Top 7 Best Portable Solar Generators of 2022 | Reviews & Comparison Chart

Solar energy is free for everyone, and as the technology is advancing the portable solar generators are becoming cheaper, more efficient, and easily available to everyone.

A lot of people have a misconception about portable solar generators. These generators are intended for powering up small appliances when you go camping or hiking. They are compact and lightweight; thus, you can easily carry them and above all, they don’t emit any fumes reducing your carbon footprints.

We have reviewed top portable solar generators and even made an interactive buying guide to help you with your buying process.

Best Portable Solar Generators

1. Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Solar Generator

Jackery was founded in 2012 by Apple battery engineers to provide green power solutions to the explorers. In 2018 they launched a solar saga series solar panel to charge the portable generator through solar energy.

Jackery launched the portable inverter generator capable of generating the 500W running output and 1000W surge output. For your convenience, the power station can charge and run multiple devices all at once. It is equipped with one 110 V AC outlet, two 12 V DC outlets, and three USB ports.

The portable solar generator comes with a 2-inch LCD screen that shows the battery life, input unit, and output unit so you can plan the usage accordingly. The output unit gives you an accurate detail of how much power the particular appliance/s is drawing.

On a full charge, the generator can charge the smartphone 50 times, MacBook 4 times it can keep running minifridge for massive 36 hours, TV for 7 hours, a small light for 2 days, etc. So, you get the idea of how powerful this power station is.

It comes with a built-in handle and weighs only 13 pounds that makes it easy to carry everywhere. The dimensions of the product are 11.84x 7.59x 9.2 inches making it the perfect portable companion.

You can charge the portable power station through the wall AC outlet, car DC outlet, and the solar panel. Through the AC outlet, it will take 7.5 hours to fully charge, on DC it will take approx. 12 hours, and on solar energy, it will take 16 hours to charge from 0-100%. It comes with the MPPT controller that increases the charge time from solar panels by 40%.

If you plug the appliance that requires more than 500W to run, then the generator won’t supply any power, thus saving both from getting damaged. In-built powerful emergency light demands very little power, so on a 1% battery, you can keep running that light for 24 hours, can you believe it? It also has an SOS feature for your safety.

For product safety, they have a BMS system that manages the over-voltage protection, over-current protection, over-temperature protection, etc. The Jackery power station comes with a 2 years warranty.

2. Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Solar Generator

After 240 and 500, this is the 3rd Jackery solar generator we reviewed simply because Jackery keeps making a better and better product with every new update, and the Jackery Explorer 1000 is one of them.

As the name says, the 1002 Wh lithium battery produces 1000 Watts of running power and 2000 Watts of surge power, so you can start and run even some bigger items.

Its user-friendly carry handle makes it easy to carry the 22 pounds portable solar generator. The dimensions are 13.1x 9.2x 11.1 inches.

Explorer 1000 comes with a 2-inch LCD screen that shows the battery life, input unit, and output unit. The output unit gives you an accurate detail of how much power the particular appliance/s is drawing so you can add another device or remove the appliance that draws more power.

The 1000W solar generator is equipped with 3 AC 110 V outlets, 2 Type-C USB slots, 1 USB 5 V slot, and 1 USB slot with quick charge 3.0 technology, allowing you to run and charge more than enough devices together.

On the Explorer 1000, you can run the high wattage appliances like a blender, electric grill, pressure cooker, coffee maker that was not possible to run on a small portable generator. Before the generator runs out of power, you can charge your iPhone 100 times, Macbook 8 times, you can run a TV for straight 14 hours, LED light continuously for 3 days.

On a wall outlet, it takes 7 hours to charge; on a car outlet, it takes 14 hours to charge, and on a 2x 100W solar panel, it takes only 8 hours. Keep in mind if you charge with only 1 solar panel, then it will take approx 17 hours. It comes with the MPPT controller that increases the charge time from solar panels by 40%.

In-built powerful emergency light demands very little power, so, on a 1% battery, it can work for 24 hours, and it also has an SOS feature for your safety.

The Explorer 1000 comes with a 2 years warranty.

3. BALDR 330 Portable Solar Generator

Baldr is known for manufacturing durable daily electronic devices. Now they have entered the space of solar portable generators and they have already started giving tough competition to the companies like Jackery and Honda.

Baldr has launched a portable solar generator named Baldr 330. It’s 297Wh power capacity is capable of providing energy to various devices and appliances. The generator is equipped with 1 AC 110 V outlet, 3 USB outlet, 1 Type-C outlet, 2 DC 12 V outlet, and a wireless charging feature to charge a smartphone or any devices that are compatible with.

