This is listed as an 8.5W solar panel online, but the specs say 10.6W. Little solar panels like this can be alright in direct sunlight but I’d advise, for most cases, to buy something a bit bigger otherwise you’ll just get 1A (standard speed charge) max. That’s not taking into account light fluctuations and whatnot that happen with the sun. This one also made an audible whine at lower current outputs. But otherwise it seems to work fine in direct sun. This power bank does not store power, so a separate USB battery bank would be required if you want to keep energy overnight.
The Olala 10,500 battery bank is a 2 port portable charger that supports Quick Charge 3.0 output. I’ve owned many battery banks over the years and this stands out because of one killer feature: quick charge. It can make a significant difference in charging speed if your phone supports it.
This USB power bank resembles a normal battery bank, but it has a “unique” feature that makes it potentially deadly. The hottest I measured this battery at was about 80°C / 175°F – and lithium ion batteries do not like heat.
While it’s nice to have the solar panel as a last-resort type backup, it does not do much, so consider this product as its value as a regular charger before purchasing. When left on my window sill for days in direct sunlight, I was only able to get this charger up to about 25%. This is better than nothing, but solar will not be your primary charging source with this battery.
In terms of build and performance, the RavPower jump starter does the job. It charges phones, shines a bright light and jump starts vehicles. Jump starters are useful things to have for the peace of mind and the RavPower is a good option. I just wish it came with a hard case.
This is one of the better chargers I’ve received recently. While it isn’t Qualcomm quick charge certified, it outputs about the maximum my phone can handle and it manages to charge my phone fast as I can get without it being quick charge certified.
The Solove battery pack is a great piece of equipment with a huge capacity and excellent build. I would recommend this battery bank for someone who likes travelling multiple days without access to mains power or wants a battery bank that’ll charge a phone or a tablet multiple times. It’s not a pocket friendly charger but it would go great in a backpack or for camping.