The best solar batteries, compared.
Top pick: WENJOOP 1600 mAh AA 4-pack – Highest score in this set: about £5.99, 4.8 from 92 reviews, four 1.2 V NiMH cells stated at 1600 mAh. Score 96. Review bodies mention other pack sizes, and winter runtime is not measured. Best value: EBL 1100 mAh AA 20-pack – Twenty cells and a storage box at about £7.99, with 4.3 from 1,173 reviews. Score 86. Short-life reports exist, and the charge method is missing from the spec block. Updated October 2026.
A solar battery stores charge from a panel. In the UK that search covers three products, and they do not belong in one ranking. A garden solar battery is a replacement cell for a stake light. A solar power bank is a USB pack with a small panel in the lid. A home solar battery is a storage cabinet used with an inverter. Choose the job before you compare a figure on the label. For a garden light, use a 1.2 V nickel-metal hydride AA with a milliamp-hour figure close to the cell you remove. A much larger capacity can be more than a small panel will refill. Do not fit an alkaline cell in a holder that charges. For a power bank, look for watt-hours and a charge from a USB cable. Treat the lid panel as a weak top-up. For a house battery, check the chemistry, whether an inverter is included, and any type-test number. Grid-connected storage is registered with the distribution network operator. The [solar battery buying guide](/hub/electrical-equipment/solar-battery/sub/solar-battery-buying-guide) separates those three jobs.
A solar battery stores charge from a panel. In the UK that search covers three products, and they do not belong in one ranking. A garden solar battery is a replacement cell for a stake light.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you trying to run?
The WENJOOP pack is four 1.2 V NiMH AA cells, stated at 1600 mAh, at £5.99, and UK buyers in the file use them to put garden stake lights back on for less than a new lantern. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.8 from 92 reviews, and several of the bodies that were read say the cells arrived with some charge. That sample is smaller than the 12-pack and 20-pack rows here. Review texts that describe a 12-pack or a 16-pack do not match this 4-pack title, so the star line may mix cartons. One buyer reported an uneven charge on arrival and did not rate the cells with a better-known loop-style brand. No review in the file measures a full UK winter of night running, so the 1600 mAh figure stays a listing claim. The page says these cells are the wrong fit for a 1.5 V alkaline-only device, and it tells you to charge them before first use.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a few stake lights and want the higher stated milliamp-hour figure in a 4-pack, and you will charge the cells before the first night.
Less suitable: You need cells for a whole path of lights, or you only trust reviews that clearly describe this 4-pack.
Specifications
Common questions
How many batteries are in the box?
The listing says 4 AA batteries are included. The shelf price in the saved listing is £5.99. Some review texts describe a 12-pack or a 16-pack, which does not match this title.
Will these work in solar garden lights?
The bullets say they are 1.2 V NiMH cells for pathway, garden, landscape, deck, fence and solar string lights, and not for 1.5 V alkaline-only devices. Replace all the cells in one light as a set.
How do you charge them?
The listing says you can charge them in a compatible solar light or with a NiMH charger. It also says the charge may be low after shipping, so a full charge before first use is advised.
The KINREECELL pack is twelve 1.2 V NiMH AA cells at a stated 600 mAh for £8.99, with a bullet that says they ship at about 30% charge. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 2,137 reviews, the largest garden sample in this set, and the first 50 bodies are mostly people who fitted a set of solar lights and saw them come back on. Delivery and “as described” comments are common. Some cells in a pack did not seem to work, and one buyer says the lights were bright at first and then ran shorter nights than with cheaper cells. Another found sun charging slow. A review title calls them a cheap copy and notes that the cells carry no date. The “at least 500 recharges” line is a bullet, and the page does not prove that figure in use.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 600 mAh AA set with the largest review pool in this comparison, and you will charge any cell that arrives flat.
Less suitable: You want the cheaper 600 mAh 12-pack, or a higher stated capacity in a small carton.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the battery capacity?
The spec line says 600 milliamp-hours at 1.2 V. The pack is 12 AA cells. The shelf price in the saved listing is £8.99.
Can they be used in garden lights?
The bullets say solar garden lights, landscape lights and lawn lights, and that the cells can be charged by the light or by a standard charger.
Are they ready to use?
