When shopping for batteries or solar chargers, you’ll usually see capacity listed in milliamp-hours (mAh). Numbers like 10,000 mAh or 20,000 mAh are common on product packaging and marketing materials but do not tell the full story.
At WiseEye, we list our solar charger capacity in watt-hours (Wh) instead, because it shows the true amount of stored energy a battery can deliver, while mAh alone can sometimes create confusion.
Why mAh Can Be Misleading
Solar chargers and solar battery packs are often advertised with very large mAh numbers. It’s common to see products marketed as 20,000 mAh, 30,000 mAh, or even higher. The problem with mAh is that it depends on voltage. Without knowing the voltage of the battery, the number doesn’t tell you how much energy is actually available.
Below we have 2 product examples. One with a higher mAh and one with a lower mAh and we will do an example of why mAh is misleading and can mean it has less power.
Even though product A has the larger mAh rating, it actually contains much less energy. Product B could power a device about 50% longer even though the advertised mAh number is smaller.
For example, many solar chargers contain lithium battery cells that operate at around 3.7 volts internally. Manufacturers often calculate the mAh rating using this internal voltage because it produces a much larger number. This creates the illusion that the solar charger is more powerful than it really is leading to deception and underperforming panels.
However, most devices powered by solar chargers—such as feeders, cameras, or lights —actually operate at 5 volts or higher. When the battery’s voltage is converted to match the device, the equivalent mAh rating becomes smaller leaving you wondering why your panel is letting you down.
Even though the energy stored in the battery does not change, the mAh number can appear very different depending on the voltage used.
Why WiseEye Uses watt-hours (Wh)
At WiseEye, our goal is to provide customers with clear and honest information about the performance of our solar chargers.
By listing battery capacity in watt-hours (Wh), we make it easier for customers to understand the true amount of energy available to power their trail cameras.
This helps hunters and land managers better estimate:
How long their camera will run
How much energy the solar charger can replenish
How the system will perform in real field conditions
Instead of relying on marketing numbers, watt-hours provide a straightforward measurement of real battery energy.