PSA: I bought a 'solar powered' phone charger that barely works

It was $35 and takes a full day in direct sun to get maybe 10% charge. Anyone know a real one that actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

I read an article that said most small solar chargers are basically scams for phones. The panels are too tiny to make any real power. You need a much bigger panel, like the ones for camping, to charge a phone in a few hours. Those cheap ones are just for show.

susan6492mo ago

Mine works fine on my desk near the window.

the_amy2mo ago

Yeah, that totally lines up with what bettyroberts was saying. Those little credit card sized chargers are basically just toys. They might trickle a tiny bit of power if you leave them in direct sun all day, but that's it. You need a panel the size of a hardcover book, at least, to get a real charge going. It's a bummer because the small ones are so cheap and tempting, but they just don't work.