Looking for solar talk power trickle charger for your RV, boat, or other device?
If yes, then you’ve probably realized there are many options out there that can make your job pretty difficult.
In fact, if you haven’t known about these chargers before, you might now find it hard to pick the best one based on their models and functions.
However, do not despair because we are here to help.
In this article, I will share with you the best solar trickle chargers both in terms of their features or performance and price.
So, whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can find the best solar trickle charger that fits your needs and your pocket.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger & Maintainer | Best Overall |  |
| ALLPOWERS 12V 5W Portable Solar Car Boat Power Solar Panel Battery Charger Maintainer | Budget Pick |  |
| Sunforce 50022 5-Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger & Maintainer
The SUNER POWER 12V solar panel gets high marks from reviewers as one of the best solar trickle chargers. It is described as easy to use and relatively inexpensive for the quality and results it delivers. It is water resistant. You can add a battery isolator to it and only charge the one you think needs charging or use it on multiple batteries. It's backed by a 1-year warranty from the manufacturer.
2. POWOXI 3.3W-Solar-Battery-Trickle-Charger-Maintainer -12V Portable Waterproof Solar Panel Trickle Charging Kit
Pros:
- Smart and portable design
- High efficiency solar panel
- 4 adapters included
POWOXI 3.3W solar battery trickle charger is a smart alternative to lead-acid battery maintainers. It is universal and can be used with all type of motors with 12V / 24V batteries. It is small in size, lightweight and can be carried anywhere. I have used it as to charge my car battery in the past and it does that job just fine. This particular device offers one of the better 3W solar panels that I have seen around. We tested this solar battery maintainer in the Philippines and it worked great, giving us a pretty decent charge. This solar trickle charger from Powoxi can be placed in the dashboard or outside the car and has plenty of adapters for everyday use. It also works as a solar battery charger, so when you are not using it as a trickle battery charger, you might want to plug it into the solar panel and let it charge in the sunlight. It can take up to 6V to charge from the solar panel and it does not have a DC outlet so you will need an adapter if you want to charge your phone.
3. Battery Tender 12V
Pros:
- Made in the USA
- Great Value
- Comes with battery clamps
To charge a 12-volt lead-acid battery (basically any car battery), you need the right amount of voltage and the right amount of charging current. That is why I love this solar charger. It has an array of 10 solar cells that generate 5 watts of power. The charging current is limited to 270 mA. This low current is necessary to avoid heating the battery and boiling off the electrolyte. Lead-acid batteries hate heat.
The charging voltage is 13.5 volts so that the charger doesn’t fry your battery. The size of the
This is a best solar trickle charger of its size.
4. Sunway Solar Car Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer 12V Solar Panel Power Kit Portable Backup
Pros:
- Small and compact, easy to carry into any small nooks you may need it in
- Recognized by the popular API and UL standard
- Carbon-heat dissipation, high efficient
- Aluminum alloy iron-proof materials, waterproof, rust resistant
- Using sunlight, to charge and maintain your car battery
- Built-in protective board applicable to use in a variety of temperature
- Continuous charging and maintenance protection for Batteries with 12VDC and 24VDC±10% (100-875Ah)
Date Added: April 25, 2019
Best Use:
In a definite upgrade from its 1A, 3W counterpart the Sunway Solar Car Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer 12V Solar Panel Power Kit presents an efficient, fast and automatic charging solution for your car. This charger is ideal for charging small cars and other vehicles with 12VDC batteries. The Sunway Solar Car Battery Trickle Charger & Maintainer 12V Solar Panel Power Kit is your all-around solution for maintaining your car battery. Put it in your trunk and it will charge your car anytime you are away from home, without you doing a thing.
