My brother-in-law and I are the people in the family who do in-depth research into everything we buy. Several years ago my brother-in-law recommended the Jackery 6000mAh Portable Travel Charger. Love it when he does the research for me! He said it was the best small electronics charger out there and he bought one for everyone in his family. I got one and could not have been any more pleased. Now all five members of my family each have one as well and use them all the time!
Next... I bought the Jackery AC 23200mAh Portable Laptop Charger for our laptops and iPads. Much more powerful than the 6000mAh and has an AC plug as one of the output options. Love it for using my computer outside and am constantly having to get it back from my son who uses it to power his occasional day long gaming sessions on the iPad!
Most importantly, the Jackery Customer Service has been incredible. They always respond quickly, and when one of our small chargers had a problem, they immediately sent us a new one, no questions asked!
Having such a great experience with Jackery, I decided to get the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 500 and it's been awesome! We live in an area where the power goes out for short periods on a regular basis, so I figured this could help us get through those times without having to deal with the mess and smell of a gas powered generator. In addition to emergencies, this is going to be a staple on our long drives, vacations, and car camping trips.
All that brings me to the Jackery SolarSaga 100W Portable Solar Panel. I was intrigued by the simplicity and portability of solar panels that could keep all of my electronics charged completely off the grid!
It actually arrived two days quicker than the estimated time when I ordered it. Unfortunately, it also arrived on a completely overcast, dark winter day, but I figured I’d try it out anyway.
Day One: 11:50 am - Connected the SolarSaga 100 to my Jackery 500 which I had purposefully run down to 0% for the test. As I said, it was completely overcast. Using the supplied Anderson Solar Cable connector, the Jackery 500 input registered between 6-16 watts and charged to 4% in 4 hours. Not too exciting, but pretty much what you would expect (or maybe even better) on a day with absolutely no sun. The first photos are from that day. Next photos are from sunny days!
Day Two: Perfectly clear full sun winter day when I connected the Solarsaga 100 to the Jackery 500 again. at 10:10 am. The input on the Jackery 500 registered between 60-70 watts and charged to 45% in 3 hours. The Jackery website says the Solarsaga 100 should fully charge the Jackery 500 in full sun in 14 hours, so 45% in 3 hours was much better than I expected! The temperature during those three hours was 48-54°F
Later in the day I set it up facing the low western sun at 3:30 pm CST. The input registered at 25 watts until I lost the sun completely behind the neighbors house at 4:00.
Day Three: Another clear sunny day. Plugged it into the Jackery 500 at 8:30 am with morning temperatures being a bit lower than the day before. The input ranged from 50-70 watts and charged the Jackery 500 from 45% to 81% in three hours. Once again, much better than expected!
The SolarSaga 100 also includes one USB-C outlet and one USB-A outlet. At 1:30 pm, I plugged my iPhone 7 Plus and the Jackery 500 each directly into Solarsaga 100 With the sun behind a leaf-less pecan tree the input registered 26-28 watts (32-33 watt input if I disconnected the iPhone). My iPhone 7 Plus charged from from 40% to 91% in 1.5 hours. Even without the Jackery 500, the Solarsaga 100 seems like a great way to directly charge cell phones, cameras, iPads, laptops, or anything else that connects with USB-C or USB-A cables!
The set-up and breakdown of the the SolarSaga 100 panels is extremely quick and simple. It opens like a book and has two stable legs that pop out to stand it up to face the sun. When you fold it together again it stays closed with the help of what seem to be a couple magnets in the corners. Since my house is surrounded by trees and other houses, I had to move it several times in order to keep it in the sun. Each time I moved it took about 15 seconds.
While I was testing the solar panel, I had several work men (who also happened to be hunters) working on a project at my house. They were all super intrigued by the SolarSaga and the Jackery 500 for future off grid hunting trips and for taking with them on their worksites to keep their power tools charged. They said they usually park their trucks in places where there’s full sun and that they’d just lay the panel on the roof of the pick-up truck.
Overall great purchase. I’d very much recommend the SolarSaga 100 for its efficiency, simple clean design, portability, and durability potential. As with my other Jackery products, it’s perfect for emergencies, travel, and any time you just might be away from a normal power source. Perfect back-up for your electronics as long as you have some sun!
| Brand | Jackery |
|---|---|
| Material | Plastic |
| Product Dimensions | 24.02"L x 21.06"W x 0.2"H |
| Efficiency | High Efficiency |
| Connector Type | USB |
| Included Components | 1*Jackery SolarSaga 100 Solar Panel. |
| AC Adapter Current | 2.4 Amps |
| Maximum Voltage | 5 Volts |
| Maximum Power | 100 Watts |
| Manufacturer | Jackery |
| Part Number | 100w |
| Item Weight | 9.48 pounds |
| Item model number | Jackery SolarSaga 100 |
| Size | 24.02"L x 21.06"W x 0.2"H |
| Color | Black, Orange |
| Style | SolarSaga 100W |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Wattage | 100.00 |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 2 year manufacturer |
