I think foldable panels are good for emergencies or if you want to be able to set up solar panels in new locations often. If only one side of the yard is sunny in the morning, and the other is sunny in the evening, then you can quickly slide that over as needed. Or you can put it in the car to bring wherever else you are going to hang out at. That's probably a decent price for portable panels of that size.
Thank you for taking the time to make another great solar review, with discounts too! Still evaluating my use with a minivan, slow conversion-to-be. Did get the AC180 and have a plywood subfloor. Fridge next Black Friday? Plan to take it out a bit later this year with a sleeping bag and figure out layout and other needs. Keep up the very great work!
Wow, that thing is a beast! I wonder what you’d get lying down in the summer, blanket style. I bet it’s a lot less based on my blanket panels. Cool review!
Thanks for the review. Bought this panel from Amazon during Black Friday, $529 and havent had the chance to test. Have it for emergency backup with my portable solar generators. Dont have ideal conditions and need to constantly move to optimize power.
Hi Jason, Allpowers makes some nice affordable folding panels. This one is nice if you have some open space without much shading. I like your shading test, even with some shading the panels still preformed decently. I have seen some panels have shading the size of a leaf and it cuts power down to about zero. I guess the half-cut cells and extra busbars do make a difference, well at least with this massive panel. This one would be a good choice if you needed the power and had the room for it. It has decent output and is a good value when compared to other folding panels. Thank you for the test and review Jason. Take care, Steve.
Nice review. We used a small PET panel to run a little fountain. It degraded horribly in just one year, so PET is a hard pass, especially for something this expensive. Replacing a $30 panel every year or two isn't so bad, but paying $699 for something that only lasts a year or two is not rational on my budget. I know the typical use case for folders is supposed to be occasional, like on camping trips, but my focus is on longer term, particularly if the grid has failed due to neglect, act of sabotage, or solar flare.
Thanks for this mate. I was on the look out for something substantial for my kayak camping needs and this looks like a good match. I reckon 12kgs is a bit heavy, but so is my power station and the price point is pretty decent. Cheers.
A very good review style and thoroughness as well as easily conveyed information. I liked the product and bought two of them on sale a month before I saw this video. Waiting until they went on sale enabled me to pay approximately $535 each, including the taxation.
@Jasonoid the size and no kickstands really qualifies this to be called a solar blanket. Lighter than their 400 watt portable and on sale cheaper. I have a Renogy 200 watt folding solar suitcase that in my opinion, was a waste of money comparatively...
More great information Jason and nice job editing. Kind of had a "Project Farm" feel to it if you know what I mean. 😉 I like the fact that this panel is portable and light weight. It would be great for gathering power on the average Oregon day. The thing I'm not sure about is whether or not it would work with my Bluetti AC180 power stations due to the 10 amp input limitation. And unfortunately, it's no longer on the great sale you showed it for. But if it will work I can be patient.
You'd probably be better off using a different panel or combination of panels with your AC180. This one is a bit hard to deploy since it's so big. Certain use cases it's great, but others it's not ideal.
Please Jason people need to have waterproof snow proof panels. They need to be able to leave them outside. I have wonderful Bluetti suitcase portable panels but they aren’t weather proof so I can’t leave them out. ESP if I’m. Not home. Waterproof and weather proof is absolutely worth looking at for people who want an additional energy permanent source. Thanks for showing all this stuff. You rock!
I've been super impressed by the ETFE coated 'waterproof' Renogy panels on that 1000w array see in the video. They have held up in all weather conditions since I installed them and I still get near rated power from them. Super hot summer heat, and sub freezing winter snow. I guess those are a 'flexible' panel though and not a folding / portable one like the AllPowers mode. Each panel is different and can handle different conditions.
If you want something left out for extended periods you will definitely want to go with ETFE coated or a rigid panel. PET is good for reduced costs and limited exposure.
