Like everything Anker makes, the 625 portable solar panels are built tough. It has a durable fabric and plastic design, rugged plastic handles, and magnetic connectors in the grip that keep it shut to protect the panels. Overall, it feels very well-made.

Two storage compartments or zippered pockets are perfect for all your charging cables, portable battery packs, and other gadgets. One closed storage pocket protects your goods, with rugged zippers and all. However, the second storage pocket is a breathable mesh, which houses the solar converter and circuit box. This is likely to ensure it doesn’t overheat and stop charging, thanks to plenty of airflows.

Once you take it out of the box, you’ll see it’s about the size of two large laptops when folded shut. It’s not very small, but it’s thin and reasonably portable. All the kickstands are firmly in place with velcro straps, so it won’t be flopping around until you’re ready to set it up, plug in your stuff, and harness power from the sun.

There’s not much else to it, and that’s a good thing. You have a system that protects the solar panels, two large storage pockets holding the long 3-meter solar charging cable and an adapter for Anker’s powerhouse portable power stations. It’s easy to carry to your car, toss in the back, and head out on an adventure.

Snap it open, and the Anker 625 unfolds into a four-panel layout with three kickstands. It’ll only take about 30 seconds, and you’ll probably spend more time plugging in cables than on setup. Pop open the kickstands, find a sunny spot, and you’re ready to go. Or, if it’s mid-day and the sun is above you, simply lay it flat.

The Anker 625 portable solar panels are fairly lightweight and easy to set up, but how well did it charge my gadgets? Well, that depends on how much sunlight is available and not covered by clouds.

I was very surprised that it instantly worked as advertised in terms of power generation. The first time I opened it up and hooked up a power station, it was pulling 97W of power from the sun and recharging a big Anker power station. You can see that number in the top left corner of the image above.

Nearly a decade ago, I took some cheap portable solar panels on a kayaking adventure through Leigh Lake in the Grand Tetons national park, and they let me down. An entire day in the sun couldn’t charge my phone more than 10%. With newer technology like the Anker 625, I could have charged everything I wanted in half a day.

So, should you buy one? Well, it depends on your usage scenario. This might be a bit too big and heavy if you need something ultra-portable. But if you’re a doomsday prepper and want products to help you prepare for an emergency, I’d highly recommend the Anker 625. Get one of these if you want to charge anything from a phone or power bank to a massive power station.

Solar panels like the Anker 625 are best suited for someone living the Van life or drive-up and park tent camping. Or to have in storage if you lose power at home. It’s easy to set up on a roof, tabletop, behind your tent, or backyard. Then, it can sit and soak up the sun’s rays all afternoon and give you plenty of power for all sorts of things.

While $329 certainly isn’t cheap, if you need an easy way to get plenty of power, the Anker 625 will give you a relatively stable power supply, whether the sun is shining or hiding behind some clouds. As long as you don’t expect it to be as fast as the wall outlet at home, it’ll get the job done.

Thanks to a great design and solid functionality, I’ll absolutely take the Anker 625 solar panel on my next camping trip or outdoor adventure.