can be attached to your backpack or used as a fixed panel when camping, for charging up to two devices. The only problem I found is that even on a sunny day, the slightest shadow (like a passing cloud) can completely interrupt the charging process. This ends up in your device showing as charging discharging which I think might not be so good for your battery life. That is the only reason I'm giving it four stars. This doesn't mean they don't do what they say though. If you are a camper or travel often, these might be an excellent idea. Highly recommended!I got this product at a discounted price in exchange for an honest review.