What This ZOUPW 350W Portable Solar Panel Review Covers
In this hands-on test, solar expert Jasonoid evaluates ZOUPW's new 350-watt folding portable solar panel—a mid-range option positioned between their popular 180W and 450W models. The video walks through the panel's design, setup process, real-world power output under various conditions, and how to wire two panels together for higher capacity charging. If you're running a van, RV, or off-grid camper and considering a lightweight, foldable solar solution, this review gives you the working details you need to decide if it fits your power budget.
The testing happens in early fall under mostly clear skies around midday, with temperatures around 85°F and a light breeze. Jasonoid tests the panel against a Blue Edi Elite 100 V2 power station and also demonstrates partial shading performance and parallel wiring techniques. The review is practical and unsponsored-feeling—while ZOUPW sent the units, the tester has previous experience with their other panels and frames his findings honestly.
Key Moments
Key Moments in the ZOUPW 350W Solar Panel Test
- Unboxing and carrying case contents, including ground anchors and multiple adapter cables for Jackery and other power stations
- Setup demonstration: the quadfold design breaks apart into four sections held by magnets, each with its own kickstand
- Real-world output test: 323 watts (92% of rated) under full sun conditions at midday
- Partial shade test: 182 watts when two of four panels are shaded by a ladder—proving parallel wiring protects performance
- Wiring two panels in parallel using MC4 branch connectors, achieving 626 watts combined output
- Price-to-performance analysis: $1 per watt versus older portable panels that cost $3 per watt
What You Should Know Before Buying a ZOUPW 350W Panel
- Rated at 350 watts with an open-circuit voltage of 50.22V and peak power output of 43.2V at 8.1A—compatible with 60-volt charge controllers
- Uses Topcon solar cells with a waterproof ETF coating and a fiberglass backer (no glass), making it lighter and more rugged than traditional rigid panels
- Includes two carrying handles, a padded carrying case, ground anchors for soft terrain, MC4 extension cables, and adapter cables for Jackery and other common power stations
- Each of the four sections has its own kickstand, and the aluminum frame corners come with bumpers to prevent scratching
- Setup takes minutes: unfold the magnetically held sections and raise the kickstands; no tools required
- To run two panels together on a 60V system, you must wire them in parallel (not series) using MC4 branch connectors—this doubles amperage while keeping voltage the same
- Performance in partial shade is better than standard panels because the four sections are wired in parallel rather than series, so shading one section doesn't kill the whole output
- Priced at $350 at time of filming, making it cheaper than brand-name portable panels while delivering higher power output and better build quality
Questions About Portable Solar Panels for RV and Camper Living
How much power will this panel actually produce on a cloudy day or at my latitude?
The video tests the panel under ideal conditions (mostly clear skies, midday, 85°F), achieving 323 watts. In cloud cover or winter angles, you'll see significantly less. The tester notes that kickstand angles are optimized for summer peak; in fall, a steeper angle would add 10–15 watts. Your exact output depends on season, time of day, and weather, so treat the 350-watt rating as a best-case ceiling.
Can I connect two of these panels to my power station?
Yes, easily—as long as your charge controller accepts up to 60 volts. You'll wire them in parallel using MC4 branch connectors (sold separately), which combines the panels positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative. This keeps voltage steady while doubling the current, so two 350W panels produce around 626 watts combined input without exceeding the voltage limit. Never wire them in series, which would exceed 60V and damage your equipment.
Is this panel durable enough for frequent camping and travel?
The design seems solid: rigid aluminum frames with protective bumpers, no fragile glass (fiberglass backer instead), waterproof ETF coating on each cell, and magnetically held sections that fold into a padded carrying case with handles. The tester notes that ZOUPW confirmed an upgraded kickstand design, reducing breakage risk. However, this is a portable panel, not a stationary one, so it's built for move-around use rather than daily outdoor mounting.
What makes this better than a cheap 400-watt rigid solar panel?
Price and portability are the main trade-offs. A 400W glass panel is heavier, doesn't fold, and must stay in one place—ideal for full-time off-grid living. The ZOUPW 350W is lighter, packs into a case, and fits in a van or RV storage. At $1 per watt, it's also cheaper than many portable brands. Choose a rigid panel if you're stationary; choose this if you camp seasonally, travel, or want emergency backup power.
What cables and connectors do I need to buy separately?
The panel ships with MC4 extension cables and adapter cables (5521, XT60, Anderson PowerPool, Jackery 7909/8020). If you want to run two panels, you'll need to buy MC4 parallel branch connectors separately—the video includes a link. MC4 is the standard connector type for most portable solar panels, so compatibility is usually straightforward.
