The 3 Best Portable Power Stations of 2022 Reviews by Wirecutter

Table of Content

• Sherpa 100AC Portable Power Bank – Best for road warriors
• How is a portable power station different from a generator?
• Power restored to many in Meck County; thousands in the dark across Carolinas, Duke Energy says
• Otterbox Fast Charge 20,000mAh – Best USB-C power bank with Power Delivery
• The Southwest Power Pool The pool set a new record for winter electricity use on Thursday.
• Should You Buy a Battery Case Instead of a Power Bank?
• What Size Battery Do You Need?

AC systems are slightly less efficient but more flexible and easier to install, especially if you already have solar. Typically, the manufacturer can guide you through what will work best in your home, but DC typically is used for new solar installations and AC for use with existing solar systems. This DC-coupled storage system is scalable so that you can provide 9 kilowatt-hours of capacity up to 18 kilowatt-hours per battery cabinet for flexible installation options. The system works with new solar installations and is rated for both indoor or outdoor installation.

This handy device comes with multiple charging options, allowing you to charge just about anything, from smartphones to CPAP machines. (there's less than two weeks to go), where discounted prices are starting at $2,599. Now, that's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but in the world of power stations, it's not expensive either.

Sherpa 100AC Portable Power Bank – Best for road warriors

The power outputs all check out, with the SuperBase V delivering on everything that Zendure promises. The base station weighs in as just a hair under 60kg, so to make portability easier, Zendure has kitted it out with a handle and motorized rear wheels to help you move it about your home. Each base station can be connected to up to four satellite batteries. Zendure SuperBase V with satellite battery (16-inch MacBook Pro for scale). Treehugger is dedicated to educating readers about the benefits of clean power, and helping provide tools to transition away from fossil fuels. Arricca SanSone specializes in writing about home, shelter, and gardening.

Any regular household outlet can recharge Go, and the unit can be used in the same way as a fixed charging station – in any weather condition. Although, Go is also great for anyone who wants to save money and make EV charging more convenient. Plus, portable charging increases flexibility and convenience to help people to make the switch to EVs.

How is a portable power station different from a generator?

However, we decided to forgo this test in our latest round of testing because all of our top-pick contenders were made by brands that performed well in previous tests. These devices are basically large batteries in protective boxes, with AC outlets and other ports built in. They’re much bigger, heavier, more powerful, and generally more rugged than our power bank and portable laptop charger recommendations. That gives them more versatility for activities like camping with lots of electronic gear, working in a remote corner of your home, screening a movie in your backyard, or staging a scenic photoshoot. A battery bank and charge controller inverter are two devices that are necessary for solar panel systems.

Lastly, this unit’s screen isn’t quite as large or brightly lit as the one on our runner-up pick. If you tend to squint at small screens, you’re probably better off with the Anker. Another common chemistry is lithium iron phosphate which is said to be safer than NMC due to lower risk of thermal runaway but has lower energy density.

Power restored to many in Meck County; thousands in the dark across Carolinas, Duke Energy says

Despite power-efficient developments most of us find ourselves charging items almost daily to help us stay connected. But it’s the built-in cables for each port that really sets this power bank apart. It's a great pick among the over-1,000Wh choices, and really only missed out on winning the large power station category due to some extra bells and whistles other units in that category have.

This boils down to lithium-ion holding a higher power density and a lower cost compared to lithium-polymer. However, lithium-polymer batteries are more robust, flexible, and have a lower chance of suffering with leaking electrolyte. Device compatibilityBefore you purchase a solar power bank, Mazumder said to make sure its ports are compatible with your electronics. Many solar power banks are built with USB-A ports, while some may come with an additional USB-C port. Solar power banks store generated energy in built-in batteries, so you can charge devices even when there’s no sun. For a portable power bank that you can easily travel with, you should look for a minimum of 10,000 mAh.

The Anker PowerHouse II 800 has a lower max output than our top pick, so it might not be able to power your highest-wattage appliances, such as a vacuum or window AC unit. But its capacity is almost as good, and it’s a few pounds lighter. Many people know Otterbox for its durable phone cases, but the company is now bringing that expertise to the world of power banks. In addition to its strong build quality, the Otterbox Fast Charger Power Bank has all the key features you need, such as fast charging with PD, both types of USB ports, and several options for battery capacity.

These bags are designed to streamline your travel and technology needs, so you can easily charge any device no matter where you are. Power banks are generally affordable, but it’s important to know what you are – and aren’t – getting for your money. As you’re picking out a power bank, keep these three main price ranges in mind. Our team looks for power banks with enough charging capacity to handle the most popular smartphones and even some laptops. Power banks are batteries inside a metal or plastic enclosure that you can use to charge your devices.

Before that, she worked as a science writer and fact checker for numerous publications, and she studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin. In her spare time, she eats as much cheese as her body will tolerate. A solar battery bank will allow you to take your energy-savings and efficiency to the next level. A solar battery can even offer other benefits like having power when the sun isnt shining or when the grid turns off due to a storm or other unforeseen circumstances. The BigBlue stood out among the dozens of models we considered in part because it has two 2.4 A ports and one 1 A port so you can charge three devices simultaneously.

These units can’t keep refrigerators or other large appliances powered, and anything that generates heat is likely to overload them or drain the battery too fast for them to be useful. A high-quality generator can power space heaters and hair dryerssafely, but otherwise you should only plug them into an indoor wall outlet. Qi can provide you with the ability to charge your devices anywhere, any time.

Therefore, if you use your portable power station several times a week, it might only last a year or two. At just over 60 pounds, this machine is not for the faint of heart or weak of arm. If you can manage to get this machine where you want it, it will keep you going for ages with a massive capacity of 2,000 watt-hours.

Best solar power banksSince we don’t test solar power banks ourselves, we rely on expert guidance and our previous reporting about how to shop for them in order to highlight the best ones. Experts recommended looking at device compatibility, power and size to determine the right model for you. Note that charging capacity is often measured in either milliamp-hours or watt-hours — all solar power banks we recommend listed capacity in mAh, but only some included capacity in watts. Below, we highlight highly rated solar power banks in a range of sizes with varying capacities that align with expert guidance.

We love its easy-to-read screen, which shows input/output wattage and how much power is left in reserve. Plus, it has more output ports—three AC, two USB-A, and two USB-C—than almost any portable power station we’ve tested, allowing you to charge a variety of gadgets ranging from laptops to cameras to GPS units. If you’re going off the grid or prepping for an emergency, the Jackery Explorer 1000 can keep your electronic gear running for hours—or even days—at a time.