Regardless of whether you’re are a frequent enthusiast camper or a casual camper, you will need a way to keep the lights on and charge your multiple electronic devices and sometimes household appliances.
Solar generators are a perfect option for sustainable and continuous power. Many options of portable solar generators are available, each with specific features like battery capacity, AC outlets, USB ports, pure sine wave inverter, solar input, and battery types.
Solar generators give you some independence and/or some backup power in case of power outages or if your camping site doesn’t have any AC power. Unlike gas generators or electric generators, they are almost silent and do not release toxic fumes.
If installing a full-on system is too much for your type of camping trip, a portable power station and solar panels are the best things for you!
With portable solar generators, you don’t need specific knowledge on how to install the solar generator or the solar panels, and you keep your appliances running for as long as you want.
We took the time to look for the best portable solar generators available out there, as there are many options.
If you are starting to look for solar generators and solar panels and you are out of your expertise, then there are some things you need to ask yourself in order to choose the best solar generator for your needs.
Regardless of your power consumption, you can find a solar generator that fits your needs!
Knowing your power needs is a good way to start. How much power you will need should be one of your top questions while choosing a solar generator. To give you an idea of some appliances, and potentially high power appliances with their own power needs, that some campers take with them, see the list below
As a result, you will need to look for the battery storage you will require and potentially expand that capacity, for example, a lithium battery pack for a solar generator with lithium batteries.
What size solar generator should be? The size and the weight will vary among the solar generators. The type of batteries will have an influence on the weight.
Lithium batteries are lighter than lead-acid batteries. Many solar generators in our recommendations have a lithium-ion battery. A lithium-ion battery capacity is higher performing as well as a longer lifespan.
We have selected our favorite top 5 solar generators and an extra 5 options to give you a huge choice to make the best decision possible!
All recommendations are portable solar generators known for using solar panels to be charged.
EcoFlow is one of the best-known brands and manufacturers of solar generators on the market. The EcoFlow River max is an impressive solar generator with enough ports for your camping trips alone or with your friends and family.
For the quality and the features that it offers, it is definitely a reasonable price and investment for your casual or frequent trips. We consider this solar generator among the best solar generators available.
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In case you like the profile of this solar power generator but the power output is not quite right, its big brother the EcoFlow River pro offers the same great features with a storage capacity of 720wh expandable to 1440wh. Even weighing 16.8 lbs., this is still a great option for a portable power station to hook up to your solar panels.
The Jackery Explorer 500 has a good storage capacity of 240wh lithium-ion battery. It is very efficient and a great option to power some AC devices and any devices with USB cables. Its 6 months shelf life makes it both a great option for casual or frequent campers, but also in case of a power outage.
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If you are looking for a smaller capacity or a cheaper option within the Jackery range of solar generators, we recommend the Jackery 240 below.
The Jackery Explorer 240 is a baby solar generator among solar generators but is still powerful and efficient to charge your smaller electronic devices during a weekend trip.
It provides enough power for tablets, phones, laptops but also drones, fans, and heating blankets. It makes it a solar generator for outdoor activities as well for a good price.
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If you are looking for a smaller capacity or a cheaper option within the Jackery range of solar generators, we recommend the Jackery 240 below.
If neither of these Jackery products are offering enough power for your needs, the Jackery Explorer 1000 is the next level up and can be a better option for a portable solar generator with more capacity.
The Rockpals 250-Watt portable solar generator has been available for a few years and has been very popular among solar generators.
Some of its features stand out, among those is an affordable price and a great performance with small appliances and devices for outdoor activities or home use.
It might have too small a storage capacity for a solar generator to powerhouse appliances, but is a great portable solar generator to power your electronic devices during outages and of course during camping trips.
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Although this solar generator offers great features, some may find the lack of quick charging and the inability to use it while it is charging off putting. However, others will think that as it will likely be outside charging using solar panels and unlikely to be used, this isn’t a major flaw.
For $150, the ExpertPower S200 is a perfect portable solar generator to power your electronic devices during a camping trip.
With its options of power output and multiple device charging capacity, this good-priced solar power generator goes everywhere with you, thanks to its low weight and small size (only 4.4lbs).
It must be on the best portable solar generators list with its small size, but it might not be suited for longer trips that would require more household appliances as it only provides 193wh.
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This may not be the best option for backup power if you have large power needs but it can still be a great save if you just need to power your devices, and it still uses solar power to be charged. Power outputs are also an important feature and this solar generator has enough of them to save you in case of emergency.
Along with the ExpertPower S200, the Anker Powerhouse 200 is a very powerful small portable solar generator. It was shown to be able to charge a small fridge for 3h.
