Best Emergency Power Stations for Power Outages

The single largest domino effect of disasters and emergencies is a power outage. Weathering a power outage can be easy if it only lasts for an hour or two, but when it continues it can threaten your food security, water access, and temperature regulation. Many people also rely on power for medical reasons. Luckily, power stations perform better than ever for emergencies and offer high-capacity energy storage at prices that are much more affordable. Unfortunately, finding the best power stations for your needs during an emergency can be a tough task.

This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best power stations, tested them with emergencies in mind, and now the results are in: a highly portable option, a mid-size top pick, and a large high-capacity solution. If you need to power through any disaster, one of our picks will lead the charge.

Contents (Jump to a Section)

Also available to buy at Amazon and Walmart.

Oupes has been muscling up the ranks of power stations for a few years now. I like the simplicity of operation and the extremely low cost per watt-hour of capacity best. There are only a few drawbacks we’ll get into after we go through the specs and talk about how the station measured up during testing.

Specs

• Output: 1500 W
• Capacity: 1488 Wh
• Charge Time: 3.93 hours
• Battery: LiFePO4, 3,500 cycles to 80%
• UPS Switchover:
• Noise:
• Dimensions: 14″ x 11″ x 11″
• Weight: 30.5 pounds
• Warranty: 36 months

The Oupes Exodus 1500 provides plenty of output socket options to access the power storage. With Boost Mode, it will support appliances and large electronics up to 1700W. The inputs include the Anderson and AC sockets, which allow 800W AC and 480W solar charging. Adapters for the Anderson socket are included for car charging and MC4 universal solar connectors. The MPPT controller is optimized for 24V solar connections, so keep that in mind. I wire two 12V Renogy solar panels in series to use them with this machine.

Oupes has proven to be the best of the affordable-priced power stations- edging out other brands with higher capacity and more competitive pricing. A few things I didn’t like include the Oupes phone app, which is difficult to connect to the unit and not intuitive. This matters more significantly with larger, expandable power stations where you may be monitoring remotely more often. I also found the handle unwieldy- it juts out of the back of the unit needlessly, which makes it so it cannot fit flush against walls or other spaces. Those drawbacks lowered the portability and versatility sections of its overall score.

This makes the Oupes Exodus 1500 Power Station my top pick for most emergency applications with mid-capacity needs.

Also available to buy at Jackery and Walmart.

Jackery has been in the power station game from the start, being the first to create mass appeal for mobile power storage. They have had many iterations of their popular devices and still manage to be cost-competitive with the influx of competitors. Particularly, we recognized the value quite quickly of the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus and the expandable Explorer 5000 Plus- on opposite ends of the product spectrum.

Specs

• Output: 300 W
• Capacity: 288 Wh
• Charge Time: 1.91 hours
• Battery: LiFePO4, 3,000 cycles to 80%
• UPS Switchover:
• Noise:
• Dimensions: 9.1″ x 6.6″ x 6.1″
• Weight: 8.1 pounds
• Warranty: 36 months

This little Jackery Explorer 300 Plus is about the size of my head but packs a lot of tough watt-hours inside. When cracking the case open in our testing I found that the Jackery is designed with a ‘box in box’ design- the batteries, boards, and internal components are mounted separately from the exterior case. This makes the exterior that you see a sacrificial layer when it’s dropped, kicked, cracked, sprayed, etc. The design makes it tough- with portability clearly in mind.

When looking at Jackery gear, you’ll want to be sure to focus on stations with ‘Plus’ or ‘v2’ in the name at this point, because those are newer products with better LiFePO4 batteries in them.

One detraction that Jackery is well known for is using proprietary plugs with their solar panels, which sometimes don’t even come with adapters to fit their products. The Explorer 300 Plus uses the In/Out 100W USB-C plug for solar charging, and it doesn’t include any adapters for it.

Another hit to the Jackerys across the board is their underwhelming phone app. Many users agree with me here, since it has an abysmal 2.6 rating in the app store- which is surprising since Jackery has been in the power station business the longest. It’s not quite as bad as some budget brands that struggle to connect the hardware at all, but it does not meet expectations.

