Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel Review

With the wrong choice of a solar panel, you may end up with the inefficient conversion of solar power. With jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel, you can always stay charged through the efficient conversion of solar power. Owing to the high conversion efficiency, these panels are perfectly suitable for outdoor uses and unforeseen power outages. Moreover, most of these solar panels are designed to be foldable and lightweight for hassle-free use anywhere. The jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel review presented below works as the ultimate guide to eliminate your confusion on how to pick the right solar panel and help you choose the solar panel matching your needs.

Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel

For Explorer 240/300/500/1000/1500 portable power station, this jackery SolarSaga 100w solar panel is an appropriate choice. It is alternatively recognized as a foldable USB solar cell charger. With multiple USB output ports, you can charge your phones and other small devices. The charging efficiency may vary depending on the environmental conditions.

Intending to prolong the life expectancy of the panel, Jackery equipped the panel with an ETFE-laminated case. This case is durable and IP65 water-resistant to resist damage due to water splashing. If you want to neatly hold the power cords, the zippered pocket can be useful.

To ensure safe placement, 2 kickstands are included. They make the setup process easy and quick. The kickstands’ tilting design lets you obtain up to 25% more solar energy compared to when they were laid flat. Especially for adventures and camping, the TPE rubber handle proves to be useful because it allows you to flexibly carry the panel. Being lightweight, slim, and foldable, the solar panel will not occupy much space.

Key Features

• The solar conversion efficiency is up to 23%.
• Enclosed by monocrystalline silicon solar cells, this panel is implemented with multi-layered cell technology to produce more energy from the sunlight. Subsequently, it performs better with higher conversion efficiency compared to traditional panels.
• The design features USB-A (5V, 2.4A) and USB-C (5V, 3A) output ports. They help you to charge 2 devices simultaneously.
• For safe and reliable operation, the panel comes with ROHS Certification, FCC Certification, surge protection, over power protection, and short current protection.

Final Thoughts

User convenience and decent charging efficiency are the key specialties of the jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel. The above jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel review assists a lot when you are perplexed on which and how to choose the solar panel from Jackery. Being lightweight and compact, the jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panels are flexible to use and set up at any outdoor place.

Top 7 Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel Reviews

1. Very happy with the Jackery SolarSaga 100W for my off grid adventures.

I purchased the Jackery Explorer 500 and the Jackery SolarSaga 100W together to use in our full time fun in our 4×4 adventure van. We love to be off grid taking our van into the backcountry mountains, deserts, grasslands, along rivers and oceans, you name it. Even on the infrequent times when we pull into an RV park with hookups, we often will place ourselves in a quiet private spot away from the cramped RV spots.

Out comes our screen tent, chairs, big sun umbrella, propane fire pit, laptops, iPads and the Jackery Explorer 500. Then the SolarSaga is set up in about 2 minutes by retrieving it from the rooftop cargo box, open it up, place it leaning against its legs and plugging it into the Jackery. No fuss, no muss. Works instantly. I plug in my laptop to the Jackery, sit on the picnic table and surf the web, play games, watch YouTube, plan our next adventures. I have been in pouring rain in the Washington rain forest inside my screen tent just happy as can be with my laptop and Jackery 500 to power it. I do not have the SolarSaga set up in the pouring rain though. My MacBook Pro uses a lot of power when gaming but the SolarSaga keeps the Jackery 500 topped off. It is beyond me how the SolarSaga keeps up with the laptop power but it does. The Jackery charge usually stays at 100% dropping to 98-99% intermittently. When just charging the Jackery 500 without power draw from electronics, the SolarSaga impresses me how quickly it recovers charge percent.

So enough about the power aspect. Let’s talk about convenience. The Jackery SolarSaga 100W makes it real easy to get solar power. It opens up from a fairly compact size and is set up in a minute or so. It looks and feels very quality and it is light as can be. The covering has a nice feel to it. It appears that there are water resistant zippers on the pocket that hold the power cords and cover the power port. This could help keep water at bay should your SolarSaga be left out in some LIGHT rain. The unit is not claimed to be waterproof, but I have heard from reliable sources that they have had the SolarSaga in rain (not heavy rain) without issue. It will probably happen to me as we have frequent unexpected rain showers where we go. But normally, I retrieve the SolarSaga in an instant when the clouds roll in.

