May 6, 2025 · To help you decide, I tested the efficiency, in a variety of scenarios, of the best portable power stations from Jackery, Oupes, EcoFlow, Anker, Goal Zero, Grecell, Bluetti,
Whatever the reason you are purchasing a power station, the most important spec to pay attention to is watt hours, which is a measurement of how much energy the power station can hold. While a particular power station might claim to hold 1,000 watt hours, the actual amount of usable power you can get out of it is a different story.
To help you decide, I tested the efficiency, in a variety of scenarios, of the best portable power stations from Jackery, Oupes, EcoFlow, Anker, Goal Zero, Grecell, Bluetti, Dakota Lithium, Lion Energy, Vtoman, and Oupes. ↓ Jump to the Rest of the Field ↓ What to Know Before Purchasing a Portable Power Station
While a particular power station might claim to hold 1,000 watt hours, the actual amount of usable power you can get out of it is a different story. The best portable power stations also have an onboard computer that shows you how much energy is left in your unit, as well as how much power it’s currently using.
Yes, a portable power station can be used as an uninterruptible power supply. Many portable power stations come with UPS features, like automatic switchover when power loss is detected.
If you have a power station that is rated at 1,000 watts per hour, and you plug in a device, let's say a TV, rated at 100 watts, then you can divide that 1,000 by 100 and say that it will run for 10 hours. This isn't usually the case. The industry "standard" is to say that you should take 85% of the total capacity for that math.
Currently, we look at two main performance metrics for portable power stations: charge time and discharge capacity. Every company that sells portable power stations provides the expected number of watt-hours its products are supposed to last. That can vary from as low as 240 watt hours to as many as 2,000 watt hours for a larger power station.
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