Cars, though largely acknowledged as a gasoline- or diesel-fed machine, are electric at their roots. Yes, internal combustion engines are very powerful, but even these rely on a battery for their startup. And when it’s drained, a jump starter can help but a car solar battery charger helps you when no other means are feasible. They’re also a green means of charging your battery. We review ten of the best solar car battery chargers and summarized in the table below is comparison between them. Highly recommended are the Sunway Solar Car Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer and the ECO-WORTHY 12 Volts 10 Watts Portable Power.
| Product | Maximum Capacity | Key Features | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | -3.8 watts | -ABS plastic body -Easy mounting -8.2-feet long wire with quick disconnect -Cigarette lighter plug -Quick disconnect combo -Blue LED light blinks while charging -Blocking diode prevents battery discharge -12 month warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -10 watts | -Pair of alligator clips and Cigarette lighter plugs -Four pieces of PVC suction cups -Built in Blocking diode to prevent battery discharge | Check Price Now! |
 | -6 watts | -ABS plastic body -Strong glass protecting the solar cells -Built in blocking diode to prevent battery discharge -12 month warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -18 watts | -Two options for charging the battery ( cigarette lighter socket or alligator clips) -Built in blocking diode to prevent battery discharge -12 month warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -10 watts | -Two 6.5 feet long power cords with a pair of alligator clips on the end | Check Price Now! |
 | -5 watts | -Charge controller -Reverse polarity -Temperature compensation sensor -Waterproof -Shockproof protection -3 years warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -5 watts | -Two options for charging the battery ( cigarette lighter socket or alligator clips) -Blocking diode prevents reverse current flow -18 months warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -10 watts | - Plastic fabric body -Alligator clip pair -O ring terminals -Cigarette lighter plug -18 months warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -7.5 watts | -ABS plastic body -LED indicator -Blocking diode prevents reverse current flow -8.2 feet power cord -12 months warranty | Check Price Now! |
 | -18 watts | -Flexible body structure -Two options for charging the battery ( cigarette lighter socket or alligator clips) -18 months warranty | Check Price Now! |
Read some reviews from actual owners over here on Amazon:
*Note, this post contains several affiliate links for which I receive a commission should a sale result.
At least once in your life, you might have encountered or witnessed someone struggling to start a car with a dead battery. Getting stranded in a strange place is not a pretty scenario to be in.
With all their hi-tech equipment, modern vehicles put a large load on their batteries. There is a high probability of the batteries abruptly or prematurely failing if not taken care of properly.
Regular driving keeps the battery in top condition, but what if your car sees the light of the day every other week? Such a case will lead to battery drains and thus, loss of stored energy.
Electric car battery chargers can curb this issue. However, these are useless going outdoors. Imagine a camping trip. You might have a power inverter running off the car battery to power some electrical devices. This will only lead to battery drain without any source for replenishing its energy. A car solar battery charger can help in this situation.
In this article, we shall focus on:
- Introduction to solar charger for car battery
- The benefits of owning a car battery solar charger
- A six-point comprehensive guide to choosing the ‘right’ solar charger for your car
- Review of the best solar, automotive battery chargers
Solar charger for car battery
The sun’s rays provide an abundant and inexhaustible source of energy. A solar charger relies on harnessing this energy and storing it in usable form.
Solar chargers comprise solar cells, which are made from silicon with boron and phosphorus as impurities. The addition of these impurities causes an imbalance and creation of an electrical field. When photons in the sun’s rays strike the cell surface, these solar cells form a negatively-charged (electrons) and positively-charged side (protons).
Once the negative and positive sides are connected via an external load, electricity starts flowing. This flow of electricity can be used to power devices.
The amount of power produced by a single solar cell is too low. Hence, multiple solar cells are combined together to form solar panels.
Types of solar chargers
The differentiation between solar chargers comes down to the type of solar panel being used.
That said, there are three types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin-film panels.
All of these panels vary in the structural basis of the semiconductor material used in the construction.
