The increasing global need for sustainable refrigeration has triggered a quest for Solar Adsorption Refrigeration Systems (SARS) that use solar energy and low-grade heat resources for environmentally sustainable cooling. This review focuses on the potential for SARS, an innovative alternative to traditional vapor-compression systems, to tackle pressing global problems such as energy transformation, global warming, and low-carbon cooling. The review covers an integrated analysis of experimental, simulation, and demonstration studies carried out for the past three decades, reviewing the performance, materials, and economic viability of SARS. Major findings include the importance of regular system maintenance, including solar collector cleaning, adsorbent monitoring, and replacement, for durability and efficient system operation. Among existing pairs, the zeolite 13X-water combination has the highest adsorption properties, heat tolerance, and lifespan for practical use. The major limitations still include low COPs (between 0.2 and 0.6) for low energy conversion, expensive costs, and zeolite degradation in different operation conditions for widespread adoption. The case studies support the electricity-consumption-reducing impacts (no <50 % in arid zones) for the use of SARS for both arid-zone and off-grid cooling, illustrating energy-sustained efficiency and enhanced global adaptability for future possibilities. The emphasis for future studies will continue to address gaps for techno-economic, cycle, and policy-scale support, accentuating further experimental efforts for advanced adsorbents, combination designs, and modeling algorithms to raise scalability and system efficiency for wider adoption. With global innovation, advancement, and supportive global policies, SARS could sustain along the global energy-climate transformation pathway for a sustainable future.