Recently, Hurricane Ian tore through Florida and up the East Coast of the US, and even though it has been several days, there are still hundreds of thousands without power. As someone who has personally been through a hurricane and spent a week without power, I understand the importance of being prepared.
Fortunately, availability to alternative sources of energy has never been more accessible than it is today. For example, the Lion 50W Foldable Solar Panel we were sent for review can be had for as little as $229.
Design
The Lion 50W Foldable Solar Panel measures in at a compact 11.25 x 11.25 x 1.63 inches while folded and expands to 46 x 11.25 x .75 inches when unfolded. It uses four monocrystalline panels capable of outputting up to 50W of power and has a life expectancy of up to 20 years.
The backside of the Lion 50W Foldable Solar Panel features two kickstands, a storage pouch, and outputs for USB Type-A, USB Type-C, and a barrel connector. All of this, and it comes in a lightweight portable three-pound package.
User experience
Charging with the Lion 50W Foldable Solar Panel was as easy as unfolding the panels and pointing them up to the sun with the included kickstands. You are then ready to plug into one of the three provided ports and connect whatever device you wish.
While testing the ports in the middle of a clear sunny day, I found the output of the USB Type-C port to max out at 21W and 46W for the barrel connector. That falls a little short of the 50W, but don’t worry, that’s entirely normal as a few watts are usually lost in transition.
However, I was a little disappointed that the USB Type-C port couldn’t harness the full power of the panels. Regardless, it’s still enough to fast charge most phones these days and give you a full charge in around an hour.
Final thoughts
Thanks to the compact design and high power output, I found the Lion 50W Foldable Solar Panel to be perfect for charging up while on the go or at home. Sure, you won’t want to carry it with you everywhere you go, but if you’re going for an all-day hike or a camping trip, then the Lion 50W Foldable Solar Panel is tailor-made for these excursions.
Alternatively, it’s also great to have as a backup source of power during storm season, whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, or a bad thunderstorm—you’ll be happy to have a way to get power after the clouds clear out.
