The suitcase-style is a handy and compact design for a portable solar charger. All key portable solar companies have realized the scope of suitcase design for their solutions. Thus, we have all the bigger players like Goal Zero, Renogy, and AcoPower with at least one solar panel suitcase. Indeed, a 100W solar suitcase is quite enough to sufficiently charge your portable power packs decently faster.
Fine, here we would like to compare three top-seller solar panel suitcase models from those brands. That would hopefully give you a clear idea about the suitcase solar panel. And help you find the best one if you think it is a kind of product worth buying.
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Solar Panel Suitcase: All to Know About
What is really a solar panel suitcase? In fact, it has nothing to do with a travel suitcase except for its design. It is all about how the makers have put together a pair of solar panels for better portability and convenience. Clearly speaking, with a solar panel suitcase, you virtually get two solar panels in a briefcase-style folding design with the needed latches, hinges, carrying handle, and kickstands.
Of course, the best part about a solar panel suitcase is that it would ensure you more freedom and much comfort in handling and moving. With that said, you could simply unfold the panels after the use, lock up securely, and move anywhere hassle-free in your RV or caravan.
Goal Zero Vs Renogy Vs AcoPower
As you see, we have three suitcase solar panels on the table for the comparison. First, we have Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase, an awesome portable solar suitcase. Goal Zero has crafted it exclusively for its line of Yeti solar power stations. The next two items are from Renogy and AcoPower. Their products look exactly the same in design, features, and performance, however.
All the models we have taken for this analysis are 100W units. If you want more power you could buy multiple units of the same. However, when it comes to Goal Zero Boulder, you get a 200-watt variant itself, Boulder 200 Briefcase. Anyway, let us check out all the models in detail below.
Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase
Boulder is actually a series of conventional glass and metal solar panels. Goal Zero has been selling the Boulder line for a long time with its fabric-based Nomad solar chargers. Boulder 100 Briefcase hit the market along with an upgraded Boulder 50 and the top-end Boulder 200 Briefcase.
As its name says, Boulder 100 comes in the form of a suitcase, which you could fold down to a small and easy-to-carry unit. Follow the button below to check out its price and other details.
Overall, what you get is a highly portable solar briefcase charger. Absolutely, it works in its best way when attached to Goal Zero’s line-up of Yeti power stations, especially Yeti 400 Lithium, Yeti 1000 Lithium, and Yeti 1400. For the bigger Yeti 3000, Boulder 200 Briefcase is the best.
Specs and Features
Why should you buy Boulder 100 BC? First, it is a highly durable and lightweight solar charger of its kind. Made of rugged tempered glass and low-weight aluminum it is quite friendly for portable uses.
Moreover, its folding design makes it rather ideal for many applications outdoors. Coming to more specs, it is a pair of 50W monocrystalline solar panels. So, the Goal Zero solar panel suitcase is ideal for quick charging of a variety of your portable, emergency, and household power backups.
More interestingly, like the whole Boulder line, it doesn’t need an extra cable or a charge controller when you use it with Goal Zero’s award-winning Yeti series. Just plug a Boulder 100 to your Yeti. It starts to collect solar energy for the power pack. What’s more, you can chain Boulder 100 Briefcase with other compatible solar panels to make charging under the sun rather faster.
Other Variants
Meanwhile, Goal Zero offers Boulder in some other variants as well. The entry-level is a 50W single panel and the same is available in a 100W variant; respectively Boulder 50 and Boulder 100.
At the same time, as I mentioned above, there is a 200W Boulder 200 Briefcase for large-scale users of portable power. Evidently, that is a pair of Boulder 100 units hinged together. Indeed, thanks to multiple variants, you get a chance to pick a model that perfectly matches your requirements.
Why Should You Buy
- One of the Best Solar Panel Suitcase Chargers.
- Made of Premium Materials for Increased Efficiency.
- Ideal Choice for all Goal Zero Yeti Power Stations.
- Strong Body and Durable Design for Rough Outdoors.
- Durable Handle, Solid Kickstands, and Rubber Capped Corners.
Renogy 100W Solar Suitcase
This Renogy solar panel suitcase is a highly popular one in the portable solar power industry. Yes, it has been doing well on the market for a while. Thanks to its handy and compact design, the Renogy solar briefcase is certainly a highly portable and versatile solution.
By the way, Renogy sells the solar charger with and without a charge controller. If you are planning to buy this to set up a DIY solar generator, it is better you go for the option with the solar charge controller. Or go for the option without the controller if you only want it to expand an existing solar power system. Use the link below to check out its price and other details on Amazon.
You would surely fall in love with its compact design. Being very much portable in its folded form, you could take it anywhere easily. This is ideal for recharging a range of batteries including the gel, sealed and flooded ones. Thanks to the included voltage and temperature sensors, you could easily monitor its performance at ease.
