If you’re the outdoorsy type or perhaps an RV nut that loves nothing more than packing your bags and hitting the road, you’ve no doubt considered a portable solar panel to supplement your existing on-the-go power.A wise choice, portable solar panels won’t hog space when stowed, are easy to carry from A to B, and keep your energy consumption green, helping to preserve the nature spots you so enjoy visiting!
As one of the most popular options on the market, you may be considering the EF EcoFlow 110 Watt panel. If so, you’re in the right place. Having spent a considerable amount of time with this portable power pouch, I can fill you in on all the key details.
EF 110 Watt Portable Solar Panel
Here’s all the important information, right off the bat… just in case you’re in a hurry.Pros
- IP67 water-resistant
- Compatible with most solar generators on the market
- Corner attachments give you more setup options
- Discrete bag doubles as a kickstand
- Delivers 100 watts in direct sun
- Flawless build quality
- Rubberized coating protects against impacts
- Lightweight and folds down small
- Ergonomic rubber handle
Cons
- No direct USB charging ports
- Short warranty
- No adapters included
EF 110 Watt Portable Solar Panel At A Glance
The EF 110-watt is a four-section, foldable solar panel you can take with you on your adventures or simply use out in your yard to soak up some free, green energy.It’s an attractive design, so if aesthetics are important to you, you’ll instantly be drawn to this panel, but as you’re about to find out, it has so much more to offer than mere beauty!
Where Can You Purchase The EcoFlow 110 Watt Portable Solar Panel?
Shop the EF ECOFLOW 110 Watt Portable Solar Panel here.
Output
This solar panel has a lot of bells and whistles, and we’ll get into all that in a second, but first, let’s start with what really matters: power and solar efficiency!As I’m sure you’re aware, the portable solar panel market is getting a little, shall we say… congested, as of late, but one of the reasons this EF panel stands out in the solar crowd is its rated output.Most comparable portable panels are 100-watt designs, but due to power drops, they’ll rarely – if ever – achieve this output.
The EF panel, on the other hand, is rated for 110 watts. So, with decent weather conditions, theoretically, we should be able to break the 100-watt threshold. Well, having tested this bad boy out in my yard on an immaculate day with zero cloud cover, I can confirm that those sweet monocrystalline silicon cells do indeed stabilize around 98–100 watts. This was fantastic news, as, let’s be honest, it’s not the cheapest panel in the world, and I wanted to know that my money was well spent. One word of warning, though; this thing gets HOT in direct sun.You don’t have to worry about the heat damaging the cells, as monocrystalline technology provides plenty of thermal protection, but, unfortunately, the skin of your fingers is offered no such protection.As is to be expected, when the sun dips away behind some cloud, or you’re dealing with some particularly fluffy overcast, output plummets to around 20 watts, but I still think that’s pretty impressive.
Compatibility
If you already own a solar power station or two from brands other than EcoFlow, you’ll be happy to hear that the EF 110-watt panel is compatible with most solar batteries on the market — hooray!This was one of the biggest selling points for me, as I own far too many solar goods from a variety of brands.
Knowing that I could link this panel to pretty much any one of them meant I would get more use out of it, and made me feel a little better about that premium price tag.Now, unlike the ROCKPALS 100W Foldable Solar Panel , it doesn’t arrive with the barrel adapters you need for cross-brand applications, so, unfortunately, you’ll need to make a few aftermarket adapter purchases.
Durability & Design
Build Quality
This is by far one of the most handsome portable solar panels I’ve ever seen, which is a word I never thought I’d use to describe a solar panel, but it’s the truth! As soon as I laid eyes on it, a big cheesy grin crept across my face.Well, I say the panel is handsome, but it’s actually the case that brings the most of the looks to the equation. Unlike most other portable panels on the market that are both case and panel in one, the EF 110w has a discrete case, separate from the panels.This makes packing the panel a little more time-consuming, but it’s fairly negligible, and, in my opinion, a separate case offers more protection.But that’s enough about the beauteous case. The panel itself is also a masterpiece. I couldn’t find any imperfections, the materials are all top-notch and tear-resistant, and the four-panel construction provides tons of rigidity. Rather than tempered glass, the cells are treated with a robust rubberized coating, meaning it’s more than capable of handling the rigors of the great outdoors, especially seeing as it’s rated as IP67 water-resistant!Yep, that’s right, my friend, this thing is completely waterproof. You can literally submerge it for up to 30 minutes, and it will work just fine. This gives it a massive edge, as most competing panels are only rated to handle the odd splash.
Features
We’ve already discussed the epic power output of the EF 110-watt panel, but if your green power needs are yet unsatisfied, you can chain up to four of these solar panels to create a monster 400+ watt array!When you unzip the case for the first time, you’ll also notice a little metal grommet in each corner, giving you more setup options, which is a small but thoughtful touch — thanks EcoFlow!Furthermore, remember a moment ago when I was waffling on about the separate case? Well, this is no ordinary case; it doubles as an adjustable kickstand.
It allows for angle adjustment between 0 and 180 degrees, ensuring that no matter where the sun is in the sky, you can optimize your power yield.
Portability
I absolutely adore the rubber handle on the panel case. It’s super comfortable against the skin and easy on my sensitive hand joints. Combine that with the fact it weighs only 13.2 lbs (both panel and case), and you’ve got a very portable device indeed!Seeing as it’s a 110-watt panel, I expected it to be at least slightly larger than my other 100-watt portable panels, but, with folded dimensions of 16.5 x 20.2 x 1”, it’s actually very compact. Will it fit in a backpack? No, probably not, but it is exceedingly easy to carry by hand and takes up very little room in a vehicle or storage.
Value For Money
We both know this isn’t the budgeteer’s panel of choice, but that’s not to say it doesn’t offer great bang for your buck. Yes, it’s pricey, but the old adage, you get what you pay for, couldn’t be more relevant here.For what is likely a $50 or so excess, you get a waterproof device compatible with most big-name solar generators on the market. It’s rare that you’ll find either of these features in a portable solar panel, so finding them together in a single unit is something of a unicorn.
Warranty
Okay, so this is where EcoFlow really drops the ball, in my opinion. Their 110-watt portable solar panel arrives with a bare-minimum 12-month limited warranty.This is crazy to me, especially considering the price tag on these panels. I’d have liked to have seen a 2-year warranty at the very least, if only to show that EcoFlow believes in their product. Still… it’s better than nothing, I suppose.
The Final Verdict
I can count the negative aspects of the EF 110-Watt Portable Solar Panel on two fingers and a thumb…
- Thumb: You have to buy adapters to use it with solar batteries from other brands.
- Index Finger: It has a lackluster warranty.
- Sweary Finger: There are no direct charge USB ports
That’s literally it! Besides that, I have nothing negative to say about this panel. I love everything else about it, especially the fact it’s actually waterproof and not just water-resistant.Cards on the table, I have heard a horror story or two about the efficiency of this panel not being up to scratch, but that is not my experience at all. In my tests, the output either matched or exceeded my expectations.I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a solar panel that can legitimately pull in 100 watts, rather than simply being rated for it. But, perhaps those that will benefit from this panel the most are the avid adventurers and family campers.These panels are insanely durable, so if you spend more time exposed to the elements than you do in the comfort of your own home, or you’re looking for a panel that can handle the impact of a football throw gone awry, the EF 110 is definitely for you!I give the EF ECOFLOW 110 Watt Portable Solar Panel 4.9/5
