How long will it keep running?

What does RuntimeWise answer?

RuntimeWise answers one practical question: will a given portable power station run the thing you need, and for how long. Every page is built from the published specs of 56 current models from 6 brands, checked against each maker's official US page.

That question splits into two checks. The first is whether the inverter can start and carry the load. The second is how many hours the battery lasts once it does. A station can pass one and fail the other. A small unit may start a laptop charger easily and still run out before morning. A large battery with a modest inverter may hold plenty of energy and still refuse to start a compressor. Each page on the site reports both checks, so you don't buy on capacity alone.

The site does not try to name one best power station. The right model depends on the job, the hours you need and how far you have to carry it. The pages below help you narrow the field to a short list that fits your job, and then show you the specs side by side.

Where should you start on this site?

Start from whatever you already know: the appliance you need to power, the job you are buying for, a model you are considering, or the size you have in mind. Each starting point leads to a different kind of page.

• You know the appliance. Open the can-it-run pages. There are 26 of them, one per appliance, and each one checks every model at once. The refrigerator page is the most common place people begin during outage planning.
• You know the job. Open the best-for lists. There are 12 uses, such as home backup, camping and van life. Each list is a filter with its requirements printed at the top, so you can see why a model made the cut.
• You know the model. Open all power stations and pick it from the table. A model page shows what that unit runs, which uses it fits and which nearby models differ from it.
• You know the size. Use the size bands near the top of this page. They group models by capacity, which is the fastest way to compare stations that cost and weigh about the same.
• You have two models in mind. Check the comparison pages to see whether your pair is covered.

If you don't know any of these yet, read the guide to sizing a power station first. It walks you from a list of appliances to a capacity and an output rating you can shop for.

How are the runtimes on this site calculated?

Runtime is the battery's rated capacity times 85% inverter efficiency, divided by the appliance's draw in watts. For example, a 1,000 Wh battery feeding a steady 100 W load gives 1,000 × 0.85 ÷ 100, or about 8.5 hours.

Fridges and freezers cycle on and off, so their runtimes use a cited duty cycle instead of assuming the compressor runs nonstop. Every other load counts as running the whole time. The figures are calculated from specs. They are not measured on a bench. Battery age, cold weather and the station's own idle draw all cut into real runtime, so treat each number as a ceiling and leave a margin. To combine several appliances or enter the watts from your own labels, use the power station runtime calculator.

What does the site cover?

The site covers 56 current portable power stations, priced from $119 to $3,999.95 at list, with a median list price of $949. Capacity runs from 128 Wh to 5,040 Wh, and the median model holds 1,208 Wh with a 2,000 W inverter.

By size band, the models split into Under 500 Wh (9), 500–999 Wh (6), 1,000–1,999 Wh (17), 2,000–2,999 Wh (10) and 3,000 Wh and up (14). By brand, the count is Anker SOLIX (9), BLUETTI (9), DJI Power (4), EcoFlow (14), Goal Zero (6) and Jackery (14). Of the 56 models, 54 use LiFePO4 cells and 23 accept extra batteries.

Each model record holds 14 spec fields, from capacity and surge rating to solar input and UPS switchover time. When a maker doesn't publish a figure, the page says "Not published" instead of guessing. The guides add 8 longer explanations, and the site cites 79 outside facts from source documents such as government and manufacturer publications. Specs were last checked on 2026-10-12.

How do you get from a shortlist to a purchase?

Confirm the model passes both checks for your load, look at the fit checklist on its page, and only then check the current price at the retailer. The list prices on the site are the manufacturer's, with the date checked. Sale prices change often, so the price you pay may be lower.

1. Check the hard limits. Make sure the inverter covers your running watts and the surge rating covers any motor or compressor start. A bigger battery won't fix an inverter that is too small.
2. Check the hours. Compare the calculated runtime with the outage, trip or workday you need to cover, and leave a margin.
3. Check the extras. Weight, solar input, expansion batteries and UPS switchover matter for some jobs and not others. The best-for lists tell you which ones apply to yours.
4. Check the price. Each model page links to the maker's store and to Amazon. Compare the two before you buy.

What doesn't RuntimeWise do?

RuntimeWise doesn't test units by hand, doesn't rank brands by reputation, and doesn't sell placement. We compared published specifications and suitability criteria. That is the whole basis of every list and verdict on the site.

• No hands-on claims. We don't report noise, build quality or how a unit feels to carry, because none of that is in the published specs.
• No reliability or warranty ratings. Spec sheets don't measure long-term reliability, app quality or customer service, so the site doesn't score them.
• No paid ranking. Lists sort by spec metrics only. Affiliate commissions don't change the order. The affiliate disclosure explains how the site earns money.
• No electrical or medical sign-off. For wiring a station into a home panel, use a licensed electrician and follow local permits. For medical devices, confirm power needs with the device maker.

The full method, including where each spec comes from and how errors are corrected, is on the how we research page.