Despite these minor detractions, Jackery is still positioned as the best portable power station with the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus.

Also available to buy at Amazon and Walmart.

Once you approach these large-capacity power stations, you’re not just making a purchase- you’re making a significant investment. High capacity, good quality, and the ability to expand the platform should all be a given.

EcoFlow’s most recent release hit the mark and impressed me. Their latest lineup improved several metrics, with a blazing fast UPS switchover, virtually no noise at low burdens, and excellent charge speeds. The battery life and warranty also surpass the competition.

The EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 also excels at being a platform that can efficiently expand to power your entire home.

Specs

• Output: 4,000 W
• Capacity: 4,096 Wh
• Charge Time: 1.46 hours
• Battery: LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%
• UPS Switchover:
• Noise: 30 dB
• Dimensions: 27.3″ x 16.1″ x 13.4″
• Weight: 114 pounds
• Warranty: 60 months

EcoFlow uses the not-quite-proprietary XT60 socket for its solar and car input, using EcoFlow’s adapter (not included). It comes with a pair of these sockets though, which have different voltage settings: high and low. You can configure your existing panels relatively easily to maximize the high voltage 30-150V, 1600W port and the low voltage 11-60V, 1000W port in tandem for 2600W solar charging.

The EcoFlow app is also one of the best apps I tested. It was extremely fast and intuitive to set up and link to the unit and offered many customizations and settings on viewing and controlling the energy flow.

The expanding high capacity, quality, and versatility make the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 the best extra-large power station available.

Comparison Table

Model	Pick	Price*	Capacity	Output	Best Feature
Oupes Exodus 1500	Mid-Size	$449	1,488 Wh	1,500 W	Capacity value
Jackery Explorer 300 Plus	Portable	$269	288 Wh	300 W	Rugged portability
EcoFlow Delta Pro 3	Extra Large	$2,999	4,096 Wh	4,000 W	Expandable to 48kWh
Jackery Explorer 240 v2		$249	256 Wh	300 W	Rugged portability
EcoFlow River 3		$239	245 Wh	300 W	Low charge time
Bluetti EB3A		$269	268 Wh	600 W	App control
Goal Zero Yeti 300		$299	297 Wh	350 W	App control
Bluetti AC70		$399	768 Wh	1,000 W	App control
DJI Power 1000		$419	1,024 Wh	2,200 W	High AC output
Anker Solix C1000		$499	1,056 Wh	1,800 W	Lowest cost expandable
Bluetti AC180		$499	1,152 Wh	1,800 W	Low charge time
EcoFlow Delta 3		$699	1,024 Wh	1,800 W	Manufacturing quality
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2		$799	1,070 Wh	1,500 W	High lifetime cycles
Fossibot F3600 Pro		$899	2,048 Wh	4,800 W	High AC output
Bluetti Elite 200 v2		$999	2,073 Wh	2,600 W	App control
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2		$1,099	2,042 Wh	2,200 W	High lifetime cycles
Anker Solix F2000		$1,199	2,048 Wh	2,400 W	App control
Pecron E3600LFP		$1,399	3,072 Wh	3,600 W	Capacity value
Anker Solix F3800		$3,199	3,840 Wh	6,000 W	Expandable to 26kWh
Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus		$3,499	5,040 Wh	7,200 W	Expandable to 60kWh
EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra		$4,849	6,144 Wh	7,200 W	Expandable to 90kWh

The Stations We Compared

We narrowed the field down to several brands and models of power stations that we compared from Jackery, EcoFlow, Bluetti, Oupes, Anker, and more.

You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.

You’ll notice that power stations end up falling into capacity ‘buckets’ that correspond to cost, and are inversely related to portability. We classified these into 4 types:

• Portable – A highly portable power station with at least one AC outlet, measured capacity below 300 Wh, and weight below 15 pounds.
• Mid-Size – A portable station with a handle and/or wheels, capacity between 300 Wh and 2,000 Wh.
• Extra Large – A high-capacity but mobile power station with a capacity of over 2,000 Wh and possibly the ability to expand further.
• Installed – A permanent battery fixture meant to provide power to a building regularly or during an emergency.

