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Knog Pwr Solar 10W

£109.95 | Portable sun powered charger

The Good
Robustly built; easy to use

The Bad
Needs more securing options for on-bike use

AUSTRALIAN DESIGNER KNOG is known for making quirky and interesting bike accessories, from lights to locks to low-profile bells, and the Pwr Solar is a smart addition to a bikepackers’ luggage. Its four solar panels have been made using high-quality, mono-crystalline cells encased in a tough, rubberised outer that’s water, dirt, salt, and oil resistant. This charger certainly has a premium feel to it: it’s built to last and comes with a two year warranty.

Knog recommends having its PWR bank battery (£79.99), which also powers its high-performance lights, camping lanterns and even Bluetooth speaker, to store the energy for later if you’re not using it to directly charge your devices. Perhaps a newer USB-C port would have been preferable and may arrive on the next version. I have plenty of USB-A charger cables around, though.

The device weighs in at 450g and the four panels and the connector panel each measure 105mm x 175mm; folded it’s 35mm deep so doesn’t take up much stowage space (it’s a little bigger than a mobile phone). It opens out to 540mm x 175mm x 17mm deep. The charge port panel has a cover to its single USB port that, while not fully waterproof, is a close fit that keeps plenty of splashing and spray at bay. When folded, the Knog relies on magnets to stop it unfurling and this works quite well. It also means you could use the solar panel on, say, the roof of your (stationary!) car or van if you were on a day trip.

“It has a premium feel to it, is built to last and comes with a two-year warranty”

Four LEDs show the strength of the solar energy draw, which is good for orientating the panels to the best direction to catch the sun. I found that with all four LEDs lit (on a bright summer day), the Knog charged my iPhone to full in just over 2 ½ hours. The max output is the same as you get from a wall charger.

The panel has one D-ring loop at one end for hanging it to catch the sun. I’d have liked to have had more attachment options as I did try the Knog on the top of a rear rack bag. Secured using a few bungee cords, it’d be good to make the most of daylight hours and charge your equipment as you ride.

To make the Knog PWR Solar an essential for bikepackers and tourists alike, it really does need some more securing options, be it bungee loops or Velcro panels, to make it a properly portable charger. As it stands, it’s still a great way to harness free energy to keep your electronic essentials topped up on your travels, though.

Warren Rossiter

Rivals…

Forclaz USB Solar Panel 10W SLR500
£39.99

Powertec Pocket Power 6.4 W
£109.90

Goal Zero Nomad 5
£59.99