Suntactics Portable Solar Chargers
Solar Charging at its Best, Over 35 thousand sold
Suntactics Solar Charger Comments and Testimonials
These are all true actual responses from our customers that have left us feedback on their experiences. This is only a small amount of feedback that we have actually received. We have hundreds more. Not enough room for all of them on the webpage!
We are so thankful to all of you. Please continue to support our business.
"The simplest device I tried: the Suntactics sCharger 5, a solar panel without any kind of battery that opens like a book and provides a simple USB port for charging phones and other small devices (so you’ll probably be able to charge your phone using the same cord that’s already part of your wall charger). It’s incredibly light and durably built (in the United States, no less), and it charged my phone in a couple of hours in direct sunlight on the roof of the Forbes building.”
Forbes Contributor, Jon Bruner
"High-powered solar cells make all the difference. Most solar panels available on the market use older, weaker solar cells. You’ll find them in all sorts of sizes, but beware that the compact and portable ones won’t do much for you unless you have full, unobstructed sun for at least seven hours. The Suntactics sCharger-14 works under clouds and shade, making all the weak solar cell products look like cheap toys when you compare performance.”
Gadgetell Contributor, Stanley Goodner
Pairing these two together ensures you’ll be able to capture your entire adventure! Harness the power of the sun with @suntactics and be a hero with @gopro !
If I’m honest I was a little apprehensive about this actually charging my phone at “wall speeds” but it’s legit, it literally does!
Big thanks to #SunTactics for hooking me up with this rad solar charger so I can keep my #GoPro going in Panama this summer. Tested it out on the island today with my phone, works like a charm.
Linda and Lego – Long Distance PCT Hikers
I was a little leary of taking a solar charger, not many had good reviews from other hikers. But what to do with all of our electronics? We were in desperate need of a good charger. This one was different.
There have been a number of other hikers that have used this, and have really liked it. So we bit the bullet and ordered two. Absolutely one of the best purchases we made. We purchased the sCharger-5. We fitted them to the top of our packs to charge our devices while hiking, which worked well for Lego.
I much preferred just setting everything up to charge while taking breaks. I was able to charge my ipad while the charger was sitting in full sun over the course of an hour or two, and I had a full charge again. It worked great and is stylish. Can’t beat that combination!
It is about the size of a small notebook, and weighs 8.6oz(The latest versions are in the 7 oz range, Suntactics). It also comes with a money back guarantee, but I don’t think you will be wanting to use that.
Video Reviews
Testimonials Continued
sCharger-5
Gyong (Amazon Customer)
Worked well on my JMT backpacking trip. I had mounted this on top of my backpacking using shoe strings and I have to say it worked pretty well. It's not perfect, but it got me through the whole trail along with 11000mah battery pack. I charged my Samsung S8 (every night), Fujifilm X-T1 battery (2 times). As it should, if sun is hiding behind the cloud it doesn't work well ;). I would recommend larger capacity, cause it's bit slow at charging my battery pack.
M. Chudzik (Amazon Customer)
I bought this specially to meet my backpacking agenda to get all of my pack down to 25 pounds.
Just took it with me on a 5 day backpack around Mount Shasta and so glad I paid attention to other reviews between this and other solar chargers that are heavier than they advertise and take longer to charge.
This little featherweight in my pack was a champ at fast charging the Ankeny battery pack that Amazon recommends with it.
My 4 companions were packing pounds of chargers and batteries and I was actually loaning mine to them as well as the Ankeny.
One caveat, my iPhone wouldn't charge directly off the Suntactics charger and I suspect it is because of the aftermarket cable and not incompatability. So, I highly recommend a good lightweight powerpack to go with it.
Don't mind either about the basicness of this panel. It is barebones but durable enough to use in rugged conditions. They obviously chose minimalist design over rugged jacketing and I agree it's a good design choice for meeting exactly what I needed.
debidew
Excellent gadget! I love it!
