Solar gadgets will help you reduce your annual energy bills and overall carbon footprint. If you are cautious about the environment or looking for a device that you can use for several days, even in areas that don’t have power, this article is for you. We will share with you some of the best solar-powered gadgets on the market right now.
By the end of this article, you will be able to choose at least two or three devices that you can use in your everyday life or on specific occasions when you need them.
Ten Solar Gadgets Your Friends & Family Will Love
Solar chargers
These are designed to charge various kinds of gadgets, including smartphones, smart watches, laptops, and more. There are several companies that are making solar panel chargers that you move with on the go. These solar panels are usually foldable, so they can easily fit in a backpack without having to sacrifice the large surface area that is required to collect enough solar energy.
When choosing the solar panel charger to buy, it is important to consider the surface area and efficiency of the panel plus the output power of the battery. The large the surface area of the panel, the more energy it can collect. A large battery is also crucial as it makes it possible to store the significant amount of energy you need to charge your devices.
One of the popular ones that you can check out is the Lixada Solar Panel Charger. This solar panel is 26% efficient, one of the highest you can get in the market right now. It is also just 2mm thick, making it extremely light. So, you can easily mount it on your backpack without feeling any significant increase in weight.
It also outputs 5V, the standard for charging most portable devices, including phones, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds. However, you won’t be able to use it to charge your laptop since most laptops need more than 5V. If you need a solar panel charger for a laptop, you will probably need one that can output up to 20V. The acceptable voltage input for most laptops is usually between 15 and 20V.
Outdoor solar lights
If you plan to go camping or live in a place with frequent power outages, getting yourself an outdoor solar light should be a no-brainer. These lights are attached to a solar panel and battery that stores the energy collected. The capacity of the battery attached to the solar panel usually determines how long the bulb will light on a single.
Of course, the wattage of the bulb also matters. If you can get LED bulbs that are super-efficient, even a tiny battery with about 10,000mAh can power it for several days on a single charge. When checking the specifications of outdoor solar lights, the crucial numbers you need to look at include the battery capacity, surface area of the panel, efficiency of the panel, and the wattage of the attached bulbs.
Outdoor solar lights are also designed to be water resistant, so they will still provide light even when it is raining as long as the battery has enough energy stored. One of the best outdoor solar lights that you can check out is Brightech Ambience Pro Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights. The whole set comes with 12 efficient LED bulbs and a battery that can power them for up to 6 hours on a single charge. This is more than enough time for most people. You will get more hours out of this battery if you use fewer lights. There are also some other options on Amazon that come with bigger batteries if you want to store power for extended periods.
Solar power banks
The first two gadgets we have shared above are mainly designed to do one thing, such as charging your phone or providing you with lighting during a power outage. However, a high-capacity solar power bank can be used for several tasks such as powering up a few gadgets, charging devices like Laptops that need higher wattage, and more.
A high-capacity solar power bank usually comes with a foldable solar panel that you can easily carry around with you if you want to charge or power your devices on the go. They also have high-capacity batteries that can store sufficient energy and also output enough power to charge devices like laptops or power gadgets like TVs.
One of the best solar power banks we recommend is the EnginStar Solar Generator. It comes with an 80,000mAh power bank and a solar panel that can fully charge it in 7 hours if exposed to direct sunlight. It also has a power output of 300watts, so you can use it to power up several gadgets simultaneously.
This power bank also has several outputs, including 2 PURE SINE WAVE AC output ports (110V 300W, 500W peak), 2 DC output ports (12&24V 96W), 2 USB output ports (5V/3.1A max), one 18W type-c output port, and one cigarette lighter output port(12V/8A). So, you can use it for lights, charging laptops, and fast charging your phone thanks to the 18W USB-C port.
Solar powered fountain
If you want to add some beauty to your lawn, this is one of the gadgets you should consider getting. The set-up of solar-powered fountains usually comes with a solar panel, batteries, a pump, and the fountain itself. A solar-powered fountain will save energy bills you would otherwise incur if you had decided to power it using electricity from the grid.
One of the popular solar-powered fountains that we recommend is the Viajero 2021 4W Solar Powered Fountain. It has a 4W solar panel and a 3000mAh battery to power that pump throughout the day, no matter the weather. The pump that comes with this fountain is very efficient, so a 3000mAh battery and 4W solar panel are good enough to ensure it is up and running all day long, even when it rains.