@@ChrisEpler exactly! The Renogy 200w flexible ETFE panels seen in the video are lightweight and are performing great after 5 months of exposure. Ive been surprised that they still look and perform like a brand new panel. I'll do an update to those panels later on the channel.
I have one of this and is using it with the Allpower R4000 for over a year. The 600watt pannel I have laid in my yard for several months to see if it is durable. So far everything works well. Only concern I have is the cloth of this panner seams to wear at the corners.
To give an update the power this 600 watt panel now don't get over 380 watts. I also have seen wear on the fabric. Allpowers customer service is bad. They don't back their warranty and will even ask you to send videos claiming they don't received any to wear you out. In the end Don't buy.
Great price for a portable, fold-able panel! Cheaper than the Bluetti PV350 panel and lighter! Since the solar charge controller in the AC180T is the same as the stand alone DC050 with the same ratings, it looks like a good match for those that have the DC050 charge controller for Bluetti's AC200MAX or the B230 batteries. Thanks for reviewing! Also looks like a great panel for the new Bluetti AC70, as it too has that same charge controller.
I ordered this through your link to allpowers website with your discount code, and it was still active. Paid 551 out the door. I plan on hanging it on the side of my ice fishing camper in the winter. What was challenging about hanging it? Just awkward?
It's just very large and heavy to hold it above your head while trying to connect it to a hook or something.... It's definitely doable and the price is decent for the power it outs out. That sounds like a great use case and it should work well for you.
Too bad about the PET coating. How reliable is the ALLPOWERS brand of solar panel? Anyone who owns one chime in. Have to admit the price/performance is excellent.
I have the 400W panel, which is considerably heavier than this 600W. It's decent output for the money, and so far has held up through sun and rain. It gets left out for weeks at a time. And I'm not super gentle on it during setup or teardown. I ditto the ETFE...would've been great if it was ETFE.
With MC4 connections you can use it on most power stations. You just have to make sure the higher voltage output (53VOC) matches the requirements of the power station charging input.
Thanks for the review. This question is off topic. Do they make a device that convert my dirty electricity from a gas generator to sine wave electricity?
Check out a "power line conditioner". They are kinda like an advanced UPS. I'm not sure how expensive they are but they might help. They protect equipment from power surges, help to correct voltage and waveform distortions, and remove external electrical noise.
I love this channel!Just bought a anker solix f3800 based on your review(s)..I got the combo deal with the 400W anker panel but would this be a good option to add for additional solar input?
This panel is listed to have maximum power voltage (Vmp): 44V and a maximum power current (lmp): 13.63A. Thats pretty decent for the F3800. You can see the rest of the specs HERE: amzn.to/4a1UVPy
@@Jasonoid thank you.did i hear you mention you have a service where a can pay you for some consulting on how to set up my system(s)?If so..how do i go about doing that?
Jealous of those mountains views :) I think having one big portable panel like this minimizes how you can use it while camping etc. I would much rather have multiple smaller panels and with kick stands to not limit the use depending where I am.
lighter yes.... easier to wield? I'm not sure about the easier part. If you are just laying it flat on the ground, it's SUPER easy to setup. Hanging it up wasn't horrible but it wasn't easy. It's a massive size HAHA
Even in cold temps the VOC for this panel was only 53 volts. I doubt you'd ever see over 60v. It will work just fine to charge your power station at 400 watts. Your power station will limit the charging to 400 watts and it won't be damaged.
Seeked out this video review specifically to see how the wattage testing looked, specifically due to the fact the reviews they have posted on their site for this product (most of the time these are fake ones, but if not, their definitely controlled by the company which ones get shown) and I started reading reviews saying things like "the max I've been able to get so far is around 400 watts, but thats perfectly fine for me!" Then I noticed not ONE review EVER said they got 600, nor even 500, and an average of 380-400. Which makes me believe they are false advertising, and its more of a ~400W System. Reason I'm somewhat worked up is because of the price being some $670 or whatever, please advertise your products correctly. I mean 400 VS 600 is actually a big difference. I use solar panels all the time and generally you should get pretry close to their rated wattage. But 400 is just way too far off. Id expect 580 or so.
