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5 Best Portable Power Stations in 2020

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These are the best portable power stations available and why you should buy one. Essentially big battery packs that can power or recharge anything and everything you own. These devices are perfect for a camping trip to the wild outdoors, good to have for emergencies, or are simply a great way to keep all your gadgets charged up on the go. Whether that’s a refrigerator or a drone to capture your adventure.

Having portable power is almost a necessity these days, especially if you like going off the grid or live in an area where the power goes out often. Not only do these portable generators deliver reliable power for phones, tablets and drones, but most come with AC wall outlets too. Not to mention they’re small, lightweight, easy to carry and they don’t need gasoline to run.

  • Portable power stations are essential for power outages or emergencies and great for camping trips, a family cabin, or anywhere else you need juice on the go.
  • These high-capacity batteries can recharge a smartphone 30-40 times, start your car, run a CPAP machine, or power small appliances like a TV, fridge, speakers and more.
  • We’ve tested several devices and the Jackery Explorer 240 is a great place to start.

While there are countless different types of portable chargers these days, the devices in our roundup below are on a completely different level. They’re not your average power bank that can only recharge a phone a few times. These are “generator alternatives” that can deliver power to almost anything.

Traditionally, you’d use something like a big loud gas-powered generator to run something like a fridge, but these days you don’t have to. Now, you can get safe and reliable power in a small portable battery station that weighs around 5-10 lbs.

With so many options available or hard to understand power specs, Wh wattage, and mAh ratings, it can get overwhelming. So, we’ve made it easier to understand and quickly gathered what we consider your best options in the roundup below. These electric generators offer power from reputable brands and are perfect for any occasion or situation.

Here are our top picks for the best portable power stations

1. Jackery Explorer 500

$499 at Amazon

While Goal Zero might be the most recognizable name in portable power stations, in our opinion the best overall option is the Jackery 500. It’s perfect for power outages or multi-day camping trips and just as the name suggests, it’s a jack-of-all-trades and will power anything you own. I used mine all weekend, which is why it’s dusty in the photo above.

You can recharge a smartphone over 30 times, a GoPro over 60 times during a week-long vacation, recharge your laptop, or run a mini-fridge or TV for around 8+ hours. You can recharge your iPad 25 times with this thing. That’s because the built-in 518Wh (16.8Ah, 14.4V) battery delivers power from the AC-Outlet, carport cigarette lighter, or three USB output ports. Plus, the new Jackery 300 model even features USB-C if you’re ok with a smaller power bank.

The Jackery 500 isn’t the biggest or the smallest, but it’s fairly portable and easy to hold with one hand thanks to only being about 12 lbs. And if you like to go off-roading and need Overlanding gear, they offer an optional solar charger for all you die-hards.

2. Anker Powerhouse 200

$250 at Amazon

Anker, one of the most trusted names in smartphone battery packs, offers a few great portable power stations. We like the new Anker Powerhouse 200 for a few different reasons, with one being that it’s very compact and only weighs 6 lbs.

As the name suggests it packs a 200 Wh battery inside, which is almost 60,000 mAh. As a comparison, your phone probably has a 4,000 mAh battery inside which means this will recharge it nearly 15 times. The other huge benefit this has over most of the others on our list is that it’s designed for current devices. Like, phones and tablets from 2020.

You’re getting USB Type-C with power delivery, so it’ll quickly power a Macbook or the latest Galaxy S20 smartphone. Plus, you can recharge the actual Anker 200 with that USB-C cable, instead of some big special plug, giving you one less cable to worry about. We like the USB-C, two high-speed regular ports, and the sleek design. This is one of the most affordable and lightweight portable power stations.

3. Goal Zero Yeti 1000

$1,199 at Amazon

This next one certainly isn’t cheap but it’ll do a little bit of everything and can even recharge or power 7 devices at the same time. If you’ve looked for a portable gas-free “electric generator” before you’ve probably seen Goal Zero, as it’s a brand the outdoor community knows very well.

Packing a massive 1000 Wh battery inside capable of delivery 1500w or even 3000w surges, this thing is super powerful. It’s big and heavy so you probably won’t carry it around the campsite too much, but it’s still light enough to be portable. You could recharge your smartphone every single day for nearly 2-months with the Yeti 1000. Not to mention run power tools, a refrigerator, lights, CPAPs and more.

It might not look as elegant as the Jackery or Anker, but it’ll keep the lights on for nearly 250 hours. We also like that the top folds open and is a storage compartment for cables and accessories, not to mention any other gear you take to the cabin or camping trips. This thing is perfect to use indoors or outdoors.

4. X-Doria Defense Titan 230

$299 at Amazon

A newcomer to our list is the Defense Titan from X-Doria. Built for the modern age this comes with three high-speed Quick Charge compatible USB ports and a 4th USB Type-C port for newer devices like the Galaxy S20, Macbook Pro, Nintendo Switch and more. Equipped with 224 watt-hours of capacity it easily powers mobile devices, CPAP, computers, and small appliances.

We really like the sleek and small package delivered here. It’s very portable yet has a premium aluminum design with drop-protection rubber corners on all four sides. There’s a comfy leather strap at the top for when you’re carrying it around the campfire, too. While it comes with an AC wall charger you can top off the Titan itself with USB-C, which is nice.

This isn’t the biggest or the best either, but it’ll recharge all your phones, laptops and gadgets at some of the fastest speeds available these days, plus it’s small and affordable.

5. EcoXGear Jump Starter & Battery

$77 at Amazon

Last but not least, we have something a little unique and different that you might want to consider. As the name suggests, the Ecojump can jump-start your car, ATV, motorcycle, boat, and more. While it’s a standard 15,000 mAh portable battery bank that can recharge your phone and tablet, it also doubles as a car jump start.

This little gadget features an IP67 water-resistant rating too, so it can handle the elements and rain when you have bigger more important things on your mind — like starting your car.

The EcoJump provides 55,500 mWh at 12V with 600 peak amp output, which should be enough to turn over most engines. There’s also a built-in 200 lumen flashlight that can run from 50-200 hours depending on the brightness level, and a flashing warning/hazard logo you can use if you’re stuck roadside. This isn’t as massive of a battery as some of the others on our list but it’s great for emergencies and has enough juice to recharge a few devices when needed.

While there are several different brands that make portable power stations, we recommend sticking to a brand you know and trust from our list above. Then, check back on occasion as we’ll update this with the best options as they’re released.

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