The pump in this fountain is also designed to automatically go off if there is no water or when it detects any objects within its system. This design choice was made to avoid wasting energy and to ensure the pump doesn’t get any issues. So, if you own this fountain, you won’t have to worry about your pump getting problems in times when there is no water to pump.
Overall, this fountain will make your lawn or living room look much better without having to add more burden to your energy bill.
Solar powered toys
One of the ways to make your children embrace the idea of green energy is by showing them that small things like the toys they play with can also be powered by solar energy. Most of the toys in the market today are powered by single-use batteries that have to be thrown away after a couple of weeks or months, which is not suitable for the environment.
Solar-powered toys are ideal for kids that usually play outdoors. But if you have kids who love playing from the house, you can opt for solar-powered toys with relatively large batteries that provide energy to operate the toy for several hours on a single charge. In such cases, battery capacity should be one of your considerations while buying one.
There are also solar-powered toys that allow you to charge their batteries using regular AC from the grid. This option can come in handy during rainy seasons or winter when the sun only appears for a few hours of the day. One of the best solar-powered toys we recommend is the Lucky Doug 12-in-1 STEM Solar Robot Kit.
This robot toy comes with over 190 pieces your kid can put together to make the robot crawl, roll, float, and several other actions. Putting these parts together gives your kid the challenge to be creative. The other major benefit of this solar-powered robot is that it is made of BPA-free, non-toxic, and skin-friendly ABS plastic, so your children will be safe.
Solar-powered wireless computer keyboard
A keyboard that is powered solar is similar to any other keyboard. The difference it has is its power source. The good news is that you don’t always have to put the keyboard in outdoor sunlight to charge it. Most of these keyboards come with very sensitive solar panels that can be charged using indoor light that comes off your bulbs.
These keyboards are also very power efficient and can last for several weeks or months when fully charged. So, even if you have to put it under the sun, doing it once in one or two months shouldn’t be a big deal. One of the best solar-powered wireless keyboards is the Logitech K750 Wireless Solar Keyboard. We all know Logitech for making some of the most reliable computer accessories.
This keyboard is elegantly designed and has a well-built solar panel above the keys. The solar panel can charge using outdoor sunlight and indoor lighting from your bulbs. It is also super-efficient and has a relatively big battery that can power for up to 3 months on a single charge. It has a 2.4 GHz wireless receiver to ensure seamless connection and real-time response when being used.
The version of the keyboard we shared in the above link is for Mac. However, Logitech also has the Window version of the keyboard. So, you can choose between any of these depending on the operating System of your computer. The Windows version is black whereas the one for Mac is white.
Solar Bluetooth speakers
Whether you want speakers for your desk or an outdoor party, there are several solar versions that you can buy if you are someone who is cautious about the environment. The good news is that they work just like regular speakers; the only difference is the power used to charge their batteries.
Solar Bluetooth speakers come with a small solar panel on one of their sides that you have to put under direct sunlight to charge its battery. They’re also mainly designed for outdoor use, so most of them are rugged and water resistant, which is a bonus if you want to use them for activities such as camping.
One of the best options we recommend is iHome’s iHome IHRK-500LTMS-PR Solar Powered Rechargeable Bluetooth speakers. They are designed with a material that looks like rocks, making them blend well with nature whenever you are using them in outdoor environments. They have a solar panel on top that charges the 2000mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. This battery can power the speakers for up to 10 hours on a single charge.
They also support Bluetooth 5.0 to ensure your devices stay connected even when you are not so close to the speaker. They are also IPX5 weather and splash-proof with a UV protective casing, which is a bonus if you plan to use them in watery environments. These speakers also have a cool feature called multi-link that allows you to connect up to 50 speakers in order to create the ultimate multi-room Bluetooth speaker system experience.
Final thoughts
Those are some of the solar-powered gadgets you might consider if you want to use eco-friendly gadgets in your home or on the go. Most of the gadgets on this list are very efficient, so you won’t need to charge them for several hours. For the best experience, it is always best to check the battery capacity, its charging speed, and the number of hours or days it can power the device on a single charge. These three factors will affect your user experience.
