8 Best Portable Power Stations (2024): Power Capacity, Portability, Camping and More

Dobson DBS1000 Pro Portable Power Station for $999: This 1024-watt-hour capacity power station has a LiFePO4 battery and a good mix of ports for charging and powering your gadgets. The US model has four AC outlets, three USB-A ports, three USB-C ports, a car socket, and two DC5521 barrel ports. It can charge to 80 percent in less than an hour if you plug in but expect some fan noise. You can also charge from solar panels or through a carport. You can connect via Wi-Fi and control it from the app, but the display gives you the information you need even without it and there’s a customizable light underneath. The 2,000-watt output is impressive, and there are boost and surge modes to take it to 3,000 and 4,000 watts respectively. One problem I also had was that sometimes the USB port would refuse to charge the phone. Buy the DBS2000B with Battery Expansion ($2,300) to increase up to 3,072 watt hours. It comes with a five-year warranty with registration.

Bluetti AC180 for $999I’ve also tested this smaller power station from Bluetti, and it’s a solid option if you don’t need as much power as the option above. The AC180 also has a LiFePO4 battery, but it has a 1,152-watt-hour capacity. It can reach a maximum of 1,800 watts, but can boost up to 2,700 watts for short periods of time. The US model has four AC outlets, one USB-C (100 W) and four USB-A ports (15 W each). There’s even a wireless charging spot on top that goes up to 15 watts. You can fully charge the AC180 from an outlet in an hour, and it comes with solar and car charging cables as options. It can also work as a UPS with a 20-millisecond switching time. This power station is good for small gadgets and appliances like a TV or mini fridge. Fan noise reaches about 45 decibels under heavy load, which isn’t too bad. What I didn’t like is its weight (35 pounds feels relatively heavy for this capacity), and I would have liked more USB-C ports. Interestingly, BluTi has partnered with Fragile to offer this power station as a subscription ($40 per month) with no upfront amount, which includes free replacement if anything goes wrong, although it does not cover theft or user damage.

Ugreen PowerRoam 1200W Portable Power Station for $799: This 1,024-watt-hour capacity power station packs a LiFePO4 battery inside and has plenty of ports (6 x AC, 2 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A, 1 x car, 2 x DC5521). It can produce up to 1,200 watts and weighs 25 pounds, but there’s a big handle on top for moving it around. You’ll also find a standard AC input and an XT60 for connecting solar panels. You can control everything using the front buttons and display, and there’s a light that can flash for emergencies. The app connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for a few additional options. Unfortunately, the app is unstable, and I had to create my account and add the power station more than once because it refused to accept my login information The PowerRoam 1200W performed well most of the time, but its battery drained prematurely in one test, making it hard to recommend unconditionally It comes with a five-year warranty.

Zendure Superbase Pro 2000, $1,700: With a massive 2,096-watt-hour capacity, tons of outlets (6 x AC, 1 x car, 3 x DC5521, 4 x USB-C), and a maximum output of 2,000 watts (Surge 3,000 watts), this is a great portable power station. It weighs 47 pounds, but has two wheels, a carry handle, and a separate telescopic handle. Zendure’s app is slick, this power station can work as an uninterruptible power supply, and it performed well in my tests, but the fans were running almost constantly. I’m also concerned about its longevity. There’s a Li-NMC battery inside the SuperBase Pro 2000, probably because it offers more energy density than LiFePO4 (the similarly sized SuperBase Pro 1500 has a LiFePO4 battery and the warranty is two years, but you can extend it by one year by registering with Zendure.

Jackery Explorer 1000 for $999If you need a power station, the Jackery Explorer 1000 is a good start. It strikes a nice balance between ease of use, power, and capacity. It might not be enough to run your air conditioner (its maximum output is 1,000 watts), but it should be able to handle almost anything else. I’ve used it to run everything from a table saw to a small refrigerator, as well as charge all of my usual gadgets. It’s well built, fairly easy to carry (22 pounds), and is about the size of a small cooler. In my capacity testing, it did a little better than its advertised 1,002 watt-hours. It does take a while to charge, especially if you’re using the solar panel (sold separately), which takes about a day and a half. I strongly suggest at least a 200-watt panel.