Not really excited about a huge 600 watt panel. If it were 3 panels not far off the standard size maybe. But if you are going that big get 3, 360 watt panels or some other combination. Great price, but for the same size I could do something more productive.
Glass rigid panels are more durable. These portable panels are for temporary and emergency use. They are built for people who don't have space to mount glass rigid panels.
@@Jasonoid right but those flexible reboot will last a lot longer . In my opinion better bang for your buck because of longevity. I’m waiting on an update on the reboot panels and also looking to see the eco worthy 130 flex panels. Rigid are going to last the longest but I really want to know for convenience which flex panel will last the longest in every day use
@@timboe1848 those Renogy 200w flex panels are the bomb! I'm still getting full rated power from them and I'm not seeing any damage to the ETFE coating. I'm very impressed so far.
@@Jasonoid those to me looks like the best option over the all power 600w but now you have eco worthy and bought rv that have great sale on panels but the renogy just seems to be best and 200w which I think is the best value for anything portable
I totally understand your point of view. It would probably be better to use smaller panels in parallel or series angled at the sun to get more efficiency.
Looked and looked and found ALLPOWER 600 watt panel the cheapest by far. I have 6 different panels from ALLPOWER because their prices are so low in comparison.
Yeah, not quite the ouput as my Renogy 1000w array. It wasn't angled perfectly at the sun but you can't really ever get that with a solar blanket like this.
In my testing, all the 400 watt portable panels put out around 275 to 345 watts, you can see how those panels perform HERE: ua-cam.com/video/Y2uhKnHIUl4/v-deo.html So this still gets quite a bit more power than those options.
Finding that much sun this winter has been rare lol
True that. Esp in Michigan
The struggle is real! I was so happy to see the sun when I tested this panel!
I like it as well as the price point. Add to the fact its portable and that makes it an even more plus.
The pricing is better than some of the other brands making portable panels.
I think foldable panels are good for emergencies or if you want to be able to set up solar panels in new locations often. If only one side of the yard is sunny in the morning, and the other is sunny in the evening, then you can quickly slide that over as needed. Or you can put it in the car to bring wherever else you are going to hang out at. That's probably a decent price for portable panels of that size.
You nailed the main advantage of a portable panel, the ability to move it to the sun vs letting the shade take over. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for taking the time to make another great solar review, with discounts too! Still evaluating my use with a minivan, slow conversion-to-be. Did get the AC180 and have a plywood subfloor. Fridge next Black Friday? Plan to take it out a bit later this year with a sleeping bag and figure out layout and other needs. Keep up the very great work!
Looks like a good option for camping or a temporary blackout at home. Current price is pretty reasonable for what you get.
Wow, that thing is a beast! I wonder what you’d get lying down in the summer, blanket style. I bet it’s a lot less based on my blanket panels. Cool review!
Yeah. I'm sure the hotter temps will drop the output a bit. These were ideal numbers in the video.
Thanks for the review. Bought this panel from Amazon during Black Friday, $529 and havent had the chance to test. Have it for emergency backup with my portable solar generators. Dont have ideal conditions and need to constantly move to optimize power.
For $500 it's worth it brand new.
Hi Jason,
Allpowers makes some nice affordable folding panels. This one is nice if you have some open space without much shading. I like your shading test, even with some shading the panels still preformed decently. I have seen some panels have shading the size of a leaf and it cuts power down to about zero. I guess the half-cut cells and extra busbars do make a difference, well at least with this massive panel. This one would be a good choice if you needed the power and had the room for it. It has decent output and is a good value when compared to other folding panels. Thank you for the test and review Jason.
Take care, Steve.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, always appreciated!
I bought one ☝️ in fact I have several panels and generators all from ALLPOWER because I found no other company that could 😊😊😊beat their prices!