Monocrystalline panels
A monocrystalline panel has solar cells made from a single, pure crystal of silicon. This aspect helps monocrystalline panels to have the best efficiency concerning energy conversion and transmission. However, this purity and complexity in the cell construction lead to higher costs, which results in higher premium demanded for these types of panels.
Polycrystalline panels
Unlike monocrystalline, polycrystalline panels have cells composed from the fragments of silicon crystals melted together. This construction method results in lower efficiency. On the plus side, it also means lowered costs.
Thin-film panels
The name ‘thin-film’ comes from the thickness of the solar cells, which is very small compared to its counterparts.
Thin-film solar panels can be made from a variety of materials; cadmium telluride is the most common of them. Further, solar cells for these panels are also constructed from amorphous silicon. CIGS or Copper Indium Gallium Selenide is also one of the popular types.
These panels win over the competition in portability and weight comparison while having a similar visual appeal to monocrystalline panels.
To sum up the different types:
- Monocrystalline panels have the highest efficiency along with higher costs.
- Polycrystalline panels come with low efficiency and low cost.
- Thin-film panels have low efficiency but are light and portable.
Then, comes the big question –
Why should you have one?
The biggest pro when it comes to solar car battery chargers is the mobility aspect. You can use them to charge the car batteries while on a trip without any additional cost.
The supplier companies demand periodic fees for accessing electricity. And added to that, you are reliant on someone else (i.e. the supply company, in this case) for your energy needs. This means that not only will you end up paying to own an electric battery charger but also for using it. However, this is not the case with solar battery chargers.
The sun provides free renewable energy in solar energy, which is accessible to everyone, so you are exempted from any sort of charges for using solar energy. Thus, you get an energy source with zero usage charge only for some initial monetary investment on solar equipment.
This aspect is not only appealing from a financial point of view but also from a sustainable perspective. Producing electricity requires burning coal or other fuels, which affect the environment negatively. There’s no such concern relying on the sun’s energy.
That said, this free solar energy is variable. You might have clouds in the sky, change in seasons, and other factors that affect the amount of the sun’s energy captured. But then again, smart planning in setup along with efficient equipment can help curb this issue.
So, there you have it. Owning a solar battery charger provides you the luxury of off-grid charging without any added usage charges.
That said, solar chargers aren’t an outright substitute to electric battery chargers. Solar chargers for cars, at the current technology level, are incapable of recharging a dead battery; they can only help in top-ups or trickle charging. So, don’t expect power miracles from your solar charger. If you’re looking for a standard car battery charger, check our Noco Genius G3500 review for top choices of the year
Now, let’s focus on getting the ‘right’ type of solar car charger for you.
What to Look for When Purchasing a Solar Car Battery Charger
You need to keep a few things in mind when getting a solar battery charger that suits your car. These key elements will let you assess the product on the forefront like performance, ease of use and portability.
The following elements will let you assess a solar car charger based on your specific needs:
- Power of the solar charger
- Accessibility
- Size
- Portability
- Quality assurance
- Price
Power of the solar charger
Power is directly proportional to charge time. The higher the power, the faster the charger can refill the battery.
High power produces heat, which is an energy loss. But this isn’t much of a problem with car chargers as the power ratings of these devices is very low. It results in slower current flow, longer charging times (key essence of trickle charging) with no heat loss.
Concerning power, you want a charger that has got the highest power rating.
Accessibility
The solar battery charger you choose for the car should have proper accessibility in terms of reach and options.
Concerning the reach of a charger, it should come with wires of adequate length. Short cables would restrict the movement of the charger with respect to the car (or battery). It means you might have to park your car in the sun for the battery to charge. A setup with sufficient cable length would promote a higher degree of charger movement without affecting the position of the car or battery.
Further, the charger should also come with multiple options for battery charging. Good charger models allow for at least two connection options: one to the cigarette lighter socket, the other directly to the battery via alligator clips. Both of these options have their use in different situations. A cigarette lighter socket connection suits discreet charging setup while the alligator clips suit off-grid scenarios.
