He was the son of Count Wilhelm Moritz of Solms-Braunfels (1651–1724) and his wife Princess Magdalene Sophie of Hesse-Homburg (1660–1720), a daughter of William Christoph, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, and his first wife Princess Sophia Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt.

When his father died on 18 February 1724, he became Count of Solms-Braunfels, Greifenstein and Hungen, Tecklenburg, Kriechingen and Lingen, Lord of Münzenberg, Wildenfels, Sonnewalde, Püttlingen, Dortweiler and Beaucourt.

He did, however, succeed in his marriage policy, which allowed his children to marry into powerful families around the country.

Financial difficulties forced him to sell the city of Butzbach, which his family had owned since 1478, to Hesse-Darmstadt on 17 March 1741.

On 22 May 1742, Emperor Charles VII raised the House of Solms-Braunfels to the rank of Imperial Prince.