Best portable power stations: I’ll never be without mains power ever again, even on my mid river mooring.
The best portable power stations help to keep us powered up no matter where our adventures take us. Even if it is just down the garden, glamping. For boaters they’re the best thing since sliced bread.
No matter where we are these days, in a camper van overlooking rugged scenery, in a RIB bouncing along the coast line or quietly anchored up somewhere idyllic… there’s the question we all get asked by guests and kids onboard: Can I plug my phone in? Usually preceded by What’s the wifi code…
Well in this buyers guide I can help you with the power situation. (I can help with the wifi code, but you’ll need to buy a drink and a snack first)
Sometimes it’s not just a phone, but something more medical. Here’s a good example of where the best power stations come in handy: I was skippering a lovely customer’s Beneteau 50 and one of his guests asked where they could plug their sleep apnea breathing apparatus in for the night while we were at anchor. Now the Beneteau is equipped with a splendid built-in silenced generator onboard but nobody wanted to have that thing humming all night. A truly silent option was wrestled from the cupboard. The power pack was a simple unit from Jackery and it lasted all night. During the day we charged it up as we were underway again.
The guest slept safely and everyone else slept soundly without the generator hum.
I use a small Eco Flow River Pro on a project boat I am working on currently and I have a bigger Bluetti unit I can use for corded power tools.
The capabilities of these portable power stations vary widely but, as a general guide, the more you pay, the more portable power you get to take away.
Editors Top choices at a glance:
Best for light weight portable power –
Best for heavy duty power use –
the best portable power stations tested and reviewed
Optional solar panels take up a fair bit of space on board
Ecoflow Delta Max
Specifications:
Dimensions: 50cm x 24cm x 30cm
Weight: 21.5kg (48lbs)
Capacity: 2016Wh (50.4V 40Ah)
Input: AC Charge Input Power: X-STREAM Charge 2000W max, AC Charge Input Voltage: International version 220-240V
Solar Charge Input: 10-100V 10A 800W max, Car Charge Input: 12V/24V 8A max
Output: AC outlet 220-240V (*4), 2400W total (Surge 4600W for 300 ms), Max Device(s) Power Supported by X-Boost 220-240V 3000W
12V Car Port Output, DC55121 Output, USB-A Fast Charge Port Output, USB-A Output Port, USB-C Output Port
Reasons to Buy: powerful enough for most power tools and appliances, large capacity, sturdy built in handles
Reasons to Avoid: seriously weighty and less easy to move around by hand, may be a bit overkill if all you want to charge is a few mobile devices.
The trend for portable power stations replacing petrol powered generators on small to medium-sized boats is gathering pace.
Ecoflow is one of the better-established brands with a proper UK distributor to provide back-up in the event of any issue.
Given that this top-of-the-range Ecoflow Delta Max model costs from £1,999 for the battery pack alone and another £549 for the optional 220W solar panels, that’s a fairly chunky investment.
But what that buys is one of the most powerful portable power packs around, boasting a 2kWh capacity and peak power of up to 3kW. That’s enough to run most household devices.
It has multiple 240V three-pin sockets as well as four USB plugs. The only downside is that it’s a very substantial piece of kit.
Weighing almost 22kg, the Ecoflow Delta Max takes a fair bit of lifting on your own. It also feels rather vulnerable to splashes, knocks and scrapes so the optional protective bag might be sensible.
The solar panels are a nice addition (given the price of mains electricity) but on a boat they gobble up a lot of space and they take a long time to deliver a full charge so I’d be inclined to leave them at home.
In fact, given the risk of power outages this winter, I’d take the whole thing home and keep it on standby just in case.
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max Portable Power Station 512Wh
Specifications:
available with different capacities: River 600 (288Wh) to the River 600 Pro (720Wh)
Output Ports: USB-A, USB-C, DC, and a 12V
Recharge Options: Mains AC, solar panels, or a car charger
built-in pure sine wave inverter up to 500W output
LCD screen displays real-time information about power usage and battery status
weight: 6.1kg
Reasons to Buy: really sturdy low profile built in handle, solar charge is available, chain multiple units together for increased power capacity
Reasons to Avoid: it may not be powerful enough if you want to power multiple high drain devices.
