Portable power station sizing
What size power station do you actually need?
Pick your devices and how long. We do the watt-hour math and rank three of 46 current US models, with a runtime for each.
What do you need it for?
Pick all that apply.
What each size actually runs
Typical runtimes for one device at a time, calculated with a 10% battery reserve, inverter loss and standby draw. Your mix of devices changes the answer; the quiz and calculator handle that.
About 300 Wh
Phones, lights, a router or a CPAP for a night or two. Carry it in one hand.
- Wi-Fi router and modem
- 9.4 h
- CPAP, no humidifier, DC cable
- 2 nights
- Full-size fridge (top freezer)
- 4.4 h
Example: Anker SOLIX C300, 9 lb
About 1,000 Wh
A fridge overnight, a home office for a day, a weekend of car camping.
- Wi-Fi router and modem
- 31 h
- CPAP, no humidifier, DC cable
- 9 nights
- Full-size fridge (top freezer)
- 15 h
Example: Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2, 25 lb
About 2,000 Wh
A fridge for a full day plus Wi-Fi and phones; most RV days.
- Wi-Fi router and modem
- 2.2 days
- CPAP, no humidifier, DC cable
- 18 nights
- Full-size fridge (top freezer)
- 28 h
Example: Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2, 42 lb
4,000 Wh and up
Several days of essentials, 240 V circuits through a transfer switch.
- Wi-Fi router and modem
- 3.2 days
- CPAP, no humidifier, DC cable
- 37 nights
- Full-size fridge (top freezer)
- 47 h
Example: EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3, 114 lb
Guides and comparisons
Best for your situation
- Best Portable Power Station for Home Backup, by Outage Type
- Best Power Station for Starlink Mini and Starlink Standard
- Best Portable Power Station for Camping and Car Camping
- Best Portable Power Station for an RV: Can Any Run the Air Conditioner?
- Best Portable Power Station Under $500 and Under $1,000
- Best Small Portable Power Station: The 300 Wh Class
Head-to-head
- Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 vs EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus: Which Should You Buy?
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 vs Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2: Which Should You Buy?
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 vs DELTA 3 Plus vs DELTA 3 Classic: What's the Difference?
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 vs Bluetti Elite 100 V2: Which Should You Buy?
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max vs Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2: Which 2 kWh Unit to Buy?
- EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 vs Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus: Which for 240 V Home Backup?
Look something up
- How long will it run my devices?Runtime calculator with surge and cold-weather checks
- How many watts does it use?Running and starting watts for 65 household devices
- How do the models compare?46 models: capacity, output, weight, UPS, solar
Specs come from manufacturer pages and manuals, appliance data from ENERGY STAR and maker manuals. We don't claim hands-on testing, and commissions never enter the ranking. How we recommend