The only installed option we looked at was the Tesla Powerwall 3, which was for an upper-bound cost comparison for the expansion of large portable power stations.

We’re always looking for new and better equipment, so if you have a power station you trust for power outages, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested stations annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks.

What to Look For

The best power stations for emergencies and power outages have several features to look for. Before testing, we assigned a weight to develop an overall score from the performance we measured from the stations:

1. Value
2. Capacity (40% of overall score weight)
3. Quality (35% weight)
4. Versatility (15% weight)
5. Portability (10% weight)

We use this score for comparison purposes, not as a stand-alone evaluation. An overall score of 100 is not possible with how our scores are designed. A score that is higher than competitors, especially at a similar price, is the indicator we are looking for.

The capacity score is weighed the highest, reflecting its importance but it won’t outweigh the rest of the criteria combined. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the power stations that truly set themselves apart.

Value: Cost vs. Benefit

Power stations typically are not cheap compared to other emergency gear. There is a wide range of price offerings that usually correspond with capacity. You’ll often see comparisons of capacity versus cost shown as $0.XX/Wh – but capacity isn’t the only feature to measure against as we already discussed.

The total ‘benefit’ of the power station is measured by the overall score metric, which we compared with the cost at the time of publishing:

*price at the time of the latest update

You may personally weigh one of the features more: some people prioritize capacity with little regard for portability, versatility, or quality. Others prefer to invest in quality solutions and opt to pay significantly more for them. You know what is right for your situation, and I aim to give you the tools and information to make a smart choice.

Capacity

Battery storage capacity is king when it comes to power storage. Brands are constantly jockeying to push the envelope here with more battery storage so they can print a slightly bigger number on the marketing material.

What’s printed isn’t always the real story though- manufacturers advise that you should expect 85% in usable capacity. This means if you use a 1-watt lightbulb in a Bluetti EB3A with 268 Wh, the company expects you to see 228 hours (268 x 0.85) of light from that bulb.

Despite the advances of LiFePO4 batteries, I found while researching this review that inconsistencies in battery construction and connection are prevalent and expected, which means the capacity between the same brand and model coming out of the same factory on the same day can vary. I’ve seen other reviews on power stations that measure a test unit’s capacity and then label that brand/model with a usable battery capacity percentage based on that single test. That seems a bit disingenuous after looking at the research.

Given that, I still measured the usable capacity of the stations, but without testing multiples of the same model it would be statistically inaccurate to claim those measurements to apply to every manufactured unit of those models. Instead, we labeled them as ‘test unit measured capacity’.

Capacity isn’t the only indicator of how well a power station will perform. There are plenty of measurements and ways to look at the quality as well.

Quality

If capacity is king, quality is queen when it comes to picking a power station. We consider many factors to fall under the quality umbrella ranging from charge time to inspecting unit manufacturing quality for issues.

These factored into our quality scores, and we’ll dig further into the machines below.

Manufacturing Quality

Manufacturing quality can be inspected by testing the product function, but also visually. Power stations are sleek on the exterior these days- they’re mostly boxy machines with several input and output ports, a display screen, and maybe a handle or wheels. Giving all that a once-over is pretty typical- but as an engineer, I like to crack them open.

Warning; Opening a power station typically voids the warranty and can expose you to fire hazards and electrical shock.

One key consideration I kept in mind when cracking open cases was the design of the boards. Compact, efficiently designed boards correlated to better performance- not causing higher performance but a good indicator of better overall design. Thermal regulation was another difference between high-quality brands and lower-quality power stations. Airflow pockets and thermal paste application cooled or insulated where needed.

The internal connection points were a solid indication of manufacturing quality too. Connectors are more expensive than soldered connections, but are stronger and more easily repairable. Some designs nested battery cells more efficiently, but they also shared that in the marketing material so it wasn’t a surprise.

Charge Time

Most power stations, regardless of size, start charging very quickly and then slow down as they approach a 100% charge. In many instances, the last 20% of the charge can take just as long as the first 50%. That’s one reason you’ll find many manufacturers listing charge time to 80% instead of full charge.