- ZOUPW 350W Folding Portable Solar Panel
- Topcon solar cells
- A type of high-efficiency solar cell used in newer panels that perform better in heat and partial shade than older standard cell designs.
- MC4 connectors
- The industry-standard connectors used to link solar panels to charge controllers and power stations.
- Parallel wiring
- Connecting solar panels so their voltage stays the same but their current (amperage) adds up, doubling power without exceeding voltage limits.
- ETF coating
- A waterproof protective layer applied to solar cells to enhance durability and weather resistance.
- Open-circuit voltage (Voc)
- The maximum voltage a solar panel produces when not connected to a load, used to ensure compatibility with charge controllers.
Key Terms
Sources: Topcon solar cells · MC4 connectors · Parallel wiring · ETF coating · Open-circuit voltage (Voc) — definitions cross-referenced with Wikipedia
Video by Jasonoid - Solar Power, Batteries, and More! on YouTube. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to their channel and show your support for the great video.
Description
In this video I test the new ZOUPW 350w folding portable solar panel. In the past I have been very happy with the performance and pricing on ZOUPW solar panels so I'm excited to see how this one performs!
Learn more about the ZOUPW 350w panel HERE:
https://amzn.to/4o0vhBe
You can find the MC4 Parallel connectors HERE:
https://amzn.to/4mHJjGV
You can also watch my ZOUPW 450w solar video HERE:
https://youtu.be/O4zhXcl6cYQ
My 180w ZOUPW solar panel review can be found HERE:
https://youtu.be/zFGrJTxTyEU
ZOUPW launched their own YouTube channel, you can view it HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/@ZOUPW
The use of affiliate links provide a small commission for me when you use them. Thanks for supporting my channel content and allowing me to do future comparison videos! More videos coming soon!
#jasonoid #ZOUPW #offgridpower #solar
Video transcript for “The New ZOUPW 350W Solar Panel – Portable Power on a Whole New Level!” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
Hey everybody, welcome back to a new video. In today's video, we will be testing ZUPW's new 350 W solar panel. Now, I absolutely love the design of their solar panels. They use the Topcon cells. They have these rigid frames, yet they are very lightweight because they don't use glass. They have a fiberglass
backer and then they have the ETF coating on them. Now, I've tested the 450 W panel and the Biffold 180 W panel. It's nice to see that they have a more affordable, smaller format version if you don't need the full 450 watts. Now, typically these solar panels are super easy to set up. They have magnets that
kind of hold it together. So, you just break it apart and then there are four individual sections. So, let's just set this up really quick. What I like to do is I like to open it up like this. Just lay it out so it's all equal. And then you take the kickstands and you bring up each kickstand. And then you just set it
down on the kickstands. So, just like that and we are set up. Well, now that the solar panel is set up, let's take a closer look. We're going to start with the carrying case. Now, this is a padded carrying case. I love the quality on this. Now, it actually comes with these ground anchors so that if you're in the
grass or a softer surface, you can anchor the solar panel down. It does come with an MC4 extension cable and also an adapter cable. Now taking a closer look at the adapter cable here. We got 5521 XT60 Anderson Powerpool 7909 for the older Jackary power stations and 8020 for the newer Jackary power
stations. And of course you don't have to use this. You can just use MC4. Now looking closer at the actual solar panel, it's a quadfold design. So each one of these panels are wired together in parallel. The solar cells are Topcon solar cells just like their other newer solar panels. And each of these panels
are coated with a waterproof ETF coating. You have two handles to carry it around. And because this has an aluminum frame and the corners are sharp, they include these bumpers to keep you from scratching things up. Now, if you look at the back, each one of the panels has its own kickstand. So, that's
nice. And then the solar panel has MC4 output. Now, here's the spec sheet for the solar panel. It's rated at 350 watts. If you look at the bottom, we have a voltage open circuit of 50.2 2 V and then at peak power it's expected to make 43.2 volts and 8.1 amps. This is perfect for 60 volt power station charge
controllers. So now that we've gone over the solar panel details, let's go ahead and plug it in and see how much power we get from it. Now for the solar conditions today, it's a little bit breezy. It's an early fall day and it's around 85°. Mostly clear skies tested right at midday. So hopefully we get
some decent power from the solar panel. Now, in order to test out the solar panel, we'll be using the Blue Edi Elite 100 V2 power station. This has a 100 watt solar charge controller, good for up to 60 volts and 20 amps. So, well within spec for the solar panel. Now, as for the voltage open circuit, using my
voltmeter, we're showing 47.9 volts. The solar panel has been sitting outside for about uh 20 minutes so far, so it's pretty warm. That's why we're seeing a lower VOCC. Now, I've just connected the solar panel into the power station, and we are seeing 323 watts, which is a little bit above 92% of the rated
