I used a solar-panel hat to charge my Galaxy S24 — here’s what happened

Part of the benefit of owning any one of the best phones is that they offer outstanding battery life, which lets you use them for extended periods of time without worry. Even when my phone is low on juice, I can always lean on the best power banks and portable chargers to supply them with power while on the go.

But what about when you’re in a remote location, or perhaps out camping with no access to power — what then?

That’s where the EcoFlow Power Hat promises to save the day, giving you the independence of charging your devices almost anywhere. It does this with solar panels fitted all around the hat, which reportedly delivers up to 12W charging through its USB-A and USB-C ports that are embedded into the hat.

I’m already convinced by solar power, like how I haven’t had to recharge my outdoor lights in over a year, so naturally, I was eager to see if EcoFlow’s solar power hat could deliver a meaningful level of battery. With my Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus in hand and a mostly sunny afternoon, I hit the beach to see how much the Power Hat is able to charge. Here’s what I found out.

EcoFlow Power Hat: was $129 now $89 @ Amazon
Don't ever be without power with the EcoFlow Power Hat. With solar panels outlining the brim, you can connect your devices to give them some charge while it's sunny outside. While you're charging, you can keep cool with the shade it offers while worn. View Deal

Portable design that goes anywhere

One of the first things that struck me about the EcoFLow Power Hat is its compact size. Solar panels I own fold over and collapse, but the EcoFlow Power Hat folds into a pizza slice size that’s easy to stow away in my backpack. While it doesn’t win style points with its overall look — think oversized fishing hat — I’ll gladly overlook it because of its functional design.

That’s because the solar panels are embedded all around the brim of the hat. Plus, the Power Hat also features an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance. But while I appreciate that it’s rugged enough to handle inclement weather, I’m actually more impressed that it doesn’t feel hot to wear — including in the middle of the afternoon with the sun bearing down on it.

Usually anything black is scalding to the tough after a short period of time, but the design of the EcoFlow Power Hat allows the panels to absorb the heat. And I have to admit, it did manage to keep me slightly cool in the shade.

Factors play into its charging times

Of course, I’m most interested in EcoFlow’s claim about recharging a phone with a 4,000 mAh battery back to full capacity in about 3 to 4 hours of charging. With my Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus in hand and Plugable’s USB-C Power Meter Tester , I wanted to see how much of a charge I could get during 30 minutes of sun exposure.

The reason why I’m also using the Plugable USB-C is to test exactly how much power is being supplied to my Galaxy S24 Plus, which features a pretty fast 45W wired charging. During my testing, I found that the EcoFlow Power Hat delivered upward of 5.5W of power delivery. It’s way short of the 12W it’s able to get up at the maximum, but I will say that there were still pockets of clouds in the sky — so the intensity of the sunlight hitting the solar panels wasn’t necessarily 100%. At the same time, not all the solar panels were directly getting the maximum sun exposure while I was wearing the EcoFlow Power Hat.

But nevertheless, I managed to get my Galaxy S24 Plus to 8% capacity in 30 minutes. In contrast, it gets to 72% capacity in the same time using a standard 45W USB-C charger. That’s definitely on the short side, but again, I cannot stress enough that various factors come into play here that can affect the Power Hat's charging potential.

Plugable USB-C Power Meter Tester: $25 @ Amazon
Verify your device's charging speed with the Plugable USB-C Power Meter Tester. You'll know exactly how much power is being supplied to your gadget by connecting this to it and measuring how much power is being pulled in. View Deal

Some power is better than none at all

I could’ve spent all afternoon at the beach trying to get my Galaxy S24 Plus up to a substantial amount of power, which I think is feasible if the weather conditions were a bit better. However, my point is that some power is better than no power at all. When you’re nowhere close to accessing a charger, I think the EcoFlow Power Hat can come in hand in a pinch.

What I like about this more than a battery bank with an integrated solar panel is that I find it much more flexible and has a dual purpose. Not only does it provide some relief on a sunny day when it’s worn, but I do like that I can be actively charging my phone simultaneously. On a separate day, I used it again while doing some lawn work around my home. And while it again didn’t get to its rating of 12W of power delivery, I still appreciate the amount of power the hat was able to supply.

Right now, you can pick up the EcoFlow Power Hat for $89 directly from the company’s web site. It’s a steep price when I compare it to other traditional solar panels, like Jackery’s SolarSaga 40W Mini Solar Panel , but that one doesn’t fold up and condense to the portable size of the EcoFlow Power Hat. And for that single reason, I think the Power Hat is worth considering.

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