We tracked charge time with a simple smart plug, which also helped us find the AC charge efficiency as well.

Versatility

Most power stations offer a wide array of versatility, ranging from multiple input and output ports to integrated lights. Some larger units offer versatility in expansion and linking capabilities. Most power stations offer different phone apps as well, to varying success.

Input and Output Ports

The number of sockets and ports on a station can limit how you can use the station or open up some versatility. A few brands put less-common or proprietary input sockets on their devices, in an attempt to make you use their accessory cables and peripherals.

Expansion

Being able to expand a power station allows it to scale to your needs and your budget. Whole-home solutions can be costly out of the gate. Cost vs. capacity between different brands and models shows how you can reach your energy storage goals with a wide range of solutions.

The costs used in the graph above were using power station and battery expansion costs alone (no additional connector costs were considered) at the time of the review. The Tesla Powerwall 3 is shown as a comparison, and neither the installed Powerwall nor the power stations factored in any sort of tax exemption.

The daily average home energy use is approximately 30 kWh, which doesn’t factor in a lower draw during a power outage or emergency, where the homeowner would be more restrictive of their power use.

You should figure out how much power you would like to store before you invest in an expansion system. Recovering power through solar or other generation methods helps tremendously- relying on storage capacity alone is not feasible when emergencies extend beyond a few days.

Phone Applications

Between the various brands, there is some stratification on how well-received their phone apps are. My testing aligned with these ratings, where I experienced frustration at connection issues (both Bluetooth and WiFi) with the poorly-rated apps.

App Name	Rating*	Sean’s App Testing Notes
Anker	4.6	Plenty of data displays and remote controls. A solid app that is easy to connect.
Ecoflow	4.5	Instant connection, easy WiFi setup, and multiple visualization, control, and data options.
Goal Zero Power	4.5	Sleek UI, plenty of data display customization, and persistent connections.
Bluetti	4.4	The app works as expected, a bit of a surprise given Bluetti’s price points.
DJI Home	4.2	Despite a few non-intuitive error messages, the app connects and works well.
Jackery	2.6	The reviews are pretty harsh- the app is not extensive, but at least it connects and works.
Pecron	2.1	A very basic app that has persistent connection issues.
Oupes	1.7	I was unable to connect to the power station with the app.

I’ve tested a variety of IoT devices in my previous product development job. I understand the challenges of persistent Bluetooth connections and WiFi sharing, so I feel for these app developers struggling to make the hardware cooperate.

Although it’s easy to slam these apps for being sub-par, the reality is that you won’t use them much unless you are setting up a home backup system or monitoring energy use and efficiencies for testing, as I did. The apps are ultimately a ‘nice to have’, rather than a necessity- especially when you are evaluating these systems for emergencies and disaster use.

Portability

The last and lowest-weighted section to consider is portability. While we chose to weigh it for our overall score, the portability of a power station is often a byproduct of budget or preference. We did this intentionally to better compare portable stations against each other, rather than a portable station compared to an extra large solution.

Here is how the portable stations measure up:

Model	Dimensions (in)	Weight (lbs)	Portability Features
EcoFlow River 3	10.0 x 8.3 x 4.4	7.5	Integrated flush handle
Jackery Explorer 240 v2	9.1 x 6.6 x 6.0	7.9	Folding handle
Jackery Explorer 300 Plus	9.1 x 6.6 x 6.1	8.1	Folding handle
Bluetti EB3A	10.0 x 7.2 x 7.1	10.0	Folding handle
Goal Zero Yeti 300	11.3 x 7.7 x 6.7	13.9	Folding handle

Besides the measurements, the external and internal design can add to the ruggedness and portability of the unit. In our testing, we found that balanced handles, knurling to improve grip, rubber feet, and impact-resistant construction improved portability. Cheap rubberized exterior components are not ideal, since they become tacky and degrade over time after being exposed to temperature swings.

Power Station Accessories

Power stations don’t do much by themselves.

You’ll need equipment to power and, preferably, a self-reliant way to charge the power station. The power station itself is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a complete emergency energy plan.