Jeff
Used this for a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail for my phone and headlamp. It worked flawlessly! I used my phone with the guthooks app and for taking pics and video so I charged a lot and the panel never let me down even when it got wet when my tent flooded during a heavy rain. When the sun came out it fired right up:) Now I use it on my boat to keep the music going.
Dave
The charger is awesome! I haven't plugged my phone into a wall outlet since I got the sCharger-5. Not only does it charge my phone, but it also charges my I-pod, mini speakers, and a battery stick. Great customer service at Suntactics too!
Norkis
Aside from the best charger out there hands down, Suntactics customer service is also superb, I sent my older sCharger-5 and they placed 4 holes with a grommet, replaced the cracked blue box and re-test the output of my charger for a minimal charge...They really value their customer
Andrea Ogston (Amazon Customer)
very very happy with this product
elaine
Yup. no need for me to duplicate the specifics, just to add to the chorus: THIS is the solar charger on the market that actually works, and works well. I backpacked several months with the sCharger summer/fall 2013 and basked in its durability, reliability, and ease-of-use. [charging iphone 5, and USB Steripen] I can also speak to the comparison between this product and SolarMonkey Adventurer, which can be simply stated as “no comparison.” The sCharger is the solar charger that does what it says it will do, while the SolarMonkey Adventurer is a pretender (a few highlights: SolarMonkey charged slowly and was easily stalled under normal conditions, working as advertised only briefly, under absurdly perfect conditions; the internal battery did not hold a charge well, with much of the “stored” charge lost in just hours; the solar panels began peeling up within days.) I returned the SolarMonkey and bought sCharger with a USB battery—it was immediately apparent that this is a far more flexible and useful arrangement AND (I emphasize again) the sCharger performance completely outclassed the “other.” Hooray for sCharger, hooray for honest good products, and hooray for those who bring them to us. Thank you! [Kudos, too, for stellar customer
Steve Alper
This little solar-panel charges hand-held electronic devices and phones (Samsung s4) directly from the sun. You don't need optional battery packs or the array of cables like the Goal Zero Nomad 7. sCharger-5 only needs 3 things to charge electronics, a panel, USB cable, sun and you’re done. The panels’ best trick--every time a shadow passes over the unit, it resets automatically, so charging continues—no need to keep checking the phone when charging. Unattended charging means you save money, eliminating the need to buy expensive battery packs as a work around, but it charges USB style power packs too, if that's you're thing. My only criticism—the lack of fixing points to attach the panel. Certainly not a deal breaker, but does limit performance when you’re on the move—biking or hiking and so on. For emergency power-outs or outdoorsy activities you can be confident this unit won't let you down. Highly recommended. Overall 4.5 Stars (loose half star--for lack of attachment points).
Ryan J
Suntactics is the most wonderful company to deal with. The products are top notch, and somehow their customer service before AND after the sale is even better! This is so extremely rare these days, even more rare than a quality product. Thank you Suntactics for going so far above and beyond to resolve an issue that turned out to not even be your fault!
trimble
Last summer I thru-hiked the 500 mile Colorado Trail and I used the S-Charger 5 to charge my camera batteries. I think it has a great weight to power output ratio. I don't think you'll find a better value than this charger.
Shareef Abdou
The best solar charger I have ever used very reliable since I am out doors a lot in the rain also. I'm very satisfied that it has the best build quality and assembled in the USA!
Roger Scott
I just completed a thru hike on the Tahoe Rim Trail and used my Suntactics to charge my iPhone 5 and inReach SE. The charger never let me down and it was easy to use. For me it seemed to charge fastest during mid day. It was a chore to charge in the late afternoon or early morning due to the tree cover but that is not a fault of the device. If your a backpacker I highly recommend this charger. Easy to pack and light weight.
Christina
Although I haven't actually tried the sCharger-5 USB Solar Charger, and 5000mA USB Battery myself (it is a gift for my techie nephew), I just had an interaction via chat with a representative who graciously and immediately refunded the difference between an special promotional offer that was in place when I ordered 10 days ago, and a slightly better promotional offer in place today. WOW! That\'s customer service!!!! Thank you! (I can't wait to see how excited my techie nephew is going to be with his new gadgets!!!!)
