Are Solar Chargers Worth It? 3 Reasons Why You Should Buy One

Portable solar chargers only require direct sunlight to charge and can power your smartphone, tablet, and other electronics, whether you’re at home or on the go. This guide will help you decide if a solar charger is right for you based on your lifestyle, needs, and priorities.

What Are Solar Chargers?

A solar charger is a device that typically includes a built-in battery and solar panels for charging that battery. Solar powered chargers range in price and size from smaller ones the size of an iPhone to larger models with panels that can unfold to the size of a roadmap for optimum solar energy collection.

Who Should Get a Solar Charger?

Solar chargers can be a convenient way to keep all of your devices powered without having to rely on traditional power sources. You may want to pick one up if you:

• Often go camping.
• Do a lot of traveling.
• Like to be prepared for emergencies.
• Want to reduce your reliance on the grid.

Who Shouldn’t Get a Solar Charger?

Solar chargers can be useful, but they aren’t a must-have for everyone. You may want to give them a miss if you:

• Don’t travel that much.
• Don’t rely on electronics while traveling.
• Already live partially or fully off the grid.
• Don’t like to go camping.

Having one or more solar chargers on hand can be an easy way to keep your smartphone, tablet, and other devices charged during power outages, emergencies, and while camping. A small, solar-powered charger can also keep your phone, tablet, or laptop powered during business trips or vacations.

However, you may not find much point in buying one if you don’t travel that much, avoid the outdoors, and already have an alternative power solution for your home that doesn’t rely on the traditional energy grid. How important you find a solar charger to be will vary greatly depending on your lifestyle and priorities.

Why You Should Get a Solar Charger

A solar charger can power your smartphone and other electronics without relying on the grid and traditional batteries. Here are some of the reasons why one could be a good choice for you.

You Want to Be Prepared for Emergencies

Whether you’re impacted by an earthquake, some kind of upheaval, or just a basic power outage, having a solar charger on hand could improve your comfort and sense of safety enormously.

These devices can keep your smartphone available for calling friends and family, keeping up-to-date with news, and contacting emergency services if needed. A charger can also power radios, lights, heaters, and some electric kitchen appliances, which can be very handy if you're in a cold climate.

You Want to Stay Connected While Camping

Battery packs can be useful for recharging your smartphone and other devices while camping, but they don’t last forever and will likely run out of juice after a day or two depending on your usage. On the other hand, portable solar chargers can be continuously recharged simply by being placed in the sun, which makes them far more reliable and longer-lasting.

You Like to Have Your Devices Charged While Traveling

Solar chargers aren’t just for campers. They can also keep your devices charged and connected while staying in hotels, Airbnbs, and hostels and also while traveling by plane, train, and ship.

A solar-powered charger can even come in handy when having a long day out and about, either for leisure or work. Think about all of the times your phone has run out of battery while you’re shopping or socializing in the city. You won’t have to worry about this happening again if you have a solar charger on you.

Why You Shouldn’t Get a Solar Charger

A solar charger can be incredibly useful in the right situation, but if you never find yourself in such situations, do you really need to get one? You may want to skip getting a solar powered charger if you relate to one or more of the following.

Your House Has Solar Power

If your house is fully or even partially powered by solar power, you likely won’t need to invest in a dedicated portable solar charger for your phone and other electronics in preparation for a future potential grid failure. If disaster strikes and the electrical grid goes down in your area, you can simply keep everything charged using your current setup.

You Don’t Go Camping

There’s loads of really cool gear designed for the modern camper, but if you don’t plan to actually go camping, spending money on it would be a waste of money. This includes investing in any kind of solar charger built for a situation that you’ll likely never find yourself in.

You Don’t Travel That Often

If you don’t travel for significant lengths of time and rarely find yourself running out of battery power on your phone during your daily errands, you’re unlikely to get any benefits from having a solar charger. Similarly, if you do travel quite a bit but frequently have access to charging points at airports, on airplanes, and other public spots, then you won’t have much need for a solar powered charger either.

Is a Portable Solar Charger Worth It?

When it comes to solar chargers, those who have needed to use one are typically glad that they had one at the time. They can be a convenient way to keep your mobile and other devices charged without having to search for a compatible electrical outlet. They can also be literal lifesavers if you’re ever unfortunate enough to find yourself in some kind of man-made or natural disaster.

Of course, if your smartphone rarely runs out of power and you don’t think you’ll ever be in a situation where you’ll need an alternative way to charge your devices, a solar charger can be a hard sell. A compromise may be to pick up a cheaper model and then, if you find yourself using it on a regular basis, invest in a higher-end model.