Jackery SolarSaga 100 Review

The Jackery SolarSaga 100 is one of the best 100-watt solar panels we tested across every category. It charges devices faster than most other panels in any condition, in full sun and on overcast days. Its design is simple yet effective, so it's super easy to use. It sets up in seconds, and it stores away just away quickly. This panel has everything you'd want in a large solar panel for camping or off-grid living. And it's one of the best deals we've seen, making it an even better value.

Performance Comparison

Direct Solar Charging Speed

For most people, the most important characteristic of a solar panel is how efficiently it works when placed in direct sunlight. The SolarSaga 100 is one of the best in this regard.

During our direct solar charging speed testing, the SolarSaga charged its test battery at impressive speeds. It performed better than nearly every other panel we tested across all our direct solar charging tests.

The monocrystalline silicon solar cells in this panel efficiently convert sunlight into power. The SolarSaga was one of the fastest panels we tested in our direct sunlight charging tests, giving you more freedom to charge up quickly after spending all day out of camp or taking advantage of those brief sunlit moments between clouds.

This 100-watt panel has a high sunlight-to-energy conversion efficiency. We tested all panels simultaneously and in the same space to eliminate variables. On a sunny day in Colorado, the SolarSaga charged a 167-watt-hour battery from 20% to 80% in just 101 minutes. In a single hour, it produced 54.3 watt-hours of energy. That's over 40% faster than some other 100-watt solar panels we tested.

Even as the sun angle varied, we watched the watt output from the SolarSaga 100 stay consistently higher than other panels we tested. At peak sun, this panel reliably puts out over 60 watts.

It also was less variable in its watt output than many other panels we tested, which adds to its overall efficiency. Compared to many other panels rated as 100 watts, the SolarSaga is impressively efficient. Only some of the larger-capacity panels were able to beat this performance.

Indirect Solar Charging Speed

While just about any panel for a solar camping setup will perform well in sunny conditions, it isn't always sunny. The SolarSaga 100 also stood out for its performance in the test measuring indirect solar charging speed, which simulated conditions on a cloudy day. This panel charged its test battery faster than most others in indirect sunlight.

Using a white sheet to mimic thick cloud cover, we tested our 100-watt panels side-by-side, monitoring their watt output and measuring how long each panel took to charge its test battery from 20% to 80%.

While all panels in our testing showed a wattage output drop during our “cloudy day” tests, the SolarSaga continued to impress us and outperformed the rest. The total time to charge its 167-watt-hour test battery from 20% to 80% was just 197 minutes. In a single overcast hour, it generated 17.6 watt-hours of energy. This is considerably faster than most other solar panels' performances in our indirect solar charging speed test.

This impressive panel also managed to still pump out 25 watts in the shade. Here again, models with similar energy ratings didn't offer as impressive of results, and the SolarSaga was beaten only by products with larger capacities.

The SolarSaga 100 saw less of an increase in charging time than many others in our test. Some panels took over 100 minutes longer than this one to charge their test battery during indirect charging speed tests. Indirect sun charging took longer than direct, but it still charged faster than nearly all the other solar panels we tested.

Portability

The SolarSaga 100 is one of the more portable large solar panels we tested. It weighs 10.3 pounds and folds to just 1.5 inches thick, so you can easily pack it into your trunk with all your camping equipment. It also has an integrated handle to carry it to wherever you'll set up your solar power station at camp.

The SolarSaga 100 only folds in half, so you can't origami it into quite as small of a package as some other panels. However, since it only folds once, you can pack it away nearly twice as fast as panels that fold multiple times. You can set up this panel very quickly for the same reason.

While some panels are more portable than the SolarSaga because they fold down smaller, this panel balances ease of packability with overall portability extremely well. Most of the panels that fold to a smaller size take as much as twice as long to pack away. For this reason, the SolarSaga 100 earns high marks in our portability metric, even though its packed size isn't the smallest.

Functionality

The SolarSaga 100 is a super-functional panel that's incredibly easy to use. It has a USB-A and USB-C output and a hardwired DC 8-millimeter cable for connecting to larger power stations.

If necessary, you can charge three devices simultaneously with the SolarSaga 100. While most people will probably plug the DC cable directly into a power station and charge their devices from there, you can charge two devices directly off this solar panel. This isn't the most efficient way to charge multiple devices, but it is worth noting that it is possible.

The SolarSaga 100 has fold-out kickstand legs to angle toward the sun during early morning or late evening when the sun is lower in the sky. These legs are adjustable so you can track the sun's angle throughout the day to ensure maximum efficiency. They fold flat and are held in place with velcro when you aren't using them. They're not the most secure in use, though, and we did have to rescue the panel after it blew over in some large gusts of wind. But, the SolarSaga didn't tip over any more often than any other large panel we tested in high winds.

Should You Buy the Jackery SolarSaga 100?

The SolarSaga 100 is one of the best values of any 100-watt solar panels we tested. It performs as well as or better than other panels in every metric we tested and costs less than most. In direct sunlight, this panel makes quick work of charging a power station, and it's more efficient than most other panels in cloudy conditions. It's convenient to use and easy to tote around and set up. This portable panel is an excellent option for just about any solar camping setup.

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