Reviews of the best Solar Trickle Charger

Last Updated March 27, 2021

Have you ever had this uncomfortable feeling when you want to start your car, but it just seems to be a lack of power? Especially when you leave home at a place quite far away and it’s already late ?

The moment you realize that your car battery is getting low, you will discover how wise it is to have one of the best Solar Trickle Chargers.

Why We Need a Solar Trickle Charger

Batteries naturally discharge – Automotive batteries naturally discharge when they are not in use. This is a small but constant drain; if overlooked, it may drain completely and become dead.
Vehicles have a small but constant battery drain – Modern vehicles have upwards of 30 body control modules (computers), alarm systems, immobilizers and lock monitoring. These units all consume electricity from the battery. That’s why in a week or two with no or little vehicle use the battery can become discharged.
Battery life is shortened if it is not kept charged – A 12V battery that is not correctly maintained above 12.4V can suffer from sulphation. Sulphation is the main cause of battery failure. That’s why the auto battery easily goes to dead when vehicles are left standing for long periods.
The simplicity of use – A solar car battery trickle charger is straightforward to use. An older adult, a teenager, or a father with three kids can pick up a 12-volt solar car battery charger, making it much easier to work than a standard electric charger. Besides, a solar car battery charger does not have excessive power like an electric socket charger; it is safer for beginners to use.
Variety of uses – You can use a solar panel trickle charger to maintain all kinds of batteries: cars, RVs, ships, motorcycles, lawnmowers, etc.
Convenient and Portable – the most valuable point about a solar car battery charger is that it allows you to charge your car battery anywhere. However, you can’t do that just anywhere with a standard charger.

How to Choose the Right Solar Trickle Charger

Charging efficiency – For the most effective solar panel trickle charger, you will want to find one that has a conversion efficiency of at least 20%. This means as long as you have light, even when it is overcast, the solar trickle charger should be able to generate enough energy.
Power output – Solar battery trickle chargers have various power wattages to choose from. Starting from 5 watts to 10 watts, up to 20 watts. The more watts a battery charger generates, the faster it maintains or charges your battery.
Auto shutdown – Most solar battery trickle chargers have a built-in shutdown diode (reverse charge blocking diode). This can prevent the solar car battery trickle charger from charging after the battery reaches its maximum capacity, and it can also prevent reverse current from returning. The automatic shutdown function prevents potential damage to the battery and charger. Most 12V solar trickle chargers have this function, though, so it should not be difficult to find.
Sturdy construction – The solar trickle charger should be well built because you may move it to various locations for charging. For example, you can maintain your boat battery and then move to your motorcycle. You want your solar battery trickle charger to be strong enough to withstand any potential shocks or collisions.
Connectors and cables – Make sure your solar trickle charger has at least one 12-volt connector. The length of the power cord will also determine your charging flexibility. If the cord is too short, there may be restrictions.
Mounting – There are several options for installation: a bracket, a stand, or suction cups. You can install a solar charger in a permanent location, for example, on the side of your garage or house. And in some cases, suction cups are easily installed on the dashboard of a car or the deck of a boat.
Size – Solar battery trickle chargers vary in size. Think about portability, choose the one that is best for your application.

Reviews of Best Solar Trickle Chargers 2021

#1. ECO-WORTHY 12 Volt 5-Watt Solar Trickle Charger

This ECO solar trickle charger is a good size and shape for use just about anywhere. This includes the hood of your car, on a boat deck, in your car’s engine compartment, or on a sunroof.

The built-in blocking diode helps prevent power from reversing from the battery. This takes some of the burdens off of you – you don’t have to monitor the unit because the diode protects it closely. Use this product to maintain batteries in cars, trucks, boats, motorhomes, RVs, ATVs, and more. Since it works on cloudy days, you can maintain your batteries and keep them in top shape in any weather.

If there are downsides to this unit, it’s that it does not have an indicator to let you know whether it’s working or not. Also, buyers have stated that the cord could be a little longer.

Up till today, this stunning solar charger has gained 3,620 ratings which indicates its popularity.

Specifications

Maximum Power (Pmax): 5W
Open-circuit Voltage (Voc): 22.41V
Short-circuit Current (Isc): 0.3A
Maximum Working Voltage (Vpm): 17.9V
Maximum Working Current (Ipm): 0.28A
Net Weight: 0.76lb (345g )
Size: 8.07inch*9.25inch (20.5cm*23.5cm)
Cable length, solar panel to SAE connector: 57inch (145cm)
Cable length, alligator clip to SAE connector: 22.8inch (58cm)
Cable length, cigarette lighter plug to SAE connector: 22.8inch (58cm)

Really happy with this purchase. I have another more expensive solar charger (a hard panel) and I like this one a lot more. The people that left 1 star reviews for this do not understand the purpose of a solar charger, it is not meant to recharge your battery it's meant to maintain the charge it has. If you put a dead battery on the solar charger it will remain dead but will not lose any more power then it has already. Batteries will often die within a week or two if you are not driving your vehicle, this prevents that from happening.