Mr.X
I received my s5 and so far I have tested it in several lighting conditions. The results are amazing! This is probably the best small solar charger on the market. I have further testing to do, but so far it can charge an older model nextel on a cloudy day and I was able to charge my iphone 4s in about 2 hours and 15 minutes on a day most solar panels wouldn't even work (sun and clouds with a low UV index). If Suntactics wants to send me an s14 I will do a complete test in several environmental condition, gather output wattage and post all results on you tube.
Guilaume R.
Le chargeur solaire idéal. Un peu cher à l'achat mais parfait sur tous les autres points. Petit, discret, étanche, efficace, simple, chargement puissant, une bonne finition, pas de batterie à ajouter : c'est un mini panneau solaire portatif, il suffit d'y brancher l'appareil à charger en usb et c'est parti. Charge jusqu'à 1% de batterie par minute pour un smartphone, parvient même à le charger tout en l'utilisant pour écouter de la musique. Quasiment aussi puissant qu'une alimentation électrique classique. Parfait pour charger un appareil à la plage par exemple. Dommage qu'il ne soit vendu qu'aux US et devoir l'importer depuis le site, mais la livraison est rapide et efficace.
No name entered
This solar charger has done all that I hoped for, charged my iphone 4S is less than 2 hours in full direct sunlight from 8%-100%. I have tried many other portable solar chargers like the Goal Zero and Solio, none are as light weight and as powerful as the sCharger-5. Thumbs up all the way!
No name entered
This solar charger has done all that I hoped for, charged my iphone 4S is less than 2 hours in full direct sunlight from 8%-100%, and charged my iPad 3 in about 6 hours from 10%-100%. I have tried many other portable solar chargers like the Goal Zero and Solio, none are as light weight and as powerful aas the S14. Thumbs up all the way!
John S. Gillen
My wife and I are bicycling across the United States and carry both an iPhone 4S and an iPad with us. We have used the SCharger-5 many times as we travel down the road or set up camp. It has gotten wet a few times due to getting hit with rain and soaking into the bag that carries the SCharger-5. This solar charger is amazing! It works exceptionally well on our iPhone and charges it from 20% to 100% in 2.5 hours. Although it is quite a bit slower (estimate 6 hours to go from 20% to 100%) with our iPad, it still charges it and keeps us connected to family and friends. I highly recommend Suntactics SCharger-5 and am 100% pleased with it for my needs. Thank you Suntactics!
Craig Johnston
Been using the sCharger-5 on the Continental Divide Trail for over 2 months. It is as rugged as they come and performs unbelievably well. I can't stress this enough. If you want a reliable, light weight and fast solar panel that performs under demanding conditions this is the solar charger you want. Oh and did I mention great customer service!
DZolg
Recently returned from a 170 mile backpacking trip and used my Suntactics as the main power source for three people's IPhones. We routinely plugged into the Suntactics at every break during daylight. We always had enough power. It is lightweight, compact, durable and dependable. We were all amazed how quickly it charges and it also charged on an overcast day. Great product. Very pleased.
No name entered
The charger is great. My children and I barely charge anything in the house with electricity anymore.
Geane Lohse
GREAT ADDITION THE THE BACK COUNTRY FOR MUSIC ENJOYMENT. HEARTLY BUILT AND DESIGNED, W/ ALL THE COMPONNENT PLUGS FOR CHARGING.
alinger2001
First off, this is a great solar charger. I consider myself an ultralight backpacker, I only carry bare essentials. I can use this charger to charge my iphone 5, which I use as my GPS, camera, flashlight, and an e-reader. I also use it to recharge my headlamp. Just set it up in direct sunlight and it charges at wall rates! You do have to leave it in direct sunlight for an iPhone though, just a little shade and the iPhone will stop charging. It's not a charger to strap on your pack and charge your phone all day. You just use it whenever you stop and your electronic gear will never die. I have been able to keep several people's gadgets from dying with just one panel. Most of the time I come back from the wilderness with a full charge. Highly recommended.
