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Solartab, the premium solar charger/battery for iPad and iPhone that actually works

SolarTab-iphone

If you’ve ever tried to charge your iPhones/iPads/etc. directly from a small solar panel you probably know it is pretty difficult. Even with direct sunlight, you aren’t likely to be able to charge the device reliably. Most USB-charged devices require a minimum of 5W (5Vx1A) of continuous power to even register a charge. Then a cloud comes or the sun moves and you aren’t charging anymore.

Adding a battery to the mix helps, especially if the battery is big and can charge the device on its own without any sun. But most of the solar/battery combos fall into 2 categories: Either messy because they are a bulky 2 step solution or the solar panel is too small to make a meaningful charge and you are mostly using it like a regular USB battery.

solartab

SolarTab is a breath of fresh air here. It is a relatively big 5.5W solar panel built on a thin 13,000mAh battery enclosure that fits in an included Moleskine-esque case. Size-wise, think the original iPad with a nice leather case and a huge solar panel instead of a screen…

Key Details:

  • 5.5W Solar panel w/dual 2.1A USB ports
  • 13,000mAh battery will provide a few full iPads worth of power when the sun goes out
  • Fits perfectly in bags next to books and iPads
  • Looks great and built to last

This is the perfect large battery for a number of reasons. Because it is so thin, it fits like a book (or iPad!) in a backpack, briefcase or large purse. Most importantly, it always has power. I leave mine on my windowsill  for when I need to go into the city (usually 1-2 times per week). My iPhone and iPad usually die with heavy use so it’s a lifesaver for my trips home. What’s great is that I don’t ever have to plug it in. A few days in the window will have me back to full for my next trip.

IMG_5863

This is a premium product with a Apple-inspired 4-LED battery indicator and solar charging indicator. It will charge a dead iPhone or more times to full. An iPad at least twice.

What’s perfect about the size is that the solar panel in direct sunlight can charge an iPhone or iPad by itself (5Vx1A speed) but you shouldn’t ever need this with the monster 13,000mAh battery. There are 2 separate USB out ports which each give you a relatively powerful 2.1A x 5 V or 11 Watts.  If you need to add charge manually you can do so via Micro-USB.

IMG_5862

What’s more, with a USBA to USB-C cable, you can power (but not charge) the new MacBooks or a Chrome Pixel for about double their normal battery life. If the MacBook is asleep then you can charge the internal battery. It would be nice if on a future version the USB ports could support the 2.4A for the fastest speed on current iPads and more for the MacBook.

SolarTAB-specs

Overall, I’m very satisfied with the SolarTab. It really nails the solar-battery USB charger unlike any other product I’ve used before. You can pick one up at Amazon with $20 off coupon code 9TO5SLTB ($109 total) at Amazon or for $119 at SolarTab direct.

Manufacturer:
SolarTab
Regular / Pre-Order Prices:
$94 with Coupon Code: SOLARTAB35
Compatibility:
Any USB charging device

Other products to consider here from (9to5toys.com):

  • Aukey 20W Solar Charger with Dual USB Port $40 w/code 7HP5VBL4 (Orig. $50) 
  • KMASHI 10,000mAh External Battery Power Bank $9.29 w/code YTI7MT89
  • Aukey Car Jump Starter and Portable External Battery w/12V Output and 400A Peak Current $50 w/code EAP8LOB2 (Orig. $70) | Amazon

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Comments

  1. John Hulaboo - 8 years ago

    Great idea!!!

  2. This seems to be a perfect fit for a raspberry pi (first gen.), which draws roughly 500-600mA@5V. Keep it running from the battery at night (more than enough ours even for the winter) and run it off the panel + recharge during the day.

  3. weakguy - 8 years ago

    This looks absolutely amazing and I’m really tempted to purchase it, but I’ll wait until the price drops below $70 to actually consider getting one as I already have a big external battery. I’m still a huge fan of solar as it still amazes me that we humans have found a way to harvest sunlight, despite not very efficiently. Let’s hope that I will be able to charge my devices one day with this puppy in the near future!

  4. Matthew Fox - 8 years ago

    if you charge your iPhone for 231 years you will break even!!!!

  5. alfredprunesquallor - 8 years ago

    What’s the usage case here? Keeping iPhone charged during a backpacking trip?

  6. This is a great idea! I wonder though how it compares to charging your phone or iPad at home with the regular wall charger. For example, does the solar charger charge faster, slower or the same? Can you charge the solartab while charging your phone? Thanks for sharing.

  7. This thing won’t last long, probably 2-3 months tops! You’re going to fry the battery in the heat, and then it will be nothing more than an expensive paper weight! I would much rather purchase something like a Suntactics solar charger, no internal batteries required.

  8. beyondthetech - 8 years ago

    “It will charge a dead iPhone or more times to full.”

    Me thinks we’re missing a number here.

  9. TokyoAce (@TokyoAce) - 8 years ago

    Love the form factor but as others have mentioned here, I wonder about the heat from the solar panel messing with the battery. Solar panels get VERY hot and I don’t see much insulation between the panel and the battery in the photos. Any updates on this would be appreciated.

Author

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites.


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