The device can charge through an AC outlet, DC outlet, and any compatible 100W solar panel. Its fast charging feature allows charging from 0-100% on AC in 5-6 hours, the DC outlet takes around 8 hours, and on the 100 W solar panel, it takes up to 7 hours to fully charge.

It has an LCD screen that shows how much battery is remaining. Using Baldr 330W solar generator, you cannot run the appliances like coffee maker, microwave, hairdryer, drill, heater, induction cooker, and other appliances that require more than 300 running power output. Well, there are other useful items that you can run like a TV, mini cooler, mini-refrigerator, LED light, you can charge all your electric sensitive devices like smartphones, laptop, camera, tablets, drones, etc.

For safety, they have a BMS system that manages the over-voltage protection, over-current protection, over-temperature protection, etc. It also comes with an in-built LED light.

The product weighs only 7.1 pounds, making it lightweight so that you can carry it with you. The dimensions of the product are 11.6x 8.27x 7.68 inches.

The Baldr portable solar generator comes with the 30 days money-back guarantee and 2 years warranty.

4. Jackery Explorer 240 Portable Solar Generator

Jackery Explorer 240 is a small, good-looking brother of Jackery 500. Jackery brand is known to make high-quality and reliable portable solar generators.

The 240Wh lithium battery generates a 200 wattage output and 400 surge watts, so you can run the item that requires the high starting watts, and it comes with a 1 AC 110 V outlet, 2 USB 5 V slot, and 1 DC 12V outlet.

This unit weighs only about 6.6 pounds, and its dimensions are 5.19x 9.05x 7.67 inches, and the sturdy carry handle makes it an ideal portable solar generator to carry everywhere.

The portable generator comes with a 2-inch LCD screen that shows the battery life, input unit, and output unit so you can plan the usage accordingly. The output unit gives you an accurate detail of how much power the particular appliance/s is drawing.

On a full charge, the Jackery power station can charge your iPhone 24 times, Macbook 3 times. It can run a TV for 3 hours, a LED light for 40 hours. This power station is not capable of running a blender, hand-dryer, travel mug, pressure cooker, etc.

Interestingly, unlike other solar generators, including Jacker, this unit takes less time to charge on 60 W solar panels than the AC outlet and DC outlet. On an AC, the power station will charge in 7 hours, and on DC, it will take the same amount of time, but on the solar panel, that will take only 6.5 hours to charge. It comes with the MPPT controller that increases the charge time from solar panels by 40%.

Like the explorer 500, this portable solar generator does not come with the LED flashlight and SOS feature. Jackery Explorer 240 comes with a 2 years warranty.

5. Westinghouse iGen160s Portable Power Station

Westinghouse is an American brand known to make the powerful and quiet generator that runs on both gasoline and propane. They make the same durable product as Honda produces. Now Westinghouse has entered the market of solar generators.

Westinghouse has introduced affordable and full of great features the Westinghouse iGen160s portable solar generator. iGen 160s generates 155 watts of power.

It comes with the 2 120V household outlets, 5V Type-C port, 5V quick charge USB 3.0 port, 2 DC 5V USB ports, and 3 DC 12V 5.5mm ports that allow you to charge or run any appliance you want to run but make sure it is below the 155 watts.

It is super light as it weighs only 3.75 pounds and the dimensions of the solar generators are 7x 3.77x 8.14 inches.

The Westinghouse iGen 160s takes around 6-7 hours to fully charge on a wall charger, and on a 12 V car charger, it takes 6-7 hours to charge, and even on a 60 W solar panel, it only takes 6-7 hours to charge 100%. This charge time on solar panels helps you reduce your carbon footprint because it takes the same time as the wall charger.

This is a small and compact solar generator, so you won’t be able to run the big appliances, but you can run a 42” LCD Television for approx. 3 hours. Also, you can lighten up your campaign area by plugging the LED light, and you can charge your smartphones, laptop, cameras, drones, and other devices that require power less than 150 Watts.

This power station is designed specifically to charge your devices and run some small appliances, so devices like hairdryers, induction cooker, and drills that require more than 500 watts will not be useful.

The LED screen shows the battery and the slots that are drawing the power. It also comes with reading light. The portable generator comes with a 2 years warranty.

6. Rockpals WCE001 Rechargeable Portable Generator

Rockpals is engaged in innovating products for outdoor life. The vision of the company is ‘Go outdoor, Enjoy nature, Light life with passion.’

Rockpals launched WCE001 portable solar generator that produces 250 watts running power and 300 watts surge power. The solar generator comes with a dual AC 120V outlet, 2 USB slots, and 4 DC 12 V output slots.

The internal 240Wh lithium battery weighs only 5.5 pounds lighter than the Jackery Explorer 240. The dimensions of the product are 8.86 x 3.94 x 6.3 inches that are smaller than the Jackery Explorer 240, its direct competitor.

