Phones and lights
Jackery Explorer 300
292 Wh · 300 W · 7.5 lb (3.4 kg)
For lanterns, phones and a laptop at camp, this is the one we’d take. You get 292 Wh and 300 W continuous, and at 7.5 lb you can carry it from the car in one hand.
Best portable power stations for camping, RV and home
Compared on published specs and owner reviews
Short answer: the Jackery Explorer 300 for a tent weekend, the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro for a 12V fridge, and the EcoFlow DELTA 3 for home backup. Not your job? Try Find a station.
How we compare: we read the maker’s specs, the amazon.com listing and what owners keep mentioning, like real solar input, fan noise and weight. We haven’t tested these ourselves, so runtimes are worked out from watt-hours, with the math shown. How we compare.
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Camping weekend
Small fridge on a weekend
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro
768 Wh · 800 W · 18.2 lb (8.3 kg)
If your cooler has a compressor, we’d go up to 768 Wh, because a 300Wh station won’t see it through the night. The RIVER 2 Pro is rated 800 W continuous and weighs 18.2 lb, so it’s a two-hand lift from the car.
RV and van
Galley and a 30A socket
BLUETTI AC200PL
2,304 Wh · 2,400 W · 63.5 lb (28.8 kg)
For a van or RV, this is the size we’d build around. You get 2,304 Wh, 2,400 W continuous, a TT-30 outlet for your shore cable and 1,200 W of solar input. At 63.5 lb, it lives in the bay.
Skip if
If you only run a 12V fridge and phones, a 500–1,000Wh station suits you better, and you won’t need the 30A socket.
Home blackout
Fridge, lamp, router
EcoFlow DELTA 3
1,024 Wh · 1,800 W · 27.6 lb (12.5 kg)
For a short power cut, this is the size we’d keep at home. The DELTA 3 has 1,024 Wh, 1,800 W continuous and 500 W of solar input, enough for your fridge and a few lights if you top it up when you can.
Same class, higher solar ceiling
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2
1,024 Wh · 2,000 W · 24.9 lb (11.3 kg)
If you’ll recharge from panels a lot, we’d look here. It’s the same 1kWh size, but it takes 600 W of solar, the most of the 1kWh stations we cover. It weighs 24.9 lb, so it’s still a two-hand carry.
Lightest 1kWh
When carry is the constraint
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
If you’ll carry it, this is the 1kWh station we’d pick. It has 1,070 Wh and 1,500 W continuous, and at 23.8 lb it’s the lightest in its class (the others weigh 24.9 to 35.3 lb). Just don’t expect it to run a window air conditioner for long.
Full list, including the other stations in each class: all stations.
What’s the best budget portable power station?
Short answer: the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus if you want the most usefulness for the money, and the Jackery Explorer 240 v2 if the lightest carry matters most.
The RIVER 3 Plus has 286Wh and 600W continuous across three AC outlets at 10.4 lb, and it switches over in under 10 ms if the power drops. The Explorer 240 v2 has 256Wh and 300W from one AC outlet, but weighs only 7.7 lb. We’ve put them side by side here.
What’s the best 2,000Wh power station for home backup?
We’d pick the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 if it’ll live in a closet and come out for outages. It holds 2,042Wh, runs 2,200W continuous and weighs 39.5 lb. We’d pick the Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 if you want a 30A RV outlet, 800W of solar input or expansion to about 4kWh. Here’s the full comparison.
What’s the best 1kWh power station for solar charging?
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus takes up to 1,000W of solar, the most of any 1kWh station we cover, so a sunny afternoon can refill it. The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 takes 600W and is a little lighter. If you mostly charge from the wall, the plain EcoFlow DELTA 3 has the same battery for less.
Common questions
- What is the best portable power station for camping?
- For lights, phones and a laptop, a 250–300Wh station like the Jackery Explorer 300 or EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is enough and easy to carry. For a 12V fridge, we’d step up to 500–800Wh, like the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro.
- What is the best portable power station for an RV?
- We’d look for 2,000Wh or more and a 30A TT-30 outlet so the shore cable plugs straight in. The BLUETTI AC200PL and the Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 both have one. The Anker is about 22 lb lighter, and the BLUETTI takes more solar.
- Do you test these power stations?
- No. We compare them on the makers’ published specs and what owners say, and we show our runtime math so you can check it against your own appliances.