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Portable power stations allow us to live life off the grid, go out for camping trips, and be ever ready for unexpected power outages.
Portable power is like a giant power bank whose utility isn't just restricted to charging phones. It is more than enough to power your everyday essentials, be it laptops, refrigerators, and much more, when the need presents itself.
We have collected a diverse range of top 5 portable power stations that will always back you up under unexpected circumstances.
A Buyers Guide to the Best Portable Power Station
When setting out to buy portable power stations, there are certain key factors you need to have a clear idea about.
Requirement
What do you need it for? The period for use? How much power do you require?
All these are very basic yet crucial questions that you must have an answer to. Getting a set of bigger watt-hours may offer a lot, but a bigger battery will be less portable. Plus, it will shake your budget to the core. Whether it's a nomadic lifestyle or an emergency medical CPAP power output, have a clear idea of how many devices you need to power.
Output
Have a close eye on Watt-hours of every portable power station. This will help you decide the power of the device and guide you to the number of items it can power in one go.
Surge power/Peak Output will allow you to maximize load for a given appliance to meet requirements. Although these cannot be run for extended periods and are paired with automatic shutoffs. These are a great way to meet emergency power needs.
Recharging
This is where a portable power station either wins or loses. Select the one that offers multiple ways of recharging so that it doesn't restrict your options, especially when traveling.
All the items mentioned in our list have more than one recharge option: wall, car, or solar recharge.
Likewise, consider its recharge time as well. The lesser the time it takes to recharge, the quicker the device becomes available for usage. Also, do know that solar recharging is highly dependent on your location, weather, time, and surrounding temperatures. For many models, you will have to make an additional investment to avail of this recharge option.
Portability
Size matters here, as portability is the key. You need to aim for something compact yet offering maximum power output. Jackery, our top pick, has a wide range of sizes with corresponding watt-hours.
Have an eye out for structure, ease of handling, built, weight, and durability. If the station is intended for outdoor use, make sure the power station's built is weather resistant.
Ports
Here diversity matters more than quantity. The wide range of ports will allow you to connect a diverse range of appliances. Make sure your portable power station has the standard USB, AC, and DC ports. Do check the maximum power output each port can supply before connecting your valuables to the power station. The more ports you have, the more chances options you have available for connecting appliances.
Budget
Portable power stations with high watt-hours and peak outputs are quite expensive. Though they offer augmented running time of appliances and have faster recharge times as well.
Have a clear idea of the needed power to save yourself from spending extra.
Top Tier Products
1. Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240
Jackery manages to stand out the most, mainly due to its wide range of watt-hour subtypes. This compact yet powerful power generator produces quiet, eco-friendly power at 240 watt-hours (16.8Ah, 14.4V).
The lithium-ion battery pack eradicates the need for fuel or gasoline consumption to recharge. It also makes the power station super light and easy to carry around.
The Jackery power station is specifically designed for powering mini coolers, charging laptops, drones, and other small outdoor electronics, powering up to 4 devices at a time. To be able to do so, the station is equipped with; an AC outlet (110V 200W, 400W peak), USB A ports, and 1 DC carport.
When it runs out of juice, the solar-ready generator recharges well with the Jackery solar saga (sold separately). There are 4 convenient ways of recharging the Jacker power station; Solar, wall outlet, car outlet, and through the generator.
However, recharging time varies with location, temperature, or weather, and it cannot support devices above 200W.
Buy Here: Amazon
2. Westinghouse iGen160s Portable Power Station 155Wh
Ranking second on our portable power station list is the compact yet solid iGen with various power ratings. Westinghouse is an excellent option to have when facing power outages. It can easily meet the challenges of regular household appliances.
This is yet another Lithium-ion battery power station weighing 3.75 lbs with Voltage -120V, backed by Modified sine wave, and a charge-up time of 6 hours.
The generator rated at 100 watts-150 Peak Watts and has a traditional 5000 mAh lithium battery that can be charged 3 ways, including wall charging, car charging, and optional Solar Panel (with DC 13V-25V/2A Max Port, not included).
The device holds two 120V Household Outlets, 12V 5.5mm DC Outputs, 2 USB Ports, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Port, and a USB-C Outlet. It supports small sensitive electronic devices that include drones, laptops, and much more. The absence of an engine means no maintenance charges or production of harmful fumes. The only setback is the lesser watt-hours and peak voltage available for a similar price range compared to the prior power station.
Buy Here: Amazon
3. EF ECO FLOW Portable Power Station EFDELTA
The Eco Flow is a portable power station giant. This generator can withstand large inverter loads. It can power home appliances and heavy-duty DIY tools ranging under 1800W with a whopping sine wave surge power of 3300W, with overload and temperature protection.
Another key feature is its ability to recharge from 0% to 80% within an hour. The Xtreme technology allows the EFDELTA to recharge at 10 times the speed compared to other portable power stations through a standard AC cable. Other recharging ways include Solar Panel, Open circuit Voltage 10-65V/10A max, and 400W max Input. Solar panel recharge time is 4 hours. Car recharging is also possible through a 12/24V carport in 10-12 hours.
In addition to this, ECO FLOW can manage 13 different devices simultaneously. Having 6x AC outlets, 2x 60W USB-C, 4x USB-A, and 13.6V Carport, making it perfect for off the grid living.
However, the extremely high price range and specific heavy-duty usage cause it to rank third on our list.
Buy Here: Amazon
4. GOAL ZERO Yeti 200X Lithium Portable Power Station
Goal Zero power station is an effective, efficient high-speed charging solution to outdoor and indoor power problems. This power station has an output wattage of 200 watt-hours and has a compact 187-watt-hour lithium power support station; 14.4volts up to 13Ah, which is pretty reliable.
The extended use of this power station for a continuous supply of power is around 120Watt with a 200W surge modified sine wave inverter. It is equipped with 2.4A USB ports, 3-Ampere USB-PD Port, and an additional 120W 12V port, all utilized to charge your phones, laptops, cameras, and other small devices such as PDA, etc. There is also a LED Screen that indicates its running time.
This device can also be charged in three ways. The solar panel (where location, time, temperature are dependant factors and needs to be invested in separately), can recharge in 11 hours, wall outlet charging, and vehicle (12V) outlet charging, which can both take 4 hours.
The downside to Goal Zero is its inability to withstand heavy load items. The interactive LED light tends to be irritating when ports are active.
Buy Here: Amazon
5. EGO Power PST3040 3000W Nexus Portable Power Station
EGO Power PST3040 is a portable power station that generates quiet and clean power for indoor and outdoor usage. The build quality of this product is relatively compact and practical. You can handle it with ease while setting up or for transportation; it comes with steel handles, which are quite robust and effortless to maintain. It has an all-weather resistant construction, which tremendously increases its durability.
It has an optimum (peak) power rating of 3000and 2000 Watt for continuous use of the power station. It further comes equipped with 3 A/C outlets 120V and 4 USB ports to power any portable gadgets, e.g., laptops, phones, etc.
To recharge, the device has an additional 4 port battery charger when you plug it in. However, the downside to this product is the absence of a battery. Hence you will have to purchase it separately, which makes it quite expensive.
Buy Here: Amazon
Closing Remarks
Whether it's a trip to escape the busy grid or preparing for constant power failures in your area, the best portable power station will keep essential appliances running for some time.
These power stations prove to be great partners in an emergency; to keep CPAP machines running or getting a quick blender or phone recharge. We highly recommend you opt for a power station that matches your power requirement and budget. That's all for now. Thank you for reading!
