REVIEW - Suaoki 25W Waterproof Solar Charger

Top up your devices, at the same time as your tan

With the wettest December on record in the UK followed by a white, snowy January, you will be forgiven for casting your mind ahead to the summer and thoughts of warmer temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Whether you'll be lying by the pool or on the beach, getting active with some outdoor activities, camping or attending festivals, you're likely to spend a lot more time outdoors and in these modern times you're also likely to have a plethora of tech devices with you to keep you entertained and to let you stay in touch.

But what are you going to do when these devices run out of charge? You could carry one of a number of styles of power blocks or power banks that work great, until they also run out of power. Well, the guys at Suaoki believe the very sun that you crave could be the answer to not only top up your tan but also to top up your devices.

Suaoki, if you are not already aware of them, are a Chinese based company who specialise in producing handy, compact tech products to solve problems - with charging devices seemingly their speciality. In this case, it's the Suaoki 25W high conversion efficiency dual-port solar panel charger with TIR-C technology that fits the bill.

While the solar charger is not a small device (it's about the size of a paperback book) it folds neatly into an envelope that slots neatly and easily into your bag, and weighs about half the weight of a high capacity dual-port power block so will take less of a toll on your shoulder with all the rest of the gear you have to carry about with you.

But size in this instance, is your friend. The Suaoki solar charger has 4 mono-crystalline solar panels which, when folded out and placed in direct sunlight, give you far more output than many of the smaller compact solar chargers on the market.

The Suaoki charger has TIR-C Technology. In a nutshell, that means the device identifies the items you have plugged in to each of the USB ports and adapts the charging levels to suit - speeding up the charging in the process. Pretty neat. Fast charging is alright in my book.

In the box you get the device, 4 clamps to secure the device when using it, the instruction manual and a single USB cable. It would have been nice if, being a dual-port charger, they included 2 USB cables so you don't have to source another one to use the charger to it's full capabilities.

While the Suaoki solar charger requires direct sunlight to operate and charge your devices, it's versatility is key here. You can either hang it - from a fence, a wall, a tent, or any other static object - using the single eyelet at the top (using one of the 4 included clips) or you can use the side hooks to strap it securely to moving objects like your backpack. It can also fold neatly into a triangular prism to ensure at least 2 of the panels are pointing upwards, if you want to place it on the ground or other flat surface.

On the rear of the device there is a little pocket in which the USB component is stored. The component has 2 USB ports allowing you to charge 2 devices simultaneously. While it's a little awkward getting your fingers into the pocket to plug in your USB cables, for many, they will only do this one and leave the cables connected when stored. The pocket doubles up as a handy holder for your devices, keeping them safe and secure whilst charging.

A future addition to this device, probably on a premium model carrying a far larger price tag, would be the ability for the device to charge itself and store some power to allow you to charge when the sunshine disappears. But in this price range, that's maybe asking too much. For use in the summer, when the sunshine is in abundance, the Suaoki solar charger does what it says it's going to do perfectly.

My test took place on a snowy January where the sun wasn't exactly at it's premium, but when I connected a device to charge, charging begun without any complications (albeit a little on the slow side). In the height of summer, the charging will be a lot speedier when the sun is in more abundance.

So to summarise:

The pros:

- Compact and lightweight, lighter than most high power blocks
- versatile, from freestanding to hanging
- high powered with 4 sizable solar panels

The cons:

- It would be nice if it also charged itself to store some power in reserve (but you'd have to step up the price brackets for that)
- A 2nd USB cable in the box would have made the setup complete

So all in all, if you're an outdoorsy type but you also like to stay connected, or entertained using your technological devices, you could do a lot worse than carrying the Suaoki 25W high conversion efficiency dual-port solar charger with TIR-C technology with you to ensure your devices keep on going by harnessing the power of the sun to not only top up your tan but also your devices.

(The views expressed in this post are entirely my own. While I received the product for free for the purpose of testing it and reviewing it, I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and my opinions are based on my own, honest assessment of the product.)