Albert Fretz
I don't think you will find a better company to deal with. They have been highly responsive to my questions and with a single issue I had with compatibility when I switched phones. I purchased their s5 charger for a droid phone I had at the time. It worked perfectly as described and charged my phone as explained on their website. No problems. Some time later, when I switched to a new droid phone, the sCharger didn't work with that phone for some reason, through no fault of theirs. They were immediately responsive to my email and rectified the situation to my complete satisfaction which enabled my new phone to be charged using the s5 charger. It's a great company with great people and great service. You won't be disappointed.
mjirving
I've researched a lot to discover the best solar charger and this is it. It's light, can charge the finicky iPhone, fast and no unnecessary frills that add weight. I'm confident this will be a solid replacement for my GoalZero that required the extra (weight) battery pack to charge the finicky iPhone. All the Pacific Crest Trail / Appalachian Trail / Continental Divide Trail thru-hikers that I follow on blogs that are serious power users use the Suntactics. You won't be disappointed!
Gary Travis
I purchased the sCharger-5 USB Solar Charger as a backup way to charge my Cell Phone, MP3 Player and to charger AA & AAA batteries. It's a GREAT little unit. When I'm on vacation, and use it poolside, folks always stop and ask me about it. My sCharger-5 worked so well I purchased a second unit for my wife. Well done.always stop and ask me about it. My sCharger-5 worked so well I purchased a second unit for my wife. Well done.
Jarom Smith
I love this product. I carry it everywhere with me now in my coat pocket and it charges fast. The best thing about this charger is its simplicity; you plug in you're device and it charges it. Its as simple as that. Be sure to have direct sun light and have the charger at least in the same general direction as the sun because if it doesn't get enough juice from the sun or through a window it. may drain it more than charge it by turning off and on you're device due. to lack of power. I often get comments from others when I use it like at a track meet on how cool they think it is and ask me lots of questions. Haha I nearly sold the thing. If I'd have had more I probably could have sold them all! I have done extensive research on solar chargers and even after I bought the scharger. 5 and I have found that this is the product I needed. GET ONE!
Richard Hanrahan
I can charge my iPod or iPad with this product. A month after receiving the charger I received an unexpected package in the mail -- the carrying case! This company really cares about its customers.
Mike Tarman
I purchased the sCharger-5 to charge my iPhone while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Using duck tape and some nylon tent cord, I was able to rig a system that allowed me to affix the charger to the top of my backpack so my iPhone would charge while I was hiking. The charger more than met my expectations. It charged my phone quickly in direct sunlight and did a surprisingly good job in reduced sunlight when hiking in wooded areas. Also proved to be durable. Would like to see it come with predrilled holes in the corners to make it easier to attach to a backpack.
Jonathan Leto
I have taken this charger with me on many camping and bike trips. It is extremely durable and can handle falling off a bike and living in a backpack. I have even charged my phone while riding my bike by strapping the charger to my panniers. Great product!
Vincent
Great charger. It charges my samsung galaxy s2 just as fast as charging it from the wall. I use for bicycle touring. No need to always find places to stop and charge up. I can listen to mp3s all day, and use the maps as much as I want without worrying. Great item. Light too lighter than all the competition. Would be cool if they could shave 100 more grams of it too, but I am just being picky. Seems to be better than anything out there now.
Zach Chaucy
I got my sCharger-5 last summer and immediately set off on an adventure to test it out. My friend and I went out to the Saratoga Gap off Hwy 9 and found the nearest open field to sit and unwind in. My friend pulled out his iPod and a pair of cheap USB speakers and we were able to power the speakers and play music while relaxing. The size and weight are a big "Pro" about this solar charger... And the fact that I fell off a rock and the sCharger-5 got caught in-between the rock and myself, which resulted in a few surface scratches, but no loss of power or performance.
sCharger-8
Quinton
It's still winter here and I only used it once so far. As an experiment I put the panel and on top of the car and plugged in my phone. It was a very overcast day, but I still got a charging icon. I'll do more testing this spring and summer. 2/7/16 I picked up a usb meter so I could see what's going on. On a partially overcast day, I got 4.98 volts, .48 amps and 2.2-2.3 watts going into my Android phone. In 10 minutes my phone gained approximately 3% charge level. (M port) when I thought about testing the a port a good cloud cover had moved in.