It can easily be charged during your car trip and provides 213wh for your smaller devices. Definitely a great option in case of emergency and for your phones and tablets.
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It has less power output than the ExpertPowerS200 but is still a great option to consider for smaller power needs.
Other brands like Renogy and Westinghouse are known for their efficient portable solar generators and can be relied on for offering great solar power generators.
The Renogy Phoenix 200 is a small solar generator ready to power your camping adventures with its 190wh. It can power your devices and small appliances for your camping weekends.
Its small weight and size make it a very practical and easy-to-move portable solar generator.
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This would make a great pair with a Renogy 50w solar panel!
Despite being a fairly large solar generator among portable solar generators, and its long charging time, the Expert Power Alpha 400 will likely satisfy your power needs for a camping trip or as backup power.
With its 444wh, it can power easily your devices with its continuous power output. This solar generator can be charged with a solar panel (12-24V, 6.2A Max) with an MPPT controller.
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This solar generator can easily be stored in your car or be taken on camping trips and any outdoor activities.
Among the top solar generators to consider, the Westinghouse iGen600 is a great power station providing 592wh for only 11.3 lbs.
You might not be able to power things like microwave ovens, air fryers, and blenders. However, you should be able to power phones, laptops, AC units, electric coolers, and mini-fridges.
Any items under 600 watts should be powered efficiently by this solar generator.
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This power station is a go-getter with a long-life battery and a user-friendly digital display!
Last but not least for your camping trip, is the Renogy Pheonix 300. This power station allows you to charge small devices like laptops, tablets, phones, drones, and more. It can also charge medium-sized appliances such as mini-fridges, lights, speakers, and TVs.
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The Renogy Phoenix 300 is a great product but has some flaws. Many of our preferred products are presented above and this is why it only arrives at 10th place.
Solar generators, or power stations as they are also called, have both pros and cons which need to be considered when you think about purchasing one.
To start with the cons, solar generators can be expensive to invest in the upfront. Usually, those solar generators that provide enough power for a home are the most expensive ones. They usually require professional installation and some installation equipment to become part of the home.
Portable solar generators are more affordable but provide a more limited amount of power. Obviously, while camping or using an RV you don’t necessarily require a continuous amount of power in the same way as at home. A portable solar power station can be large and a little bit heavy and yet provide enough power for a short or longer-term trip. These solar generators can be linked to a portable solar panel or multiple panels. Although they can be slow charging, many have now improved their charging capacity rendering portable solar generators capable to provide power for long periods of time.
These cons are important to keep in mind but they can’t overshadow the pros of using portable solar generators!
Solar power is clean renewable energy. Most portable solar generators have a charge controller, regulating the intake of energy, and can store energy for long periods of time whether you use it or not.
Using a solar panel, you can always have power with you wherever you are thanks to the large storage capacity. And of course, the sun always shines so it is easy and free to recharge! This is a strong advantage of using portable power stations.
We usually think that the best solar generator has a lithium battery, as opposed to lead-acid batteries, which are heavier and have a shorter lifespan. Either of them does not require fuel which is a big advantage when one goes on a trip.
Finally, portable solar generators are quiet and are low maintenance. Regardless of your power consumption, these types of power stations allow you to harness solar power silently and ensure that your devices are powered.
Goal Zero Yeti is another known seller of solar generators, however, we didn’t add it to our list as the best power station.
One of the shortcomings is its low number of lifecycles. Compared to the other solar generators presented above, the Goal Zero Yeti range has a low number of lifecycles despite having a large watt-hours battery. This reduces the number of times you can use the Goal Zero generator to its full capacity.
The company creates great products but given the financial investment someone puts into a solar generator, we felt that the price did not justify the number of lifecycles Goal Zero Yeti offers with its products.
For example, the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X has a 1516wh capacity which can power a lot of appliances that you would need for an off-grid living but it only has 500 lifecycles and it will then run on 80%. This product sells for $2000. If you are a frequent camper or RV adventurer, this may not be the best power station to invest in as its lifespan may be cut short.
However, Goal Zero Yetis 100, 200, and 400 are more likely to be worth the price for the number of lifecycles they offer. However, Goal Zero 200x offers only 187wh which is less than the Jackery Explorer 240 and, the former currently costs $300 while the latter is available for $200.
Goal Zero provides performing products but generally, their lifecycles are not high enough given their prices.
No matter how much power you need, you will find the right power station here whether it is for a camping trip or for longer trips. Overall, portable solar generators are one of the best investments you can make. They use solar power, a sustainable and clean renewable energy, which can be easily harnessed depending on where you set up camp.
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