5. SUAOKI 12V Solar Car Battery Charger
Pros:
- Can be used in remote locations
- Easy to set up
- Low maintenance
- Can be used to charge both 12V batteries and 5V USB devices
Cons:
- Limited to 12V batteries
- It does not work when the voltage of the battery is lower than 9V
This device is mainly used for charging 12V batteries, but it can also charge 5V USB devices. It is reasonable to use this device to charge normal batteries. The SUAOKI car battery charger has a highly efficient solar panel that is able to produce 18W of power. It can be used to charge both Li-Po and Ni-MH batteries. It also features an LCD screen that shows battery voltage and charge current.
One more thing, the car battery charger features four 2A USB ports to charge multiple devices at a time, and thus, you do not have to wait for hours, the process literally takes days.
6. Mighty Max Battery 10 Watt Polycrystalline Solar Panel Charger
Dimensions (inches) 9.4 x 11.5 x 0.6 inches Item weight 3.2 pounds Charger capacity 10 watts
The Mighty Max Charger is a polycrystalline solar panel with a controller, and it comes with all the necessary accessories for installation. It is strong enough to charge any 12-volt system up to 10 amps, and it’s even suitable for maintaining lead batteries.
The Mighty Max Charger comes with a voltage regulator (to prevent overcharging), along with a fuse for protection. It has a durable frame, and its body is made of a heavy-duty material with a UV shield. Two mounting brackets are also included.
7. Sunforce 50022 5-Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger
Pros:
- Works like a charm and provides great value for money
- Perfect for RVs, cars, boats, trucks, tractors, ATVs, motorcycles,…
- Sunforce battery trickle charger has an adjustable mounting system
- The trickle charger is a well-made device and holds together well in the long term
This solar charger is the best seller on Amazon. It comes with 4 out of 4.5 stars and over 6,000 customer reviews. Most of them are positive, with customers rating it like this:
I'm enjoying this inverter and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in a solar powered option. For the money, this is a great option for both a car, camper or boat. It's built well and I like that it has a fuse as opposed to a circuit breaker like most other brands have.
This is one of the most popular solar trickle chargers manufactured by Sunforce. It has a sturdy frame that keeps the solar panel steady in the sun and an adjustable mounting system that can be placed for optimum exposure.
8. ECO-Worthy 12 Volt 10 Watt Solar Battery Charger & Maintainer
Pros:
- It is waterproof
- Big capacity
- Its price is fair
Cons:
- The wires are not 18 AWG
- The brackets hold strongly to a 12-volt battery but have weak springs and they do not hold firmly to a car battery.
- The on-off switch has to be pushed really hard.
This product is a solar charging kit with an amorphous photovoltaic battery charger.
It can be used for RVs, boats, and cars and it can work even on cloudy days.
It has strength and surge protection.
9. Schumacher SP-200 2.4W 12V Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer
Pros:
- Well-made product
- Internal blocking diode prevents discharge of batteries after the solar panel is in the storage position
- Gold-accredited charger and maintainer
- High quality PV solar panel
- Charges and maintains sealed Gel, AGM, and flooded batteries
- Contains a circuit breaker
- Allows you to plug in an external charge controller
- Small in size (9.6 x 14.8 x 2 inches)
- Affordable price
The Schumacher SP-200 has a PV solar panel and a PV controller. The solar charge controller has an over charge protection, which prevents overcharging and battery or battery damage.
It is ideal for charging 12 volt batteries like van batteries, motorbike batteries, marine batteries, ATV batteries, golf carts, deep cycle batteries, RV/motorhome batteries, and UPS systems.
This solar battery charger and maintainer also has an internal blocking diode that prevents the batteries from discharging when the charger/maintainer moves to compact storage position. The red flash light indicates the charging circuit is active.
10. ALLPOWERS 12V 5W Portable Solar Car Boat Power Solar Panel Battery Charger Maintainer
Pros:
- With A Charge Controller And A 3M Copper Connector, This Offered Solar Trickle Charger is Able To Transfer Clean And Safe Energy Into Your Battery Intelligently.
- The Solar Protected Mode Can Stop The Charging When The Battery is Fully Charged. If The Solar Panel is Wet, It Will Be Sentrain By The Reverse Current And Reverse The Solar Panel to Work Normally After It Dry.
