SunSaver Super-Flex 14W Solar Charger product reviews

Having tested the 'little brother' of this unit, the the panels that come in the Sunsaver Classic kit, which was impressive enough, getting a chance to check out the 'middle child' of the family was an opportunity I wanted to make the best of. So, planning a trip up Mt Ruapehu recently, I thought it would be a great idea to give this a test in the snow. Knowing that the sky was going to be overcast and about 1/3rd the normal light, I figured these panels would still work, but you know... you have to test a thing to know a thing.

I really should say at this point that operating this unit in sub-zero temperatures is NOT recommended by SunSaver, however if you don't push limits, how will you know where they are? Plus, I wasn't planning to leave it sitting in the snow for days on end - as it turned out, it got to chill for just under an hour, which was more than enough for me to be impressed.

For a start, unlike the smaller unit, this baby has a neat zip-up pouch on the back more than big enough for you to store the hydra of a cable - it has a USB Type B plug to go into the solar panel, and plugs on the other end to fit any microUSB Type B, USB 3.0 and iPhone devices - as well as a moderate powerbank, such as the Sunsaver Classic or Sunsaver 10k. It may be big enough to fit some of the bigger powerbanks that they offer, but I can't confirm that at present. As if that wasn't enough, the flip-down stand on the back allows you to angle the panels to maximise the exposure to the sun, ensuring that as Old Sol travels across the sky, you can keep the panels getting the maximum juice possible, right down to the horizon.

To test the auto-resume feature, all I had to do was up-end a cardboard box over it for 30 seconds, peeking through a small hole to note the charging light turn off on my phone, then lift the box off again. Almost instantly, the phone made that -bing- that told me it was once again receiving current from the solar panels. I repeated that test a couple of times to make sure, increasing the shade time up to 2 minutes before lifting the box again, and the same thing happened every time. Brilliant! However, since my phone wasn't anywhere near as waterproof as these panels are, I decided to pack up quickly while the phone was still dry, as the heat it was generating while charging was starting to melt the snow around it. Just to be sure, I repeated the test four more times using the Sunsaver Classic powerbank and got the same results. Minus the -bing- of course.

as my phone is a modern OPPO and capable of charging under the SuperVOOC protocols, which allows it to charge at anything up to 65W, the smart chip in the panels had no trouble giving it everything, and the charging rate was actually quite remarkable. Naturally, not being a laboratory, I don't have any of the fancy gear that would allow me to dive into the details, but I know how fast the phone charges on regular USB and also on the SuperVOOC 2 charger unit, and these panels, even under overcast skies, were pushing that charge bar up at a very satisfying clip.

Overall, if you are an outdoors-type person, or plan to go on a hike or holiday that could potentially find you out of range of a power plug, this unit is a definite must-have item. I now keep it in my car's Emergency Kit, in case I come across someone who's vehicle has clunked out on the side of the road and their phone is dead, or mine for that matter. Since I have converted my car into a mini camper, so it is my primary transport and accommodation when I take off on weekend jaunts to reconnect with nature, having this panel in the car gives me peace of mind that in case of an emergency, as long as there is even 1 bar of phone signal, I know I can call for help if needed. It may seem like a costly gimmick, but it is anything but - it's a valuable piece of equipment that could mean the difference between a towtruck, or a l-o-n-g walk to the nearest gas station.