As advanced as modern electronic gadgets and appliances are, they still depend on a reliable supply of power to work. So, while one of our best power bank recommendations can help during a pinch for a phone or two, it won’t be very useful for extended power outages, off-the-grid vacations, or running AC-powered household appliances. This is where power stations come into play.
Power stations that use modern lithium-ion battery technology not only reduce your reliance on gas- or diesel-guzzling generators, but they can also power your appliances, charge mobile devices, and do a lot more. So, here are the best portable power stations on the market to get you started.
Top picks for portable power stations
Anker Solix C1000
Power and flexibility
Featuring a 1,056Wh LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery, the Anker Solix C1000 is, without a doubt, one of the best portable power stations you can buy at this price point. It has multiple ports that can power a range of devices, can recharge to its full capacity in less than an hour on AC, and is relatively easy to transport.
- Supports battery expansion
- Durable unibody design
- Quick recharge
- Would be better if it had more DC output ports
The Anker Solix C1000 is a high-performance portable power station that you can take with you just about anywhere and is ideal for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. It offers a long list of features and will completely change how you power devices during a power failure or when you are away from civilization. In our testing, the Solix C1000 performed way better than the Jackery Explorer 1000, which is also in the same price range and offers similar features. However, the Anker Solix C1000 boasts a more advanced battery system with an impressive 1,056Wh capacity and 3,000 charge cycles.
Best of all, the battery supports quick charge and can go from zero to a hundred in about an hour. The six AC output ports on this unit deliver 1,800W with a surge output of up to 2,400W, which is enough to run most appliances and power tools. During the load tests, the C1000 efficiently powered a miter saw, electric grill, circular saw, and a drill. In addition to the AC ports, the Solix C1000 has two USB-C ports with an output of 100W and 30W. There are also two USB-A ports (12W) and a single 120W DC output port.
Read our review
Anker Solix C1000 review: Portability with impressive power output
With 1800W output and a recharge time of under one hour, you’ll have power nearly anywhere you need it
You can recharge the battery using AC power at 1,300W or solar energy at 600W. If the battery capacity is too small for your needs, you can enhance it using the Anker Solix BP1000 expansion battery. The front display on this power station shows important readouts such as battery capacity, power output/input, and more. Alternatively, you can view these parameters from your smartphone or tablet by linking the C1000 to compatible devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Anker Solix F3800
Premium power for a premium price
The Anker Solix F3800 is a veritable powerhouse. With a 6kW output, it can run heavy appliances, and you can double the power with another F3800 or even expand it with external batteries. If you’re willing to pay the price, this portable power station will keep everything running for hours and hours.
- Expandable with other batteries and Anker units
- Delivers a lot of charging power
- Lots of outlets
- Very expensive
- Not easy to move around
The Anker Solix F3800 is one heck of a power station with loads of features and connectivity options. It includes six standard American power outlets, three USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and even specialized NEMA outlets for RVs and EV charging. And with 6kW of output, it powers appliances like washers and dryers.
You can also pair it with another unit, doubling the wattage to 12kW. If that’s not enough power, the F3800’s expandable capacity—from 3.84kWh to 53.8kWh with additional batteries—is enough to power extended outages and more.
When it comes to charging options, the F3800 has it all — AC power, a 12V socket, and solar, which gets you a full charge in about two hours. The F3800’s batteries are equally impressive, as they can charge countless times with little loss of efficiency.
Read our review
Anker Solix F3800 review: The might to power almost anything
From EV charging to powering your washer, the F3800 can do it all
Of course, all this power comes with a premium price, and its bulky size weighs in at 132 pounds. Still, the power station is portable, thanks to the wheels and handle. You can also control the power station remotely via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, including checking battery levels, activating timers, and managing power usage.
Overall, the Anker Solix F3800 is a feature-rich pick if you need high-capacity, reliable power. But it is certainly not cheap.
Jackery Explorer 300
Convenience and comfort
The Jackery Explorer 300 delivers great performance for the money, so this is a good option if you don’t need a lot of backup power.
- Lightweight and super-compact
- Wide range of ports
- Good cooling system
- Not the fastest to charge
- Uses an NMC battery
The Jackery Explorer 300 is an excellent budget power station that’s lightweight, but still packs a decent amount of power and a wide range of ports. It has a 293Wh battery, which, although not a lot, can charge your mobile devices and power smaller appliances, such as fans, smaller TVs, and mini coolers.