Nice review. We used a small PET panel to run a little fountain. It degraded horribly in just one year, so PET is a hard pass, especially for something this expensive. Replacing a $30 panel every year or two isn't so bad, but paying $699 for something that only lasts a year or two is not rational on my budget. I know the typical use case for folders is supposed to be occasional, like on camping trips, but my focus is on longer term, particularly if the grid has failed due to neglect, act of sabotage, or solar flare.
Excellent thoughts. Thanks for sharing your experience with PET!
I appreciate useful videos like this, thanks.
Glad to hear that!
Thanks for this mate. I was on the look out for something substantial for my kayak camping needs and this looks like a good match. I reckon 12kgs is a bit heavy, but so is my power station and the price point is pretty decent. Cheers.
That sounds like a fun project!
A very good review style and thoroughness as well as easily conveyed information.
I liked the product and bought two of them on sale a month before I saw this video. Waiting until they went on sale enabled me to pay approximately $535 each, including the taxation.
How do you like them so far!?
@Jasonoid the size and no kickstands really qualifies this to be called a solar blanket. Lighter than their 400 watt portable and on sale cheaper. I have a Renogy 200 watt folding solar suitcase that in my opinion, was a waste of money comparatively...
More great information Jason and nice job editing. Kind of had a "Project Farm" feel to it if you know what I mean. 😉 I like the fact that this panel is portable and light weight. It would be great for gathering power on the average Oregon day. The thing I'm not sure about is whether or not it would work with my Bluetti AC180 power stations due to the 10 amp input limitation. And unfortunately, it's no longer on the great sale you showed it for. But if it will work I can be patient.
You'd probably be better off using a different panel or combination of panels with your AC180. This one is a bit hard to deploy since it's so big. Certain use cases it's great, but others it's not ideal.
@@Jasonoid Thanks for the reply. 👍
thanks for testing partial shading etc, good job
Please Jason people need to have waterproof snow proof panels. They need to be able to leave them outside. I have wonderful Bluetti suitcase portable panels but they aren’t weather proof so I can’t leave them out. ESP if I’m. Not home.
Waterproof and weather proof is absolutely worth looking at for people who want an additional energy permanent source.
Thanks for showing all this stuff. You rock!
I've been super impressed by the ETFE coated 'waterproof' Renogy panels on that 1000w array see in the video. They have held up in all weather conditions since I installed them and I still get near rated power from them. Super hot summer heat, and sub freezing winter snow. I guess those are a 'flexible' panel though and not a folding / portable one like the AllPowers mode. Each panel is different and can handle different conditions.
If you want something left out for extended periods you will definitely want to go with ETFE coated or a rigid panel. PET is good for reduced costs and limited exposure.
@@ChrisEpler exactly! The Renogy 200w flexible ETFE panels seen in the video are lightweight and are performing great after 5 months of exposure. Ive been surprised that they still look and perform like a brand new panel. I'll do an update to those panels later on the channel.
I have one of this and is using it with the Allpower R4000 for over a year. The 600watt pannel I have laid in my yard for several months to see if it is durable. So far everything works well. Only concern I have is the cloth of this panner seams to wear at the corners.
To give an update the power this 600 watt panel now don't get over 380 watts. I also have seen wear on the fabric. Allpowers customer service is bad. They don't back their warranty and will even ask you to send videos claiming they don't received any to wear you out. In the end Don't buy.
@@mariojalata5259 thanks a lot for this
Great price for a portable, fold-able panel! Cheaper than the Bluetti PV350 panel and lighter! Since the solar charge controller in the AC180T is the same as the stand alone DC050 with the same ratings, it looks like a good match for those that have the DC050 charge controller for Bluetti's AC200MAX or the B230 batteries. Thanks for reviewing! Also looks like a great panel for the new Bluetti AC70, as it too has that same charge controller.
Good point on that Bluetti charging enhancer! I didn't think of that :)
Great review, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
This could be useful for a camper van. Hanging 600 watt off the side can double the solar potential.
