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SunJack 25W Review

A powerful, well-designed, durable panel, with fast charging speeds
Decent solar charger that charges well
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sunjack 25w solar charger review
Credit: Sunjack
Price:  $120 List
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Manufacturer:   PowerJack
By James Lucas and Matt Spencer  ⋅  Nov 4, 2022
77
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 10
  • Direct Solar Charging Speed - 35% 8.0
  • Indirect Solar Charging Speed - 35% 8.5
  • Portability - 15% 4.0
  • Multiple Device Charging - 15% 8.5

Our Verdict

The SunJack 25 is one powerful panel. If fast charging and durability are what you need, this is the ticket. This panel rapidly charged our cell phones and boasts rugged, ETFE-coated panels, which give this award winner a durable feel. Its ability to withstand desert sun, dirt and dust also impressed us. It has a mesh storage pouch on the back, which is roomy enough for the two SunJack battery packs that come with the kit, plus extra cords, and our cell phone. The major downsides are its relatively large size. However, if you're reliant on solar to keep your devices charged and are tired of messing around with slow-charging panels, this could be the right one for you.
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Well-designed
Fast charging times
Rugged design
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Bulky
Ridged design is harder to pack
Weak magnetic closure

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sunjack 25w solar charger review
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SunJack 25W
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Best Buy Award  Top Pick Award 
Price $120 List
$79.95 at Amazon
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Pros Durable, well-designed, fast charging times, rugged designInexpensive, efficient, user-friendly, great charging speed, excels in partly cloudy conditionsGood charging speed, lots of places to clip carabiners, highly affordableImpressive charging speeds, can charge multiple devices simultaneously, affordableLarge battery capacity, LED back panel
Cons Expensive, bulky, ridged design is harder to pack, weak magnetic closureBulky, lacks portability, and the storage pouch is only semi-secureHard to reach pouch makes the panel lay crooked, just a solar panel with no battery pack,Poor interruption recoveryThe small solar panel makes charging hard
Bottom Line A powerful, well-designed, durable panel, with fast charging speeds
Decent solar charger that charges well
This speedy solar charger handles multiple devices and offers reliability at a reasonable priceThis low-priced, incredibly efficient solar panel converts the sun into charges while saving on costsA powerful, fast charging machine, capable of charging multiple devices, complete with a reasonable price tagWhere this device lacks in its ability as a solar charger, it makes up for as an affordable battery pack
Rating Categories SunJack 25W BigBlue 3 X-Dragon 20W Ryno-Tuff 21W OEUUDD 25000mAh
Direct Solar Charging Speed (35%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
1
Indirect Solar Charging Speed (35%)
8.5
10.0
8.5
6.5
1.5
Portability (15%)
4.0
5.5
5.5
6.5
7.5
Multiple Device Charging (15%)
8.5
9.5
7.5
8.0
7.5
Specs SunJack 25W BigBlue 3 X-Dragon 20W Ryno-Tuff 21W OEUUDD 25000mAh
Panel Size (watts) Power Output? 25W 28W 20W 21W <5W
Weight (measured) 29.4oz 21.8oz 21.1oz 17.5oz 18.6oz
# of USB outlets 2 3 2 2 3
Max USB Output Current (amps per port) 2 amp 2.4 amp 3 amp 2.1 amp 2 amp
Size folded 12.6" x 7.8" x 0.8" 11.1" x 6.3" x 1.3" 12.1" x 7.2" x .51" 5.9" x 11.8" x 0.8" N/A
Size opened 24.6" x 7.8" x 0.8" 33.1" x 11.1" x 0.2" 23.3" x 12.1" x .12" 18" x 11.8" x 0.1" 7" x 3.75" x 1.25"
Battery? No No No No Yes
Charge capacity (mAh) N/A N/A N/A N/A 25,000mAh
Charge tablet? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Charge laptop? No No No No No
Charge iPhone/Smartphone Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Panel outside material PET Polymer Fabric PET Polymer Fabric PTFE PET Polymer Fabric PET Polymer Fabric
Panel type Mono-crystalline Mono-crystalline Mono-crystalline Mono-crystalline Mono-crystalline
Battery input (Volts / Amps) N/A N/A N/A N/A 5V/2A
Direct USB Plug? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Daisy Chain? No No No No No
12-Volt connection No No No No No
DC Output No No No No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

This panel excels as a fast-charging machine, with impressive durability and design. The combination of these features, plus its resilience and ability to recover a charge in marginal conditions, places the SunJack high on our list.

