5 USB-C Solar Gadgets You Can Get On Amazon

• Technology
• Accessories and Peripherals

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These days, the vast majority of new gadgets release have adopted USB Type-C for their primary connection standard, due to its fast read and write speeds for quick data transfer and recharging, and its ability to serve multiple functions through one port/cable. But what about scenarios where you don't have anything to plug into and need to juice up your device? 

For example, once I spent a day in an outdoor adventure park in the summer heat with only a handheld fan to keep me cool. The fan lost power mid-day and I didn't have an access to electrical outlets to recharge the device. It would have been excellent if only I had a solar-powered fan that day. Gadgets offering both choices, USB-C and solar recharging, are ideal for outdoor shenanigans. 

If you are someone who frequently enjoys outdoor adventures, packing USB-C solar gadgets will give you peace of mind about not running out of charge in the middle of the journey. To make your selection easier, we have combined a list of a few such products available on Amazon, each suited for a different purpose so you can make the most out of your devices.

Blavor Solar Charger Power Bank

A solar-powered phone charger could make a great addition to your next camping or outdoor trip where you need your gadgets ready to go throughout the day. The Blavor Solar Charger is a 20-watt fast charger that can juice up an iPhone 15 from 0-65% in just 30 minutes, according to the manufacturer. Featuring multiple input and output channels — a USB-C input/output, a Lightning input, and a USB-A output to be exact – you can plug in up to three devices at a time for maximum usage. And what makes it perfect for outdoor use is the choice of materials used in its design — the flame retardant ABS and PC materials, along with a waterproof silicone protects the outer case from damage and internal components from water-related risks. Therefore, you can carry it without any worries

Fret not if your flashlights give up in the middle of the night, the Blavor Power Bank also comes with dual flashlight and a carabiner to help you trek your way back to your place of accommodation. The battery capacity is rated at 10,000 mAh, which should be enough to charge up your devices throughout the day. And if the power runs out, just place it under the shining sun to fill it up again — slowly though, the solar panel can only produce 0.23 amperes of charging current at best.

Kizen Outdoor Solar Lantern

The Kizen Outdoor Solar Lantern features bright LED lights to illuminate the area surrounding it for better visibility in the dark. One of the core features of this lantern is its collapsible design which saves a lot of space in your backpack, or you could just hook it to your bag using the foldable handle. Of course with all outdoor products, you would need them to be resistant to weather elements and the Kizen Lantern offers just that –  a weatherproof design (though not one backed by an IP rating). The battery lasts about five hours on high brightness, and 10 hours on low brightness, and there are two ways to recharge it: either through a USB cable or the solar energy. 

Serving as a must-have gadget for backpacking and camping trips, this not only acts as an overhead lantern, but also supports smartphone charging and can turn into a bright flashlight in case of emergency situations. At time of writing, the light is on sale for $18.99 after a 30% discount on its original price, making it a affordable essential for your off-grid adventures. Amazon buyers generally seem to really like the light's compact design and powerful brightness, too, rating it at an overall 4.5/5.

Yesiwtc Hand Crank Emergency Radio

You might wonder why would you need a radio, out of all other gadgets, in an emergency situation? Well, smartphones tend to lose signal in extreme weather events like hurricanes and storms due to interrupted connectivity. A radio at hand will at least keep you updated with the latest weather updates, as well as the situation around the city. The Hand Crank Emergency Radio is made specially for these times, integrated with a 7,400 megawatt-hour battery to last for a long time in case of power outages. 

You get three modes of recharging — through solar energy, hand cranking, or a USB-C cable — and if you can't generate power through any of these, you can also insert three AAA batteries to turn on the device. The device will keep you informed on its current battery levels via LED reading lights, which could be super useful in blackout scenarios.

In addition, the radio also serves as a portable charger, with the inclusion of three charging cables (Lightning, USB-C and Micro-USB) and a USB port to charge your devices in emergency circumstances. Other than these, there's an 80-decibel alarm to ring for help in case you are stuck in a dangerous place, and a flashlight with three levels of brightness to signal rescuers nearby. For just $24.99 (the list price being $29.99) and a 4.5 star rating, this radio would make a good addition to your emergency kit.

Art In Real 30,000mAh Solar Fan

This Solar Fan by Art In Real comes with a large, detached separate solar panel that can completely recharge it after about five hours of sun exposure at 10 watts. Additionally, you'll also be able to use USB charging if you are in a hurry or the sun has gone down. The battery capacity is about 30,000 mAh, which will last for varying amounts of time, depending on which of its available fan speeds you select. There are three options: According to the manufacturer, at 4,000 RPM you get 16 hours of fan time, 3,000 RPM gives 32 hours, and at 2,200 RPM you can juice out around 72 hours of cooling performance. 

Apart from this, the overall operation is quiet — less than 30 decibels — so you can enjoy the cooling effect while working or resting in a peaceful environment. The fan also acts as a portable power bank to charge your devices in unforeseen circumstances, while the bright LED light can light up the area around you with three brightness levels. Plus, don't worry about the durability as the case is shockproof and has anti-drop properties to endure the tough use outdoors. Get it on Amazon for $34.28 (the list price being $36.99).

Solar Bug Zapper Outdoor

There's no two ways about it: mosquitoes and other bugs are annoying. The Zechuan Solar Bug Zapper is built with a special light wavelength that attracts all sorts of flies, covering an area of up to 2,100 square feet. Once trapped, the 4,500-volt electrical grid eliminates them to keep your surroundings bug-free. The device features three power options: You can charge using an attached 10-watt solar panel, a USB-C cable, or integrate rechargeable batteries into the zapper. In addition, it provides two modes of operation; manual, where the solar panel recharges the battery during the day, and automatic, where the solar panel charges the device using sunlight, but only turns its own lights on when the sun goes down.

Cleaning is not a mess, as you can get rid of the collected waste using a soft cloth or brush and water. The IP66-rating makes it resistant to water damage, but the manufacturer advises turning the gadget off before cleaning, and avoiding directing a high-pressured stream of water toward the grid. 

There are multiple ways to install this bug zapper. You can hang it on a wall using the included 2.6-foot hanging chain, stake it into the ground, or just let it stand on a flat surface without any additional accessories. You can also adjust the solar panel's angle to account for the direction of the sunlight and obtain maximum exposure.

Methodology

While picking the products off Amazon, we had a certain standard which had to be met by every gadget on this list. Foremost, all these solar-powered gadgets are rated at 4/5 or above with a majority of them being 5-star ratings which brings credibility to the manufacturer's claims. We further made sure that each product had a minimum of 500 reviews, plus a majority of them are currently up on sale prices so you can save a few bucks on their purchase from the online platform.