Outstanding
1:55 is that an Osmo action 4 Camera?
Canon M50 mirrorless video camera (with a dji wireless mic kit on top)
Thanks Jason 😎
Always!
I ordered this through your link to allpowers website with your discount code, and it was still active. Paid 551 out the door. I plan on hanging it on the side of my ice fishing camper in the winter. What was challenging about hanging it? Just awkward?
It's just very large and heavy to hold it above your head while trying to connect it to a hook or something.... It's definitely doable and the price is decent for the power it outs out. That sounds like a great use case and it should work well for you.
If i had a balcony or 2nd story window I'd try to hang this, This is an Amazing Portable SHTF Solar Panel
Great idea!
Not a fan of the "blanket" limitations for setup and angle. I personally would do smaller panels with kickstands in parallel for that kind of wattage.
Great feedback, thanks for sharing!
Jason coming in clutch
Too bad about the PET coating. How reliable is the ALLPOWERS brand of solar panel? Anyone who owns one chime in. Have to admit the price/performance is excellent.
I wish it was ETFE as well!
I have the 400W panel, which is considerably heavier than this 600W. It's decent output for the money, and so far has held up through sun and rain. It gets left out for weeks at a time. And I'm not super gentle on it during setup or teardown.
I ditto the ETFE...would've been great if it was ETFE.
great review. good price. is it compatible with all generators
With MC4 connections you can use it on most power stations. You just have to make sure the higher voltage output (53VOC) matches the requirements of the power station charging input.
How would this work with an EcoFlow Delta Pro, heck would 2 work with it? Cheers
Yes, you could wire two of these in series on the Ecoflow Delta Pro!
My issue with this panel is lay it flat, or hang it up. Also I hope you and your family (and the chickens) are doing fine. Much ❤ to you all
Chickens are getting a little older and providing less eggs but they are still cluckin' around :)
Thanks for the review. This question is off topic. Do they make a device that convert my dirty electricity from a gas generator to sine wave electricity?
Check out a "power line conditioner". They are kinda like an advanced UPS. I'm not sure how expensive they are but they might help. They protect equipment from power surges, help to correct voltage and waveform distortions, and remove external electrical noise.
I love this channel!Just bought a anker solix f3800 based on your review(s)..I got the combo deal with the 400W anker panel but would this be a good option to add for additional solar input?
This panel is listed to have maximum power voltage (Vmp): 44V and a maximum power current (lmp): 13.63A. Thats pretty decent for the F3800. You can see the rest of the specs HERE:
amzn.to/4a1UVPy
@@Jasonoid thank you.did i hear you mention you have a service where a can pay you for some consulting on how to set up my system(s)?If so..how do i go about doing that?
@@faraci5617 yes, I answer more in depth questions through this platform:
asqme.com/@Jasonoid
Not to bad of a price for a big solar blanket, but wish it was ETFE
Yeah, would be more durable that way!
Jealous of those mountains views :) I think having one big portable panel like this minimizes how you can use it while camping etc. I would much rather have multiple smaller panels and with kick stands to not limit the use depending where I am.
Great feedback! I agree it's quite difficult to maneuver.
nice, looks like it's a lot lighter and easier to wield than something like that EcoFlow 400w?
lighter yes.... easier to wield? I'm not sure about the easier part. If you are just laying it flat on the ground, it's SUPER easy to setup. Hanging it up wasn't horrible but it wasn't easy. It's a massive size HAHA
@@Jasonoid hahaha, ok, thanks for the info. Guess it's still hard to get it hooked up, like that EcoFlow 400w, since it has no stand or legs in back!
I told my wife I want this solar panel, however my solar generator only takes up to 60v 13 amps input at a maximum of 400 watts, will this still work
Even in cold temps the VOC for this panel was only 53 volts. I doubt you'd ever see over 60v. It will work just fine to charge your power station at 400 watts. Your power station will limit the charging to 400 watts and it won't be damaged.