On a full charge, the portable solar generator can charge smartphones 20 times, laptops 4 times, can run the 32” LCD TV for 3 hours, mini-refrigerator for 4 hours, small LED light for more than 2 days, CPAP machine for 2 nights ( it should be under 60 W) and many other small appliances.

Like Jackery, it also comes with an MPPT controller for solar charging. Instead of an LED screen, it has small light indicators to show the battery status.

This device can charge through an AC adapter wall charger that will take 6-7 hours, a DC will also take 6-7 hours, but for solar, you can charge it using 60 W, 80 W, and 100 W panels. On a 60 W panel, it takes around 9 hours for a full charge.

They have a safety feature that protects the product from surge and short circuit. It comes with a 2 years warranty and 30 days money-back guarantee.

7. Flash Fish G300 Portable Solar Generator

Flash Fish was founded in 2010 by a bunch of battery lovers with the mission to provide safe, smart, sustainable battery solutions.

Flash Fish G300  produces 300 watts running power and 350 watts surge power. This portable solar generator is made of 80 % metal and only 20% plastic means you can use it camping without worry about getting damaged.

It weighs only 5.6 pounds that makes it easy to carry it in a backpack anywhere you like. The dimensions of this compact generator are 13.4x 8x 5.2 inches.

Furthermore, It comes with a dual 110V AC outlet, 2 DC 12V 5.5mm ports (120W max), and 3 USB ports; out of that two slots are equipped with quick charging 3.0 technology. The 12V ports are useful for LED string light, Xmas, weddings, etc.

Like other solar portable generators, this can be charged 3 ways through, AC outlet, DC outlet, and solar panel. It takes around 6 hours to fully charge on the AC wall charger as well as on the DC car charger. On a 50 W solar panel, it takes around 9 hours to charge.

Using the Flash Fish solar generator, you can charge your smartphones for 20 times, laptop for 5 times, drone for 3 times, tablets, kindle, camera, drone, etc., and you can also run the mini-refrigerator, projector, electric guitar, lights, television, air compressor and all those appliances that require less than 300 continuous watts. Items like hairdryer, kettle, cooker, etc., won’t work on this.

The main drawback of this solar generator is you can’t use the generator to run devices when it is in charging mode. At home, it won’t be an issue, but at camping, you are forced to wait till it gets charged. It comes with a nice LED screen to show the battery status. Last but not least, it comes with a one year warranty.

What is a Portable Solar Generator? How does it work?

The portable solar generator is also known as a portable power station that works on solar energy to provide electricity instead of fossil fuels like gasoline, propane gas.

The portable solar generator can be charged from sun rays by using the solar panels. Some solar generators can also be charged using the AC wall charger and DC car charger. It cannot be the right power solution for the whole house, but for small uses, they are a viable option.

The process is quite simple; the solar panel captures the sunlight, and converts it into electricity, and stores the electricity in the battery. A controller controls the flow of current to the battery, and lastly, the inverter converts the power into clean electric power and supplies as per the need.

Advantages of the portable solar generator:

A portable solar generator is a simple machine that generates electricity from the sun without creating any pollution in the air, and it has more advantages than other kinds of traditional generators.

Free energy:

You heard it right! As in the name, the portable solar generator generates energy directly from the sun through the solar panels and stores it into the internal battery. The only expense you have to bear is the generator itself and the solar panels, and after that, for 20-25 years, you get free electricity without any additional expenses.

Lightweight:

If you have used the gasoline-powered portable generator in the past, then you know they are quite heavy to carry everywhere because of the fuel tank and the engine. The best part of the solar portable generator is that it does not need a fuel tank and an engine to produce the electricity from combustion. They just have a battery because they get energy directly from the sun making the portable solar generator lightweight.
You can also charge the portable solar generator using a wall charger and a car battery.

Reduces the Carbon footprint:

We, humans, are infamous for spreading pollution into the atmosphere by using vehicles, generating electricity using fossil fuels, installing manufacturing plants, and many other ways. But we have also become successful in developing generators that work on solar energy without the use of fossil fuel. The solar generator does not spread any fumes in the atmosphere, eliminating the complete carbon footprint. They are also lightweight in nature and easy to use.

Low Maintenance and Long Term Investment:

We agree with you that solar portable generators are expensive. But they provide free electricity using solar power for a minimum of 25 years that means you covered your expense of purchasing the portable solar generator a long time ago. In my opinion, this is a great deal, and you also get something to contribute to making the environment ‘Green.’

We also agree with you that the portable generators that run using gasoline or propane gas need maintenance occasionally. But this is not the case with portable solar generators because they demand very little maintenance. As there are no working parts, you don’t need to worry about them getting damaged or malfunctioning.

