ALLPOWERS SP029 140W Portable Solar Panel Charger for Laptop Cellphone, Waterproof IP65 Foldable Solar Panel with 5 Output, for Solar Generator, Power Bank, 12V Car Battery

2021 AllPowers 120 watt Solar Panel I already have an AllPowers 372Wh Power Station Generator. Which works great. I have used it to power lights and fans during a power outage. Also used it to power Christmas lights on my pontoon boat this year. The Power Station is easy to use, well built and even supports Bluetooth connectivity through an app on my iPhone. I compared many brands before choosing Allpowers. In the end AllPowers offered the most features, quality and value for the price. Very glad I made the Allpowers choice and highly recommended it. I am an AllPowers fan. Anytime I have contacted AllPowers support they have been quick to respond, knowledgeable about their products and very willing to engage on resolving my issues. Now I am trying the new AllPowers 120 watt Solar Panel, to charge my AllPowers power station generator. This panel is capable of charging any Brand of generator/power station or other project needing solar power; As it comes with a wide variety of connectors and adapters. My AP power station can use AC wall power, a DC 5.5 x 2.1mm barrel plug or an Anderson connector to charge. This panel comes with both DC5521 and Anderson connected, as well as adapters for many other needs. It’s size and weight is what surprised me the most. At 22 x 14.2 x 2 when folded, it is just two notebook paper pages tall by a little more than one sheet of notebook paper (landscape) wide. When fully open it is 22 x 60 inches, much smaller than similar wattage panels. I believe this is because this newer panel is more solar efficient than older style panels @ (21%). Ultimately this means this panel has a faster charge time, is lighter weight and is smaller size than similar older panels on the market. It comes with a built in charge controller that manages the various voltage and amperage power out of the panel. For example the MP4 solar connector provides 21v at 20A, DC ports provide 12v at 10amps, USB ports provide 5v at 2.4amps and DC 18v at 3amps for a laptop. You can also chain two of theses panels together to get more amperage for even more power and faster charging times. All right out of the box. Overall this is an impressive foldable solar panel with all of the features and adapters you may need, faster charge times, better solar efficiency, lighter weight and smaller size than comparable panels. I continue to be amazed at the AllPowers products. The quality and features they offer are first rate and are offered at a very reasonable price point.

This thing is light and folds into a neat package with a zippable container to store wires. It uses velcro for easy opening and closing. It's surprisingly light. I've had other solar panels before that were heavier for the same wattage. It charges devices excellently. I plug it into a small Allpowers battery. It usually keeps it topped up on sunny days. Sometimes, I plug devices into the USB slots and that works fine as well, though it reduces the wattage to the battery (as expected). I have not tested it on any other battery besides the Allpowers one, so I don't know how well those would work, but I don't really need any additional functionality for my purposes. The maximum power I got out of it was 54 watts. It's advertised as 60 watts, and I think it would be possible if it were angled in exactly the right way, but 54 is pretty good. Most of the time, it's between 10-15 watts in dawn conditions and 35-50 watts in full sunlight. The reviewers saying the 60 watts is false advertising probably have defective units or wires, because it works fine for me. The foldable nature makes it very portable but at the same time, makes it a bit hard to angle the entire panel properly. More often, only half will be angled correctly. This isn't a problem with the design but just something inherent in folding 6 panels instead of 2. I never found this to be a problem. It also has straps for attaching wires or carabiners, but I never had a problem just leaving it on a floor or roof, and sometimes angling the top half towards the sun if I really need to. Cleaning dust from it is a breeze. Just wipe it with a wet towel. It's easy to keep the water away from the electronic bits. In summary, this is a fantastic piece of tech and hasn't failed me yet.

I ordered this on the Friday before Hurricane Ian hit as soon as I saw it heading our way. This was the only affordable 200W portable panel I could get delivered in time and with mixed reviews I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. We ended up not having mains power for 8 days after Hurricane Ian and this panel pulled in over 1KWh in total daily on sunny days, so it helped keep things running with minimal gas generator usage. The weight is clearly listed, but it does feel a lot heavier than it looks. On one hand it would be too heavy to take on walks/hikes, but the weight does give some confidence in the quality and helps to stop it blowing over. I coupled this with a Bluetti EB3A, knowing it also has a 8.3 amp solar input max. This limits the theoretical power from this 18V panel at 150W. On clear sunny days with the panels cool, I saw just over 140W on the input, so that was close. When the panels naturally got hot as they do in the sun, the input was around 130W and it stayed around there for about 9 hours on clear days, which leads me to think that current max on the Bluetti unit was the limiting factor. On cloudy days the input dropped to around 20-30W, which was to be expected. The panel rating is almost impossible to achieve outside of a lab regardless of the panels, so I was generally pleased with the performance. I set this up and pulled it down daily for the week after the hurricane, also moving it around about 4 times a day to keep it roughly pointed at the sun, using the built in stands. It is a little floppy getting it set up, but it was stable and never fell down even though it was breezy on several days. During 8 days, it folded one panel on itself once after a strong gust and that only halved the power, so I think the panels are wired in parallel. Even with other shadows the panels still put out some power. After over a week of constant use and daily setup it still looks brand new. Nothing looks like it is about to tear, etc. I also like the accessories, which included the correct DC barrel for the Bluetti, and having MC4 for the most robust connections. About my only complaint besides the weight for a portable panel is one of the MC4 connectors seems too tight and even with an MC4 tool it was extremely difficult to detach. All my other MC4 connectors are fine and looks like just this one was a little off on the molding. I’m using a mix of SAE and DC for quick disconnects anyway, so it is not too much of a hassle.

