Jackery SolarSaga 60W Solar Panel for Explorer 160/240/500 as Portable Solar Generator, Portable Foldable Solar Charger for Summer Camping Van RV(Cant Charge Explorer 440/ PowerPro)

Great product ! Innovative ! Intelligent design ! Well made ! Excellent overall ! Highly recommended !

I own both the Jackery 500 and the 240. Love how they work as a remote power source! While I didn’t figure I’d really need the solar panel, I thought the power option of solar would be nice to have. So I decided to get this SolarSaga 60. Keep in mind that this is the older version. I made the purchase in 2019. I have the trifold version that includes USB charging. Well, once I received this panel I inspected it and it seemed to be of really great quality. My mistake was not testing it out. Several days ago, we had a power outage in the community. I pulled out the 500 and 240 in preparation of backup power for charging devices, running fans, etc. Both were well charged, but I decided that it would be a good time to test out the solar panel. I connected the solar panel to the Jackery 500 during a sunny afternoon without a cloud to be seen and got nothing. The display showed 0 input. The light next to the input jack didn’t even come on. Connected the panel to the 240 and got the same results. After my disappointment subsided I tried wiggling the wire at the black and red connector. Low and behold, I received input from the panel. Unfortunately, I had to hold the wire at a particular angle to maintain input. I’ve seen others complain about their Jackery solar panels not working. If you’re not getting any input at all, check the connector. And obviously, test your panel as soon as you receive it.

This is a great product when it worked. Got 45-50W under direct sunlight. But it abruptly stopped working after I used it about 100 times. Now it will charge the Jackery 240 for only 5 minutes and then just stop. USB ports stopped working, too. (Never dropped it and always kept it dry). Its nice that its got a 24-month warranty, though. Im still covered, so contacting customer support.

When the user manuals FAQ dodges a question about the products water resistance, keep it Sahara dry! Seriously, dont even forget and leave it outside overnight, because morning dew is enough to kill it. That said, the company replaced my failed unit within the warranty period. They did ask for video proof that the battery charged when plugged in to a wall outlet but not plugged in to the solar panel, which is fair. As soon as I sent them the video they shipped me a replacement unit, no further questions asked. I get good, solid charging power from it. Im at about 36-37 degrees North (VA-NC border), and on a sunny July midday with the haze of dew points in the 76-80F range it maxes out at about 48 watts. On a rare lower-humidity summer day it can get up to 52 watts. For most of the daylight hours in my partially-shaded back yard it outputs an average of about 40 watts for the whole day, and even after the sun ducks behind the trees in the evening its still giving 8 watts for about another hour. 5 stars for the panels performance and the companys customer service, but deduct a star because its 0% weather proof.

I debated whether or not to buy a cheaper panel than the Jackery. Ultimately, I decided the kickstands, the magnetic closure, the ability to charge usb and USB-c directly from the panel, and the proper charging input without the need for an adapter for my 240 were worth the price. I dont have other panels to compare it to, but I can say that, so far, I am 100% happy I chose the SolarSaga. For one, I didnt realize that its actually a 68w vs a 60w panel. Im testing it as we speak and am currently getting 65w out of it when the sun peaks out and 25w when it goes behind the clouds. Thats at 10:30 am. For two, I also didnt realize that my 240 unit could handle that. I thought it topped out at 42w input. Apparently the later models can? During my testing yesterday the unit rose from 0% to 34% in 2 hours. I did have good sun and was getting about 50 watts. Well see what it does when the sun wont come out at all, but so far I can say that is plenty for my use. My wife and I camp every other weekend and never fully drain the 240 in a day, so I think well be able to top it off every day no problem with 2 or 3 hours of mediocre sunshine. That alone makes it a game changer for us. Were going camping again in10 days. Ill update this if Im wrong about any of this.

I was looking for a power solution to keep things like computers working during a power outage and the combination of this solar panel and the companion battery/inverter box meets the need nicely. It produces the rated 60W in full sunlight. The packaging is convenient - it folds up, and you can shove it in the back of the closet, or in the trunk of a car, etc. The fold out legs to hold it at an angle are a good solution. The one thing I wish it had was better water protection. I dont think the problem is the face of the panel - its solar cells under a clear plastic (or glass?) panel. Its the electrical connections on the back side. Id like to be able to put it outside (at a campsite, for instance) and not have to worry about it raining. I may see about jerry-rigging some sort of cover for the back side.

