Are Solar Battery Packs Worth It? (With 4 best options!)

Hiking, traveling, and going on an adventure off-grid is exciting, but it poses a challenge: how will you charge your device, phone, or laptop?

Without a power station, your devices can go off when taking important photos of important scenes! Your phone can also shut down in the middle of nowhere, leaving you stranded in the jungle.

While you can carry a power bank, it also needs charging. So, no guarantee with a power bank. What about solar battery backpacks? Are they worth buying, and can they help you off-grid? And what are the top solar-powered backpacks on the market?

These and other questions are answered in this article. Let’s dive in.

You might also wonder whether you can charge a power bank with a solar panel; I wrote a whole article that I encourage you to read.

What Is a Solar-Powered Backpack?

We all know a backpack for travelers, hikers, and business persons. Now, you can imagine a mini solar panel mounted in front of the pack, making it a solar-powered backpack.

Solar-powered backpack allows you to charge your devices anytime, anywhere. You don’t have to carry a separate solar charger or a solar power bank on the side. You can connect your phone to your backpack and charge it as you walk, hike, or camp off-grid.

Here are the solar-powered backpack’s components

Flexible solar panels
Solar battery
Charge controller
Cords
DC-DC voltage converter
Emergency bulbs

What Does a Solar-Powered Backpack Do?

Thin-layered solar panels are counted in front of the backpack, and when exposed to sunlight, the panels absorb the energy and convert it to electricity. The electricity is given a DC voltage output supplied directly to your device or stored in a battery for future use. The batter is built-in into the backpack, but the charge controller controls the storage process.

The solar backpack battery is lithium-ion, which means that a full 10-hour charge can store the energy you will use for up to 55 hours.

When you want to charge your device, the panel or storage battery power goes through a DC-DC converter to step down the voltage to meet your device’s needs.

You can use solar bags to charge your mobile phones, iPad, digital camera, and other electronic products. Besides traveling and mountaineering, you can use solar-powered backpacks on a business trip.

A solar-powered backup without a battery or charge controller means that the generated electricity should be used immediately. During cloudy days or at night, you cannot use your backpack to generate electricity.

They are convenient to carry, integrated with the luggage, safe to use, and simple to operate.

Advantages Of Solar-Powered Backpack

As we have already pre-empted, solar bags have several advantages, including

The batteries and the bag are integrated; hence no need to carry power banks or backup batteries. You don’t need to sweat over extra space on your travel bag to carry chargers.
You can charge your device wherever you go. No need for power stations to charge your devices.
You can go off-grid without going offline; hence suitable for wildlife photographers, hikers, and travelers.
Solar-powered backpacks are environmentally friendly since it does not release greenhouse gases to the environment when generating electricity.
Solar-powered backpacks are more reliable than power banks and backup batteries that require charging.

Disadvantages Of Solar-Powered Backups

All is not rosy with solar-powered backpacks. Here are some challenges for solar bags.

Solar-powered backpacks are more expensive than regular solar chargers, power banks, and backup batteries.
Solar-powered backpacks rely on sunlight to function optimally. With high-intensity sunlight, your solar-powered backpack will not operate efficiently, providing less electricity during cloudy days.
The design does not suit everyone, with some complaining that the backpack designs are uncomfortable.

Top 4 Solar-Powered Backpack

The solar industry is awash with many solar-powered backpacks; you can be confused about the ideal one. I gathered the 5 best solar-powered backpacks according to some of the most positive reviews.

1- Eceen Solar Backpack

If you are looking for a heavy-duty backpack, Eceen is an ideal option. It is one of the largest solar backpacks with a capacity rating of 42 liters. You can store many things in this backpack, making it suitable for most hikers and travelers.

Eceen backpack also has an excellent power output from its panel. The solar panel is rated at 7 watts, which can charge your phone faster. And with a one-year warranty, you can vouch for its durability.

Harnessed energy is converted and safely stored in the built-in battery for later use. You can use the backpack to charge your devices or light your room at night.

