Portable power stations give campers and travelers an outlet-free battery to charge any handheld device, speakers, lights and appliances while on the go.
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But a portable power station is even more versatile than most people realize.
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If you ever lose electricity or have a power outage, such as during a hurricane, you can use a portable power station to juice up devices and even appliances, you can also use one in your home to funnel power to devices where you don’t have easy access to a charging point or even at a campsite hundreds of miles from home.
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Portable power stations are a safe and easy-to-use alternative to generators, with the benefit of charging right from a traditional power socket, or via solar power.
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Generators burn fuel to power home appliances and can expose you to carbon monoxide if used improperly.
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This guide has the best portable power stations, from affordable, lightweight models to heavy-duty options with built-in solar panels.
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Our top picks come from established portable power brands like Jackery, Anker and Ecoflow.
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We list important specifications like battery capacity, outlets available, solar compatibility and total station weight under the “What to know” dropdown.
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All of these portable power stations can be easily turned into solar power stations by plugging in a compatible solar panel.
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We included power station and solar panel bundles where possible, as it is generally cheaper to buy them together than separately.
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With a 293Wh capacity, you’ll get a few hours of use for power-hungry camping equipment or several days of charging for basic smartphone devices.
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At 7.1 lbs, it’s a lightweight option that you can easily carry with the hefty built-in handle, and it’s also impact-resistant and made of flame-retardant material.
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While it can’t power up a full-size home refrigerator, in a blackout it can work for a small (think dorm-size) fridge and other small devices for several hours, such as a CPAP machine.
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You can also get the Jackery Explorer 300 with a Jackery SolarSaga 100-watt portable solar panel bundled together at a steep discount compared to buying them separately.
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The solar panel folds in half for convenient storage and is IP68 dust and waterproof, so you can use it outside without worrying too much about the weather.
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Anker is one of our favorite brands for smaller charging needs, but it also makes some of the best portable power stations.
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The Anker Solix C1000 strikes a great balance between power, weight and price.
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It can power large appliances like refrigerators, microwaves and electric stoves (at the same time depending on the wattage), and is easy to take camping or road tripping due to its portable size (it’s nearly 28 pounds but has carry handles that customers say makes it easy to transport).
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It’s also high-tech: You can connect it via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and monitor its performance and power levels in the Anker app.
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You can pair this solar panel from Anker with the Anker Solix C1000 (Gen 1) Portable Power Station (above).
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It has an adjustable kickstand to prop it up, which you can place at four different angles: 30, 40, 50 and 80 degrees.
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The water- and dustproof panel is safe to use by the beach or on campsites, according to the brand.
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It also has a coating that helps prevent scratches.
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In addition to the panel, you’ll also get a 3-meter power cable and a half-meter power cable.
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If you need even more battery capacity and power, consider this station from Ecoflow.
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It has nearly double the total capacity of our Anker pick and even higher maximum output, making it well-suited for home backup and RV use.
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Like the Anker Solix, you can control and monitor the power station manually or through the EcoFlow mobile app.
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Ecoflow also makes the larger, more powerful Ecoflow Delta 3 Ultra, but it’s pricier and weighs nearly 75 pounds, stretching the definition of “portable” in my mind.
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Pair the Ecoflow Delta 3 Max with this EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel, and you have seriously effective solar power wherever you are.
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The solar panel is rated at 400 watts and it can power appliances to 80 percent in a little more than an hour, according to the brand.
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It’s strong enough to power large home appliances, including refrigerators, microwaves and important medical devices.
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It also has a decade-long lifespan and people who bought it said it’s extremely useful during a hurricane.
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You can use this power station to charge and power beauty appliances, projectors, mini fridges, computers, CPAP machines and more.
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It can also charge some devices and appliances up to 80 percent in as little as 45 minutes, according to the brand.
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It has four three-prong AC outlets, a USB-C port and four USB-A ports.
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Shoppers say that the power station charges very fast.
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How I picked the best portable power stations
I chose portable power stations based on advice from our experts, Mike Kreis, a product, sales and customer service specialist at REI and Josh Noble, the director of merchandise management at Batteries Plus; as well as the following criteria:
- Watt-hours and wattage:
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“There are two specific numbers you should look for when considering a portable power station,” Noble.
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“Watt-hours tells you how long it will run, while watts tell you what it can run at all.
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Customers tend to fixate on capacity without looking at the continuous output.”
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…and 39 more, not listed.
The Aporia
