Best portable power stations for home backup

Four power stations of about 1 kWh, compared on what their makers publish: capacity, output, battery, rated cycles, weight and warranty. We have not tested them. Every figure links to its source and shows the day we checked it.

Specifications last checked November 9, 2026. How we evaluate · Corrections and updates

Quick answer

During an outage, a power station can run devices such as a router, a laptop or lights for as long as its battery lasts. Whether it can run a given refrigerator depends on that refrigerator's power draw, which we cover below. Here is how the four compare on the numbers alone. These are comparisons of published figures, not test results, and a different household can reasonably choose differently.

The four models at a glance

All four are 1 kWh-class units with lithium iron phosphate batteries, and the figures below come from each maker's own pages and manuals.

The four models, one by one

Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2

The C1000 Gen 2 has the highest output of the four: 2,000 W continuous with a 3,000 W peak, from a 1,024 Wh battery. It weighs 11.3 kg (24.9 lb) and takes up to 600 W of solar. Anker lists a UPS switchover of 10 ms. It also lists the fastest wall recharge of the four: 49 minutes from empty to full at 1,600 W, in a mode you have to switch on in the Anker app. At the standard 1,200 W setting it takes longer.

Two things to check before buying. Anker's registration page says registering the unit activates a 5-year warranty, and we did not find the warranty length without registration. Anker's product page also counts 10 ports in total without saying how many are AC outlets.

EcoFlow Delta 3

The Delta 3 lists 1,024 Wh, 1,800 W continuous and a 3,600 W surge. EcoFlow's X-Boost feature raises that to 2,200 W for some loads. There are six AC outlets and up to 500 W of solar input. At 12.5 kg (27.6 lb) it is the heaviest of the four. EcoFlow also lists extra batteries that bring the system to 5 kWh, and a battery pack rated IP65 against water and dust.

EcoFlow's US warranty policy lists the Delta 3 at 5 years from delivery. The policy covers purchases from EcoFlow or an authorized seller, with standard coverage in the contiguous United States. A similar model, the Delta 3 Classic, has a different warranty.

Jackery Explorer 1000 V2

The Explorer 1000 V2 has the most capacity of the four, at 1,070 Wh, with 1,500 W continuous and a 3,000 W surge. At 10.8 kg (23.8 lb) it is also the lightest. It has three AC outlets and takes up to 400 W of solar through its DC input. Jackery lists about 1.6 hours to recharge from a wall adapter.

Its output is the lowest here, so check your loads against 1,500 W. Its rated cycle life is measured differently from the others (see the next section). Jackery's warranty is 3 years plus 2 more with registration, and Jackery says it applies only to purchases from its own site, Jackery-branded third-party platforms or authorized dealers.

BLUETTI Elite 100 V2

The Elite 100 V2 lists 1,024 Wh, 1,800 W continuous and a weight of 11.5 kg (25.3 lb). It takes up to 1,000 W of solar, the most of the four, and BLUETTI lists a 10 ms UPS switchover. From a wall outlet it charges at up to 1,200 W, reaching 80% in 45 minutes at 25 °C (77 °F). The manual says the 2,700 W output exists only in Power Lifting Mode and only for purely resistive loads, such as a kettle or a heater. It is not a general surge rating.

BLUETTI's US page mentions a 5-year warranty in its description. It does not appear in the technical table, so read the warranty terms before relying on it.

How long will one run your devices?

Move the slider to the combined watts of what you want to run. The estimate uses each model's rated capacity.

How to choose

Capacity and output are two different numbers

Capacity, in watt-hours (Wh), is how much energy the battery stores. Output, in watts (W), is how much power it can deliver at one moment. A unit with plenty of capacity still shuts off if the devices you plug in ask for more watts than its output.

Size the capacity to your loads

Multiply the watts of each device by the hours you want it running, and add them up. Then divide by 0.85. We use 0.85 as an assumed allowance for energy lost in conversion, not as a measured value. For example, a router at about 20 W and a laptop at about 60 W, running for 10 hours, need 80 W × 10 h = 800 Wh, so about 941 Wh of battery. All four models here are above that. Use the wattage on your own devices' labels, not these example values.

Refrigerators need extra power for a moment when the compressor starts. Check the label for running and starting watts, and compare them with each unit's continuous output and surge rating.

Read the cycle rating carefully

Anker, EcoFlow and BLUETTI rate 4,000 cycles to 80% of the original capacity. Jackery rates 4,000 cycles to 70%. The headline number is the same, but the promise is not: 70% means the battery is allowed to lose more capacity before the rating ends.

Other things to compare

• Solar input. A higher input charges faster from panels, if you own panels that can supply it.
• Recharge time from a wall outlet. It decides how soon the unit is ready again after an outage.
• UPS switchover. Anker, EcoFlow and BLUETTI list 10 ms or less when the unit sits between the wall and a device. We did not check Jackery's figure.
• Weight. It ranges from 10.8 to 12.5 kg (23.8 to 27.6 lb) across these four.
• Warranty and where you buy. Several makers cover only purchases from their own store or authorized sellers. Check who the seller is.
• Price. Prices change often, so we do not print them here. Compare the current price on the seller's page.

Safety and limits

• Follow the manual. Each maker lists charging and operating temperatures. BLUETTI and Anker, for example, list charging between 0 and 40 °C (32 to 104 °F).
• Do not feed your house wiring. BLUETTI's manual says not to connect the unit's AC output to the grid. To power circuits in your home, ask a licensed electrician about a transfer switch installed to local code.
• Medical equipment. We do not recommend relying on a power station for life-sustaining equipment. Ask the device's maker and your clinician, and ask your electric utility whether it has a program for customers who use powered medical equipment.
• No promise of protection. We compare published figures. We do not promise that any product will protect your home or your health.

Questions people ask

Can a power station run a refrigerator?

It depends on the refrigerator. Compare its running and starting watts with the unit's continuous output and surge rating, then use the calculator above for the hours. All four models here list at least 1,500 W of continuous output.

What does LiFePO4 mean?

It is short for lithium iron phosphate, also written LFP. All four models use it. Jackery's own support page contrasts it with older NCM batteries, which it puts at around 500 cycles against around 4,000.

Does the warranty apply if I buy on Amazon?

It depends on the seller. EcoFlow covers purchases from EcoFlow or an authorized seller, and Jackery covers its own site, Jackery-branded third-party platforms and authorized dealers. Check that the listing says it is sold by the maker or an authorized seller.

Can I charge one with solar panels?

All four accept solar input, from 400 W to 1,000 W depending on the model. You need panels whose voltage and power fit that unit's input limits, which are in each maker's manual.

Full specification table

Rows marked "to be verified" are models we have listed but not yet sourced. Rated cycles are measured to 80% of original capacity for Anker, EcoFlow and BLUETTI, and to 70% for Jackery.

Where the figures come from

• Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2, product page and warranty registration page
• EcoFlow Delta 3, product page and US warranty policy
• Jackery Explorer 1000 V2, product page and Jackery support: differences among the 1000 models
• BLUETTI Elite 100 V2, US product page and BLUETTI user manual V2.1 (PDF)

If a figure here is wrong, tell us. We fix it and note the change on the corrections page.