Cables

To use a power station other than as a large, heavy paperweight- you’re going to need some cables. Most power stations come with the cables you need to get started, like the AC adapter cord. Beyond that, it depends on the model and brand whether 12V car charging adapters, solar hookups, USB inputs, and other charging cable types are included.

Many brands, such as Jackery, use non-standard adapters for solar- attempting to lock you into their companies’ accessories (similar to Apple). You may need to purchase their proprietary adapters to use external devices or unsupported connectors to use equipment like third-party solar panels.

The cord I find myself using the most is the simple extension cord. These let me power multiple devices, position the power station wherever I want for noise and/or convenience, and let me charge it conveniently too.

Charging

Speaking of solar panels, they are the most common accessory paired with power stations. You can find bundles with stations and panels sold as one unit, but they don’t always represent great savings.

Charging a power station can usually be done with a variety of sources:

• Grid power: Using an AC cord or direct hookup, you can charge from your home or any grid power source. Some larger generators include a port for an EV pile. Some smaller power stations
• Generator: Whether it’s gasoline, diesel, or LP- a generator can be much more efficient when paired with a power station during an emergency. Typically, you connect the two with the AC cord.
• Solar: Most power stations have integrated charge controllers meant to handle solar input. Solar panels typically use universal solar connectors, so adapters and extension cords are needed.
• Alternator: Many power stations can be powered by vehicles- adapted through the 12V DC system. A few larger stations offer direct hookups to alternator power systems, usually designed for RV use.
• Other Power Stations: Yes, you can charge a power station with another power station. Usually this is done from large stations to small ones for more portable energy needs. You’ll have a small amount of power loss in the transfer (~10%). Expansion, linking, or adding internal batteries do not have that power loss issue.

Protection

Another big accessory for smaller power stations is a carrying case. These can protect the power station while you carry it and conveniently store cords and adapter cables for your equipment.

Some people even use large Faraday bags for their power stations to protect them in the rare event of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or coronal mass ejection (CME). Those events are extremely low likelihood, but if you manage to preserve power storage, generation, and a few electronics through one you would have a massive survival advantage compared to the rest of society.

Who Needs a Power Station?

With a few exceptions, power stations are not essential for surviving emergency power outages. They can, however, make it much more comfortable and support other critical survival needs like food and water. They can power large appliances like refrigerators or critical resources like well pumps.

One of the exceptions is for people who depend on powered medical equipment to survive. Whether you need to keep insulin chilled or power an oxygen concentrator- there are many medical conditions that can worsen quickly without technology.

We suggest them for these kits:

We also suggest them situationally for:

Due to their size and weight, we don’t recommend power stations for mobile kits outside of vehicles.

Portable Power Station FAQs

Sources and References

All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best power stations for emergencies are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our engineering training, hands-on testing, and practical preparedness experience:

Panchal, S., et al. (2017). Cycling degradation testing and analysis of a LiFePO4 battery at actual conditions. 2014 International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems (CTS), Minneapolis, MN, USA. Pages 628 – 632. (Source)

Qazi, S., et al. (2014). Disaster relief management and resilience using photovoltaic energy. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. Volume 78. Pages 501 – 509. (Source)

Tian, J., et al. (2024). A critical review on inconsistency mechanism, evaluation methods and improvement measures for lithium-ion battery energy storage systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Volume 189. Part B. (Source)

U.S. Energy Information Administration (2024). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How much electricity does an American home use? Washington, DC. (Source)

The Final Word

Power stations can help keep you powered and connected through an emergency. There is a wide variety on the market at this point, but they are all common in that their battery technology has drastically improved over time, making them an affordable workhorse for disaster preparedness. Pick up a highly portable station for mobile energy, or invest in a scalable and expandable home solution for power outages.

Here are a few other equipment reviews and guides our subscribers have found helpful:

We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our testing found the Oupes Exodus 1500 Power Station to be the best solution for most emergencies given its value, capacity, quality, and versatility. We also presented two other options: the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus which focuses on portability and the EcoFlow Delta 3 Pro which focuses on further expandable capacity.

Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.

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