output. So, pretty decent for the solar conditions today. Now, we'd probably see a boost of 10 or 15 additional watts if we were able to angle the solar panel steeper because it's later in the year. The sun is much lower in the sky than it would be in the middle of summer. But, these kickstands are designed to put out
peak power in the middle of summer. So, in the next test, I want to see how the panel performs in partial shading. I've set up this ladder where it's casting a shadow on two of these solar panels. Now, typically, these are all wired together in parallel. So, if they are wired together in parallel, we'd see at
least 50% of the output or maybe a little bit more. So, let's see how it performs with two of the panels shaded. So, with the panel partially shaded, we're getting 182 watts charging. Now, remember, we were getting 323 before, so half of that's 161. So, we are getting a little bit higher than 50% of the rated
output. So, yes, partial shading is a thumbs up. Now, I did confirm with Zuk W that this uses the new upgraded kickstand, so you shouldn't have to worry about them breaking. And at the time of filming this video, this solar panel is priced at $350, which is $1 per watt. Now, in previous years, portable
panels were always super expensive. Some were even priced nearly $3 per watt. So, it's good to see the prices coming down. But the ZupW panels are still cheaper than brand name solar panels, yet they put out more power and they have excellent build quality. Now, when ZooW offered to send me out one of these
solar panels to test, I said, "Hey, can you send me two of them?" Because I have viewers always ask, "How easy is it to connect up two of these solar panels for your power station?" So, I have two of the 350 W solar panels. I'm going to show you how easy it is to connect them together in parallel to plug into a
60volt power station. Well, now that I have both of the solar panels set up, I'm going to walk you through wiring them together in parallel. So, each of the solar panels are coming in. So, one here, one here. These are the MC4 extension cables. Now, to wire them together in parallel, you're going to
need branch connectors or parallel connectors, and that's what these are here. They usually come in pairs. I'll include a link to these down in the video description. Basically, what you're going to do is you're going to connect both the positives into the positive adapter. Then you're going to
take both the negatives and connect it into the negative adapter. What this does is it combines both the solar panels together, positive to positive, negative to negative. So what happens is the voltage stays the same and the amperage doubles. And so you can get double the power without going over the
60V limit of your power station. So this is what it looks like when you have the solar panels wired together in parallel using the branch connectors. You can see both the positives go in, both the negatives go in, and it combines them together so you only get one output. And then you simply attach the solar adapter
cable so you can connect to your power station. Now with the solar panels combined in parallel, I plug them into the power station. And you can see now we are getting the combined output of both panels. So 626 watts charging input. So you guys can see it's super easy to wire solar panels together in
parallel. All you need is that branch connector set and they connect right up. I love that these solar panels come with the extension cables and also the adapter cables. So it's just plug-andplay with a power station. And the benefit to parallel is that you get really good shading performance. So if
you have shade on any one of these panels, all the panels work together and they produce the power output. So that's the benefit. Some of you may be wondering, well, why didn't you connect these together in series? Well, you can't connect these two solar panels together in series for a 60 volt charge
controller because it'll go over that voltage and damage the power station. So you always want to make sure you're never going over that voltage. And so you'll have to wire these two together in parallel to work on a 60volt charge controller. Now I think it's important for me to mention that there are many
different types of solar panels and different use cases. I always have people during my portable solar panel videos say, "Hey, you can buy a 400 watt solar panel for super cheap." Yes, I have 400 watt solar panels that I use every single day. And if you're going to have a solar panel out every single day,
I definitely recommend using a glass rigid solar panel. They are super heavy. They're hard to move around. They don't fold up, so they have their own use case. These are perfect to be stationary in your yard. But if you're going camping or if you want to store these and pull them out for emergencies,
that's where the lightweight portability comes into factor. So, use cases for every type of solar panel, these portable panels definitely have their own use case. So, after all the testing today with the ZUPW 350 W panel, we saw really good performance, and I really like the build quality on these solar
panels, just like their 450 W and their 180 W solar panels. So, if you're looking for a solar panel that's priced well and puts out really good power, you'll definitely want to check out the ZUPW solar panel series. Now, a special thanks to ZUPW for sending out these solar panels today for the testing
video. If you guys are interested in picking these up, I'll have a link to them down in the video description. Thanks for watching. We'll see you guys in the next video.
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