When it is time to pack up, I simply unplug the power cord from the Jackery 500, roll the cord up and place it in the zippered pouch of the SolarSaga, fold the unit in half and snap it shut, fold the legs against the sides and the velcro holds them tight against the sides. Then I put it in the rooftop cargo carrier and that is it. Again, about a 2 minute process. The SolarSaga is extremely thin, very light, feels like quality materials, seems durable, and puts out some good power. That’s pretty much what I need it to be.

So yeah, I’m happy with it. Any downsides? Hmmm. Okay, the included power cord could be longer. I have purchased a separate 30 foot 8mm female/male extension from another manufacturer to reach when the sunny area is far away from the Jackery 500. I haven’t tried the extension yet so I don’t know what power loss there will be yet with the longer cord.

One other thing to mention, I am very paranoid about my SolarSaga walking away from my site. Well, there are some convenient grommets at the corners of the solar saga. Unwind a thin wire cable (50 feet is enough) to the SolarSaga, secure it with a simple lock and lock the other side of the cable to your vehicle. It keeps the casual thief from walking away with your solar panels. It’s enough security for the vast majority of where you will be. When the SolarSaga is near my vehicle, I have a much more robust cable to lock it to my vehicle. I believe those grommets were designed as a way to tie your panels to an object so they don’t move in heavy wind. The SolarSaga will tip over if a gust comes along without securing them but most of the time, they do fine on their own.

2. Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel excels at charging Jackery Explorer 500 Power Station!

At 70 years of age, I’ve been a camper/hiker, of one kind or another, ever since my Dad threw me over his shoulder and took me fishing. Over our years together, we had many adventures in Mother Nature’s Grandeur, but, in those days, the only ‘technology’ that went with us was Dad’s bamboo fishing pole!

Today, car/tent camping is my choice and with all the electronics that we all think is necessary now days, I had to find a way to power all my toys while exploring the backroads of America. I wanted a substantial power source, but it had to be portable and could be recharged if it was needed for longer excursions.

Being from the Stone Age, I figured I’d end up with some kind of gas or propane generator, but as I researched, I discovered the new world of high capacity portable batteries with built in AC, DC and USB plugs, rechargeable with AC, DC or a Solar Panel.

Since I have a road trip planned for next summer, I wanted to obtain some kind of solar panel to keep my Explorer 500 charged up, so I chose Jackery’s SolarSaga 100 Portable Solar Panel and decided to experiment with it over the Winter. I received prompt delivery of my new Solar Panel and as it turned out, it was just in time for the first test. Living on the rural Oregon Coast, it’s not unusual to loose power when there’s a storm. Although I did have some modern conveniences ( wood heat, running water and propane generator to keep the frig/freezer going and the camp stove for cooking), I’m happy to report that despite being without electricity for 4 days, I was able to keep my toys and my neighbors toys charged. We were able to watch all the TV we wanted through our iPads and MacBook Pros and kept all our iPhones (3), iPads (2), MacBook Pros (2), Bluetooth Speakers (4) and Bluetooth lanterns and flashlights (6) fully charged. Life would have been very boring if I hadn’t been able to keep our ‘toys’ functioning, so I felt this was an excellent investment.

Included are pics of my Jackery Explorer 500 with the complimentary Jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel which shows the rugged, compact unit encased in a protective storage bag with attached pouch for cables and instruction card. Support legs are attached as well which flip out to angle the panel properly for sun exposure. One edge has a compact plastic enclosure encasing the plug-ins and a storage compartment for the attached charging cable. I decided to keep the panel hooked up to the Explorer 500 all the time so it was fully charged and ready for whatever ‘toy’ needed power. Fortunately, the sun finally came out and then the panel did an even more outstanding job of keeping us going.

This was a good ‘dry run’ to get familiar with this unit’s capabilities, as I do a lot of car camping every summer and now have a better idea of how this set up will serve me as I travel and in future home emergencies. Some reviewers have questioned why Jackery’s SolarSaga Solar Panels (60 and 100) are more expensive that other brands. Folks, we all know that some manufacturers produce higher quality products made with high end components and constructed properly. Personally, I always try to purchase the very best product I can afford, so if that means spending a little more, it’s usually worth it. The other important and valuable aspect of choosing a top notch product is choosing a reputable company that provides excellent service and stands behind their products. We’ve all had poor experiences with companies that provide little customer service or worse yet, no customer service. Let me tell you that the Jackery Staff is the very best that you’ll find! Prompt, polite and frankly, I get the sense that they are genuinely concerned that you are happy with their products. I simply had some general questions on their equipment functionality, and I received feedback within a few hours, not days!