It has the same design as our best overall pick, including the easy-to-read LCD screen that shows all the vital information about the unit. In terms of output, you get two AC outlets, three USB ports, and a 12V car outlet. Of course, you can also juice it up using the typical array of modes, such as wall outlets, solar panels, and car power sockets.
Read our review
Jackery Explorer 300 review: Hitting the capacity sweet-spot
Plus going off-grid with the SolarSaga 100W panel for a Solar Generator package
One downside is it’s not the fastest charging power station and will take around two hours to get from zero to 80% via a wall outlet or a USB PD adapter. Charging via solar panels can take up to 3.5 hours to achieve the same.
Anker Solix C300 DC
An affordable, feature-packed battery
Equipped with a nearly full slate of plugs, a dimmable lantern, and a convenient carrying handle, the relatively compact Anker Solix C300 DC is as portable as large-format power stations get. It’s compatible with solar panels out of the box, and sports user-friendly app control.
- Great capacity for the size
- Refuels in under an hour with the right chargers
- Built-in solar panel support
- No AC outlet
- Doesn’t come with a charger
Measuring just 5-by-5-by-7 inches, the Anker Solix C300 DC is as compact as these high-capacity batteries get. It’s also highly affordable, with a $200 MSRP and the chance at a discount if you keep an eye on Anker’s website. Despite the appealing size and price, it doesn’t skimp on features, either.
The four USB-C ports deliver from 15 to 140 watts, and a pair of Type-A outputs makes sure you can put all your cables to use. There’s also an automotive power socket, which is part of what differentiates this model from its non-DC sibling. That makes it especially good for recharging during travel, with the the trade-off of not having any AC outlets.
Other than plugging it into your car, the C300 DC accepts up to 100W from solar panels, complete with an integrated 11-28V solar panel input jack. For the fastest charging possible, you can plug it into a single 140W USB-C fast charger for a roughly 2-hour recharge time, and a pair of such chargers gets the job done in half the time. Unfortunately, you’ll need to supply the chargers yourself.
Read our review
Review: The Anker Solix C300 DC delivers portable power with solar support and app integration
A versatile but imperfect power station
Rounding out the impressive feature set, it sports a top-mounted, adjustable-brightness lantern that can run for days from a full battery. There’s also a connected app that monitors activity and charge capacity, so you can keep an eye on it from another room while you’re busy packing. All told, it’s one of the most versatile power stations on today’s market, although it lacks the capacity and AC input/output needed for the most demanding tasks.
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
Portable and powerful
The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 upgrades last year’s model with better performance and at a lower price. Despite its smaller size, it is plenty powerful. Even larger appliances like fridges and microwaves won’t skip a beat, making it a reliable pick for home emergencies and camping.
- An impressive amount of charge cycles
- Affordable for all it offers
- Small footprint
- Solar charge rate is lower than last year’s model
- No app connectivity
The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is quite the power station. For one, the v2 is significantly less than the Explorer 1000 v1. What’s more, it boasts a LiFePO4 battery that supports a whopping 4,000 charge cycles. And don’t let this power station’s small size fool you—its 1500W of AC output can handle everything from fridges to TVs. Needless to say, the v2 is perfect for emergencies too.
Read our review
Review: Jackery’s Explorer 1000 v2 is the easiest power station recommendation I’ve ever made
The new Explorer 1000 v2 is everything I wish the first one was
Sure, there’s a trade-off for its smaller size—the solar charging rate only hits 400W. Heavy solar users should look for a more robust power station. But if you’re just using it for general off-grid activities like camping trips, 400W should be fine. Also, there’s no app connectivity which is something that many other brands offer. Still, its impressive power output and capacity make it worth the price.
EcoFlow Delta 2
Packs a punch
The EcoFlow Delta 2 is another reliable portable power station that you can use off-grid. It uses a 1,024Wh LiFePO4, provides multiple output ports with independent switches, charges from 0-80% in under an hour on AC at 1,200W, is relatively lightweight, and the battery capacity expands to match your energy requirements.
- Long-lasting battery pack
- Great form factor
- Fast charging
- Would be great if all ports were on one side
If the Delta Pro is overkill for you, the EcoFlow Delta 2 can be a great alternative. Like most high-end offerings from the brand, this unit features a LiFePO4 battery with a capacity of 1,024Wh. This battery type is more reliable, less likely to overheat, and offers more charge cycles. It will take about 3,000 charge cycles for the Delta 2 to reach 80% of its capacity, so it can last about 5 to 10 years depending on how often you use it.