So far, happy with my Jackery explorer 500 and what I can do with it. Charged it fully once with shore power (at home) and have since been using the Saga60 I bought for off grid living. Summer is ending, direct intense daylight fleeting so I’m hoping the 100w I’ve ordered will charge the 500w Jackery better/faster. The Saga60 is light and easy to use. Comes with USB and USB-C port as well as the cable for charging your Jackery … so my 60 may just be used in future for charging my tablet / phone / devices directly. It proved what I set out to prove. Now I just know I need more rapid charging for my location / direct sun exposure.

This is not your Grandfathers solar panel!! This solar panel is light, portable, semi-flexible, and versatile! The non-glass, glare-free solar panels are not prone to breakage creating sharp glass particles; instead, making it lightweight, semi-bendable, and rugged; can be hand-carried with its built-in rubber-molded handle, or strapped to your backpack, if youre on the go. The tri-panel that folds to a manageable size makes that happen, and that same tri-panel can be positioned to efficiently absorb the sunlight thoughout the daytime. Inside the main pocket with waterproofed dual zipper, it has a built-in pod with USB ports, 1 USB-A & 1 USB-C, where you can plug-in your device directly without having to rely on the Jackery box itself. It has an affixed cable in the pod with Anderson-connector end, and a 8mm-ended adapter cable; these ensemble, which you can directly plug in to any power box with same connectors, making this solar panel usable with other power box. The main pocket itself, has a rommy compartment where you can house additional cables, adapters, extensions, phones, and other accessories and electronics. The panel has stainless grommets/eyelets to help tie-down or lash the panel on the vehicle roof-top or tied-down to the ground for security and/or prevent from being blown-away by high winds. PROS: Portability Lightweight & Ease to carry Versatility Accessible USB charging ports Carrying handle is perfect, not just for carrying, but for lashing it down to secure it Grommets/Eyelets Ruggen/Solid construction CONS: None at this time

— Update — Since my original review, Jackery support contacted me for a follow-up, and learning of my overall feedback, offered to provide me an upgraded panel to replace my original 60W panel. This communicates a passion by the company to ensure customers are completely satisfied. I think that’s awesome. +1 star for giving the customer a great experience. Also a note regarding interoperability with other solar products; I’ve continued researching Zamp, and have learned that they intentionally use non-standard connectors that reverse polarity (positive is negative and negative is positive). It seems solar companies are focusing on proprietary ecosystems, which I think is a negative for the consumer solar industry at large. I would like to see providers anticipate the consumer. As for Jackery, I’m very grateful that they replaced my burned-out panel, and provided an upgrade. This shows they are willing to “make things right,” regardless of consumer expectations. — Original — I recently purchased a SolarSage 60W and used it to charge a Jackery 240 + smaller batteries. It worked great, showing up to 54W output in winter...until I plugged it into my travel trailers Zamp solar charging input (mounted on the side of the trailer for solar panels). For some reason, connecting the Saga 60W into the solar port on my trailer, caused the batteries on the trailer to send too much current to the panels (as if they were a connected energy consuming device), instantly frying the solar panels components. Toast. Complete destruction within seconds. Black smoke, melted plastic and all. The panels look find, but the circuit connector on the back is fried. I contacted Jackery support and they explained that the Saga 60W has no flow control / surge / or any sort of circuitry protection. Its brainless and doesnt have any sort of built-in controller. Thus, frying the panel was my fault. Jackery did send me a replacement; a previous generation 60W panel which they said is identical to the current generation, except that my purchased Saga 60W had USB ports and the replacement panel does not. Thats awesome on their part, but I consider the lack of an on-board controller or other flow protection device a failure in design. Jackerys perspective was that the panels arent supposed to have a controller; thats the job of the receiving device (thats why their batteries have controllers). Oh well. Lesson learned. Jackery support told me clearly that I cannot use this panel with anything but Jackery products. The panel they sent in replacement looks identical to the original one, minus the USB ports. It is performing great, and in the winter, in SoCal clear skies during the peak of the day, my Jackery 240 is showing up to 55 W of input from the 60 W panel. Thats fantastic performance. The only other criticism I have is the material used to connect the three panels together is soft, meaning it has no rigid structure, so the outside 2 panels sort of sag vs. the center panel which is supported by a kickstand. On that note, competitive products have adjustable kick-stands so you can optimize the panels orientation to the sun. These do not. Its out or in. My recommendation would be to buy the next level-up panel that has a rigid body, and use it exclusively with Jackery products...just to be safe.

I had this product about two years and it works well as expected. Unfortunately now this solar panel does not charge battery any more, Batter can be charge from wall outlet. This solar panel does not last then it should be.