Buying a Best Portable Solar Panel: Here's What You Need to Know

As we become increasingly dependent on technology, it’s getting more and more challenging to unplug entirely when going on vacation. But that doesn’t mean you can only travel to destinations with outlets and electricity.

Instead, you can purchase portable solar panels to generate the energy you need while on the go. These allow you to go anywhere you want and still have the power you need to charge your phone, run small appliances, and more.

But if you’re interested in buying the best portable solar panel, you know how tough it can be to make a decision.

That’s why we’ve created this article. It highlights everything you need to know about the shopping process, as well as our pick for the best portable solar panel on the market.

Keep reading to learn more.

• Why should you buy portable solar panels?
• Factors to Keep in Mind
• BougeRV’s Portable Solar Panels
• Portable Solar Panel Use Cases
• Portable Solar Panels FAQ  
• Looking for the Best Portable Solar Panels? BougeRV Has You Covered 

Why should you buy portable solar panels?

Buying portable solar panels is worth doing for many reasons. But here are four key benefits worth thinking about as you look for the right product.

Get the power you want while on the go

The main reason why people purchase portable solar panels is to gain access to power while on the go. These can’t replicate the level of energy you’d get from outlets at home, but they can provide an excellent substitution that makes your next outdoor trip more enjoyable for the whole family.

Make your outdoor adventures more enjoyable

You can spend all day enjoying the great outdoors. But when the night comes, you want to make sure that your favorite devices are charged so that you have a way to pass the time enjoyable.

That’s what portable solar panels offer. They help you keep your most important gear charged so that you can use it on-demand throughout the duration of your excursion – not just at the beginning until the power runs out.

Maintenance is a breeze

It’s also worth mentioning that portable solar panels have virtually no maintenance. You just need to clean them somewhat regularly to avoid drops in efficiency. But that’s it. There aren’t any significant costs associated with maintaining these, and they can last you for years.

Pair with a portable power generator to save energy for later

If you really want to take your portable energy set-up to the next level, then purchasing a portable power generation to pair with your portable solar panels is the way to do it.

A portable power generator uses solar energy to charge a battery. You can then use this battery to charge your devices, power your appliances, and more – even when it’s dark outside. It’s another reason why portable solar panels could be a great purchase for you.

Factors to Keep in Mind

As you start shopping for portable solar panels, there will be a few different things you want to keep in mind.

Here are six of the most important factors to consider.

Wattage

Wattage tells you how much power you can expect to generate with a given solar panel. The higher the wattage, the more electricity a set of solar panels will create under the same conditions as a lower-wattage counterpart.

Many consumers find it helpful to calculate the amount of energy they want their solar panels to be able to create and then shop based on that number.

For example, let’s say you want to charge your laptop three times while camping. You could calculate how much energy that takes and ensure that any portable solar panels you look at are rated with enough wattage to generate that amount of power.

Size, weight, and design

If you’re looking for portable solar panels specifically, that means you plan on taking them with you while you’re on the go. This means the size, weight, and design of your solar panels are very important.

The best combination of these traits can vary from person to person. For example, a backpacker who wants to hike with their portable solar panels will require a more compact design than someone who plans on using the panels in an RV.

Types of plugs included

Not all portable solar panels have the same kinds of plug-in options on them. Some will only take USB cords, while others offer standard outlets or even DC car plug-ins. It’s worth considering what kinds of devices you want to use before shopping for this reason.

You want to make sure that you’re able to plug in your devices to the solar panels to be charged without needing to lug around a converter or choose between two important devices, such as your laptop and cell phone, instead of charging them together at the same time.

Weather resistance

Weather resistance may or may not be a point of consideration on your list. It really depends on where you plan on using your portable solar panels and whether you expect the weather to be a significant factor in those areas.

Most portable solar panels offer some level of weather resistance, but it’s tough to find genuinely waterproof panels.

That being said, you’re likely not going to be able to generate power when it rains anyways, so you can just get into the habit of taking your panels inside when you see storm clouds.

Power storage options

Another factor you may want to consider is whether you’d like to store the leftover power generated by your portable solar panels for later use. This could allow you to continue accessing electricity even when the sun isn’t out.

However, portable solar panels almost never include built-in power storage. If this is something you want, then you’re likely going to need to purchase a portable power station in addition to solar panels.

Price

Finally, price is always a factor that matters when making a purchase like this. Just make sure that you don’t sacrifice too much in the way of energy generation in order to find a product at a lower price point.

BougeRV’s Portable Solar Panels

BougeRV offers a wide selection of solar panels to satisfy all of your on-the-go energy needs. From our 130W Mono Portable Solar Panel to our 200W option, you can find everything you need on our website.

At BougeRV, we use the finest materials to construct durable products that can reliably create energy for years to come. With compact sizes and plenty of plugs to boot, we can’t help but call our portable solar panels the best options on the market – especially given our affordable prices.

Portable Solar Panel Use Cases

With portable solar panels from BougeRV, you can enjoy the great outdoors without having to give up your favorite devices.

For example, you could charge your laptop during the day so that you’re able to watch movies on it at night. Or, you could keep your cell phone charged so that you can stay in touch with friends and family.

Many people also purchase portable solar panels to power things like mini refrigerators, electric cooking stoves, air conditioners, drone batteries, and more.

Portable Solar Panels FAQ

What size portable solar panel do I need?

This depends on what you would like to do with your portable solar panels. Typically a 130-200W panel is enough for basic everyday electricity.

What can a 100-watt solar panel run?

These can charge cell phones and laptops, power fans, and even run WiFi routers. You can pair multiple 100W solar panels together if you need more energy.

Can you use portable solar panels at home?

Yes, you can absolutely use portable solar panels at home as a backup source of power.

Looking for the Best Portable Solar Panels? BougeRV Has You Covered

 

Whether you want portable solar panels for your RV or something you can carry with you in a backpack while going on hikes, BougeRV has a high-quality, durable portable solar panel option for you.

Take a look at our website to learn more about what we have to offer. And feel free to reach out with any questions you may have for us.