I have several of these small solar panel chargers/batteries. They are cool products, but before deciding to get one you should really understand their limitations.

The internal battery provides you with a total of 5300 mAh of backup charge. This is, on average, good enough to charge your smartphone twice. It can also be used to charge a small tablet or a similar sized device. Keep in mind that there is some inefficiency associated with the charging process, so that the amount of power that you get will be about 80%-90% of the nominal battery capacity. I have been able to fully charge my iPhone 6 plus and Galaxy S3. I’ve also been able to charge my first generation iPad to about 80% of its capacity.

The amount of charge that you can get from the solar panel is *VERY* miniscule. About 200 mAh on average from a day of exposure to sunlight. This charger is not meant to be used as a primary source of backup power from solar energy. The solar is meant to be primarily used as an emergency source – it could charge your phone enough for a single phone call. If you are looking for a more efficient small portable solar chargers, there are several pretty decent ones available. I would recommend an 8 W one made by Stin that I have been using recently with great success.

One great thing about this backup battery is that it’s pretty rugged. I have left one of these outside FOR MONTHS and it still worked as well as when I first got it. And it got fully charged. 🙂 It weathered all sorts of very inclement weather, including high winds, and several snowstorms and thunderstorms. In other words, this little thing is tough!

This is overall a pretty decent product, but don’t expect it to provide you with a lots of backup charge from solar power alone.

**** Product provided for review purposes. ****