Which power station brands do we track?

Which brand are you looking at?

Does the brand matter more than the specs?

No. The specs decide whether a power station can do your job, and the brand matters only after that. Two models from different brands with the same capacity, output and surge will run the same appliance for about the same time, because runtime comes from those numbers.

That is why every page on RuntimeWise starts from a requirement and not a logo. A brand page is useful once you have a reason to look at one maker. You may already own its solar panels or extra batteries. You may have a store you trust nearby. It is also useful when a friend recommends a brand and you want to see its whole range before you pick a size.

The brand pages don't rate brands. Published spec sheets say nothing about long-term reliability, support or warranty handling, so the site makes no claims about them. What the pages do show is lineup shape: how many current models a brand sells, how wide its size range is, how many models take extra batteries, and which uses its models meet.

How do the brands' lineups differ?

The brands differ most in how many current models they sell and how those models spread across the size bands. By current model count, the field is Anker SOLIX (9), BLUETTI (9), DJI Power (4), EcoFlow (14), Goal Zero (6) and Jackery (14), for 56 models in all.

A larger lineup means smaller steps between sizes, so you are more likely to find a model close to the capacity you need. A smaller lineup means bigger jumps, and you may end up paying for more battery than you need or settling for less. Neither is better on its own. A short lineup that happens to include the exact size you need is all you need.

Across all brands, the models split by size 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). The brand cards above show each maker's own range from smallest to largest, so you can see at a glance whether a brand reaches the band you want. Some brands start very small and others start near the middle. A few reach the top band and others stop short of it.

Several brands sell their models in named families. In the current data, EcoFlow's RIVER models are its smaller units and its DELTA models are its larger ones. Jackery splits its range into Explorer and HomePower models, Goal Zero uses the Yeti name, and Anker SOLIX uses letter series. Family names can help you find a brand's models, but they are not a size rule across brands. Always check the capacity in watt-hours.

Which brands let you add batteries later?

Across all 6 brands, 23 of the 56 current models accept extra batteries, and the brand cards above show how many of those each maker sells. Expansion matters most if you expect your needs to grow, or if you want a portable unit now and a longer outage reserve later.

Don't assume an extra battery from one brand or one model fits another. If you plan to expand, pick the brand and the model together and confirm on the model page which extra batteries it lists. The best power stations for home backup list requires expansion, so it is a quick way to see which brands are in that conversation.

If you never plan to add a battery, expansion is not a reason to prefer one brand. Buy the capacity you need up front and compare on the specs that matter for your job.

Do the brands use different battery chemistries?

Mostly not. Of the 56 current models, 54 use LiFePO4 cells, so chemistry does little to separate one brand from another today. The few exceptions are marked on their model pages.

Because nearly every current model uses the same chemistry, rated cycle life and weight are better tie-breakers than chemistry when you compare across brands. The guide to LiFePO4, NMC and sodium-ion power stations explains what the chemistries mean for cycle life and cold-weather use.

What does each brand page show?

Each brand page shows a one-paragraph summary, a list of which models meet each use, and a table of every current model with the same columns. The columns are capacity, AC output, solar input, weight, list price and rated cycles.

• Summary line. The brand's size range, how many models take extra batteries, the lightest model and the model with the most capacity per list dollar.
• Uses list. For each of the 12 uses, the brand's models that meet every requirement on that use page. If a use has no models listed, that brand doesn't currently sell a model that fits it.
• Full table. Every current model, smallest first, with links to the maker's store and to Amazon.
• Links out. The other brand pages and the comparisons that include that brand.

The specs come from each maker's official US pages, checked on 2026-10-12. Where a maker doesn't publish a figure, the table says so. A blank cycle rating, for example, means the maker didn't publish one. It doesn't mean the model has a low rating.

How do you compare power stations across brands?

Pick the size band first, then line up models from different brands within it on the same specs. Comparing a small unit from one brand with a large one from another tells you nothing useful.

1. Fix the size. Open the size band that fits your needs, such as 1,000–1,999 Wh power stations. Every brand's models in that range appear in one table.
2. Apply your hard limits. Strike any model whose AC output or surge rating is too low for your appliances. These limits are the same for every brand.
3. Compare what is left. Weigh weight, solar input, recharge speed, expansion and rated cycles against your job. The fit checklist on each model page shows which uses it meets.
4. Compare value. Divide capacity by list price to get watt-hours per dollar. A 1,000 Wh unit listed at $500 works out to 2 Wh per dollar. Higher is more battery for the money, but check that the cheaper model still passes your hard limits.
5. Check the price today. List prices are the maker's. Sale prices differ between the brand store and Amazon, so check both.

If a pair of models from two brands keeps coming up, see whether there is a head-to-head comparison for it. For the most common brand question, the EcoFlow vs Jackery guide compares the two lineups in depth. To test any model against your own loads, use the power station runtime calculator.

What should you do if your brand isn't listed?

Use the same method on the maker's own spec page: find the capacity, AC output, surge, weight and solar input, then compare those figures with a tracked model in the same size band. The site covers 6 brands today, and the brand pages only include models we could check against an official US source.

To estimate runtime, pick a tracked model of about the same capacity in the runtime calculator and treat the result as a rough guide. If you want a brand or a model added, the how we research page explains how models are checked, and the contact page tells you how to ask.