X-DRAGON 10000mAh Solar Power Bank Review

We purchased the X-DRAGON 10000mAh Solar Power Bank so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

Solar power banks offer flexibility when it comes to charging your devices on the go. But when you’re on the move, you want an option that can keep up and not weigh you down. The X-Dragon 10000mAh Solar Power Bank could be your match in versatility. It’s not the most rugged option out there, but it’s attractive, sturdy, and light enough to pack away in your camping pack or your work bag.

Design: Mostly sleek and functional

This solar power bank comes equipped with a 10000mAh battery and four solar panels, three of which fold out. When folded up, the device resembles a smartphone’s dimensions, except significantly thicker. It’s definitely more substantial because of the fold-out solar panels, but it’s very lightweight at just 13.88 ounces.

Since it’s not very heavy, this is a plus in the portability column. There is a leather tab that you could easily attach a carabiner to (though the manufacturer didn’t include one), but if you were to hang the power bank from your bag, you’d have little choice but to carry it with all panels unfolded. That’s really the biggest design flaw: there’s no closure mechanism to keep the solar panels folded up when not in use.

Of course, it’s lightweight and slim enough to just fold up and stow away in your backpack if you don’t want to carry it unfolded on a pack.

Overall, the device feels sturdy, thanks to durable, water-resistant plastic and faux leather materials. Though the manufacturer claims that this power bank is waterproof, we left it unfolded in a heavy rain shower to test the water resistance and noticed that the device didn’t seem strong enough to withstand much water at all. We’d recommend against exposing it to anything but light splashing.

There is a plastic cover protecting the dual USB 2.0 ports and the micro-USB port for charging the device, but we noticed that it can pop out relatively easily. This is another reason to be mindful of protecting the power bank during a rain shower and avoid accidentally submerging it in water.

The built-in LED light at the bottom of the unit offers three flashlight functions, which are intended to use while camping. But getting the light to turn on is a bit awkward. We found that we had to really press down hard on the flashlight power button to activate it.

Setup Process: Plug and play

Out of the box, the X-DRAGON 10000mAh Solar Power Bank was about 25% charged, which we were able to determine by looking at the indicator light panel on the side of the device.

The user manual claims the device can charge fully if exposed to direct sunlight for 15 hours, but it also explicitly says that the solar panels are only meant to extend the life of the battery charge—you’re supposed to charge it up via the micro-USB port (like a typical power bank) and only rely on the solar panels as a backup. If you want an entirely-solar power bank, the X-DRAGON might not be the device you’re looking for.

Using the provided micro-USB cord, we plugged in the solar bank to AC power and achieved a full charge in 4.5 hours. This was significantly faster than the seven hours the manufacturer estimated.

Charging Speed: Fast and ready to keep going

The X-DRAGON 10000mAh Solar Power Bank contains smart IC chip technology that helps it adjust to whichever device it’s powering for maximum charging speed. While the manufacturer claims a 5V/2.1A charging speed, our testing found that it’s actually a bit slower than that.

We used a USB multimeter to take a reading of the voltage and amperage of this solar power bank when connected to three different smartphones and one Android tablet. Our readings showed that iPhones benefited from an average 4.95V/.98A charging speed, a Google Nexus 5X charged at 4.92V/.94A and a Kindle Fire charged at a speed of 4.97V/.97A.

In terms of actual charging times, this worked out to be about two hours for the iPhones, a little over two hours for the Google Nexus 5X, and about four and a half hours for the Kindle Fire.

When we charged two iPhones with 10% battery for 30 minutes, we did notice that the charging speed was pretty fast. In a brief 30-minute window, the iPhone X reached 27% and the iPhone 6S Plus increased to 39% battery.

It’s not lightning fast when charging one or multiple devices, but it’s still quite adequate. And we didn’t experience any overheating when charging one or two devices, or when charging in the sun.

Since we tested this charger over the course of a mostly cloudy and rainy week, we couldn’t test the full solar power charging time. But we definitely noticed the strong solar conversion power on a couple of days when we could access full sun. We tested the power bank in two five-hour blocks in direct sunlight and found that it consistently increased by one LED indicator (about 25%) each time. On a cloudy day after five hours outside, there was no change to the indicators.

All in all, this device earns high marks for charging speed since we found it consistently charges in four hours, powers up smartphones in two hours, and soaks up power from adequate sunshine.

Battery: Relatively generous and consistent

The 10000mAh Li-polymer battery isn’t the most massive, but it offers a fairly generous and consistent amount of power: about five hours.

After fully charging up the X-DRAGON, we were able to completely charge an iPhone X, Google Nexus 5X, and stream Netflix videos from a Kindle Fire for a little over an hour before needing a second charge.

We also tested the device against a completely dead Kindle Fire, streaming Netflix media and charging at the same time. The X-DRAGON was able to support this for five hours while also charging the tablet’s battery to 86% full before it died.

We performed another test of the battery life by streaming YouTube videos from a fully drained Google Nexus 5X and iPhone 6S Plus. The X-DRAGON was able to support streaming for 6.5 hours on the Nexus and 1.5 hours on the iPhone before it died.

Price: Great value for four solar panels

Usually priced around $35, the X-DRAGON 1000mAh offers great value in the world of four-panel solar power banks. There are several other options in the 10000mAh-15000mAh capacity range that are less expensive, but they lack the added benefit of three additional solar panels. They also don’t charge as quickly.

Competition: Pricier options offer more features and greater capacity

The WBPINE 24000mAh Solar Bank, which is usually priced around $45, offers supreme battery life and supplemental solar charging for even more convenience when you’re traveling. Even if you did consistently use it, you’d still likely get twice the battery life out of it compared to the X-DRAGON.

The tradeoff is more weight and bulk due to the bigger battery, but if you’re not really an avid hiker or camper, you might be fine with the X-DRAGON, which offers similar smartphone charging speed (about two hours for an iPhone) and comes with the fourth solar panel, which the WBPINE does not offer.

Other four-paneled solar chargers like the QuadraPro 5.5W Portable Solar Wireless Phone Charger cost around $55. You’re working with a battery capacity of only 6000mAh but also the ability to charge one phone wirelessly and two additional phones through the two 5V/2A USB ports. It’s also slightly lighter and comes with two snaps to prevent the solar panels from unfolding, which is a big missed opportunity for the X-DRAGON solar charger.

Interested in seeing some more options? Explore our other solar power bank recommendations.

Similar Products We've Reviewed:

• JETSUN 16750mAh Solar Power Bank
• Dizaul 5000mAh Portable Solar Power Bank