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How Much Capacity Do I Need?

2023-02-04

The capacity and output you need out of your Portable power station or bank depends entirely on what devices you need to power up. Luckily, most companies give a good rundown of what devices can be powered, and for how long, on their product pages.

It`s common practice to coordinate the capacity and peak output in a relatively linear fashion: as amp or watt output goes up, amp or watt capacity goes up. In other words, a high-usage device like a microwave will spike the power station`s watt output, so your unit will need to have a high watt output rating (north of the 1000-watt range). That output often coordinates with the battery`s capacity, so many units with a 1000-watt peak output will be rated for around 1000Wh (in theory, they should be able to steadily deliver 1000 watts for an hour). Many new power stations even offer surge peak output, so the max output can go over what they`re rated for (this helps when hooking up multiple devices or devices that draw a lot of power).

For home backup applications, I`d recommend 1000-watt (and 1000Wh) units as a low end: That will do for short outages and keeping a few things powered. That`s also right around where I think even the most electronic-laden car campers and RV campers will top out at. The exception would be if you plan to charge your camper`s batteries with your power station. For most weekend trips-and for greater portability-I recommend power banks of around 300 watts or less. No matter what your needs are, one of the power banks and portable power stations below should work for you.

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