The Goertek 25,000mAh is our latest edition in the realm of battery packs with solar capabilities. This wording is key; the Goertek is first and foremost a battery pack. The solar component, though fully functional, isn't nearly as reliable or powerful as some of the larger-capacity panels in this review. The Goertek will keep your small electronics charged, but it will perform much better if the battery pack has a bit of charge in it, and isn't wholly reliant on the sun alone. Without the battery pack, it is only a 2W panel, which just doesn't deliver much juice. All that said, we like the Goertek for what it was, and it was able to replenish using solar if left in the sun for hours (and hours).
Goertek 25,000mAh Review
This little battery pack quickly charges devices, and if left in the sun for hours, can replenish via solar
Price: $47 List | $48.99 at Amazon
Pros: Quick to charge, portable size, panel actually works despite small wattage
Cons: Heavy, slow to replenish battery via solar
Manufacturer: Goertek
Cons: Heavy, slow to replenish battery via solar
Manufacturer: Goertek
By Jane Jackson ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ May 2, 2020
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Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
Our Analysis and Test Results
This battery pack/solar charger combo produced impressive charging speeds in our side-by-side tests when it was at least partially charged. To rely on this device as solely a solar-powered charger would result in frustration, but when the battery pack is charged, it delivers fast charge to small devices. It is a bit bulkier than we'd like, which made it hard to warrant bringing along on longer backcountry excursions.
Performance Comparison
Testing out the Goertek in majorly sunny spring conditions. This panel impressed us by actually replenishing its battery via its small panel.
Charge Interruption Recovery
One of the benefits of a battery pack/solar charger combo product like the Goertek 25,000mAh is that it is a lot more reliable in variable conditions (compared to a fully solar product). That said, it is key for the battery pack to have some juice in it for it to continue to deliver a charge when it is intermittently shaded. If only relying on solar, the panel has such a small capacity that it will not be able to reliably charge a device in marginal conditions.
The LED indicator lights indicate the battery-charge level.
Charging Speed
The Goertek shows a wide range of results from our side-by-side testing. When the battery pack had some juice in it, and the panel was placed in direct sun, this powerful little device could propel our Pixel 3 from 13% battery to a whopping 32% (19% over a thirty-minute period). This is impressive — and if it was using only solar, we would be blown away by its power, but the Goertek is usually reliant on some juice remaining in the battery and the sun as a back-up option.
We found it handy to leave the battery pack in our daypack in order to keep our phone charged around town.
Just for fun, we tested how long it would take the Goertek to charge when fully reliant on solar. Turns out, it took over two hours for the battery pack to charge from 25% to 50%. This is slow and steady progress but is surprisingly efficient for such a large battery.
Multiple Device Charging Speed
It's undeniable that the Goertek is a powerful battery. It has a 25,000mAh capacity, which allows it to deliver charge to small devices at the same rate as a household plug. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the Goertek was able to charge a smaller battery pack and our cell phone simultaneously without much trouble. Our phone charged 12% over a thirty-minute test cycle; this is less than the battery performed when only charging a single device but much more impressive than a standard solar-only panel.
Though it has three USB ports, we found that it was most effective to only charge two devices at once.
Durability
When this product arrived in the mail, it felt like someone had mailed us a brick. The Goertek is a burly little device, with a super-bright flashlight on the back and a large storage capacity. We had nothing but pleasant experiences with this panel, but after reading far too many negative reviews on Amazon, we learned that there is a significant number of people that were dissatisfied with the performance of this product. As with any electronic device, there's always a chance of receiving a faulty product.
Weight and Portability
The Goertek 25,000 is a reasonably substantial battery pack. Weighing 19 ounces and measuring seven inches long, three inches wide, and a little over an inch thick, this battery is short and stout.
This clip-loop felt like a superfluous feature.
It's relatively small and takes up little space in your backpack. However, there are lighter panels in our fleet, and you may want to look elsewhere if you'll be venturing into the backcountry or a situation where every ounce counts.
Here's the Goertek in hand - showing its size for scale.
Value
Average in price, the Goertek is a product of good value. If you can keep the battery partially charged, relying on solar only to top it off, this battery pack will keep your devices charged.
Conclusion
Affordable and efficient, it should be partially or fully charged to deliver consistent power to your devices, and we don't recommend being fully reliant on solar power alone. Its dimensions are small and it isn't overly heavy, though due to its weight, it's not the best option for backpacking.
— Jane Jackson