Best Trail Camera Solar Panels 2026: Brand-Matched & Universal Picks Ranked

By Editorial Team · Updated July 24, 2026

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Quick Answer: The Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack ($59.99) is the best trail camera solar panel of 2026 for most people — a USB-C panel with a built-in 3,350mAh battery that Moultrie rates at roughly 3x the output of a standard panel, needing only about 40 minutes of full sun a day. Running a different brand? The SpyPoint 5W Solar Panel and Tactacam Reveal Solar Panel are the matched equivalents for those camera lines. On a budget or mixing brands, the Browning BTC-SBPU Universal Solar Camera Power Pack ($29.99) works with any AA-tray camera regardless of maker, the Reolink Solar Panel 2S is the pick for security-crossover cellular cams, and the Suntactics sCharger-5 is the premium universal option that charges literally anything with a USB port.

If you already own a camera and just want to stop hiking in with a fresh set of AAs every few weeks, an add-on solar panel is the cheapest fix — cheaper than replacing the camera with a solar-integrated model. The catch is that most panels are brand-specific, and buying the wrong connector is the single most common return reason on this accessory. Here’s what actually fits, what it costs, and which one to buy for your setup. For cameras that already ship with solar built in, see our best solar trail camera rankings instead.

Trail camera solar panels by the numbers

Roughly 3x the power, 40 minutes a day. Moultrie markets its 3.4W Solar Power Pack as generating about 3x the charging power of a standard panel, and reviewer testing (Pro Tool Reviews) found it needs only about 40 minutes of full sun daily to maintain a typical Moultrie Edge camera — versus roughly 15 minutes for Moultrie’s larger 10W panel, which captures 6–8 watts at peak versus 2–2.7 watts for the 3.4W version.
Winter cuts panel output to a quarter of summer’s. NREL solar-resource data shows insolation in the northern U.S. drops to roughly 25–35% of summer peak levels in December — the reason a panel that easily keeps a camera charged in July can fall behind during a short, overcast winter week, and why built-in battery reserve matters as much as panel wattage.
The universal option costs about half the brand-matched one. Browning’s BTC-SBPU Universal Solar Camera Power Pack lists at $29.99 versus $59.99 for its brand-specific BTC-SBP12 — both include six rechargeable NiMH AAs kept topped off by the panel, but the universal version fits any camera’s standard AA tray instead of only Browning models.
A premium universal panel is rated for real weather. The Suntactics sCharger-5 — popular with the trail camera crowd because it charges any USB-rechargeable device, not just one brand — carries an IPX7 rating good to 40 feet of submersion and weighs about 7 ounces, built around mono-crystalline cells rated near 20% efficiency.
Transmitting is still the actual power drain. Manufacturer support docs from Tactacam and SpyPoint list LTE transmission — especially in weak signal — as the single biggest battery cost on a cellular camera, which is exactly the load a solar panel exists to offset rather than eliminate.

Our top picks at a glance

Panel	Best for	Connector	Battery	Price	Rating
Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack	Best overall	USB-C	3,350mAh built-in	~$59.99	★★★★★
SpyPoint 5W Solar Panel	Best for SpyPoint cameras	Brand port	Internal lithium	~$59.99	★★★★☆
Tactacam Reveal Solar Panel	Best for Tactacam Reveal	Brand port	Camera's internal pack	$59–$99.99	★★★★☆
Browning BTC-SBPU Universal	Best budget universal	AA-tray (any brand)	6x NiMH included	~$29.99	★★★★☆
Reolink Solar Panel 2S	Best for security cams	USB-C	5,900mAh built-in	~$45	★★★★☆
Suntactics sCharger-5	Best premium universal	USB-A	None (direct charge)	~$100+	★★★★☆

1. Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack — Best Overall

Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack

Best overall · ~$59.99 · USB-C · 3,350mAh built-in battery

Moultrie rates it at roughly 3x the charging power of a standard trail camera solar panel.
Needs only about 40 minutes of full sun a day to maintain a typical Moultrie Edge camera.
Built-in 3,350mAh pack holds enough reserve to run the camera for about 9 days with no sun at all.
Simple USB-C connection — no separate battery box to wire in.

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Moultrie Mobile’s 3.4W panel is the one we’d recommend to most people running a modern cellular camera, and not just because it’s a Moultrie panel — the 3,350mAh built-in battery means it functions as a power bank as much as a solar charger, so a stretch of cloudy days doesn’t immediately starve the camera. The math backs up the marketing: needing just 40 minutes of direct sun to maintain a camera is a low bar that most mounting spots clear even under partial canopy. Pair it with any camera in our best cellular trail camera guide and you’re set for the season without a single battery swap.