We ran numerous power tools, from a hammer drill to a wet tile saw using this portable power station during the testing process and are happy with its overall performance. It holds a charge well, but the discharge rate may vary depending on the tool you are using. At maximum output, the battery can hold charge for roughly 30 minutes, which is not bad considering its capacity. You will, however, get a long runtime when using small appliances or charging gadgets.
This unit has six AC outlets that output 1,800W, two USB-C 100W ports, four USB-A ports, two of which offer fast charging at 18W, and two DC ports. The AC input port charges at 1,200W and takes about an hour to juice up the Delta 2 from zero to 80 percent, while solar charging inputs 500W and may take as long as three hours. Lastly, the Delta 2 is light, weighing just 27 pounds, and has carry handles for easy lifting.
Anker 757 Powerhouse
Built for performance
Anker 757 Powerhouse is a versatile power station with super-fast charging, multiple ports and outlets, and newer LFP batteries. The 757 Powerhouse can also act as a UPS for your computer.
- Super-fast 1,000W charging
- Tons of port and AC outlets
- Convenient carry handles
- Heavy
The Anker 757 Powerhouse shares some features with the EcoFlow Delta 2, such as super-fast AC charging and LFP batteries. And although it has a few tricks of its own, it also lacks a few things you would find in the Delta 2. For example, while the Anker power station can act as a UPS for your critical electronic devices, it doesn’t support expandable battery capacity.
Read our review
Anker 757 Powerhouse review: A powerhouse in every sense
It’s heavy and expensive, but Anker’s new power station is insanely beefy
In terms of specifications, the Anker offering has a battery capacity of 1,229Wh, six USB ports, six AC outlets, and a car outlet. These features help the power station run everything from your phone and laptop to smaller fridges and microwaves. Design-wise, the Anker 757 Powerhouse looks both modern and premium. But unfortunately, it’s relatively heavy. You can still carry it around in a truck or RV, though.
Bluetti EB3A
Small in size but big in capacity
The Bluetti EB3A is a great alternative to our value pick. It uses LFP batteries for a longer lifespan, has fast charging support, and has a decent selection of ports.
- Tons of charging options
- LFP batteries
- Compact design
- Lower battery capacity compared to other models
The Bluetti EB3A is another super-compact power station like the Jackery Explorer 300, but it uses LFP batteries, making it a better option for battery longevity. It also has a 600W power output, much higher than the Jackery unit. However, the Bluetti EB3A has a slightly lower battery capacity at 268Wh, so it’ll last a relatively shorter duration, particularly when you connect appliances that consume more power.
The Bluetti power station can charge quickly using a wall socket, solar, car outlet, or generator. You can also juice up the power station using AC and solar power simultaneously for even faster charging. Among other features, there are three USB ports, two AC outlets, and three DC outlets. Moreover, like the Togo Power Advance 350, you get a Qi charging slot.
Having a backup power source can save you a lot of trouble
It’s no exaggeration that modern-day gadgets and appliances have become essential in our daily lives. Hence, it’s vital that they’re never without a power source, and a good power station can help with this. When comparing power stations, for that matter, look at watt-hours instead of milliamp-hours, as the former represents actual capacity, and the latter assumes a particular voltage that not all devices share.
The Anker Solix C1000 has a lot going for it, from a reasonably big 1,056Wh battery to a comprehensive selection of ports and outlets. The power station is also well-built, and Anker is a reputed brand in this space.
If you need something even more powerful, the Anker Solix F3800 is definitely worth considering. It has a massive 6kW battery and offers connections galore. You can also juice it up in as little as two hours using AC or solar power.
Budget-conscious buyers will appreciate the Jackery Explorer 300. It may not be as powerful as the Anker Solix C1000 or F3800, but it can run many small appliances and has plenty of ports to keep your mobile device topped up.
We’re also big fans of the relatively new Anker Solix C300 DC, which boasts a versatile selection of ports including an automotive power plug and solar input port for charging on the road. It sacrifices the AC outlets in the name of size and weight, though, so you’ll need a competent fast charger for best results when refueling it from the grid.
Anker Solix C1000
Featuring a 1,056Wh LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery, the Anker Solix C1000 is without a doubt one of the best portable power stations you can buy at this price point. It has multiple ports that can power a range of devices, can recharge to its full capacity in less than an hour on AC, and is relatively easy to move around.