I saw some of the videos about this solar panel array and I knew it would be the best choice for my portable power stations. Not only is it one of the largest Watt portable panels available, it also has impressive charging capabilities in terms of output compared to other panel units. Another great feature is the fact that it is a fully portable unit and can be folded up and moved as needed. The only drawback is you really need a frame or something to hang it off of unless you want to put it down on the ground directly. This is not an issue to me but some have complained a bit about it so I thought I would mention it. Finally, if you can find this unit on Prime Day or another sale like I did, the price point is fantastic. At one time this unit was around 700, but I got it for less than half that and it's usually in the 400's range. Can't beat that.

UPDATE 7/24- The panel completely stopped working and has fallen apart. They have stopped responding to any emails or messages. They have absolutely refused to do any kind of after sale service. Don't spend your money on this panel, or anything form AllPowers. They are a scam of a company. another update - they are still refusing to honor their warranty even though they said they would send me out a replacement. They have blocked my email and have stopped returned messeges on amazon. They even filter and delete reviews on their website. this company is terrible, stay away from them as much as you can! UPDATE to the last update-The panel has lasted less than a year. I have only used it a handfull of times, otherwise it stays folded up and stored inside my trailer. The power output is about 60-70% of what it used to be and a lot of the stiching has come apart. I have contacted AllPowers about a warranty claim. They are blaiming me for the panel falling apart, saying I've damaged it by dragging it on the ground. I've told them that's an incorrect assumtion a couple times and they've told me that it's not covered under warranty and then have blocked my email instead of providing me with solutions. The panel was nice when it was new, hopefully none of you have to deal with AllPowers about a warranty that they don't stand behind. Update - the manufacturer has reached out to me and we have worked through the problem. It is a nice panel, it's freaking huge, 6ft X 6ft. There's no kick stand or anything so it has to be hung up or laying flat. won't be able to use this for my intended purpose and have to find a slightly smaller panel or one with better dimensions for the roof of my camper. Looking at the pictures in the ad and the dimensions given, I thought this panel would work perfectly. However, it shows up and it's not at all like the pictures or dimensions given.

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars because this is a great value that does what it is supposed to, but isn't as universal as some may think. For the record, this review is as much information sharing as anything. 2024 UPDATE: More details on watts produced TL;DR: Works with Bluetti power station but you need to buy an XT60 adaptor or use the cables provided with the power station if you have them. Panels are wired in parallel which is good for partial shade. Was able to get 60W in less than ideal situation so you can charge a 500Wh power station throughout the day. Best output watts I have seen is ~80W Good value, but not flawless. I bought this for $125 to use with my Bluetti EB55. I didn't want to pay $500 for 200W panels from the manufacturer, but wanted a bit more than what the knock off 100W panels offered. This was a good compromise. Despite having lots of different adaptors in the box, I had to purchase an Anderson to XT60 adaptor to get this to work on my unit. Allpowers provides a barrel plug that fits the input for the Bluetti, but that particular jack requires 20V to work and this panel wasn't able to provide it. By going with the Anderson to XT60 (I originally thought they were the same thing, but they are not), I was able to get things working. (Edit to add: I later realized my power station came with the cables needed.) Two important details about these panels that are worth noting: crystalline structure and parallel vs series wiring. First, these panels use polycrystalline silicon instead of monocrystalline like some of the more expensive models. Essentially it is a bunch of small pieces instead of one big one. People talk about mono being more efficient, but in my experience that has more to do with surface area required than with anything else. Since poly is cheaper, if you want to save a few bucks you can use it, but you will need slightly larger panels to get the same wattage. But if you are purchasing based on output and price, it doesn't matter. The second item is related to how the individual panels are wired -- either in series or parallel. Without getting too technical, if a multi panel unit like this one is wired in series, then if one panel is partially 50% shaded then the overall output will be 50% less even if the other panels are in the full sun. However, if say a 4 panel design is wired in parallel, and one panel is 50% shaded, your output power will only drop by about 12.5% if all the others are in full sun. These panels are wired in parallel which is great and something I was originally worried about. Now let's talk about output. It is winter here as I am reviewing this. The sun never gets very high in the sky, it is hazy, the days are short, and since I live in the woods, everything has at least some shade from leafless branches. It is close to worse case scenario for a "sunny day" I will encounter. In these circumstances I am about 60W just setting things up quickly and not being too particular about alignment. 60W out of panels advertised for 140W doesn't sound very good, but it was much better than I was expecting given the circumstances. Since the EB55 is 537Wh unit, I know that even in less than ideal situations, this will be enough to charge it over the course of a day. UPDATE: Running these in full sun near the solstice at mid day, I was getting outputs of around 75-85 watts, so that is what I am using for best case scenario. Given that ~500Wh power stations cost $500 on their own, I was not eager to basically double that amount to add solar functionality. I am very pleased to be able to recharge every day while spending less than $150. Since this is technically a review, let me drop a few other quick thoughts on the unit. - There are lots of adaptors you can use that come with the panel, but don't assume that just because it fits it will meet the needs of your device. - The alligator clips they include are basically useless since it can be dangerous to try and charge a battery without a power control unit. - The USB controller is nice and having it work with USB-A and USB-C is a perk. Can't really think of a situation where I would bring this but not my Bluetti, but still a good perk. - The pouch is nice to have to keep all the wires. - I like that if I decide I do need more power, I can buy another unit and wire it together with this one. - It is a bit heavier and bigger than expected, but not burdensome. Final verdict: Great value if you want solar charging and can work around the limitations.