Seeked out this video review specifically to see how the wattage testing looked, specifically due to the fact the reviews they have posted on their site for this product (most of the time these are fake ones, but if not, their definitely controlled by the company which ones get shown) and I started reading reviews saying things like "the max I've been able to get so far is around 400 watts, but thats perfectly fine for me!"
Then I noticed not ONE review EVER said they got 600, nor even 500, and an average of 380-400. Which makes me believe they are false advertising, and its more of a ~400W System. Reason I'm somewhat worked up is because of the price being some $670 or whatever, please advertise your products correctly. I mean 400 VS 600 is actually a big difference. I use solar panels all the time and generally you should get pretry close to their rated wattage. But 400 is just way too far off. Id expect 580 or so.
I like it, don’t think it would be something I could handle hanging myself though
I should have recorded myself hanging it up. It wasn't a horrible process but it might have provided a few laughs!
jan 19 2023//11: 45 am Amazon jackprice back up to 899.00
Wow..... That's that best timing ever! lol
Of course only 9 days after this video airs the price was jacked up to 900.
I wish I would know their plans! So annoying for anyone watching the video
Too bad about the PET coating...deal breaker for me, thanks
I'd love to know the cost difference between the two. I'd pay extra for the ETFE as well.
Remember, if you lay it flat on the ground, your grass is gonna die.
Some Chemtrails in the sky.
I was waiting for that comment! 🤣😂
Not really excited about a huge 600 watt panel. If it were 3 panels not far off the standard size maybe. But if you are going that big get 3, 360 watt panels or some other combination. Great price, but for the same size I could do something more productive.
I could see this being useful in a few use cases, but for most people it would probably be best to use multiple small panels.
It cost dollars, they sell it for Hundreds 😂, nice vid tho, Thanks.
Yeah, they are expensive for sure.
Don’t think it will last a long time
Glass rigid panels are more durable. These portable panels are for temporary and emergency use. They are built for people who don't have space to mount glass rigid panels.
@@Jasonoid right but those flexible reboot will last a lot longer . In my opinion better bang for your buck because of longevity. I’m waiting on an update on the reboot panels and also looking to see the eco worthy 130 flex panels. Rigid are going to last the longest but I really want to know for convenience which flex panel will last the longest in every day use
@@timboe1848 those Renogy 200w flex panels are the bomb! I'm still getting full rated power from them and I'm not seeing any damage to the ETFE coating. I'm very impressed so far.
@@Jasonoid those to me looks like the best option over the all power 600w but now you have eco worthy and bought rv that have great sale on panels but the renogy just seems to be best and 200w which I think is the best value for anything portable
These are getting ridiculous. Deployment cannot be optimized because of size and the folding nature- lack of rigidity.
I totally understand your point of view. It would probably be better to use smaller panels in parallel or series angled at the sun to get more efficiency.
At $620 no thank you, solar panels are cheap to make and use little raw materials . All powers thinks their panel is worth more than battery prices 🤣
Looked and looked and found ALLPOWER 600 watt panel the cheapest by far. I have 6 different panels from ALLPOWER because their prices are so low in comparison.
Your Sky Looks Very Blu.
Only giving 474watts????
In Winter Cold. Little Disappointed in my view.
Yeah, not quite the ouput as my Renogy 1000w array. It wasn't angled perfectly at the sun but you can't really ever get that with a solar blanket like this.
$900 is not affordable.
It wasn't $900 at the time of filming* 🤷
So its more a 400w system
In my testing, all the 400 watt portable panels put out around 275 to 345 watts, you can see how those panels perform HERE: ua-cam.com/video/Y2uhKnHIUl4/v-deo.html
So this still gets quite a bit more power than those options.
I have this panel and have seen it max out my Delta 2 at 500 watts
I bought one in fact I have several panels and generators from ALLPOWER because they have the lowest prices I can find 😊😊
I assume this panel is a good choice for those who has enough space to use it.
Allpowers offers usually not bad price/quality value.