Hence, choose a solar charger whose accessibility factor best suits your needs.
Design
A good design will take care of size, aesthetics and performance while incorporating the necessary mounting support.
Space is a luxury that’s limited in cars. You don’t want a massive charger eating up valuable interior space. Besides, a small form factor would help the charger to blend with the car’s interior better and not be an eyesore.
Then comes the question of installation. A charger should allow for multiple mounting options to suit differing setups. These mounting setups should secure the charger in place without raising any concerns over the reliability of the system.
Concerning design, focus on the overall size of the charger along with the available mounting options.
Portability
You should also consider the portability aspect of the solar car battery charger in question. Solar chargers aren’t meant for continuous use. Meaning, you have to allocate some additional space for their storage, separate from their place used while charging the battery. Thus, the device needs to be considerably small in size and lightweight to avoid unnecessary physical strain on your body.
Further, it should also allow for easy installation and removal after charging. This process should be hassle-free.
Therefore, consider the device’s weight, size and installation setup to evaluate its portability.
Quality Assurance
The use of solar charger provides assurance over the performance of your car battery. So, it is vital that you also look into the durability and reliability of the device. Think of it as an assurance of assurance.
The use of strong materials in construction, prompt customer help and support are sure signs of good product quality.
Thus, always look into what the device has on offer in the form of quality assurance.
Price
Always initialize a budget before looking for options on the market as it prevents you from overspending. Having a baseline price lets you focus more on the product options instead of their prices.
Making a product selection corresponds to finding the most value for a particular price. You might find one product offers more value (be it in terms of build, features, or customer support) than another product with the same price. It is about finding the maximum value for the price you are paying.
Hence, concerning price, always go for a product that provides maximum value for the price.
Bonus tip: Price per watt
Sometimes, it might be hard to decide between two or three charger alternatives as they might be similarly matched in terms of offerings. In such a case, you could use the ‘price per watt’ comparison. Meaning, you will assess the ratio of price to the power of the device. This is a fast method to evaluate the value of a solar charger without diving deep into its features and other aspects.
That completes the six-point guide to purchasing a solar battery charger for cars. We have covered the six elements that you need to assess a solar battery charger.
But still finding the ‘right’ kind of solar charger can be hard.
Therefore, we have done the hard work and compiled a list of some of the best rated solar automotive battery chargers for you to choose from. If you’re looking for more traditional battery chargers, you may be more interested in our article about AGM battery chargers, most of which are suitable for standard car batteries, deep cycle batteries and lithium ion batteries as well. For a good, low priced car battery charger, you might also want to read our review of the Everstart battery charger.
Top Rated Solar Car Battery Charger Reviews
The following products are some of the top-rated solar car battery chargers:
- Sunway Solar Car Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer
- ECO-WORTHY 12 Volts 10 Watts Portable Power
- SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger & Maintainer
- SUAOKI 18V 12V 18W Solar Car Battery Charger
- Mighty Max Battery 10 Watt Polycrystalline Solar Panel Charger for Deep Cycle Battery
- Battery Tender 021-1163 5W Solar Maintainer with Built-in Super Smart Charging Controller
- ALLPOWERS 18V 5W Portable Solar Car Battery Charger Bundle
- MOOLSUN 10W Solar Car Battery Charger
- SUNAPEX 7.5W 12V Solar Trickle Charger
- SUNKINGDOM 18W Solar Car Battery Charger
1. Sunway Trickle Car Solar Battery Charger & Maintainer
This Sunway solar battery charger can provide up to 3.8 watts of power.
Its design is a combination of straight edges and curves, extending up to 13.98 inches long and 5.05 inches wide. The body is made of ABS plastic, which promises to be strong and durable. The four suction cups provided allow for easy mounting of the charger.
Further, you have an 8.2-feet long wire with a quick-disconnect at the end, which is sufficient for making the necessary connections. Besides, the package also comes with a cigarette lighter plug – quick-disconnect combo, and a quick-disconnect and pair of alligator clips combo.
