Portable Power Station Buying Guide: Watts, Watt-Hours and Solar

Portable Power Station Buying Guide: Watts, Watt-Hours and Solar

Fall storms and winter outages are when backup power matters most. A portable power station is a quiet, fume-free battery you can use indoors, in a tent or in an RV. Here is what the numbers on the box actually mean.

Watt-hours (Wh): how long it lasts

Capacity is listed in watt-hours. A rough rule: run time in hours is about the capacity divided by the device's watts, times 0.85 to allow for conversion losses.

Output watts: what it can run

Add up the running watts of everything you want to power at the same time and stay under the rated output. Appliances with motors, like fridges and pumps, need extra surge power for a moment when they start.

Battery type

LiFePO4 batteries are heavier but last many more charge cycles than standard lithium-ion, which matters if you will use the unit often.

Recharging with solar

Pairing a power station with portable solar panels lets you recharge during a multi-day outage or a long camping trip. Check that the panel's output and connector match the station's solar input.

Safe use

Keep the unit dry, ventilated and away from heat sources, and store it partly charged. Unlike a gas generator, a battery power station produces no exhaust, so it is a safer choice indoors.

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