If you’re in search of a portable power station to keep your devices charged and essentials running during outdoor adventures or emergency situations, the EcoFlow River 2 Max Portable Power station might be the answer.
Since the Ecoflow River Max 2 portable power station arrived, barely a day has gone by that it isn’t in use.
You see I live mostly off grid, powered up with a solar panel on my camper van and with both wind and solar on my 1989 boat. I’m quite familiar with working with portable power packs for phones and charging my laptop at any given opportunity. I’m currently working on a 1971 project boat which has pretty much zero electrics onboard (yet), save for the engine starter battery.
Yet I still need to charge my cordless power tools and I still want some lighting, so I have to charge my headtorch and inspection lamp as well as the biolight hanging from a hand rail. I bought a 12v charger for my work laptop (an Apple Air) and frankly, with this little power pack, we are good to go.
The plug in solar panel is a real advantage too, but I’ll get to that in a moment. First the functions of the power pack. It has usb sockets that are always on if the unit is on. So plug in a phone or a usb charger cable and it’ll just crack on with transferring some juice to whatever it is you’ve plugged in.
The DC charger section and the AC charger sections need to be individually switched on when you want to use them and switched off again to save on power drain.
So there’s a standard socket for 12v DV charging that my laptop can go into and then there’s the two AC sockets which when switched on give a familiar cooling fan noise as this activates an inbuilt inverter, from which you can eek 500w of power. This will easily power a hand blender or charge any power tool battery. If you want to boil a kettle though or run a hair dryer, it’s not really designed for that, despite it having a boost option to short term give you up to 1000w. You’ll drain the power pack in minutes if you try that. So pay attention to the power requirements of your appliances.
Bluetti EB70 portable power station
Specifications:
Output Ports: USB-A, USB-C, DC, and a 12V
Recharge Options: Mains AC, solar panels, or a car charger
built-in pure sine wave inverter up to 1000W output
LCD screen displays real-time information about power usage and battery status
weight: 9.7kg
Reasons to Buy: lightweight, portable, folding lay flat handle, good number of power outlets
Reasons to Avoid: not powerful enough for large powertools or appliances
The heart of the Bluetti EB70 is a 716Wh LiFePO4 battery with a 240V AC output of up to 1000W.
The pack weighs 9.7kg but it’s impressively compact and comes with a comfortable folding carry handle and rubberised feet so it won’t slip on a hard surface.
It’s also very well equipped to power and/or recharge almost all portable devices thanks to a pair of three-pin AC sockets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, a 12V cigarette lighter socket and a wireless phone-charging pad.
An illuminated LCD screen shows the current state of charge to the nearest 20% as well as input and output flows in watts. There’s also a built-in light for use at night.
For smaller items such as charging phones, handheld VHFs or laptops, the EB70 works a treat with sufficient power and sockets to charge multiple items at a time for dozens of cycles.
Televisions, power tools and slow cookers should also be fine. It’s only when you get to more power-hungry items that the Bluetti EB70 starts to struggle.
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Jackery Explorer 1000 Power Station
Specifications:
dimensions W 9.2in(23.3cm) H 13.1in(33.3cm) D 11.1in(28.3cm)
Weight: 22.04lbs(10kg)
1000Wh
AC Output(x2): 230V, 50Hz, 1000W (2000W Peak)
USB-A Output(x2): 5V⎓2.4A, Quick Charge 3.0×1, 18W Max
USB-C Output(x2): 18W Max, (5V, 9V, 12V up to 3A)
Car Port(x1): 12V⎓10A
AC Input: doesn’t support direct AC charging – use external AC charger provided
DC Input: 24V⎓7.5A
Reasons to Buy: good number of power outlet options, easy to move around
Reasons to Avoid: not powerful enough for large electrical appliances, large top handle takes up stowage space
One of the joys of having a portable device is that it’s not just limited to boat use, you suddenly start finding lots of other situations that are made immeasurably easier with access to AC power.
With a maximum AC output of 1000W (2000W surge), it’s not punchy enough to power electrical goods with a heavy load demand such as a rapid boil kettle or domestic toaster, but it makes light work of cool boxes, televisions, lights, computers and phones.