Bought this for my camper van as I just destroyed a battery with it going flat due to lack of use. Hooked it up a week ago but just looked into it to see if it was actually doing anything. Measured the battery voltage and its at 13.2 volts on a bright but overcast day so it is clearly doing its job. Time will tell in the dull and short winter days but I am more than happy with it right now. I have it mounted on the inside of the windscreen via the suckers.

If I could give this six stars, I would. Summer of '17, I purchased a new Die Hard battery for my minivan. During the winter months, we don't use it much at all and it sits outside. During that following winter, we probably didn't start it for a few weeks during sub-freezing temps and once we finally did, it didn't have enough to start the car. Lots of chargings and failings later, we finally replaced the battery. I also bought this trickle charger and installed it in the windshield. We've had zero need for the van this winter and I went out and checked it out of curiosity. The starter spun like I'd been running the car every day and it was a June morning. What a difference!! These should be installed in all cars as standard equipment.

#2. SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger

This sunner power 12V solar car battery charger & maintainer maintains and charges many types of batteries, including AGM, SLA, GEL, wet and deep cycle. You can use it for many applications, such as automotive, marine, tractors, snowmobiles, trucks, RVs, etc.

A built-in blocking diode prevents reverse discharging, so there’s no drain on the battery. It is constructed of high-quality solar glass that will provide several years of use. Similarly, the ABS plastic frame is sturdy and made for long service. Your charger/maintainer comes with a 12-month warranty and lifetime tech support.

However, some users report that the clamps are loose, and you might need to replace them for a better grip.

Up till today, this stunning solar charger has gained 1158 ratings which indicates its popularity.

Specifications

Rated Power: 8W/18V
Cell Type: Mono
Solar Cells: 36pcs
Discharge Protection: Yes
Cable Length: 2.4m
Installation: Suction Cups
Package Dimensions: 16.8 x 10.4 x 2.5 inches
Item Weight: 2.79 pounds

Got this for our travel trailer that we keep at a storage facility without electricity available. I keep this on my already fully charged battery and it keeps it topped off and in good condition. Remember this is just a trickle charger to keep an already charged battery good to go. Have only been using it for about a month and it seems to be working great; I check the battery with a multimeter and the battery is always fully charged after a week or two. If I have any problems I'll update my review.

I've only had the solar panel for about a week so can't talk about durability yet, but it seems solid and very well built. I'm using it to keep the battery in my Toyota Tacoma pickup truck charged and it comes with plenty of cable to reach from my dashboard to the battery terminals. It was pretty discrete to run the wire out the corner of the drivers side door and under the hood, note the red arrow in the photo. Tip: Instead of using the provided suction cups, I squeezed a soft rubber ball between the back of the panel and the dashboard to prop up it up against the window. I think this way will be quicker to move the panel and won't leave marks on the glass. I especially appreciate Suner's prompt and personal customer service. I had a minor problem with the test light and John took care of me within hours of my contacting them! Based on this I have no doubt that Suner will back up their product well down the road. I recommend it!

I have a truck that I don't drive too often. I have probably put 4000 miles on it in the past five years. I can't plug it into a trickle charger so I got this since I had gone through three batteries in those five years. They would lose their charge completely and would no longer hold a charge. I've had this for a little over 6 months and it has done a great job. Now, my truck starts up every time I go to start it and the voltmeter in my truck shows the battery is at full charge each time I go to start it. This does a great job at maintaining the battery. Even though the instructions say not to start the car when plugged in, my son and I have both done so with no problems. You do need to have a "live" charging/cigarette lighter plug if you don't want to hook it up to your battery. This is what I have done and it has worked great. I set it so it gets sunlight the majority of the day and it has worked great. Good investment since it will keep my battery charged so I won't be buying a new battery every few years.

#3. SUNER POWER 12V Solar Battery Trickle Charger

The high efficient solar panel allows the absorption of a broader spectrum of sunlight as long as sufficient daylight is available. The charger will generate an electrical current to trickle the battery. The charger is built in the most super-intelligent MPPT(Maximum Power Power Tracking) chip to charge and fully protect the battery intelligently. The MPPT technology helps to generate at least 20%-30% more power than traditional PWM. And the LED indicator helps better understand the charging status on all days.

High-efficiency crystalline solar cells work great on all days. The adjustable joint ball makes it possible to adjust the solar panel’s angle to get as much sunshine and increase more power.
Built-in super-intelligent MPPT technology generates at least 20%-30% more power than traditional PWM.
Smart three-stages charging algorith is improved to better charge and maintain battery.
LED work statue indicator, battery power indicator, error warning indicator, all statues are clear.
IP 65 waterproof design prevents components from oxidizing into the water; no worry to place it outside in all seasons.
Overcharge protection, over-discharge protection, reverse polarity protection, and short circuit protection.
Plug & play SAE connector, easy to connect and disconnect.
Durable ABS frame and tempered solar glass, well built for years usage.