William C.
Does what it says. Just need some sunlight!
JakeDoesAmerica
I wish we had the option to choose a version with auto retry or manual only. It's annoying to have to unplug and replug something every time a shadow comes over lol but I guess this is great to satisfy everyone to some degree. Other than that this s charger 8 works perfectly and Suntactics have amazing customer service! You ever have any issues? Hit them up directly. Not amazon ;) I'm currently riding a bike from Florida to Alaska and I'm using this solar panel to keep me going. You can even follow my journey by searching Jake Does America on Facebook.
Ali H.
It's good, I have use it many times. The great thing about it the size it is small
JLA77
Really delivers according to specs
Patrick
I attend this small liberal arts college in southeastern Ohio. My days are very busy. The last thing I have time for is searching for an outlet to charge my iPhone. So, I brought the outlet to my backpack! I bought this panel 2 weeks after school started and I absolutely LOVE IT! No complains here! I super glued the folding panel to my backpack and run my special coiled iPhone cord up the left body strap and BAM! CHARING! To my surprise, this thing actually did what it said it would. I have an iPhone 6plus and this dog takes forever to juice up. I feel like, this panel charges faster than my outlet! What also surprised me was this company actually followed through and didn't lie! This company just blew me away with its true statements about this panel! Thanks for being honest! I was also surprised how this thing works on cloudy days... I've even charged my phone from indoor light! I have no idea how this thing does it, nor do I care. what I do know is that it works. The only thing I didn't like was the folds plasic spine started cracking. Idk if that's bad or whatever but who cares, I got sunlight juice..
James Miller
Small, portable, easy to carry on most packs. Charges my phones, backup batteries, LED Lenser H7R2, rechargeable battery packs, iPhone 360, iPhone 3GS, Motorola Droid X, anything I have that has USB charging port. Still looking for an AA/AAA & Sony NP-BN1 USB chargers... not found anything yet. Hoping to get a grommet mounting system that has embedded magnets in its feet to allow the s-Charger 8 to attach to metal car roofs, trailer siding, RVs, tin roofing, etc. The tripod is decent though it too lacks magnetic feet, so wit a heavy breeze the tripod doesn't offer much support - unlike my idea with a rubber or silicone grommet mount w/ magnets. Can use a rechargeable battery pack with a 10 LED USB Light for when the lights go out, when camping, late night book reading. One came with an Emergency Kit that was offered last (2014) winter. Had one issue with the panel after some months. Requested to have it looked at/diagnosed. It was replaced lickity-split and was back in use in less than a week! Now that is GREAT customer service!! Can't go wrong with this solar option: has a 5 year warranty, made in America, and real customer service. Did hear there is an upgrade option too.
Leon
I bought the sCharger-8 and I tested it today. I am charging an iPhone 5S. It is completely overcast in Seattle. You can not even see the sun. I had to guess what direction to point the charger. I started out with a 76% charge. I left out some of the readings out so this is not so long. After 15 min it was up to 78%. I didn't expect it to charge with it being so overcast. One hour after I started it was up to 83%. After two hours it was up to 94%. Then I couldn't check it for another hour, but was up to 100%. I am really impressed! I would give it 7 stars if I could.
sCharger-14
Erin
I’ve been doing a ton of research online about solar panels, and the people are being misled! Go to Amazon and there are literally thousands of portable USB solar chargers, all ranging in price. However, they all have one thing in common, they all seem to use the same platform, are all made in China, and all say a certain wattage but when you test them in real world conditions the wattage is far less than what’s advertised. The problem is so many of us shop by price, not quality. I plan on hiking the PCT, and I needed a REAL solar charger for the 3-month trip. This is one of a very, very few I came across that looks as though it will stand up to the challenge. Here is how I see the problem...