The bullet says they are pre-charged to about 30% for transport and should be charged before use if you want a longer first run. Recharge after they run flat, and every 3 months in storage, is also a bullet.
The KamKorda KAM-MSP is a lithium-ion power bank titled 26,800 mAh at 3.7 V and 10.5 W, with USB-A and USB-C, at £24.97 and 230 g. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 10 reviews, and the saved listing holds four bodies, which is a thin sample. One buyer is pleased with the price and says USB and solar charging work for the money. Another bought it so a hiker could keep a phone and a navigator topped up away from sockets. A verified UK review says the page showed 10,000 mAh and the unit that arrived was 26,800 mAh, and that buyer says the larger pack cannot go on a plane. A further unit looked used, arrived almost full, charged a phone slowly, and then failed. No solar-panel wattage, no watt-hour figure and no protection list are printed, so the capacity on the title is not a flight clearance.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest USB pack in this set for a phone and a navigator, and you will charge it from a cable before you travel.
Less suitable: You need a large review sample, a printed panel wattage, or a capacity figure that matches every screenshot of the page.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it charge a tablet?
The compatible-devices line says smartphone, tablet and USB devices. Output is listed as 10.5 W and 2 A, on USB-A and USB-C.
Does it have overcharge protection?
The page asks the question. No protection list is in the bullets or the spec block, so the listing does not answer it.
Is it waterproof?
No IP rating is printed. Waterproof is only a question on the listing, not a specification.
The BLAVOR PN-W39 is a 20,000 mAh lithium-polymer power bank at £59.99, with a 20 W USB-C claim, built-in cables, a carabiner and a three-year warranty line. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.3 from 1,511 reviews. UK buyers use it for weekends, camping and an Apple Watch, and they like the torch and the built-in leads. Several say a mains charge then runs more than one phone. The same sample calls the unit large and heavy, and the item weight is 700 g. Several say the solar panel adds little or nothing, including cases where only an indicator moved. Full refills from empty show up as buyer reports of over four hours and over eight hours. A minority say it refused to charge a phone or managed about two phone charges, and the thermometer is reported in Fahrenheit. A spec line that says two 9 V batteries are required does not match this pack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the built-in cables and the longer warranty line, and you can carry 700 g in a weekend bag.
Less suitable: You want a pocket bank, a fast refill from empty, or a panel with a printed wattage.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it charge an iPhone?
The compatible-devices line says smartphone, smartwatch and tablet. The bullet claims about 20 W on USB-C and gives iPhone charge counts. Those counts are listing text, not a measurement in the reviews.
Does it have a flashlight?
Yes. The bullet describes a flashlight with three modes and a camping light with three levels, plus a red indicator.
Is it waterproof?
The bullet says waterproof silicone and a flame-retardant shell. No IP code is printed, so the listing does not state a tested water rating.
The EBL pack is twenty 1.2 V NiMH AA cells at a stated 1100 mAh, plus a storage box, for £7.99, which is about 40 pence a cell in this set. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.3 from 1,173 reviews, and the first 50 bodies are mostly people replacing worn cells in garden lights and lanterns. A buyer in Scotland describes four-season garden use, the case is mentioned as useful, and one report runs to about eight months on the cells that were fitted. A minority of reports are much shorter: one night and then a refund, or flat after 48 hours. The listing prints 1100 amps on the same number as the 1100 mAh capacity line, so treat milliamp-hours as the capacity claim. How the cells charge is absent from the spec block, and winter runtime is not measured in the file.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are replacing cells across many stake lights and want the lowest price per cell in this set.
Less suitable: You need a 600 mAh match to the old cell, or you want a pack where the short-life reports are absent.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these rechargeable?
Yes. The listing gives the chemistry as NiMH, the voltage as 1.2 V, and the capacity as 1100 mAh. Reusability is marked rechargeable.
What do you get in the pack?
The bullet says 20 AA cells at 1100 mAh and a battery storage box. The shelf price in the saved listing is £7.99.
Which lights are they sold for?
The bullets name solar garden lights, landscaping lights, lawn lights, string lights, and patio or pathway lights. A charge-method sentence is not in the spec block.