Regarding the downsides, I have to say that it’s not convenient if you wanna fix the unit inside your car.

Up till today, this stunning solar charger has gained 485 ratings.

Specifications

Rated Power: 10W/18V
Cell Type: Poly
Package Dimensions: 14.72 x 11.93 x 3.19 inches
Item Weight: 3.58 pounds

I installed this battery charger in my shed, where I keep 2 motorcycles and an extra battery. I rigged a charging system using this solar charger and some additional wires and connected all three batteries to it. After a couple of days I checked the charge on the batteries and it had gone up. I just checked them again (after a couple of weeks) and the voltage is even higher than I've ever seen on these batteries. So it is doing its job nicely, even during winter in Chicago (we just had 12 consecutive days without seeing the sun).

I have this unit hooked up along with the Suner Power charge controller in my garage along with their extension cord to keep all my batteries topped off while not in use. I have five batteries that I rotate the cord to and it keeps them all in full charge and the controller will also help you safely charge and monitor them. very easy to adjust for sun input with the ball mount. Take the time to understand the simplicity of these units by visiting Suner Power website it is very informative and shows just how simple they have made it to get free energy, and they offer more products I will be ordering in the future. I asked allot of questions and they always replied promptly.

I keep my boat in a storage facility that does not have electricity available. I only take the boat out once or twice a week. This Solar charger fully charges my battery in 4 days ! Today I checked voltage on the batteries. The trolling motor battery had a full days use on the lake. I had been charging the battery for 4 days & the voltage was 13.88 volts. I checked the starting battery this morning and it read 12.4 volts, and as soon as I plugged in the Solar charger the voltage read 12.8 volts. My plan is to rotate the charger on the batteries to maintain the batteries. In the winter I will probably remove the batteries. I ordered an extension cable so I can get the Solar panel off the ground and put it on the trailer tongue & just to make things more convenient I put the terminal ends on the 2 pigtails it comes with so I can bolt them on the battery. I will just alternate batteries by plugging in one or the other. Get one or two, you wont be disappointed.

#4. POWOXI 3.5W 12V Solar Trickle Charger

It’s a compact yet powerful device with many features to offer and is suitable for all kinds of cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, boats, and more. The device is ideal for 12V batteries and very efficient in preventing drains. Its primary purpose is to slowly charge and maintain the battery’s voltage, keeping it healthy and making it more durable. With the back discharge protection, the charger is super safe to use.

Users also love the weather-resistant solar panels accommodated in sturdy plastic housing. With the IP65 rating and UV protection, the device is very durable and suitable for indoor and outdoor use. It comes with a 12-month warranty and is incredibly easy to use.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that this is still an inexpensive unit. Although highly protected from outdoor conditions, it might get easily damaged when used outside, significantly when dropped from significant heights. Also, the suction cups don’t attach to the unit very well. They tend to loosen up and fall off relatively easily.

Up till today, this stunning solar charger has gained 660 ratings.

Specifications

Rated Power: 3.5W/18V
Cell Type: Mono
Package Dimensions: 14.5 x 5 x 1.57 inches
Item Weight: 1.47 pounds

I have an older Honda Accord that I use as a work car. During the winter I drive my truck because its four wheel drive, so my Accord sits for about 5 months. I always try to start it and let it run a bit every week but I forget from time to time. About 2 months ago I plugged this solar charger in and sat it on the dash, I hadn't started it since, yesterday I tried it and it turned over and fired right up.

I bought this to charge my car battery since I don't drive it much during the pandemic. I've had it for a couple of months and used it occasionally on sunny days. So far so good. Output is as described, I used a multimeter to check.

Does what it is supposed to do and well. After 3 days of moderate daylight it brought my Rv battery from 10.3 to a full 12. This not what the product is intended for but it shows how well the product preforms. Excellent as a tender charger as intended. Appears to be a durable design but the suction cups are a good addition but seriously need to be upgraded. I highly recommend this product for it's intended use.

A solar trickle charger are always exposed to harsh conditions daily. It would help if you double-checked whether the solar battery charger is water and weatherproof before you buy one.
Before you start using a solar maintainer, check that your battery (make sure it is not a dead battery) is working correctly.

To get the best solar car battery charger, you only need to consider some key factors, such as efficiency, voltage, power, and whether the battery charge is equipped with the proper cables and connectors required to charge your car battery. Choose a brand you trust and a model that gets high ratings from users in real life. Just remember that most chargers are not designed to charge a dead battery but for maintenance charging fully.

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