The included charge controller is a unit of Renogy’s Adventurer, a 30A 4-stage unit, which features an LCD display. It could perfectly protect your battery packs from overcharge, overheat, and other voltage issues. Meanwhile, being a negative grounded one, it makes the solar panel suitcase perfect for RVs, campers, boats, and other vehicles.
Specs and Features
Renogy has built the solar charger with good quality German-made solar cells. They are capable of delivering excellent performance under weak light conditions. Depending on the intensity of the sun, this solar charger could provide an ideal output of 500 watt-hours a day.
At the same time, you get the Renogy solar panel suitcase with an adjustable aluminum stand that stronger and corrosion-resistant too. Apart from that, it has got the regular stuff like a heavy-duty carrying handle, strong latches, and finally a protective case for moving the solar panel suitcase.
Other Variants
Apart from this traditional form of solar panel suitcase, Renogy sells two more sets of cool suitcase-style solar panel chargers. We have exclusively covered all variants of Renogy solar suitcase on an earlier post. They are two series of Renogy Eclipse solar suitcase panels – glass and fabric-based ones. Both are available in multiple power variants with and without solar charge controllers.
The regular glass and metal Eclipse suitcase solar panels are available in 50W, 100W, and 200W variants. Well, the bigger one is indeed a strong competitor to Goal Zero’s Boulder 200 Briefcase. Meanwhile, the fabric-based solar panels feature a clamshell design, but you could easily fold it down to a suitcase-style form while on the move.
Why Should You Buy
- 100W High-Efficiency Solar Panel Suitcase.
- Compact and Durable Design.
- 30A Built-In 4-Stage Solar Charge Controller.
- Compatible With Gel, Sealed, and Flooded Batteries.
- Perfect for Campers, RVs, and Trailers.
AcoPower 100W Solar Panel Suitcase
The next is AcoPower’s popular solar panel suitcase. This is also a set of two 50-watt solar panels hinged together in the form of a suitcase with a sturdy handle, strong latches, and kickstands. Well, you could use this to power up your portable solar power stations or off-grid DIY solar systems.
The solar panel suitcase also comes with and without a charge controller. Fine, the included charge controller, meanwhile, is a 10Amp one. The best part of the AcoPower solar panel suitcase is that it is very lightweight and travel-friendly so that you could take it anywhere hassle-free.
As you see in the pic, this AcoPower solar suitcase is looking exactly like the above Renogy model. Some other brands also offer exactly the same 100-watt solar panel suitcase under their branding. Overall, what you get is a very handy and compact solar charger to power your life off-the-grid.
Of course, the cool design makes you carry the solar charger anywhere with no much hassle and set it up quickly anywhere. The integrated kickstands help you place the solar charger on any surface in a way it could attract enough sunlight to charge your emergency power backups in an RV, camper, trailer, cabin, or camping tent.
Specs and Features
The AcoPower solar panel suitcase has everything perfectly blended into. To begin with, similar to the above Goal Zero and Renogy variants, it features a sturdy aluminum frame. Furthermore, it has got a lightweight and solid design, making it fit for outdoor uses.
Moreover, the device features an Anderson plug, built-in junction box with diodes, MC4 connectors, and other accessories. Meanwhile, the overall weight of the solar suitcase is just 33.1lb and it has got a size of 19.69 x 25.6 x2.9 inches.
Other Variants
Like the Renogy model, it is available with and without solar charge controllers. At the same time, AcoPower offers a range of other suitcase solar panels, especially some cool fabric-based foldable panels. They are indeed available in various sizes, power capacities, and more.
The AcoPower 120W solar charger is a typical example. You could fold down the three-layered solar charger into a cute and handy solar suitcase after the use. The same product is available in other variants like 80W, 120W and more, letting you find an ideal off-grid power solution.
Why Should You Buy
- 100W High-Efficiency Solar Panel Suitcase.
- Durable, Compact, and Handy Design.
- Built-In Solar Charge Controller.
- Available With and Without Charge Controllers.
- Multiple Solar Panel Suitcase Variants Available.
Final Thoughts
We have a lot of other solar panel suitcase chargers on the market. We have grabbed three famous models from three major brands for this writing. That is meant to let you have a basic idea about these innovatively designed solar chargers. Hope you have got an insight into the style, nature, and capacity of those suitcase-style solar chargers or panels.
Above all, they let you handle your off-grid solar power systems (solar generators or power stations) rather easily. If you are a person that carries a solar power station wherever you head to, you could just go for a solar panel suitcase to support it. Instead of the traditional single-sheet solar panels, it could ensure you extra comfort and convenience. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The problem is that Renogy has serious issues with customer service. They take money and don’t deliver products. They do send shipping confirmations but it is only because they print a shipping label, not because they actually ship anything. AVOID RENOGY AT ALL COST!