The Riapow T11W is a 20,000 mAh lithium-polymer power bank at £36.99, with three ports, a wireless pad and a torch that includes SOS. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.2 from 2,791 reviews, and the first 50 bodies praise it as a cable-charged pack for a camping weekend or a festival. A few say a day in the sun added a top-up after that cable charge. Solar charging is the complaint that repeats: buyers call the panel a joke, say it stores no solar charge, or report only a slow trickle. Wired refill is also slow for some. The wireless pad is described as fussy if the phone shifts. One unit stored unused for years was dead, and support did not resolve it in that body. Voltage and panel wattage are both absent, so you cannot turn 20,000 mAh into watt-hours or into a sun budget.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a heavily reviewed USB pack for phones on a weekend away, and you will fill it from a cable.
Less suitable: You are buying it for the solar panel, or you need a wireless pad that stays put in a bag.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it charge more than one device?
The bullet says up to four devices and the spec line says 3 ports. USB-C is described as both an input and an output. A charger for the power bank itself is not in the box.
Does it have a flashlight?
Yes. The bullet lists a flashlight with steady, flashing and SOS modes.
Is it waterproof?
The bullet says shockproof and dustproof. No IP rating is printed, so waterproof is not a stated spec.
The BOLIFIER pack is twelve 1.2 V NiMH AA cells at a stated 600 mAh for £7.99, and the listing says they leave the factory at about 40% charge. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.2 from 185 reviews. UK buyers say outside solar lights worked after a swap, and several call that cheaper than new lights. The fault that repeats is dead cells inside the carton: several bodies say only a couple worked, or most of the pack did nothing. One buyer says the cells discharge very quickly. Another says the lights stayed on in daylight after the swap, and that review does not say whether the panel or the cell was the cause. A bullet that promises about eight hours and up to 1,200 recharges is listing text, not a result in the reviews, and no charge time is printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are matching an old 600 mAh cell and you will test each cell in a known light before you fit the whole path.
Less suitable: You need a pack with few dead-cell reports, or you want a printed charge time and a weather rating for the cell.
Specifications
Common questions
Can they be used in a remote control?
The listing says they are 1.2 V AA NiMH cells and names remotes, toys and keyboards as well as solar lights. It does not say they suit a device that needs 1.5 V alkaline cells.
How long do they take to charge?
No charge time is printed. The bullet says they can be charged in the solar light or with an AA charger, and that a charger is the better option in bad weather.
Are the cells weatherproof?
No IP rating is on the listing. The weatherproofing question on the page is unanswered. The product is the cell, not the light housing.
The DATOUBOSS DT-48314 is a LiFePO4 cabinet listed at 314 Ah and 16.07 kWh, priced at £1,369.99, with a stated weight of 109 kg. The title says 48 V and the bullets say 51.2 V, so both figures are on the same page. The box is the battery: no inverter, cables or mounts are listed, and the communication lines named are CAN, RS485 and RS232. Bullets describe a 200 A BMS, a colour touchscreen, wheels, and expansion of up to 15 cabinets in parallel rather than in series. The warranty line is two years, while a separate bullet says up to 10 years and 8,000-plus deep cycles. Those cycle figures are claims, and the saved listing contains no customer reviews against which to check them. No dimensions, type-test number or MCS mark are printed, so the shelf price is a cabinet, not a commissioned home battery.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already have an inverter and an installer, and you are buying a bare 48 V-class LiFePO4 cabinet with a stated capacity.
Less suitable: You want a turnkey home battery, a proven backup in a power cut, or any review evidence before you move 109 kg.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used for solar energy storage?
The bullets say home energy storage, solar systems, off-grid and backup. No inverter is listed in the box, and no inverter brand is named. The communication lines are CAN, RS485 and RS232.
Does it have a display?
Yes. The bullet describes a colour touchscreen for voltage, current, capacity and cell information.
What capacity does the listing state?
314 Ah and 16.07 kWh. The title says 48 V and the bullets say 51.2 V. Weight is 109 kg. There is no customer-review line in the saved listing. The shelf price is £1,369.99.
Eight amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the product files for this comparison. This is not a lab test. A printed capacity, wattage or cycle life is a listing claim. A garden cell, a phone power bank and a home cabinet stay in one table, and a high star line cannot move a listing from one job to another. Where the review file is empty, that part of the score stays at zero.
Job and electrical match
40%The first check is the job: garden cell, phone pack or home cabinet. Voltage, chemistry and a capacity you can compare with the old cell, or with watt-hours when both volts and amp-hours are printed. A star rating cannot move a listing into a different job.