I think the cost of this panel is too high. You can find it on sale quite often. However, price should be cheaper. Just my opinion on that topic. I like the folded size. Convenient to carry. Unfolded it does become cumbersome when trying to set to a better sun angle. Laying flat is probably the design of this though. I have had this about a month, used about 15 times while the rest of the time its stored in my car. I have already noticed quite a bit of fraying in one or two of the folds. I will monitor to see if it becomes a bigger issue down the road. The panels are somewhat rigid so you definitely need to be careful when moving or laying this panel on any bumps or objects. I I will monitor this as well as I try to lay it on my car windshield to improve sun angle, which can stress the two middle panels I have gotten decent wattage so far in the fall months. Maxed at about 340 watts. This does mean moving the panel around to try to get a better angle to the sun. It can be clumsy when doing this and does not have a lot of support to get ideal angles. Laying flat has been the easiest setup. Just laying it out and see what I get. Current conditions November in NE USA laying flat I get about 160 watts. I believe I will do much better in late spring and summer months. I have noticed in partial shade conditions, that the wattage decrease is significant. Even when a single panel is shaded, this decrease occurs. It can cut the output by 50 percent. Overall, this appears to be one of the better portable panels I have used. Time will tell if I can get full wattage output and the durability. I will look to update this review after a few months

Edit: 6 months later… I’ve had it for around 6 months and it’s worked well when I’ve used it. I’m still very worried about its longevity - roof mounted panels will last years and years without so much as a scratch…this thing as it’s put up and taken down often…it may last 2 years tops. It is very heavy too. I carry it with one hand but wouldn’t trust most of my family to be able to. I see bubbling under some of the solar modules, and I’m sure it’s effecting performance. Now in full sun I’m lucky to get 300w typically. I will say as far as technical support and warranty are concerned - they sent me a replacement VERY quick after discovering that something shorted out on my panel. The voltage dropped at that time to 1v, but was still existing so it wasn’t an open circuit….ive actually fixed that panel by cutting it all open and replaced a diode and it’s working just as well (but more bubbling under the modules, so I expect it’s just an age thing) Original post: So far, amazing. I have this plugged into a set of homemade extensions (16ga CCA wire) followed by a set of 20ft extensions purchased on Amazon and delivered yesterday - into a bluetti AC200 MAX’s solar input. First day of original setup, I was getting 40-60w while terribly overcast at 5pm, so the sun was super low and ridiculously covered. The second day (full day of high sun, but also ridiculously overcast, picture of said sun and clouds) I was pulling a solid 130w all day long. Not bad considering (funny enough a Solar prediction app I have suggested I’d make so little with the weather that day that it would hardly offset the bluetti operating wattage….it was far exceeding that) TODAY is a sunny day, and so far today I pulled 397 watts for a few minutes…altogether it’s partly cloudy now, so I’ll watch it hit 390 then simmer to 130 or so (I’d say on my setup the 130-150 is about baseline that I can always expect to hit) It’s setup in the yard, pointed directly at the sun, but the wattage peaked to where I wanted it to for sure. Cons: So far it feels fragile…more fragile than I care to admit. This may be a solar suitcase, but these are NOT flexible panels, so if you were to have them drop on something while carrying to setup, you will likely damage them? Not sure, don’t want to find out. Be careful with them. (I’m knocking a star down on portability only for this reason, but it’s almost to be expected this thing is big and fragile) Because of the sheer size and weight, this means the wind can easily take this thing and flip it/flatten it. If so, be careful about what you put underneath it or around it as well as the terrain it’s on. (There are nice little loops to secure it to something if you wish to do so on the top and bottom between the panels) Altogether I got this for a really good deal with discounts and promotions and am EXTREMELY happy with its performance. I full time in an RV, and had yet to get Solar and while I’m building out a legit rooftop array, I purchased this so at least I’m making some production and offset my ‘always on electronics’. This will easily stay in my arsenal and probably purchase a second because the bluetti can take in quite a few more watts of Solar and this thing is worth it that’s for sure. I’ll update after some time owning it for longevity sake!