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USB solar charger – What does mAh mean?


A USB solar charger can be great for camping, hiking, or just being prepared in case of an emergency. But what are the mAh ratings on USB solar chargers? And what do they mean?

mAh stands for milli-Amp hours. The mAh rating on USB solar chargers measures how long the USB solar charger will keep your device charged up. Many devices like flashlights, GPS units, and cell phones can be charged using USB solar chargers. For example, if you have an older phone with a 500 mAh battery capacity (which is fairly small), then it will take about 500 mAh to fully charge that phone. A 2000 mAh USB solar charger would fully charge that same old phone twice over, assuming no loss in power between charges (most USB solar chargers are 95% efficient at best). Larger devices like iPads usually take around 10 watt-hours to recharge so you would need a USB solar charger rated at 10 watt-hours to recharge your iPad from empty.

mAH ratings

In general, USB solar chargers with higher mAh ratings charge smaller devices faster and USB solar chargers with lower mAh ratings will take longer to charge larger devices. A USB solar charger with 2000 mAh is probably good for most cell phones and smartphone USB charging needs but if you want to recharge larger items like tablets or even laptops then you may need a USB solar charger that has a higher capacity of say 5w or 10w that can directly connect into the wall socket. It’s important to know how many watts your device requires before purchasing a USB solar charger as it will determine whether or not your USB device will work with the USB solar charger.

For example, USB solar chargers with USB ports rated at 1 amp or 2 amps will charge tablets faster than USB solar chargers that only have USB ports at 500 milliamps. The USB port on the USB solar charger is also another important consideration as some USB devices require specific types of USB connections to properly operate so if your device does not have a USB connection it won’t work on some USB solar chargers.

You can find out what type of USB connection your device uses by looking for this information online or in the documentation for your device. It’s also good to know how many watts your particular device requires before purchasing a USB solar charger because all electronic devices require different amperage levels and you want to make sure that the amperage of your USB port meets or exceeds the amperage requirement of your USB device.

Multiple USB ports

Some USB solar chargers also have multiple USB ports so you can charge two USB devices at the same time. Another feature to look out for is the USB output voltage and USB output amperage as some USB solar chargers only have a single port and some USB solar chargers will offer different USB outputs that can be used to charge several USB devices at once depending on the type of USB device that needs charging. Many small electronic devices like smartphones, mp3 players, or tablet computers are 5 volts but other electronic devices like laptops require 19 volts to operate correctly.

Many modern cell phones also support fast USB charging which allows them to draw larger amounts of power when they are in charging mode, meaning that your cell phone might go from 0% battery life to 100% battery life in just a few minutes connected to USB solar chargers that have USB ports that are rated at 2.1 amps or more. This is especially useful when USB solar chargers are being used as emergency USB charging devices and you need to recharge your cell phone but USB ports on typical USB solar chargers can take several hours to charge larger electronics like laptops and tablets. The days of waiting around for hours and hours for your USB devices to recharge may be coming to an end thanks to USB solar chargers with multiple high-output USB ports.

So now you know the mAh rating on USB solar chargers isn’t complicated after all, right? If anything it helps you determine what types of electronic devices you want to use with USB solar chargers.

Many models of USB solar chargers are available at Amazon!

If you’re in the market for USB solar chargers look for USB ports rated at 2 amps or higher for faster charging times and make sure that the USB ports are appropriate for the type of USB device you have or want to recharge.

A small electronic USB solar charger might charge your USB device slowly while USB solar chargers with USB ports rated at 1 or 2 amps will recharge them much faster.

Some USB solar chargers have USB ports that are only rated at 500 milliamps but if you’re going to be charging USB devices for emergency purposes during a power outage, you should go with a USB solar charger that has USB ports that output more amperage so they can get your cell phone or tablet powered up quickly and efficiently.

If the electronic device is an older model it may have a low mAh rating so it will take longer to charge but if you have modern appliances like smartphones, tablets, or mp3 players, don’t bother getting USB solar chargers with USB ports lower than 1 amp because USB ports rated below 1 amp are not very efficient when it comes to USB solar charger technology.

If you’re in the market for USB solar chargers, you probably already own one or more USB devices that require USB charging ports but if USB solar chargers are new to you, hopefully, this information has helped you understand what mAh means on USB solar chargers better and how it can help you make a more informed decision next time you purchase USB solar charger products online.

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