Sunway Car Solar Battery Charger SALIENT FEATURES
You can charge all types of batteries but conditioned, they are rated for 20Ah or higher current flow. There’s a single blue LED light, which blinks while the battery is charging. If the current polarity is reversed, the blue LED stops blinking.
Then, the built-in blocking diode prevents battery discharge when the solar panel isn’t charging the battery.
As for quality assurance, you get a 12-month warranty on the product.
Pros:
- Long power cord
Cons:
- The plastic body is not durable, warps under intense heat
Verdict:
Reliable solar panel, but the same can’t be said about the body
2. ECO-WORTHY 12 Volts 10 Watts Portable Power Solar Car Battery Charger
The solar charger offering from ECO-WORTHY is meant for a maximum of 10-watt power application.
It comes with all the basic accessories like a pair of alligator clips and cigarette lighter plugs, both of which have 2-pin quick-disconnect wire terminals. Additionally, you also get four pieces of PVC suction cups integrated into the panel housing for hassle-free mounting. These cups can be removed from the metal grommet for the setup to be secured in place with screws.
The solar panel housing, which is made of fabric, is 14.37 inches long and 9.25 inches wide. Then, you have around 4.75-feet of power cord extending from the back of the housing, which terminates on a 2-pin quick-disconnect plug.
ECO-WORTHY Solar Car Battery Charger SALIENT FEATURES
The device also comes with a built-in blocking diode to prevent battery discharge. Besides, the unique design of the alligator clips prevents short circuits due to accidental connections.
Pros:
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Flimsy build
- Short power cord reach
Verdict:
Light build but does the job
3. SUNER POWER 12V Solar Battery Chargers For Cars & Maintenance
The BC-6W is a 12-volt 6-watt solar charger.
This SUNER POWER charger has a rugged design. The body is made from ABS plastic with a layer of strong glass protecting the solar cells. The overall dimension spans at 14.84 inches long and 6.36 inches wide. Besides, you get four mounting holes at each of the corners, which can take either a suction cup or screw for mounting.
The power cord coming from the charger extends up to 8-feet. Further, the 1.5-feet alligator clips and cigarette lighter cord extensions allow for some more reach. All wire terminals are quick-disconnect types, which adds to the ease of making and breaking connections.
SUNER POWER Solar Battery Chargers For Cars ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Additionally, there’s a built-in blocking diode to prevent battery discharge from reverse current flow.
Quality assurance comes in the form of 12-month warranty and lifetime tech support.
Pros:
- Strong build
- Long power cord reach
Cons:
- Absence of any form of indicator to signify operation
Verdict:
Durable power package but has no means to signify its operation
4. SUAOKI 18V 12V 18W Solar Car Battery Charger
This SUAOKI is a powerful package. The solar charger can supply a maximum of 18 watts of power.
The device is also bigger in size, being 16.5 inches long and 11 inches wide. The body design is simple, with strong edges making for a rectangular slate-like figure. Each of the corners have holes with grommets for mounting the charger.
The connections are modular. The panel has a short cable terminating on a socket. Like most other chargers, you get two options for charging the battery. You can plug in the provided plug into the cigarette lighter socket or use the alligator clips to make a direct connection to the battery.
Then, the device also comes equipped with a built-in blocking diode to avoid battery discharge when the battery is not being charged.
Moreover, the SUAOKI comes with a 12-month warranty to assure its quality.
Pros:
- Powerful
- Good energy efficiency
- Modular connections
Cons:
- Poor quality suction cups
Verdict:
A very powerful package but lacks the necessary mounting precision
5. Mighty Max Battery 10 Watt Polycrystalline Solar Panel Battery Charger for Car Deep Cycle Battery
This Mighty Max Solar’s offering is a very potent 10-watt power package.
