The Best Solar Power Bank

Buying Guide

Power outages are an ongoing issue across the country, with the average U.S. electricity customer experiencing eight hours of power interruptions in 2020. With so many relying on internet access for work, school and personal activities, a disruption of even a half hour or so can be a problem.

Having a backup power source can help keep your devices up and running at all times, even when you don’t have power at home. But a smaller, more portable power source means you can take it on the go with you. Stuck at the airport with no way to charge your phone? No problem, as long as you have your handy power bank with you.

A solar power bank gathers energy from the sun to power your devices. As long as you have access to direct sunlight and some time, you can charge your electronics without using electricity at all. That makes power banks a great option if you’re looking for a sustainable way to charge your devices.

For best results, your solar power bank will need to have access to direct sunlight for the time necessary to charge them. You can charge them through a window, but they won’t be as efficient as those charged in direct sunlight.

If you’re using your power bank while hiking, some allow a carabiner to be attached. You can then hang it from your backpack to expose it to the sun while you walk. If you’re camping, you could hang your power bank on your tent where the sun is hitting it.

You might not always have access to sunlight, though. For those times, you’ll need to be able to charge your power bank using electricity. Your power bank should come with an adapter that provides a backup charging method for when solar power isn’t an option.

• Charging a device using solar power can take a substantial amount of time. You might be used to charging in an hour or two using electricity, but you may be working over multiple days to get a full charge on your solar power bank.
• If you’re hoping to rely solely on your power bank, look for one with multiple solar panels. This will give you the charge you need without needing to supplement using electricity.
• Some solar power banks have indicator lights that let you know when they’re fully charged. This can be a big help if you’re planning to be away from a power source for hours and want to make sure it’s fully charged before using it.
• With any power bank, months of sitting idle can be damaging to the battery. But constantly charging and discharging it also shortens its life. Try to at least use it every three months to keep the battery active, but don’t constantly use it unless you need it.
• There’s no harm in using your device while it’s connected to the power bank. It will slow down charging time, though, since you’re depleting the battery while it’s charging, so if you’re in a rush to charge it and disconnect the power bank, you might want to let it charge unused for a while.
• In recent years, experts have begun recommending not to charge your device past 80 percent or so. Setting it on the charger and leaving it until it reaches 100 percent and beyond can be bad for the battery.
• Fully depleting your battery or your power bank can be damaging, as well. Try to recharge before you get below 20 or 30 percent. It’s especially important to recharge a solar power bank before it fully depletes because of the energy necessary to move it from the lower ranges.