Review on Topsolar SolarFairy 30S Foldable Solar Panel 30W Portable Battery Charger Kit for Cell Phone Power Bank Car Boat RVs Off-Grid Charging of 12V Batteries & 5V Devices by Kyle Wesener

Update: I am revising this review as after testing many panels this panel outperforms other panels in the same lighting conditions. I compared this panel, the Solar Fairy 30, with the BigBlue 28W panel and the ETFE version of this panel from TopSolar, the SolarFairy 30. In low light conditions, this panel can charge others by about 15%. In addition, BigBlue does not have QC or PD fast charging function, so it may not be possible to charge the device directly. This panel is much smoother, other panels take up a lot more room in your backpack etc. Originally I wanted this panel to be in a more durable form. That was before I knew TopSolar already had it. But after using the SolarFairy 30, I feel this slim form factor suits me better. I have also confirmed that this panel can indeed be charged at 18W. I was able to charge a Ravpower 20000mAh Power Bank (RP-PB172) at 18W and add 2615mAh in an hour and 45 minutes. None of the other panels will be able to do this. I don't have a device to confirm that it can handle up to 12V at 2A (24W). My only remaining complaints are 1) four grommets for hanging the panel instead of two, and 2) a slight electrical screech with occasional use. Besides, it's great. Original Rating: TLDR: For people looking for USB and DC connections, this panel offers them at a reasonable price. It seems to live up to its performance specifications. I hope that future versions will improve the panel's durability and design. I was looking for a good smaller panel that could efficiently charge my Galaxy S20 phone with the ability to use it to charge a 12v 30ah lithium battery. An iron phosphate battery box that I am building. At this power, most panels on the market only have USB outputs. This panel supports up to 24W on USB-A and USB-C ports. It is important to note that when both USB ports are used, fast charging with QC3.0 or PD is not available due to the overall performance of the panel. Using standard QC3.0 wall chargers, the fastest charge for my phone is 15 watts (9 volts at about 1.65 amps). (Galaxy S20 must have a charger that supports USB Power Delivery 3.0 PPS for 25W ultra-fast charging.) Solar power test results; USB: I tested the USB-A and USB-C ports on my phone. It was able to receive 15W of charge from both ports. Adding another device slowed down the loading speed, but both devices loaded. In the late afternoon the conditions were clear. The panel didn't need to be tweaked in terms of position to achieve a 15-watt charge for my phone. So I think it's a success. solar test results; DC connection 14.4 V. Under the same conditions (clear day, late afternoon), folding the panel again, I checked how much current can be gained when charging a lead-acid car battery. I managed to get about 1.1 volts. I then placed the panel on a stand to get the best angle. The current rose to over 1.4 amps with some 1.6 amps of intermittent torque. The maximum value displayed is 14.4 volts at 1.8 amps. So I think that was a great result. Form Factor: Overall, the form factor is a big improvement over the panels of a few years ago. For reference I have provided a picture of a TopSolar 30w panel on top of a 20w PowerFilm panel (the F15-1200 is rated at 15.4 volts at 1.2 amps. These were the best available ). The TopSolar module makes up a third of the PowerFilm surface. It's great that it simplifies deployment. I should note that during the USB test I also compared this panel. PowerFilm does not support fast charging on the S20. Construction: The panel consists of 4 rigid cells fixed to a smooth black fabric. When folded, the panel is held in place by a magnet, which works well. There is a rubber cover that protects the ports when not in use. The panel has two grommets/rings that allow the panel to be hung. Here the evaluation becomes more critical. Smooth fabric is not the ideal choice for the advertised use case in my opinion. I think that the selected fabric should have better abrasion resistance in the future. I was hoping it would be a similar ETFE construction that they use in their larger 60w, 100w and 120w panels. Finally, I'm not sure what IP rating this panel will receive, as I don't know that due to the design, it can withstand even light rain. Like many panels in this category, it is designed to be hung or laid on the floor. I would like this panel to have an additional option, e.g. B. a stand or additional sockets.