Noise-free portable generators:

Portable solar generators do not make any noise during the operation because of the absence of moving parts or an engine, for that matter. Since they are silent, you can use them without the fear of disturbing anyone.
On the other hand, the traditional generators used to make noise because of numerous moving parts and had to process the gasoline to make electricity.

Buying Guide for the Best Portable Solar Generators

So now you have decided to purchase the portable solar generator. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind during your purchase process.

What to look for when buying the portable solar generator:

There are numerous things you need to look for when purchasing a portable solar generator.

Power Output:

The first question you need to ask yourself what is the purpose of a portable solar generator? Is it for emergency use or camping? If it is for camping, then evaluate which appliances and devices you are going to charge or run on the generator and how much power do they require. If you have no plan to use the items that require the high running wattage, then you can go for the 500-watts portable solar generator.

If the portable solar generator is for emergency use or you reside in an area where hurricanes or blackouts happen often, then you should buy the portable solar generator that produces at least 1000 watts because in the house we need to run more things than we run on campings.

Charging time:

Days are gone when portable solar generators tend to consume lots of time to charge. But still, they take more time to charge from 0-100% than other types of portable generators. As technology is advancing, you can charge the portable solar generator in under 7-9 hours using either solar panels or an AC wall outlet. The solar charging speed highly depends on weather conditions, location, solar panel, etc.

If your budget is a little higher, then go for the fast charging portable solar generator. Currently, the solar generator comes with hybrid technology that allows you to charge with AC and DC outlets as well.

Weight:

Weight is a critical aspect; you should take it seriously. Sometimes, we neglect this aspect for more power and other features, but the solar generator needs to be lightweight if you want to use it for camping.

A portable solar generator of 250 watts is available from 7 pounds that are not heavy, but if you go for 1000 watts or 1500 watts, they weigh around 25 pounds. Try to find a portable solar generator that weighs less so you can carry it anywhere freely.

Number of outlets:

When portable solar generators were introduced, it was equipped with only 2-4 output outlets making it an unfavorable choice to purchase. But today, you would find the portable solar generator with numerous output plugs of different types.

A portable solar generator comes with an AC outlet, USB outlet, Type-C USB outlet, DC ports, and some of them also have quick charger 3.0 technology and wireless charging.

Make sure to check which outlet you most need. For e.g., if you need to use an AC outlet for multiple appliances, then you should select the portable solar generator that comes with the 2 or more AC outlet if your phone needs Type-C, then check whether the generator you are going to purchase has Type-C USB slot or not.

LED torchlight:

You never know when you need the emergency light during camping. Many portable solar generators out there in the market that comes with the in-built powerful LED torchlight that demands very little power.

To give an idea, on the Jackery Explorer 500, the LED light works continuously for 24 hours on a 1% battery. It also comes with the SOS feature in case you need it during the night for your safety.

Many portable power generators like Westinghouse iGen160s come with different lighting modes.

LCD screen:

Most portable solar generators come with an LCD screen that notifies you with real-time data. The LCD screen shows the status of the battery, output unit, input unit, active connection on AC/DC output, and many other useful real-time data.

Data keeps you aware of how much battery is remaining so you can plan the usage. Output data shows whether any appliance is drawing more power or not because without your awareness, you may end up draining your whole battery power.

Warranty:

Always make sure to check the warranty period before you make a purchase. The portable solar generator generally comes with a warranty period of 1 to 3 years. The higher warranty product is expensive than the product that comes with a year warranty. So, if you can lay some cash out of your budget, then you should definitely go with the portable solar generator that comes with the higher warranty.

Some companies hide their info. So, customers can’t reach them, and some take days to answer the question so, also check how is the customer service of the company.

FAQ

Q. Does the portable solar generator with a solar panel come?

Not all portable power stations include the solar panel, so check whether the portable power station comes with the solar panel or are sold separately. Also, check whether it works only with the specific solar panel or it is compatible with other brands of solar panel as well.

Q. Do portable solar generators make noise during operation?

The answer is simply NO; a portable solar generator does not emit any kind of noise even when it is in high wattage mode. Even the built-in fan inside the portable generator to keep it cool doesn’t make noise.

Q. Can I use the portable solar generator indoor?

Yes. The portable solar generator doesn’t emit any kind of fumes because it works on solar energy and not on any kind of fossil fuels. It does not have an engine as well.

Q. Do 500 watts portable solar generators provide enough energy to run all my appliances on camping?

It highly depends on what kind of appliance and how long you want to use it. If you want a portable power station to charge smartphones, laptops, camera batteries, to run a small fridge, LED light, mini fan, small stove, etc., then 500W is enough for you. But if you want to run a hairdryer, cooker, etc., you would need the 1500 watts portable power generator.