If you are desperate for a cup of tea in the morning you can always buy a low-wattage camping kettle for £20 that takes a bit longer to boil.
How long it lasts will depend on usage but it kept a 50ft string of outdoor LED lights illuminated all night and multiple phones and tablets charged for three days at Glastonbury, with more than 50% power remaining.
The nice thing about the Jackery Explorer 1000 is that while it’s not quite as powerful as some of the portable power stations like of Festool and Eco Flow, it is small and light enough to carry on and off a boat.
Weighing a moderate 10kg and housed in a robust plastic casing with a built-in carry handle, it will fit into most deck lockers or tuck away in the corner of a cabin without getting in the way.
I’d also recommend paying a bit extra for the optional carry case to give it a bit more protection (it’s not waterproof so it helps guards against rain and spray) and to keep all the charging leads together.
The solar panels are a more questionable investment for boat users as although they fold away to a sensible size, they take up a lot of deck space once set up and you need to keep rearranging them to face the sun.
On a hot June day in my back garden, it took around eight hours for them to boost the Explorer from 50% to 100% – fine for camping or recharging for free at home but a bit of a hassle on a boat with limited space.
Personally, I’d save yourself the extra £483 and settle for recharging the Jackery Explorer 1000 at home. The generator itself is a no-brainer though. As a cleaner, quieter, safer alternative to a portable petrol generator it makes perfect sense.
Festool SYS-PST 1500
Specifications:
Dimensions: 396 x 296 x 187 mm
Voltage: 240V
Wattage: 1,555Wh
Weight: 16.5kg
Reasons to Buy: rugged design, powerful
Reasons to Avoid: very few power outlets, just one mains AC and one USB C.
The big daddy of our pick of the best portable power stations, the Festool SYS-PST 1500 delivers a mighty 2,990W of permanent power and up to 11,000W in a short-term burst.
Despite this formidable performance the unit is not overly heavy or large; it weighs in at 16.5 kg and measures 396 x 296 x 187 mm. A full recharge takes 3 hours, with a built-in smart charging system protecting the battery cells while charging is underway.
In addition to a single 240V UK 3-pin outlet, the unit also provides 5-20V via a USB-C connection. Designed primarily for use in the construction industry, but well suited to many other applications including marine, the SYS-PST 1500’s lithium-ion battery stores 1,500Wh of energy.
This, Festool claims, is sufficient to run all the tools a builder typically uses for an entire working day – and as the average skipper is likely to demand much less power than a tradesman, the system should run for considerably longer on board a boat.
PowerOak Portable Power station 1500Wh
Specifications:
Dimensions: 378 x 165 x 366 mm
Voltage: 240V
Wattage: 1,000Wh
Weight: 17.2kg
Reasons to Buy: slim vertical unit fits easily into smaller nooks
Reasons to Avoid: quite heavy, power outlets on two faces makes keeping cables tidy more tricky
The 1,500Wh of power stored by the PowerOak means it is capable of running a 1kW travel kettle (or any other 1kW appliance) for 90 minutes non-stop – which of course nobody does.
Estimating the time taken to boil a typical 2 cup travel kettle as 2 minutes suggests this stylish portable power station would serve up to 90 cuppas on a single charge.
The unit (also sold as the Bluetti EB150) delivers its power via one of the two UK 3-pin 240V AC sockets on the back of the box which, incidentally, is available in either blue or black.
In addition, the unit has five USB ports, including one USB-C outlet. Incorporated into the design is an Liquid Crystal Display which shows charging power, AC and DC output power, AC and DC on/off status, and a battery status indicator.
EcoFlow River PRO
Specifications:
Dimensions: 289 x 235 x 180 mm
Voltage: 240V
Wattage: 720Wh
Weight: 7.21kg
Reasons to Buy: useful number of power outlets, easy to carry
Reasons to Avoid: the outlets are on two different sides of the unit making it less easy to keep cables tidy, the large handle looks nice but is quite space consuming.