The MLS-10WP is a 12-volt polycrystalline solar panel measuring 13.75 inches long, 10 inches wide and a quarter-inch thick. The body is made of aluminum, which has provisional holes to allow easy mounting of the device.
Mighty Max Solar Panel Battery Charger for Car OVERVIEW
As for connections, the device comes with a pair of 6.5-feet long power cords with a pair of alligator clips on the end. That said, the solar charger lacks a blocking diode or any similar mechanism from preventing battery discharges.
Pros:
- Strong aluminum build
- Includes a solar charge controller
Cons:
- The mounting provision does not work for installation on windshield
Verdict:
Strong build promises for a reliable product
6. Battery Tender 021-1163 5W Solar Maintainer with Built-in Super Smart Charging Controller Car Battery Solar Panel Charger
The 021-1163 from Battery Tender is a 5-watt solar battery charger. It comes paired to a charge controller, which takes care of the battery from overcharging or discharging. Thus, it eliminates the need for any sort discharge prevention mechanism like blocking diodes.
The device has a fairly squarish appearance with a length of 13.07 inches, a width of 12.73 inches and a thickness of 0.86 inch. The charge controller is placed on the bottom face of the panel.
Battery Tender Car Battery Solar Panel Charger ADDITIONAL FEATURES
As for protection, the solar charger comes with reverse polarity, built-in temperature compensation sensor, waterproof, shockproof protection along with a CE approval.
The product warranty keeps you covered in case of any defects and failures for up to 3 years.
Pros:
- Approval from CE
- Waterproof
Cons:
- The device only allows for battery connection with alligator clips
Verdict:
A weatherproof package but limited in terms of connection
7. ALLPOWERS 18V 5W Portable Solar Charger Car Battery Bundle
The ALLPOWERS 18-volt solar charger converts the sun’s energy to a maximum 5-watts of electrical power.
The solar panel consists of monocrystalline cells, which help in the solar-to-electrical energy conversion. The overall structure is slightly smaller, spanning 12.6 inches long and 5 inches wide. So, neither storage nor mounting is going to be that big of a problem. Further, the four PVC suction cups help in the easy mounting of the panel.
ALLPOWERS Solar Charger Car Battery ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Then, there are two mediums for charging the car battery: first via the cigarette lighter plug, and second via the alligator clips, which create a direct connection to the battery. A blocking diode prevents reverse current flow from the battery and subsequent discharge.
The device comes with an 18-month warranty as a token of product quality.
Pros:
- Monocrystalline cells allow for higher energy efficiency
- Compact design
Cons:
- The body fabric disintegrates at high temperatures
Verdict:
Strong performance but a weak body
8. MOOLSUN 10W Solar Automotive Battery Charger
This MOOLSUN is an 18-volt solar charger rated for 10-watts of power. The device has good energy efficiency due to the use of monocrystalline cells.
The body is a plastic fabric composition spanning 15.59 inches long and 6.9 inches wide. These dimensions, when paired to the thickness of 0.19 inch, make for a very thin structure. The two suction cups provided for mounting the device are situated on the opposite sides longitudinally.
MOOLSUN Solar Automotive Battery Charger ADDITIONAL FEATURES
You get an alligator clip pair, O-ring terminals and cigarette lighter plug for making battery connections, which are provided in the package.
Further, the device gets an 18-month warranty as quality assurance.
Pros:
- Ample power
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Not totally weatherproof
Verdict:
Lightweight but strong power package
9. SUNAPEX 7.5W 12V Solar Trickle Solar Charger Car
The SUNAPEX is a 12-volt solar battery charger, which can put out a maximum of 7.5 watts of power.
It has a square-shaped body, which is made from ABS plastic and spans 13.8 inches both horizontally and vertically. There are four holes at each corner for installing the device on a flat surface. There’s no provision for suction cups; you need to use screws (provided in the package).
Besides, a LED indicator tells about the working status of the panel, and a blocking diode prevents reverse current flow and battery discharge.
