Ankers solar beach umbrella is a must have for the ultimate geek summer

Anker brought a solar beach umbrella to CES 2025, making us instantly want something we never knew existed before: A solar beach umbrella.

Yes, it's a large parasol that protects you from sunlight, while at the same time charging a mobile (well, sort of) electric cooler with solar panels. The umbrella can be collapsed just like any beach umbrella, as the solar panels on top are flexible. The cooler on the bottom packs a detachable 288Wh battery, and has small wheels for lugging around easily, though we don't advise trying to carry this thing to a remote beach with no car access.

And it's not just regular panels Anker is using here. The company says it's using perovskite solar cells, which should offer a 30 percent better performance than the typically used silicon cells. In reality, you can expect solar power of up to 100W total.

What's important is that you can bring a number of battery-powered gadgets to the beach and charge them with Anker's solar umbrella, without worrying you'll run out of power (OK, maybe don't try Bitcoin mining).

Oh, and if it suddenly starts raining, this thing will also protect you from the rain, as it has an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating.

Unfortunately, Anker didn't share the price for the Solix Solar Beach Umbrella. The only thing we know is (a vague) availability date, as the device should become available either in the spring or summer of 2025.

The cooler is called the Solix EverFrost Electric Cooler, and can be bought on its own, without the solar umbrella. It's available in three capacities: 23L, 40L, and 58L, in case you really need to cool down a lot of booze refreshing drinks. Its battery should provide 52 hours on one charge, but you can also buy more batteries and swap them out if you need more power (and if you haven't opted for the solar umbrella). The Solix EverFrost Electric Cooler goes on sale on February 21, starting at $699.