Solar power bank worth it
Updated: October 2026
You are packing for a weekend, the forecast is bright, and a power bank with solar on the title looks as if it will refill itself on a picnic table. On the three amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, that panel is an unmeasured extra. A solar power bank is worth it when you want a USB pack you fill from a plug, and the panel is only a bonus you do not count on. It is a poor buy when the sun is the reason for the price. The table is the [Solar battery comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/solar-battery). This is a reading of those listings, not a sunshine test.
You are packing for a weekend, the forecast is bright, and a power bank with solar on the title looks as if it will refill itself on a picnic table.
You are packing for a weekend, the forecast is bright, and a power bank with solar on the title looks as if it will refill itself on a picnic table. On the three amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, that panel is an unmeasured extra. A solar power bank is worth it when you want a USB pack you fill from a plug, and the panel is only a bonus you do not count on. It is a poor buy when the sun is the reason for the price. The table is the Solar battery comparison. This is a reading of those listings, not a sunshine test.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Capacity | Output | In the box | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  KamKorda KamKorda 26800 mAh solar power bank | 26800 mAh | 10.5 W, USB-A and USB-C | Power bank and a USB-C cable | 9.0 | about £24.97 | View offer |
 BLAVOR BLAVOR 20000 mAh solar power bank | 20000 mAh | 20 W USB-C claimed, 3 ports, built-in cables | Power bank, USB-C cable, carabiner, manual | 8.8 | about £59.99 | View offer | |
 Riapow Riapow 20000 mAh solar power bank | 20000 mAh | 3 A claimed, 3 ports, wireless pad | Power bank, cable and manual | 8.6 | about £36.99 | View offer |
On this page
What solar is doing on these packs
The panel on these packs is a small array bonded to the case. None of the three listings prints a panel wattage, so you cannot budget watt-hours of sun against a British weekend. Expert Reviews, in a UK round-up that did not include these ASINs, says cells on the lid of a small pack do not harvest a useful charge on an average UK day. Those articles are context. They are not measurements of BLAVOR, Riapow or KamKorda.
What the listings do print is a USB power bank. You charge it from a wall adaptor, then you charge the phone from the pack. If the only reason you are paying more than a plain power bank is the panel, skip all three until a wattage is printed. How the jobs split is on the solar battery buying guide.
The three packs in this set
Riapow T11W is £36.99 for a stated 20,000 mAh lithium-polymer pack, about 400 g, with a wireless pad and 4.2 from 2,791 reviews, the largest sample here. A charger for the pack is not in the box, and voltage is not printed. Skip it when reviewers call the wireless pad fussy.
BLAVOR PN-W39 is £59.99, with a 20 W USB-C claim, built-in cables and a weight of 700 g. The star line is 4.3 from 1,511 reviews. No IP number is printed. KamKorda KAM-MSP is £24.97, titled 26,800 mAh at 3.7 V and 10.5 W, at 230 g, with 4.4 from 10 reviews. It is the only pack here that prints both milliamp-hours and volts. One verified buyer says the page showed 10,000 mAh and the unit was 26,800 mAh.
What the reviews say about the panel
On Riapow, solar charging is the complaint that repeats: a joke, no solar charging, or a slow trickle. The praise is for a cable-charged weekend. A few people saw a top-up only after a cable fill and a day in the sun.
On BLAVOR, buyers like the leads and a mains charge that then runs more than one phone. Several say the panel adds little or nothing. Full refills from empty show up as buyer reports of over four hours and over eight hours. On KamKorda, four bodies cannot prove a panel: one likes the price, one disputes the capacity, and one unit failed. Across all three, charge from USB first.
Flights and watt-hours
The UK Civil Aviation Authority wants power banks in the cabin, not in the hold. You do not recharge them on the aircraft. A passenger limit of two is stated. Under 100 Wh is ordinary cabin carriage. From 100 Wh to 160 Wh you need airline approval. Above 160 Wh, passenger carriage is refused. Those bands are not a clearance for a particular listing.
Only KamKorda prints volts. If you multiply the title figures, 26.8 Ah times 3.7 V is about 99 Wh. That arithmetic is not a clearance, because the listing does not print watt-hours, and one buyer saw 10,000 mAh on the page and 26,800 mAh in the hand. BLAVOR and Riapow print no voltage, so watt-hours cannot be calculated from those pages at all.
Common questions
Will these packs refill from the sun on a UK weekend?
The listings do not print a panel wattage, so they do not promise a weekend’s recharge from the sun. UK reviews of Riapow and BLAVOR describe the panel as weak, absent, or a trickle. Plan to arrive with the pack already filled from USB.
What should I charge them from instead?
Use a USB charger on mains or in the car, then charge the phone from the pack. Riapow’s page does not include a wall charger. BLAVOR buyer reports put a full refill from empty at over four hours or over eight hours.
How do BLAVOR, Riapow and KamKorda differ?
Riapow is £36.99, about 400 g, with the largest review pool and a wireless pad. BLAVOR is £59.99 and 700 g, with built-in cables and a 20 W USB-C claim. KamKorda is £24.97 and 230 g, with 3.7 V printed and only four review bodies. All three omit panel wattage.
Can I take them on a plane?
The CAA’s framework is cabin only, no charging on board, a maximum of two power banks, and watt-hour bands at 100 Wh and 160 Wh. KamKorda’s title multiplies to about 99 Wh, but the listing never prints watt-hours. BLAVOR and Riapow omit voltage. Ask the airline with the marking on the unit.
Is waterproof stated?
No IP code is printed on any of the three listings. Riapow’s bullet says shockproof and dustproof. BLAVOR’s bullet says waterproof silicone without a test number. KamKorda leaves the question unanswered. A silicone sentence is not a weather rating.
When is a plain USB power bank the honest buy?
When you are paying for sun you cannot quantify. These three are honest USB packs if you fill them from a charger. They are a weak buy if the panel is the feature. A pack with watt-hours marked on the case makes the cabin question simpler.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources are listed below. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the listing files.
- GOV.UK: register energy devices in homes or small businesses (retrieved October 2026)
- Energy Saving Trust: battery storage (retrieved October 2026)
- HMRC VAT Notice 708/6 (retrieved October 2026)
- Approved Document P, electrical safety (retrieved October 2026)
- UK CAA: safety advice on what to pack (retrieved October 2026)
- GOV.UK: battery waste, supplier responsibilities (retrieved October 2026)
- BuyaBattery: garden solar light batteries (retrieved October 2026)
- Expert Reviews: solar power banks (retrieved October 2026)