In short, they power electronics using a rechargeable battery. They’re similar to power banks but have a larger capacity, higher output power, and AC (wall) outlets so they can power anything from phones to home appliances. Lighter models can be taken camping and bigger models can serve as backup power during outages.

Is a portable power station just a big battery?

Is a bank just a vault? Though the battery is the main part of a portable power station, there are also a number of components and technologies that send stored energy safely and efficiently to your appliances. They have tech that makes them recharge faster, screens that show input and output, and even apps for remote energy management.

What’s the difference between a solar generator and a portable power station?

Just the names – neither a portable power station nor a solar generator create energy, they just store it so you can use it anytime. The same goes for battery-powered generators. The “solar” element just indicates that generators can connect to solar panels but so can some portable power stations.

How is a portable power station different from a power bank?

Portable power stations have much more capacity and outlets than power banks, which usually only have USB outlets. Portable power stations can be used for things that would normally plug into a wall or car outlet. This is because they have enough juice to power big things for hours and can output more electricity.

Lifespan

Seeing a battery as an investment is sort of a new concept. One of the things to compare is the cycle life. It’s will be stated as something like 500 cycles to 80% capacity.

500 cycles – All rechargeable battery’s subtly lose capacity over their lifetime, and part of this is due to their charge/discharge cycles. A full cycle is when the battery has been used a total of 100% – if you use 30% today, 50% tomorrow, and 20% the next day, that’s one cycle. That’s regardless of if/how much you recharged it on these days.

80% capacity – After the 500 cycles, then what? Your battery isn’t at the end of it’s life, it’s only at 80% of it’s original health. A battery that could once power a light for 100 hours, would only be able to power it for 80 hours. When comparing lifespans between portable power stations, it’s important the health percentage is the same: a battery that’s 500 cycles to 80% capacity is better than a battery that’s 500 cycles to 50% capacity.