2. SpyPoint 5W Solar Panel — Best for SpyPoint Cameras

SpyPoint 5W Solar Panel

Best for SpyPoint · ~$59.99 · brand port · internal lithium battery

Purpose-built for the SpyPoint Flex and Link-Micro cellular lines.
5W output is sized to keep pace with SpyPoint's dual-carrier LTE transmit load.
Mounts directly to the same 1/4-20 stud as the camera for a single, tidy setup.
Weatherproof housing rated for year-round outdoor exposure.

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If you’re already running a SpyPoint Flex-M or Flex G-36, this is the panel engineered specifically for that camera’s power curve rather than a generic add-on. It plugs straight into the camera’s charging port, so there’s no adapter to lose and no voltage mismatch to worry about. It costs the same as the Moultrie panel above, so the deciding factor is simply which brand’s camera you already own — see our Tactacam vs SpyPoint comparison if you haven’t picked a camera yet.

3. Tactacam Reveal Solar Panel — Best for Tactacam Reveal Cameras

Tactacam Reveal Solar Panel

Best for Tactacam · $59–$99.99 · external or folding

Standard external panel starts around $59; the folding version (about $99.99) roughly doubles collection area.
Built specifically for the Reveal X and Reveal Pro cellular line.
Folding design is worth the upgrade for weak-signal locations, where the camera's radio drains power faster.
Clips onto the same mount hardware as the camera for a single-post setup.

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Tactacam sells two tiers here, and which one you want depends on signal strength at your site. The standard external panel is plenty for a camera with strong LTE signal, but a weak-signal spot forces the radio to retry transmissions at full power — the single biggest battery drain manufacturers document — which is exactly when the larger folding panel’s extra collection area earns its higher price. Either way, it’s the direct match for anything in our best trail camera pillar’s Tactacam picks.

4. Browning BTC-SBPU Universal Solar Camera Power Pack — Best Budget Universal

Browning BTC-SBPU Universal Solar Camera Power Pack

Best budget universal · ~$29.99 · fits any AA-tray camera

Includes 6 rechargeable NiMH AAs kept charged by the attached solar panel.
Works with any camera's standard AA battery tray, regardless of brand.
About half the price of Browning's own brand-matched BTC-SBP12 ($59.99).
Mounts to a tree or camera mount independently of the camera itself.

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This is the pick for anyone running a mixed fleet of camera brands, or anyone who just wants the cheapest legitimate way into solar. Rather than plugging into a proprietary port, the BTC-SBPU swaps into the AA tray your camera already has — six NiMH cells the panel keeps topped off — so it works whether the camera is a Browning, a Bushnell, or a budget model from our cheap trail camera roundup. The trade-off versus a brand-matched panel is that you’re managing a battery tray rather than a sealed plug-and-play connection, but at half the price of Browning’s own dedicated panel, it’s the rational default for a multi-camera property.

5. Reolink Solar Panel 2S — Best for Security-Crossover Cameras

Reolink Solar Panel 2S

Best for security cams · ~$45 · USB-C · 5,900mAh built-in battery

Built for Reolink's Go PT Ultra, TrackMix LTE, and Argus PT Ultra cellular cameras.
5,900mAh built-in battery — the largest reserve pack in this roundup.
Cold-weather rated cell chemistry, unlike most standard trail camera panels.
USB-C connector and adjustable mount for driveway, gate, or barn placement.

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If your “trail camera” is actually pulling double duty watching a driveway or gate — the exact use case in our best trail camera for home security guide — this is the panel built for that job rather than adapted from hunting gear. The 5,900mAh battery is the largest built-in reserve on this list, which matters for a security camera you can’t afford to have go dark during a cold snap, and the cold-weather-rated cells are a genuine advantage over panels designed around summer hunting season use.

6. Suntactics sCharger-5 — Best Premium Universal

Suntactics sCharger-5

Best premium universal · ~$100+ · USB-A · no brand lock-in

Charges any device that accepts USB power — not tied to one trail camera brand.
IPX7 waterproof rating, tested submersible to 40 feet.
Mono-crystalline solar cells rated near 20% efficiency; folds flat at about 7 ounces.
Popular outside the trail camera world too — backpackers and overlanders use the same panel.

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This is the panel for someone who doesn’t want to think about brand matching ever again. Because the sCharger-5 outputs plain USB power, it charges a USB-rechargeable power bank that you then plug into practically any camera, phone, or GPS unit — useful if you run cameras from more than one manufacturer or want one spare panel that works with everything in the truck. The IPX7 rating (submersible to 40 feet) is well beyond what a trail camera panel needs, which is exactly why it costs more than the brand-specific options above. For a single-camera setup it’s overkill; for a property with a mixed hardware fleet, it’s the one panel that never becomes obsolete when you switch brands.

Which trail camera solar panel should you buy?