If you’re looking for an outstanding, top quality portable compact power station with a complimentary solar panel, I highly recommend spending those few extra bucks (it’s not that much more) for Jackery’s Products. If you just can’t afford the larger units, then start out with a smaller power station and the 60 watt solar panel. They offer various capacity power stations (160, 240, 500 currently, but are coming out with a 300), two solar panels (60 and 100 watt) and several portable power banks of a variety of sizes to throw in your pocket that can supply you with much needed power for your outdoor adventures or as emergency backup.

3. Unexpectedly good redesign and a great conversion efficiency

In early 2020, Jackery released an updated version of its SolarSaga 100W solar panels as a direct competitor to Goal Zero’s Nomad 100. The immediate difference between both products is visually striking: whereas the Nomad consists of four panels, Jackery’s folds in half with just two — accented with a rigid, orange carry handle.

The April 2020 version of the Jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panels comes with a strikingly beautiful update. Where many panels in its class are either fixed or fold several times into a briefcase, the SolarSaga just sandwiches in half and is held together by strong magnets, accented by a rigid, bright-orange carry handle across the top. Within that handle is a lockable compartment that houses a built-in Anderson connector cable ready to be plugged into a battery power station with an appropriate extension cable. On a clear, sunny day, it had achieved as much as 80W of output, an exceptionally good number when considering that about 25% of efficiency is lost with monocrystalline solar panels. A built-in kickstand helps orient the panel at an optimal, 45 degree angle for maximum sun exposure, and a built-in pocket allows for cables to be stored.

Along the carry handle, there also are two USB ports for direct-charging of mobile devices and accessories, although this has been moved to inside the zippered storage pocket with the July 2020 version (which also replaced the universal Anderson connector with an 8mm adapter). I had voiced my dissatisfaction to Jackery for the latter’s change as that nearly locks the SolarSaga for use with the company’s own products. A Y-branch cable is included with all Jackery Explorer 500 and Explorer 1000 power stations so two SolarSaga panels can be used in parallel to faster charge their batteries.

Overall, the Jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panels are beautiful, sturdy, efficient, and portable, and are backed by a company that has increasingly become well-known for its excellent customer service.

4. Great portable solar starter for the weekender or emergency power for the prepper

This is a review of the Jackery SolarSaga 100W portable solar panel. I have this connected to the Jackery Explorer 500 portable solar generator. So far with my testing the solar panel is performing very well for a 100w solar panel. At 18v with a potential max of 100w I am seeing in October 2019 during clear skys around 50watts input on the Jackery Explorer 500. That 50 watts /18 v = around 2.7 amps, at that rate you could see to chart the Jackery Explorer 500 in around 10.5 hours. This panel with the higher voltage pulls in a decent amount of watts for its max output for the time of year. I have tried 200 watt solar panels with the Jackery Explorer 500 which were rated at 200 watts 12 volts 16 amps but in the same conditions or better I was only getting 44 watts max. This could be the limitations of the Explorer 500 not having an MPPT.

All in all, the build quality, look and feel are great and lightweight. The only concern is the cost, but for an all in one systems Jackery has made a solar panel that can support all of their solar generators. I can easily recommend this to someone trying get into portable solar. For people looking for a more perminant fixture for a RV or van or a nome this may not be the way to go.

5. Very happy with the Jackery SolarSaga 100W addition to my portable Ham Radio equipment

I ordered a Jackery SolarSaga 100W portable monocrystalline solar panel Version 2 on 9-20-2019 and it arrived a few days later VIA UPS. The Solar Panel was packed well and it arrived in excellent condition with the cables. The Jackery SolarSaga 100W uses Anderson Powerpole connectors and that is a real plus for me as I already have a ready supply of extension cables and connectors. I also just happen to have Anderson Powerpole connectors on most of my Ham Radio Equipment. It was very easy to set the SolarSaga 100W up in my driveway for a quick test. The day was cloudy at about 3:30PM but I was still able to get 13 watts to charge my Jackery Explorer 500. The next day the sky was a lot clearer and 50 to 60 watts was easy to obtain.

Some of my test equipment is equipped with Anderson Powerpole connectors and it is easy to measure the voltage, current and watts produced by the panel before it enters the Jackery Explorer 500. I plan to make more measurements as time permits. I had already read most of the reviews on Amazon and reviewed U-Tube videos before my purchase. I am well pleased with my purchase and it will make a great addition to my portable Ham Radio equipment. The magnets make setup and take down very quick and the panels fold up for easy transport and storage. There is room in the zippered pouch for the supplied cables and some extra extension cables. The Jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel is Top Notch equipment and you can expect to pay a little more for quality.

