All 56 portable power stations

How do you narrow 56 power stations to a short list?

Narrow by size band first, then by the job you need done, then by brand if you have a preference. Size sets the price and weight range. The job sets the hard requirements. Brand is the last filter, not the first.

• By size band. The table above splits 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). Pick the band that covers the energy your loads need over the hours you care about. If you don't know that number yet, the guide to sizing a power station works it out from your appliance list. Each band page, such as 1,000–1,999 Wh power stations, adds calculated runtimes for a fridge and a router.
• By use. The best-for lists apply stated requirements for 12 jobs, such as weight for camping or switchover time for computers. A model either meets every requirement or it doesn't make the list.
• By appliance. If one device decides the purchase, its can-it-run page checks start-up and runtime across every model.
• By brand. The brand pages list each maker's lineup with the same columns, which helps when you already own panels or batteries from one brand.

How should you read a model page?

Read a model page from the top down: headline specs, then what it runs, then which uses it fits, then the details that matter for your job. Each section answers one question, so you can skip the ones that don't apply.

1. Headline specs. Capacity, AC output, surge, weight, solar input and rated cycles, all from the maker's official US page.
2. What it runs. Calculated runtimes for common appliances from a full charge, at 85% inverter efficiency. Fridges and freezers use a cited duty cycle. Use the runtime calculator to combine loads.
3. Fit checklist. Which of the 12 uses the model meets, explained below.
4. Expansion, UPS and recharge. Whether it takes extra batteries, its published switchover time, and how fast it refills from the wall or from solar.
5. Full specifications. All 14 fields, with "Not published" where the maker gives no figure.
6. Nearby models. The closest models by capacity from other brands, and the closest sibling from the same brand with only the specs that differ.

What does the fit checklist on each model page mean?

The fit checklist shows which uses a model meets in full and which ones it misses by a single requirement. A check mark means it meets every stated requirement for that use. A cross means it fails exactly one, and the line names the requirement and the model's own figure.

Uses the model misses by two or more requirements are left out, because they aren't close calls. A near miss is worth reading. If a model misses camping only on weight and you will carry it a few yards from a car, the miss may not matter to you. If it misses a fridge use on surge, it does matter, because a bigger battery can't fix a surge rating that is too low.

Which models lead each spec across all 56?

No model leads on everything. The biggest batteries are the heaviest, and the lightest stations hold the least, so start from the spec your use depends on.

What does each price range buy?

List prices run from $119 to $3,999.95. The table groups current models by list price and names the most capacity per dollar in each range.

Official list prices on the date checked; sales move models between ranges.