Whether I’m camping or off the grid, a portable power station is my preferred way to stay charged up. But eventually, the battery runs out. I’ve found that one of the best ways to recharge small tech gadgets is with a solar panel. The exceptionally lightweight and portable Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air has become my favorite tool for keeping my phone and essential devices topped off off-grid.
Unlike power banks, solar panels don’t store power; they convert sunlight into usable energy in real time. Weighing under two pounds and folding down to the footprint of a book, this panel is built specifically for portability. It features a rugged IP68 waterproof rating, operates in extreme temperatures, and has direct USB-A and USB-C charging ports, making it an ideal companion for backpackers, campers, and field creators who need reliable power without added weight.
This ultra-portable solar panel folds down to the size of a book. It’s a great option for charging small devices, like a phone, while camping or hiking. In a pinch, it can also recharge small portable power stations and power banks, but it’ll be slow.
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Unlike most rigid and bulky solar panels, the Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air consists of four panels that fold down to a portable size — about 1 inch thick, with the footprint of a standard sheet of paper — that easily slips into a backpack. It only weighs about two pounds, and it comes with four mounting rivets and two carabiners to hang it off a backpack while hiking or attach it to the side of a tent while camping. Since it’s only about three feet long when unfolded, it sits well on my backpack without getting in the way.
On top of its portability, Jackery made this solar panel a cinch to use. Jackery included a solar charging cable with both a USB-A and USB-C port inside the box that can directly recharge devices from the solar panel, like phones, camera batteries, flashlights, and portable speakers. There’s also an adapter to recharge Jackery power stations via the solar panel and an accessory pouch to hold the cables.
Jackery added a bullseye indicator to the solar panel to help get maximum sun exposure. Once the shaded dot lands in the middle of the bullseye, you know the panel is positioned correctly to maximize sun exposure and will deliver the highest wattage output. While it has the rivets for hanging, it doesn’t have a kickstand to angle it in the sun. I typically draped it over a camping chair or found something sturdy to prop it up.
The SolarSaga 40W Air gets bonus points for being a bifacial model. Instead of absorbing light only from the front, the solar panel can absorb sunlight from both sides to deliver maximum power. Light reflected off the ground, snow, or surroundings can help to get the maximum 40 watts.
As long as you have access to full sun, the SolarSaga will pull in 40 watts of power. That’s enough to recharge smaller gadgets in almost the same amount of time as it would take with standard wall power at home. The USB-C port outputs up to 15W and the USB-A port up to 12W. On the SolarSaga, my Google Pixel 8 recharged in about 100 minutes—only 20 minutes slower than plugging into a standard wall outlet at home.
Many small devices need under 40W, like e-readers, earbuds, and camping accessories like walkie-talkies. Bigger tech items like laptops or more powerful phones like the iPhone 17 Pro need more than 40W for fast charging. Using only 40W from the Jackery will result in longer recharge times compared to plugging into a wall outlet. Instead, I use the solar panel to charge a portable power bank that can power higher-wattage devices like laptops.
The most obvious drawback is the maximum 40W input. This low amount is suitable for recharging small devices but struggles with larger ones. When testing the solar panel, it recharged my phone in the same amount of time as when plugged into the wall. It was a different story when I went to recharge the Jackery Explorer 600 Plus portable power station, which has a capacity of 632Wh. With the full 40W of solar input, it would take 15 hours to charge from 26% battery capacity back to 100% in direct sunlight. However, the Explorer 600 Plus is designed for a more powerful solar panel. It’s rated to recharge from 0 to 100% in four hours with a 200W solar panel.
My other complaint about the SolarSaga 40W Air is that the solar panel itself gets hot to the touch when left out in the sun. At times, it’s been hard for me to fold it up and touch the metal snaps to pack it up. That happened even after it sat in the intense Georgia sun for only about 15 minutes.
To test the Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air, I packed it along for a weekend camping trip and a day hike at my local park and have continued to use it on three camping trips. I also used it as much as possible outside, in the yard, to check recharge times and power input. I was happy to find that the panel could easily draw the stated 40W when I placed it in full sun. Even when the bullseye was slightly misaligned, I could get about 38W of input.
I used the panel to recharge my phone, portable power stations, a device aimed at repelling mosquitoes, and an Ember mug.
The $80 Anker PS30 solar panel is a more affordable alternative. The dimensions and weight are almost identical to the $109 Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air, but the Anker has a smaller input, maxing out at 30W.
But if you don’t need a solar panel small enough to fit in a backpack, going with a larger, higher-output model might make more sense. The Jackery SolarSaga 100 Air offers over twice the solar input wattage but is still small and light enough to take camping or pack along on an RV trip.
If you’re not planning to travel with a solar panel and instead want one for your emergency kit or for use in the yard, even larger models, such as 200W or 400W, offer better performance. As a general rule of thumb, the more power a solar panel can provide, the more expensive it is. Larger panels also don’t support USB-A or USB-C charging directly, which is what gives the Solar Saga 40W Air an edge for small devices.
With a focus on durability and portability, I love packing along the Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air on outdoor adventures. It’s small enough to tuck into my backpack, and powerful enough to recharge my phone with sunlight. Plus, it’s much lighter than packing a power bank or a portable power station.
Buy if: you need a lightweight, compact way to recharge small devices. It also works well for recharging larger items like portable power stations as long as you’re not in a hurry.
Skip if you don’t need a compact solar panel; you can get a larger, more powerful model for a similar price. For example, the 100W Renogy solar panel costs $124.99 and delivers over twice the power and recharge capacity.
Beyond smartphones, the panel’s 40W output and direct USB-A and USB-C ports can power small trail electronics like handheld GPS units, satellite messengers, smartwatches, headlamps, camera batteries, e-readers, headphones, and camping fans. It’s also ideal for topping off small 10,000-20,000 mAh power banks during the day to power larger devices later.
The Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air comes with an IP68 rating, meaning it’s both water- and dust-proof. It’ll be fine to leave outside and be exposed to morning dew or rain. It’s also fine in humid environments. However, it’s not suitable for submersion in water, and it will not charge if there is cloud cover and no direct sunlight.
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