The backpack has a classic shape and several pockets to store and organize your traveling stuff. For instance, you can carry your iPad, notebook, books, laptop, keys, and other gadgets ideal for outdoor activities.

2- Voltaic Systems Solar Backpack

Voltaic system company holds this position because it is the first brand to design the world’s first solar backpack. The brand is famous for its wide range of solar devices suitable for travel and outdoor use.

The voltaic solar backpack has monocrystalline solar panel cells capable of generating adequate power to charge a laptop within 6 hours. It has a 24,000 mAh battery that can hold power for a while. You can use the battery to charge your devices even when the sun has gone down.

And with three ports for USB, Type C USB, and a high-voltage port for laptop output charge, you can charge any of your travel devices.

This solar backpack has two years warranty, assuring you of its durability. It is made from lightweight and UV-resistant fabric, making it easy to carry and durable. Its solar cells are strong to withstand rigorous everyday use, meaning you will use it longer before you think of going to the store for a new one.

Furthermore, you can recycle the fabric from PET, allowing you to contribute to the community. And it has a 25l capacity of storage space with a specific 15-inch sleeve to store tablets and laptops. You can easily access all the compartments to store or get your belongings.

Its solar panel’s power rating is 9 watts, which can charge your devices relatively faster and safer than most solar-powered backpacks.

The voltaic systems solar backpack’s design is perfectly built to support camping, travelers, photographers, and hikers.

With this backpack, you can charge:

DSLR camera batteries from iPhones, MacBooks, Sony, Samsung, Asus, Acer, Nikon, HP, etc.
Professional cameras
Smartphones

3- Sunnybag EXPLORER

This solar-powered backpack has a 15L capacity, making it the smallest in this list. However, it has a 6-watt solar panel capable of charging your smartphone within 2 to 3 hours of sunlight.

The solar panel is removable, allowing you to remove it from the bag and place it in direct sunlight without exposing the bag’s fabric to the smoldering heat.

The bag is made from water-repellent fabric to help you survive outdoors, even if it rains. However, the downside of Sunnybag EXPLORER is that it does not have a power bank or battery solution. You need the sun to use it; otherwise, you will remain offline.

Alternatively, you can buy a separate solar power bank that you can charge and use when the sun is down.

It has ultra-light and durable water-repellent fabric that can withstand resistance experienced in camping and hiking.

4- Kingsons Solar Backpack

Kingsons offer premium solar backpacks, but its useful features justify the price tag. Kingson Beam solar backpack is reliable and durable for hikers and travelers. And with a 19L capacity, you can carry the necessary things you need for the trip.

This solar-powered backpack has an 8.5 watts solar panel that increases charging speed.

Kingson’s lifetime warranty inspires confidence in its quality. This solar backpack can serve you for many years without technical problems. Additionally, it has unique USB ports, one being a micro charging port to charge gadgets that require it.

Like most solar-powered backpacks in this article, Kingson is made of water-resistant and durable material. Its zippers are metallic, thus ensuring long-lasting usage.

The design of this brand is ergonomic and friendly to carry, with its multi-panel ventilated padding providing maximum back support. You can adjust its shoulder straps for easy and comfortable carriage.

Kingsons solar backpack allows you to carry a laptop of 15.6 inches and a tablet of 10.1 inches because of its large compartment. It also has a spacious compartment for daily use and dual side pockets to keep your umbrella, water bottle, and other smaller objects.

Are Solar Powered Backpacks Worth It?

Solar-powered backpacks are worth your investment, especially for those who travel a lot. They are also ideal for wildlife photographers, campers, and hikers who go off-grid for a long period. In addition, some solar backpacks have high-voltage panels and batteries that can charge your laptops, smartphones, and DSLR camera batteries.

So, do you love off-grid adventures? Do you do business trips to the remote parts of your region? Solar-powered backpacks are an excellent investment you should think of. Which solar-powered backpacks have you found useful and why?