6. Great Off Grid Charging Solution!

My brother-in-law and I are the people in the family who do in-depth research into everything we buy. Several years ago my brother-in-law recommended the Jackery 6000mAh Portable Travel Charger. Love it when he does the research for me! He said it was the best small electronics charger out there and he bought one for everyone in his family. I got one and could not have been any more pleased. Now all five members of my family each have one as well and use them all the time!

I bought the Jackery SolarSaga 100W Portable solar panel this time. I was intrigued by the simplicity and portability of solar panels that could keep all of my electronics charged completely off the grid! It actually arrived two days quicker than the estimated time when I ordered it. Unfortunately, it also arrived on a completely overcast, dark winter day, but I figured I’d try it out anyway.

Day One: 11:50 am – Connected the SolarSaga 100 to my Jackery 500 which I had purposefully run down to 0% for the test. As I said, it was completely overcast. Using the supplied Anderson Solar Cable connector, the Jackery 500 input registered between 6-16 watts and charged to 4% in 4 hours. Not too exciting, but pretty much what you would expect (or maybe even better) on a day with absolutely no sun. The first photos are from that day. Next photos are from sunny days!

Day Two: Perfectly clear full sun winter day when I connected the Solarsaga 100 to the Jackery 500 again. at 10:10 am. The input on the Jackery 500 registered between 60-70 watts and charged to 45% in 3 hours. The Jackery website says the Solarsaga 100 should fully charge the Jackery 500 in full sun in 14 hours, so 45% in 3 hours was much better than I expected! The temperature during those three hours was 48-54°F

Later in the day I set it up facing the low western sun at 3:30 pm CST. The input registered at 25 watts until I lost the sun completely behind the neighbors house at 4:00.

Day Three: Another clear sunny day. Plugged it into the Jackery 500 at 8:30 am with morning temperatures being a bit lower than the day before. The input ranged from 50-70 watts and charged the Jackery 500 from 45% to 81% in three hours. Once again, much better than expected!

The SolarSaga 100 also includes one USB-C outlet and one USB-A outlet. At 1:30 pm, I plugged my iPhone 7 Plus and the Jackery 500 each directly into Solarsaga 100 With the sun behind a leaf-less pecan tree the input registered 26-28 watts (32-33 watt input if I disconnected the iPhone). My iPhone 7 Plus charged from from 40% to 91% in 1.5 hours. Even without the Jackery 500, the Solarsaga 100 seems like a great way to directly charge cell phones, cameras, iPads, laptops, or anything else that connects with USB-C or USB-A cables!

The set-up and breakdown of the the SolarSaga 100 panels is extremely quick and simple. It opens like a book and has two stable legs that pop out to stand it up to face the sun. When you fold it together again it stays closed with the help of what seem to be a couple magnets in the corners. Since my house is surrounded by trees and other houses, I had to move it several times in order to keep it in the sun. Each time I moved it took about 15 seconds.

While I was testing the solar panel, I had several work men (who also happened to be hunters) working on a project at my house. They were all super intrigued by the SolarSaga and the Jackery 500 for future off grid hunting trips and for taking with them on their worksites to keep their power tools charged. They said they usually park their trucks in places where there’s full sun and that they’d just lay the panel on the roof of the pick-up truck.

Overall great purchase. I’d very much recommend the Jackery SolarSaga 100W for its efficiency, simple clean design, portability, and durability potential. As with my other Jackery products, it’s perfect for emergencies, travel, and any time you just might be away from a normal power source. Perfect back-up for your electronics as long as you have some sun!

7. Awesome! – Jackery SolarSaga 100W

I recently purchased the Jackery SolarSaga 100W and only used it once! And I love it! First off it’s so easy to open / lay out/ plug in and put away! Second, it’s so light! Third, as soon and the sun hits it, it starts working. Comes with a power output to use on my Jackery e500 portable battery and also 2 USB so if I go out i can charge my phone or whatever is needed that uses usb! And keep it hiden inside it’s zipper compartment. Before purchasing this I did actually contact customer service through email and they reached out by the next day. They were so helpful, caring, and solved all my concerns. I’m so happy with jackeryUSA all around! I’ll buy from them again!!

Enjoyed this jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel review? Then be sure to check out this guide for the Best 100W Portable Solar Panel.