Customer reviews from bioliteenergy.com
BioLite - SolarPanel 10+ - Black & Yellow
Average customer rating
3.9
(57 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 57 reviews
5 Stars
34
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
6
2 Stars
4
1 Star
8
73%of customers recommend this product.
(
30 out of
41)
Customer Reviews for BioLite - SolarPanel 10+ - Black & Yellow
Customer Rating
3
Overheating
on December 1, 2019
Posted by: Denis
from Québec
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
I have been using my SolarPanel 10+ for two years on my bike summer adventures. I like to be able to charge my ipad mini when I'm out. The only complaint would be that the panel overheats when exposed for too long in the sun ... And during that time, nothing can be charged until the panel cools (it takes a while to cool in the shade). What a shame, because we need the sun to charge our batteries! How to enjoy the sun if it overheats! I do not completely dislike my panel, because I still use it (too expensive to discard!), but not in full sun which is a bit ridiculous for a solar panel !!! -I wonder if this comment will be posted because it is honest and truthful.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, Support, December 3, 2019
Thanks for reaching out. Having an onboard battery is a perk, but we do have to protect that battery. When that compartment reaches about 100°F, the software shuts down current in and out. If a Li-ion battery charges or discharges when too hot, it can permanently damage the battery. It will function normally when it cool. You can mitigate overheating by placing the panel in a spot with good airflow and.or on green grass.
If you believe you were seeing an overheat error when the conditions were not actually above that threshold, please create a ticket for warranty service and our support team will be happy to help.
If you believe you were seeing an overheat error when the conditions were not actually above that threshold, please create a ticket for warranty service and our support team will be happy to help.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
Great features and takes a bit of ingenuity to kee
on October 27, 2020
Posted by: Montana red
from Currently in New Mexico, USA
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
I found that in the desert the sun is too intense, and use a slightly shaded area to charge it in, plus I hang it up off the ground to keep it cooler....I use a cloth similar to cheese cloth as an awning over my panels....I have 2, 10+; 2, 5+ and one 5 panel....I use them daily to charge my phone, lights, computers, cameras etc. While out doing studies and research funded by gov. grants in very remote areas.....from the Sonoran and Sahara deserts for 6 to 8 months at a time to many years spent out in Glacier National Park all the way to the Gila Wilderness area in NM....it took a bit of thinking but you can outsmart the over heating problems.....being stuck out in the wilds and needing dependable compact solar power in order to complete your work, does give one an extra boost to make it work for you.....the fine folks at Bio lite helped me out by replacing one of my 10+ panels that would not kick start itself after an 8 month rest while in storage....I am sold on their gear and own cook stoves and many solar lighting features they have....
All have rugged daily charging rituals as they are continuously used every day sometimes 365 days a year and never failed to work for me out in the field......awesome rugged and functional products!!!!
All have rugged daily charging rituals as they are continuously used every day sometimes 365 days a year and never failed to work for me out in the field......awesome rugged and functional products!!!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
Great panel and quite light for what it gets done
on September 2, 2019
Posted by: Dan
I bought this for my bikepacking trip. My friend was going cross country and I was going on the first week. As a tech geek I knew I needed something to keep my toys going on the ride and this was perfect. I had it hooked up to my 20,000mah otter box battery and then on the back rack during the day so it collected all the fun sun. It worked great and the internal battery was a nice bonus and quick to charge. Unfortunately the panel did not survive when my friend was hit by a car from behind,(he is fine, but all the gear, not so much) but I will buy another one when I have the opportunity!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
2
Nice job, for just an hour or two max.
on June 20, 2020
Posted by: Bernard
from Quebec, Canada
Length of ownership:1 month
About 1h30 in the full sun and it stops working because of overheat. I then tried metallic, reflective tape on the battery portion to keep the heat out, it gave me 10 more minutes of direct sunlight before it turned itself off, again. The folks at Biolite were nice enough to send me another one, thinking the first could be lemon. Turns out the second did the same, so the product looks good, the service is great, but the overheat function makes the product useless when you really need it.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Posted by: Jen5250
from Iowa
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is my second solar panel 10+. The first one was almost enough on its own to keep my phone, my tablet, my elderly neighbor’s phone, and my Dad’s phone running during an extended power outage. Absolutely does the job.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Posted by: Caper
Verified Purchase:Yes
It’s really only powerful enough to charge your phone. Anything larger would really take too much time.
We had hoped that it would store enough charge within itself to charge your phone overnight however it was only able to raise it about 10%.
We had hoped that it would store enough charge within itself to charge your phone overnight however it was only able to raise it about 10%.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, August 24, 2021
Hey Caper, thanks for your feedback. It sounds like your panel's battery likely wasn't fully charged, and we're here to help you find out why. Just reach out to our support team here: https://help.bioliteenergy.com/hc/en-us#contact and we'll help troubleshoot this issue and create a warranty claim if necessary.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
4
Please read for an excellent tip!
on February 5, 2022
Posted by: Nomad_Pj
from Ontario, Canada
Length of ownership:1 week
So I've been curious about making electricity without kites and keys to mainly provide lighting when off grid, as well as any device needing a charge so I just purchased the BioLite SolarPanel 10+ and Charge 80 PD.
Both pamphlet and online info was inadequate and sparse at best in my humble opinion so I got to the next best thing, hunker down, putter and tinker.
I knew the solar panel has an onboard battery to power a circuit board which regulates the wattage I assume (not an expert in electricity, other than licking a 9v battery of old) so I made sure that battery was charged first and foremost. Took 4 hours of lighting attached directly (BioLite FlexLight 100) to accomplish that.
I was impressed overall out of the box, both the battery and panel still held over 50% charge.
So I charged the solar battery from my main battery pack (Charge 80 PD). Worked perfect. Now both batteries are fully drained, the Charge 80 PD took all night to drain, even after charging my phone and a battery powered camp light. This morning the solar panel is charging my main battery, both lights on both parts are blinking so I will assume that's a good sign.
Specs state that the Charge 40 PD takes an average of 6 hours direct sunlight to charge so I'm aiming for a full day charge right until sundown and I'll see how charged I can get.
Charge your batteries while still at home/base camp whenever you can and definitely for the first time. Not sure I needed to fully drain my batteries out of the box but shouldn't hurt.
Using the provided cord plug into the USB on the battery and plug the micro-usb into the solar panel. Onboard electricity management circuit board battery will start charging. Unplug cord I assume with a safe compromise of at least 50% charge which I did, hopefully the battery doesn't need to be at 100% all the time to run efficiently. Solar panel ready to go!
Using the cord that came with the solar panel plug into the USB port and plug the micro-usb into the Charge 20/40/80 PD and from what's happening here everything is working exactly as expected and tonight I should be able to light up my entire home.
Winter is always a good time to product test in my humble opinion.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
2
Overheats in the sun
on May 28, 2022
Posted by: OttawaBrit
Length of ownership:1 week
Seems to work well as long as you don't try to use it during the middle of the day when it will generate the most power as it overheats and stops working.
Seems like a terrible design and such an obvious flaw to have a solar panel that overheats in the sun.
Seems like a terrible design and such an obvious flaw to have a solar panel that overheats in the sun.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, June 1, 2022
Hi there! Thanks so much for this feedback! You can mitigate overheating by placing the panel in a spot with good airflow and or on green grass. If you are experiencing overheating outside of doing this, please reach out to our support team at support@bioliteenergy.com.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com