- With Anodized Aluminum Bracket, Stainless Steel Nylon Bell and Die-Cast Backing, This Solar Power Panel can Stand in High-Heavy Wind, Therefore, It Can Work in Any Conditions..
Cons:
- Additional Protection Devices Are Required If You Use This Charger To Charge Other Domestics Appliances; Solar Panel Charger Can Not Charge 12V Batteries Positively.
The goal of a solar trickle charger is to add some juice to your battery without you having to lift a finger. Automotive solar trickle chargers are so cheap these days that you’re not going to break the bank by getting a couple for your vehicle battery and other smaller batteries around the house.
I recommend this product for anyone who has a vehicle with a battery that tends to die when you don’t use it and you need to give the battery a boost to get a health jump start.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best solar trickle charger?
The Ansmann Charger with LCD is the most versatile solar trickle charger and its features come more as a bonus feature.
Although it doesn't have the advanced cell balancing and more importantly works without a constant power source, solar charging ensures that your batteries keep boosted whenever they are not in use. In the days of limited power resources, this is extremely convenient and useful.
The features of the Ansmann Charger are simply a bonus considering the versatility and reliability of solar charging.
The Ansmann is good for small to medium-sized applications and is ideal for people who charge batteries outside the main dwelling, such as car batteries, motorbike batteries, ride-on mower batteries, garden equipment batteries, power tool batteries, camping or caravan batteries and so on. The Ansmann Charger is capable of charging the batteries of other brands.
Do solar powered trickle chargers work?
Solar trickle chargers are a simple solution to the current of overcharging. Mount them to your panel or attach them with a suction cup to your window and place your phone inside.
Six hours of direct sunlight will charge your phone fully.
There must be direct sunlight for these chargers to work.
If the sunlight is blocked, the solar panel needs to be cleaned or adjusted.
Solar trickle charger could charge your gadget when there is not enough sunlight.
The amount of time it takes to charge your device depends on the size of the panel since the solar panel needs to collect energy from the sun to power the batteries.
It only takes about 6 hours of direct sunlight to a completely drained battery.
Most panels on trickle chargers are small so it will take longer for you to charge a battery with more usage.
What are the best solar chargers?
All three of these solar power banks have been tested by thousands of users, and they have proven to be the best solar chargers that we know about. These chargers are listed from highest rated to lowest, with the Kinsale charger being our favorite.
The Kinsale Solar Panel Charger is our favorite because it's the lightest and most compact option on the market. This small charger weighs only 7 ounces and is roughly the size of a deck of cards, making it the most portable charger on our list.
The Kinsale is one of the best portable solar chargers because it comes with its own integrated USB cord and has the highest energy output on our list. The Kinsale Solar Panel Charger can be charged via USB in about 3 hours, and once it is fully charged, it can output 5W of power. The Kinsale Solar Panel Charger comes with four output ports, two of which are micro-USB.
Can I leave a solar trickle charger on all the time?
The charger has a battery voltage cut-off that prevents batteries from getting overcharged. So you don't need to worry about overcharging if you use the solar panel charger as instructed (i.e., exposing the panels to sufficient sunlight).
However, we suggest you don't leave it on all the time. If you do, the panel will keep charging the battery all the time and the battery will get worn out. At that point, the battery will be very hard to charge.
An alternative is to use your solar panel to charge your battery during the day and connect it to the electrical system at night. This is a viable solution because most homes don't use much electricity at night.
Conclusion
You may think that solar panels are only for producing energy to be used for larger things like lighting among many other things. But did you know that you can use these for your home and other equipment? There are many models available in the market but only a few of them really work properly as advertised. If you’re looking for the Best Solar Trickle Chargers then we have you covered.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger & Maintainer | Best Overall | |
| ALLPOWERS 12V 5W Portable Solar Car Boat Power Solar Panel Battery Charger Maintainer | Budget Pick | |
| Sunforce 50022 5-Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger | Upgrade Pick | |