While the EcoFlow River PRO is supplied as a 720Wh unit with a 600W output capability, it has a neat trick up its sleeve – a second battery can be added to double the energy storage capacity to 1,440Wh.
And if you need more output power, that’s not a problem either as the unit features what EcoFlow calls its X-boost mode. This allows the River PRO to power devices up to 1,800W, which covers around 80 percent of kitchen appliances and DIY tools.
Solar panel recharging times of as little as 4 hours are possible by using two EF 11W solar panels (sold separately), while the unit can be recharged from the mains from zero to 80 percent in just one hour, with a full charge achieved in 1.6 hours.
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 500
Specifications:
Dimensions: 301 x 193 x 242 mm
Voltage: 230V
Wattage: 518Wh
Weight: 6.04kg
Reasons to Buy: light weight, portable,
Reasons to Avoid: the large handle makes it less easy to stow, only one AC outlet, may not be powerful enough for large electrical devices.
Jackery is a specialist power solutions provider which has been delivering its eye-catching orange and black products since 2012.
The company’s Explorer 500 portable power station is a 518Wh unit with three 12V DC outputs, three USB sockets and a UK 3-pin 240V plug socket.
The AC power output is 500W continuous and 1,000W peak. Keen to present its green credentials, Jackery describes its Explorer 500 as a versatile green solar generator.
That’s because when used in conjunction with the firm’s SolarSaga 100W solar panel, the unit’s lithium-ion battery pack can be fully recharged in around 9.5 hours.
Back in 2016 Jackery won a prestigious Red Dot award for the design of its products, one notable feature of which on the Explorer 500 is the large and clear LCD display showing the input/output power at any given time together with the battery charge status.
Poweroak Portable Power Station 500Wh
Specifications:
Dimensions: 295 x 191 x 196 mm
Voltage: 230V
Wattage: 500Wh
Weight: 6.21kg
Reasons to Buy: light and portable, good selection of power outlets, compact format
Reasons to Avoid: might not be powerful enough for some electrical devices such as larger power tools
Our second choice at the lower end of the power output spectrum is the Poweroak AC50S. This compact 500Wh portable power station features two 240V outlets providing up to 300W of AC power, which makes it capable of running products such as a mini-fridge.
In addition, there are five USB points, including a USB-C socket, two 12V 3A sockets and a 12V 9A cigarette lighter outlet.
With an emphasis on quality, Poweroak says the unit’s onboard lithium-ion battery cell is good for more than 1,000 cycles, and an in-built multi-protection system guards against over-voltage, over-current, over-temperature and short circuit.
Recharging takes 6-6.5 hours using the included AC adaptor/generator, or 6-7 hours using Poweroak’s SP120 120W solar panel (sold separately). Rounding off the Poweroak AC50S package is an included 24-month warranty.
Frequently asked questions:
How long does it last between charges?
I don’t have many appliances at all, so I’ve dug around and asked what other people use their powerpack to powerup. Here’s a quick guide to what you can run on this power pack:
- Cordless powertool battery chargers (typically 5w-20w) You can charge multiple times before any noticeable power drain
- Small hand blender (typically 150w) normally used in short bursts of 2 to 5 minutes so negligible power consumption.
- Nintendo Switch (18w max) charge this as much as you like, you’ll get 2 days of solid charging
- Dometic Tropicool box (typically 46w on 12v) if your cool box uses 46w, and it’s constantly running on a hot day, you’ll drain the power pack in about 8 hours. If it’s cold weather and the cooler only needs to top up the coolness then you’ll get much longer.
- Small portable television (typically 100w) A television is a real power sucker, so if you want to watch a film you’ll have about 4 hours before your power pack needs a recharge.
- Laptop Apple Air (typically 30w)
- Laptop Surface pro 7 (typically 65w) It takes typically an hour to charge up a laptop so you’ll get about 7 full charges out of it assuming nothing else is plugged in.
- Ipad (typically 20w) You charge an ipad over 20 times before you’ve fully drained the power bank.
This article Best portable power stations: I'll never be without mains power ever again, even on my mid river mooring. appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.
Source: https://www.mby.com/gear/best-portable-power-stations-long-lasting-240v-power-offshore-117816