SUNAPEX Solar Charger Car ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Further, there’s an 8.2-feet power cord originating from the amorphous silicon panel, which ends on a quick-disconnect terminal. You can connect either an alligator clip setup or a cigarette lighter plug to this terminal, which makes the total power cord length approximately 10-feet.
The product comes with a 12-month warranty along with lifetime technical support.
Pros:
- Rigid design
- Secure mounting setup
- LED indicator
- Long power cord reach
Cons:
- Low efficiency due to amorphous silicon cells
Verdict:
Cost-effective package, which lacks efficiency
10 SUNKINGDOM 18W Solar Car Battery Charger
This SUNKINGDOM offering is an 18-watt solar charger.
The body has a simple but comparatively large footprint at 16.53 inches long and 11.02 inches wide. Moreover, the combination of PET, EVA and TPT make for a slightly robust yet flexible body structure. The four corner holes support the device when mounted at a location.
As for connections, you get the usual two options in a cigarette lighter plug and a pair of alligator clips.
Finally, the device gets an 18-month warranty to signify product quality.
Pros:
- Strong yet flexible build
- Powerful
Cons:
- Comparatively large size
Verdict:
Big, both in terms of power and size
Notes
Use of charge controller
A charge controller is an electronic device that regulates the current going to the battery from the solar panel. It helps in preventing overcharging and discharge of battery power.
Some solar chargers come with a pre-built charge controller while others do not. That said, trickle chargers are more likely to damage low current flow batteries (less than 20 Ah) if left plugged in continuously. Such a situation can lead to batteries getting hot and, eventually, they may explode.
Consult with an expert in this regard and if required, get a charge controller for your solar charging setup.
Disconnecting charger before starting the engine
A solar charger has sensitive electronics. When you turn the key, there is a surge of electric current in the electrical system, which helps to start the car. This electrical surge can damage the electronics in the solar charger, leading to device failure or even fire hazards in worse cases.
Hence, always disconnect the solar charger from the car’s electrical system before starting the engine.
Importance of keeping the panels clean
Solar cells rely on the sun’s rays for generating energy. A dirty panel surface will prevent the solar cells from receiving the required amount of sun’s rays and thus, produce less energy, which will affect their efficiency. The glass surface, which covers the solar cells, should always be kept clean to allow the maximum amount of sunlight access for solar cells to produce the required amount of energy.
Hence, always keep the glass surface of your solar charger panel clean.
Warranty claims
Different products come with different warranty periods. That said, some companies might have additional conditions that the solar charger should meet to qualify for warranty claim.
Product registration after purchase is a common method of qualifying for a warranty claim in the future. However, some companies might demand that you pay for transport charges for the product when sending for warranty claim.
The point is, companies might have hidden conditions concerning the warranty, which you need to investigate for yourself. Thus, look for such criteria when considering to buy a product.
Damage from sun exposure and heat
No solar product is inert to the effect of the sun’s rays. Eventually, these products will show signs of age and wear. That said, you should not compromise on the build of the device, even if the performance is superior compared to others. Sun exposure is just one of the factors. There are many other factors that can affect the lifespan of a product. A strongly built panel will survive an accidental fall; a flimsy one won’t.
Hence, though it is inevitable for the device to fail with use, do not compromise on build quality for the sake of performance.
Conclusion
Batteries are electrical energy stores. However, batteries tend to lose power over time. It is vital to keep the batteries topped up to ensure they perform to their maximum ability. Electrical chargers are the solution to keep batteries charged, but they aren’t accessible at every place. Hence, for such situations, we have solar battery chargers.
Through this article, we learned about the following aspects:
- Introduction to the solar charger for car battery
- The benefits of owning a car battery solar charger
- A six-point comprehensive guide to choosing the ‘right’ solar charger for your car
- Review of the best solar, automotive battery chargers
The article had the best intentions of helping you with aspects related to solar chargers. We hope to have done just that.
Check out our FAQ section where we cover more popular topics about battery chargers and portable jump starters.
If you still have any query or concern with regards to aspect, please write down your comments below.