About RuntimeWise
RuntimeWise answers one question for people choosing a portable power station: will it run what I need, and for how long?
If you know the appliance you care about (a fridge during an outage, a CPAP on a camping trip, a router and laptop when the power goes out) but spec sheets list watt-hours and inverter ratings. We translate one into the other for every current model from 6 brands.
What we do
- Collect specs from each manufacturer's own pages and keep the source and date on every model page.
- Calculate runtimes and start-up checks for common appliances, with the formula shown.
- Filter models by use case, with the requirement stated at the top of each list.
What we don't do
- We don't run a test lab or claim hands-on testing.
- We show each manufacturer's list price with the date we checked it, but not sale prices or stock levels at retailers, which change too often to keep accurate.
- Commissions never change which models pass a filter.
Read how we research for sources and calculations, or get in touch if you spot a wrong number.
Who runs RuntimeWise?
RuntimeWise is run by RuntimeWise editors and builds comparison data about portable power stations. We don't publish personal biographies or claim credentials, because nothing on the site asks you to trust a person's opinion. Every number on a model page shows where it came from and when it was checked, so you can judge the work by its sources instead of by who wrote it.
That choice is deliberate. A review site asks you to believe that a reviewer used a product and formed a fair view. We don't use the products, so we don't ask for that kind of trust. We ask you to check us. If a spec on a model page doesn't match the manufacturer's own page, that is a mistake you can see and report, and we fix it from the official source.
Why does this site exist?
The site exists to help you finish a job: keep a fridge cold through an outage, run a CPAP for a weekend, or keep a router and laptop online until the grid comes back. It isn't built to rank for as many searches as possible. Each page answers one question a buyer asks and then sends you to the next page you need.
Power station marketing leads with capacity and peak output. Those numbers matter, but on their own they don't tell you whether a station starts your well pump or how many nights it powers your sleep machine. Turning those specs into an answer takes three things: the appliance's real draw, the station's continuous and surge ratings, and an honest allowance for conversion losses. We do that arithmetic in the open for every model, so you don't have to repeat it for each listing you look at.
What does the site cover today?
The site covers 56 current models from 6 brands: Anker SOLIX (9), BLUETTI (9), DJI Power (4), EcoFlow (14), Goal Zero (6) and Jackery (14). Capacities run from 128 Wh to 5,040 Wh, and the manufacturers' list prices run from $119 to $3,999.95, with a median of $949.
- By size. Models are grouped into capacity bands: 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). Start at the power station directory if you already know roughly how much battery you need.
- By appliance. 26 "can it run" pages answer the question for a single appliance, such as a refrigerator or a CPAP machine.
- By use. 12 "best for" lists filter every model against a stated requirement, from camping to home backup.
- By pair. 4 side-by-side comparisons cover pairs of models that buyers name together in their questions.
- By topic. 8 guides explain the ideas behind the numbers, such as surge watts, battery chemistry and solar charging.
The runtime calculator covers 49 appliances and lets you enter your own wattage when your label differs from our typical figure.
How is the content made?
The pages are generated by our own scripts from a spec database we check against each manufacturer's official US pages. We say this plainly because it shapes what you can expect from every page.
- Specs. Each model's specs were checked against the manufacturer's official US page. The most recent check was on 2026-10-12.
- Calculated numbers. Runtimes, fit checks and list memberships are computed from that data when the site is built. Nobody types them in by hand, so a correction to one spec flows to every page that uses it.
- Written sections. The prose was drafted with AI assistance under written rules. The rules require every number to come from the data or from a cited source document, ban any claim of hands-on testing, and ban brand claims the data doesn't support.
- Outside statistics. Figures from government, lab and manufacturer documents (79 documents in all) were checked against the source documents by an AI-assisted research process. Each page that uses one names the publisher.
We don't claim that a human expert reviewed every page. The safeguards are the rules above, the visible sources, and the corrections process. The full method is on how we research.
How does RuntimeWise make money?
The site earns commissions when you buy through some of its links to brand stores and Amazon. That's the only revenue source. There are no subscriptions, paid placements or sponsored posts.
Commissions are paid under each program's own terms, and they don't affect what you pay. They also don't affect the order of any list. Rankings come from published specs and the requirement stated on each page, and the code that builds them sorts by spec metrics only. A model from a brand that pays us nothing is listed exactly as it would be otherwise. The affiliate disclosure explains which links earn and how they're marked.
How should you use the site to pick a power station?
Start from the thing you already know, and let each page narrow the choice before you look at prices.
- If you know the appliance, open its "can it run" page. It tells you which models start it and roughly how long each one keeps it running.
- If you know the situation, open the matching "best for" list. Every model on it passes the stated requirement, so you only compare models that already fit.
- If you have several loads, add them to the runtime calculator with your own label wattages and hours of use.
- If you have a shortlist, read each model page and check the fit checklist, the published ports and the recharge options.
- Before you buy, check the current price and stock on the retailer's site. We show list prices with the date checked, and sale prices change faster than we can track.
When should you look beyond this site?
Look elsewhere when your question depends on something a spec sheet doesn't cover. We publish what manufacturers publish and what can be calculated from it, and that has limits.
- Warranty, service and support. Read the brand's own terms. We don't compare warranties or support quality.
- Wiring into your home. Connecting a station to a panel or transfer switch needs a licensed electrician and may need a local permit.
- Medical devices. Confirm power requirements and battery use with the device maker or your care provider before you rely on a station for oxygen or breathing equipment.
- Real-world performance. Cold weather, battery age and appliance wear all change results. Our runtimes use 85% inverter efficiency and typical draw, so treat them as planning figures and leave a margin.
How can you help improve the site?
Report what looks wrong and ask for what's missing. Because pages are generated from one database, a single corrected spec fixes every page that uses it, so one good report helps every reader.
- A wrong spec. Send the model, the page and a link to the manufacturer's official US page that shows the right value.
- A missing model. Send the brand, the exact model name and its official spec page.
- A question we don't answer. Tell us the appliance or situation. The pages we have exist because buyers asked those questions.
Everything you need to include is on the contact page.