Amazon review evidence
25%Stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the listing files. Themes that repeat, such as lights that work after a cell swap, a panel that adds little, or a carton of dead cells, change this part. No review text scores nothing here.
What the listing includes
20%Pack count, a charge method, a panel wattage, protection bullets, and, for a cabinet, an inverter and a type-test number. A missing line stays missing. Conflicting voltage or capacity fields lower this part.
Price within the job
15%Shelf price against the job the listing supports. The lowest price does not win across jobs, and an installed-system range is not an amazon.co.uk price.
Start with the job, then the voltage and the capacity you can actually compare, then what the box contains. Price comes after those three, and only inside the same job. The notes below follow that order. None of the scores is a lab test.
A solar battery on amazon.co.uk is not one object. The same words return a replacement cell for a garden light, a lithium power bank with a panel in the lid, and a cabinet meant for a house. Those three do not share a ranking. Stars on a small pack of cells say nothing about a heavy cabinet, and a cabinet price is not a phone-pack price. Garden cells in this category are nickel-metal hydride AAs at 1.2 V. Match that voltage, and match a capacity close to the cell you take out.
A garden cell, a phone pack and a home cabinet do not share a ranking. A high star line on a four-pack says nothing about a cabinet with no reviews, and it does not make a lid panel into a house battery.
Match 1.2 V nickel-metal hydride and a capacity close to the old cell. A much larger milliamp-hour figure can be more than a small panel will put back. That limit is retailer guidance, not a lab test of these packs.
A lid panel does not refill a large power bank in a day. A cabinet price is the goods on the listing, not an installed battery. Energy Saving Trust’s installed band is a different purchase, and cycle-life bullets are claims.
Name the job before you compare numbers. A stake light, a phone and a house do not share a winner. For garden lights, the electrical match is 1.2 V nickel-metal hydride and a capacity close to the old cell. The packs in this set state 600 mAh, 1100 mAh or 1600 mAh. A higher figure is not automatically a longer night, because a small panel may not refill it. Read the pack count as well.
After the electrical match, read what the box contains and what the reviews actually did. Garden listings should say whether you charge the cell in the light or on a nickel-metal hydride charger. One pack in this set leaves the charge method off the spec block. Dead cells in a carton, a flat pack after a day or two, and cells that arrived unevenly charged are the faults to keep. No review here measures a full UK winter of night running, so a runtime bullet stays a claim.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are about to throw the lights away because the nights have got short, and you can match a 1.2 V AA cell. The WENJOOP pack is four NiMH cells, stated at 1600 mAh, at about £5.99. Charge them before the first night. Some reviews describe a larger carton than this 4-pack.
You want a USB pack for a weekend, and you will be disappointed if the panel is the power source. The Riapow pack is 20,000 mAh at about £36.99, with 4.2 from 2,791 reviews. Fill it from a cable. The wireless pad is fussy if the phone shifts.
You already have an inverter and an installer, and you are comparing a LiFePO4 cabinet with a commissioned home battery. The DATOUBOSS listing states 314 Ah and 16.07 kWh at about £1,369.99, and it weighs 109 kg. No inverter is in the box, and the file has no reviews.
In this set of eight amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the WENJOOP 1600 mAh AA 4-pack at about £5.99, with 4.8 from 92 reviews and a score of 96. It is four 1.2 V NiMH cells for a few stake lights, and you should charge them before the first night. The best value is the EBL 1100 mAh AA 20-pack at about £7.99, with 4.3 from 1,173 reviews and a score of 86, about 40 pence a cell. Neither score is a lab test. A garden cell, a phone power bank and a home cabinet are not one ranking, and the cabinet listing has no reviews in the file.
WENJOOP 1600 mAh AA 4-pack
Highest score in this set: about £5.99, 4.8 from 92 reviews, four 1.2 V NiMH cells stated at 1600 mAh. Score 96. Review bodies mention other pack sizes, and winter runtime is not measured.
EBL 1100 mAh AA 20-pack
Twenty cells and a storage box at about £7.99, with 4.3 from 1,173 reviews. Score 86. Short-life reports exist, and the charge method is missing from the spec block.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources are listed below. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the listing files.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing figures in the product files. We did not lab-test these batteries.