Performance Comparison


sunjack 25w solar charger review - the mighty sunjack.
The mighty SunJack.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Direct Solar Charging Speed



When we set it out to charge our Pixel 3 in full sun, we were surprised to see that the SunJack charged our phone 18% over the course of thirty minutes. Typically, 25W panels charge our phones consistently around 10% in thirty minutes, so when we saw that this panel consistently almost doubled that, we were impressed. Perhaps they underrate their panels, and this one actually has a larger capacity? Or is it just incredibly efficient (we also used their proprietary USB-C cable, which may have helped)? Needless to say, this panel was one of the top performers in this rating metric.

sunjack 25w solar charger review - the sunjack is an efficient charging machine.
The SunJack is an efficient charging machine.
Credit: Jane Jackson


Indirect Solar Charging Speed



After seeing impressive charge times in our side-by-side comparative tests, we decided to try out the SunJack with only two of its panels in use, just to see how powerful it actually was. We conducted this test in conjunction with our typical shading test and found that the SunJack performed well in both. With one of three panels covered, the SunJack's performance diminished. Over 30 minutes, the panel charged 10%, as compared to 20% when all panels were exposed. Other panels, even those with similar capacities, have completely glitched out when partially shaded, refusing to charge at all. Compared to those experiences, we were very impressed with the charge speeds of the partially-shaded SunJack.

sunjack 25w solar charger review - using one panel as a kickstand limits the efficiency of the sunjack...
Using one panel as a kickstand limits the efficiency of the SunJack, but does help in orienting the panel toward the sun.
Credit: Jane Jackson

When shaded and then uncovered, the panel charged slowly, but it did manage to reestablish a charge to our phone, which many struggle to do; this speaks to the charging prowess of this panel. If you spend time in places other than the relentlessly sunny Eastern Sierra, this could be a good choice, as it still functions with clouds.


Multiple Device Charging Speed


Not surprisingly, when seeing this panel's ability to charge a single device quickly, the SunJack also charged two devices simultaneously, and with impressive speed.


We plugged in our Pixel 3 to one port and one of SunJack's battery packs to the other and left the panel in full sun for thirty minutes. When we returned, the Pixel 3 had charged a whopping 8%, while the battery pack had charged from one LED light to two. Many batteries show their level of charge through four or five small LED lights, and can be hard to get a precise read on its level of charge; because of that, we go off the Pixel 3 to score the panels in this metric. An eight percent charge is a significant amount when compared to others in this review — even panels with larger capacities.

sunjack 25w solar charger review - the sunjack 25w panel is high-powered and able to charge two devices...
The SunJack 25W panel is high-powered and able to charge two devices simultaneously.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Portability


With a measured weight of 30.1 ounces, which equates to about one pound, 14 ounces, the SunJack is not particularly lightweight, nor portable.


This panel is one of the heavier we've reviewed, which was a bit of a disappointment, considering its high scores in most of our other metrics. However, if weight is of no concern, the SunJack might be the ticket.

sunjack 25w solar charger review - slim, but heavy. its up to you to decide if the sunjack is worth it.
Slim, but heavy. Its up to you to decide if the SunJack is worth it.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Should You Buy The SunJack 25W?


As one of the more expensive panels in this review, especially for its capacity, the SunJack is an investment. That said, it's also one of the most durable panels we've tested, receiving high scores across the board.

sunjack 25w solar charger review - we liked this little elastic keeper inside the sunjack&#039;s mesh...
We liked this little elastic keeper inside the SunJack's mesh pocket. Anything to help us stay organized!
Credit: Jane Jackson

The SunJack also comes with two 10,000mAh battery packs. If you need to rely on solar, you can charge up these battery packs and use them to charge your devices, even in less-than-ideal conditions. This feature adds value and versatility to the kit. With all that considered, we'd say the SunJack is a product of good value overall.

What Other Solar Chargers Should You Consider?


The SunJack is an investment. That said, it's one of the top-performing panels we tested, and provides exceptional performance. We were impressed by its charging speed, durability, construction, and thoughtful design. The SunJack will keep your gadgets charged while also providing a dialed organizational pouch and a solid build. We are big fans.

The SunJack performed well but if you're looking for a slightly better solar charger check out the X-Dragon 20W SunPower which is a little more portable and a little less expensive.

James Lucas and Matt Spencer
 

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