Running Moultrie Mobile cameras: the 3.4W Solar Power Pack — built-in battery, 3x output, ~40 minutes of sun a day.
Running SpyPoint or Tactacam: their brand-matched panels — direct fit, no adapter needed.
Mixing camera brands or watching your budget: the Browning BTC-SBPU universal pack at $29.99.
Running a Reolink security-crossover camera: the Solar Panel 2S — built for that exact use case.
Want one panel that outlives every camera you’ll ever own: the Suntactics sCharger-5.

The bottom line

The Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack is the best trail camera solar panel of 2026 for most buyers — a built-in battery, roughly 3x a standard panel’s output, and a sun requirement low enough to work in most mounting spots. Match brand-specific panels (SpyPoint, Tactacam Reveal) to the camera you already own, reach for the Browning BTC-SBPU at $29.99 when brand doesn’t matter or budget does, pick the Reolink Solar Panel 2S for a security-crossover setup, and go Suntactics sCharger-5 if you never want to think about compatibility again. Whichever you choose, keep batteries in the tray as backup — solar tops off power, it doesn’t replace the requirement to have any. For the full camera market these panels attach to, start with our best trail camera rankings, or see our best trail camera batteries guide for what should still be riding in the tray.

Check the Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack on Amazon →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best solar panel for a trail camera in 2026?

The Moultrie Mobile 3.4W Solar Power Pack ($59.99) is the best all-around solar panel for a trail camera in 2026 — a USB-C panel with a built-in 3,350mAh battery that Moultrie says generates roughly 3x the charging power of a standard panel and needs only about 40 minutes of full sun a day to keep a camera topped off. If your camera is a different brand, the SpyPoint 5W Solar Panel or Tactacam Reveal Solar Panel are the equivalent brand-matched picks, and the Browning BTC-SBPU Universal Solar Camera Power Pack ($29.99) is the cheapest option that works regardless of brand.

Will any solar panel work with any trail camera?

No — check the connector and voltage before buying. Most panels are brand-matched (Moultrie's USB-C panel is built for Moultrie Mobile cameras, SpyPoint's for SpyPoint, Tactacam's for Tactacam Reveal) and use a proprietary port or plug placement. True universal options exist — the Browning BTC-SBPU replaces the AA tray with rechargeable NiMH cells and works in any camera that takes standard AAs, and the Suntactics sCharger-5 charges anything over a plain USB cable. Match the connector type (USB-C, mini-USB, 12V barrel jack, or AA-tray replacement) to your specific camera before ordering.

How much sun does a trail camera solar panel actually need per day?

It depends on the panel's wattage. Moultrie's own testing puts its 3.4W Solar Power Pack at needing roughly 40 minutes of full sun per day to maintain a typical Edge camera, while the larger 10W panel needs only about 15 minutes because it captures 6–8 watts at peak versus 2–2.7 watts for the smaller panel. In winter, expect to need more time in the sun — NREL solar-resource data shows insolation in the northern U.S. drops to roughly 25–35% of summer peak levels in December, so a panel that easily keeps up in July can fall behind on a short, cloudy winter day.

Do I still need batteries if I add a solar panel?

Yes, on almost every camera. A solar panel keeps a battery or internal pack topped off; it does not replace the requirement to have one installed. Browning's own solar pack manual states the camera's internal AAs act as the backup power source during cloudy stretches or snow cover on the panel, and several Moultrie support pages repeat the same advice for their Edge line. Leave batteries in the camera as backup even after you add solar.

Is a universal solar panel as good as a brand-matched one?

For most people, yes, with one trade-off: convenience. A brand-matched panel like the Moultrie 3.4W or SpyPoint 5W plugs straight into the camera's dedicated port and is sized specifically for that camera's power draw. The Browning BTC-SBPU universal pack works with any AA-tray camera regardless of brand and costs about half as much ($29.99 versus $59.99), but you're managing a rechargeable NiMH tray swap rather than a set-and-forget external plug. For a single-brand camera line, brand-matched is simpler; for a mixed fleet of cameras from different makers, universal saves money and hassle.

What's the difference between a solar panel and a solar trail camera?

A solar trail camera has the panel built into the camera housing as one purchase — see our best solar trail camera guide for those. A solar panel is a separate accessory you add to a camera you already own (or buy alongside a non-solar model), which is cheaper if you already have working cameras and just want to stop swapping batteries. Buying an add-on panel for an existing cellular camera is usually less expensive than replacing that camera with an integrated-solar model.

How long does a trail camera solar panel last?

The panel itself (the photovoltaic cell) typically outlasts the camera — there are no moving parts to wear out, and manufacturer warranties on trail camera solar panels commonly run 1–2 years. The part that wears out first is any built-in rechargeable battery pack, similar to the 300–500 charge cycles (roughly 3–5 years) that manufacturers rate for integrated-solar camera batteries. A panel with a swappable battery, like Browning's NiMH-tray design, lets you replace just the cells instead of the whole unit when that happens.