1) Most Americans see something advertised and they believe it
2) Most wattages displayed for solar chargers are gained through a laboratory test where conditions are created that are perfect, i.e. impossible to duplicate in nature
3) Most of these panels are made in China in one of a handful of massive factories all using the same design and the same raw materials
4) Most of these substandard panels say they are IPX rated, but no one follows up and the ratings are literally forged
5) Lastly, like I said most Americans see quality by way of price, they are too lazy to do any actual research!
William
I have been unsuccessfully trying to find a penal to charge 18650 batteries for my high lumen flashlights, and stumbled upon the CEO making a video how to charge an 18650. I immediately went to Amazon and ordered this panel along with the suggested Nitecore charger. I received my items about 4 days later, and had an Orbotronic 3400 already deleted. I only had about 2 hours of direct sun that day, towards end of day, and these panels charged the battery to 82%. I am positive it would have been to 100% with a little more time with no problem I will be ordering another shortly. This set up blows away my goal zero (which is smaller) but no where near the quality. Thanks Suntactics for making such a high quality product at a very affordable price. Everyone should have at least one to charge things when electricity goes out. Being able to charge the battery for my 1000 lumen flashlight in a few hours of sunlight, and having such a light in a grid down scenario, could prove to be a life saver.
Clark
I purchased this panel about a year ago and love it! I just ordered 2 more! These units are great for our boat, we use them to charge all our devices and toys. While these unit's don't look as pretty as other panels they truly perform way better! Don't pay for Marketing, pay for good quality solar panels!
Tanner
I love this thing . At first it wouldn't charge and I was like what's wrong then I found out it has to have direct sun on it I was like oh my bad so I found a really sunny spot and put it there and I was so surprised on how fast my iPad mini charged I got like 40 percent in 2 hours wow I recommend this product to anyone who loves to camp or go to the beach or even just to save your phone if it dies and for phones it charges like to 100 percent in 2 hours I love this thing Btw way fastest then a wall charger when in direct sun !
DaFont
I work in remote areas on a natural gas pipeline. The SunTactics sCharger-8 goes with me and tops off my iPad and iPhone in the field. Very well built. I've ordered a SunTactics sCharger-14 for my truck.
User
Unit was taken into the snow, on a kayak, into the dessert. Love the High Quality Product, worth every $.
Donald Robertson
Over the years, I have bought many chargers that claim to charge mobile phones, and the s5 and s12 are the only ones that have really worked. Moreover, unlike any of the others, they are built to take a beating. While they're happiest in full sun, I'm using my s12 to charge a Motorola Razer MAXX in San Francisco's fog right now. Highly recommended.
Dave Chin
Wish I had it for Sandy. But, post Sandy, I am very glad I bought the S-12. It does charge 2 devices at a time. I had problem with my Samsung Galaxy 10, but after I bought a $4 USB \"extension cable\" it worked like a charm. Placed in a sunny window it charges my Casio cell phones, ipod, ipod Touch, Garmin Nuvi GPS, eTrex GPS, USB AA battery recharger - all with the winter sun. After buying this, I thought a USB rechargeable battery is the perfect accessory. The bag keeps all my critical emergency cables and gear together in case of a hasty departure. This solar panel is part of my survival plan. Hope I always use it for fun...
Greg Waters
I purchased the sCharger-5 over a year ago for a month long hiking trip in Hawaii. I recommend this solar charger as it is a very solid device. Solid high quality rugged construction for durability and rock solid dependable output to both run and charge devices and batteries. I use a usb battery charger and rechargeable batteries to run anything that needs them, a good usb gooseneck 4 led light by kb lites and a 5000mah and 11000mah usb battery packs by power banks and incredi charge to keep me powered up at night, in the rain and when on the move, and of course my android. This thing keeps them all charged, is easy to use, simple to store and above all dependable. The price seemed high at purchase but I now feel like I got much more for my money than if I had purchased a less expensive unit.