Portable power station for home backup

A portable power station for home backup stores electricity in a rechargeable battery and, during an outage, runs compatible appliances from its built-in outlets. It can keep a refrigerator, internet connection, lights or medical equipment going while the grid is down. The right system depends on what you need to power, how much electricity those devices use and how long the outage lasts. A large battery isn't automatically the right choice, because the AC inverter also has to support the connected appliances.

Start with what must keep running

Separate essential appliances from equipment you can leave off during an outage. Your list might include:

• Refrigerator or freezer
• CPAP or other essential medical equipment
• Internet modem and router
• Phones and device chargers
• Lights
• Furnace controls and blower
• Well pump or other water equipment

Record each appliance's running watts, startup requirements where they apply, and expected operating hours. Appliances with motors or compressors can need extra power when starting, so a power station with plenty of battery capacity can still fail to start an incompatible appliance. For medical equipment, confirm the device's power requirements and backup recommendations rather than relying on an estimated wattage. See our guides to refrigerator backup, CPAP backup and well pump backup.

Decide how long backup power must last

An overnight outage asks much less of a battery than one that runs for several days, so think about how long each appliance has to operate. A refrigerator cycles on and off, a router may stay on the whole time, and lights may only be needed for part of the outage. To estimate each appliance's energy use in watt-hours (Wh), multiply its average power by its operating time: Energy needed (Wh) = Average power (W) × Operating time (hours).

Add up the results for every appliance you plan to use. For a longer outage, also work out whether you can recharge the battery before it runs empty.

Understand capacity, output, and surge

Three specifications decide whether a power station fits your needs.

Capacity sets how long compatible loads can run, and continuous output sets which loads can run together. Surge matters when equipment draws extra power while starting: both the appliance's starting requirement and the surge duration have to fall within what the power station can deliver. A manufacturer's boost mode isn't necessarily the same as its surge rating, so check the conditions in the product documentation. Our power station size calculator turns your list into an estimate. Our explainer on watts, watt-hours and surge watts goes through each number with a worked example.

Worked example: essentials for 24 hours

A day of essentials at the higher listed loads uses up to 2,124 Wh. This example keeps the refrigerator and router running all day, with shorter operating periods for lights and phone charging.

At the lower ends, the same schedule uses 1,722 Wh: 6 W for the router and modem, 5.9 W per bulb and 5 W per phone. For the higher-load day, you need 2,360 to 2,655 Wh of rated capacity.

Our runtime calculations assume 80% to 90% of rated capacity reaches AC appliances. The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 (1,024 Wh rated, 819.2 to 921.6 Wh available) covers 0.39 to 0.43 of a day. The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 (2,042 Wh) covers 0.77 to 0.87 of a day, while the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 (4,096 Wh) covers 1.54 to 1.74 days.

Use your own appliance's figures and operating hours to adjust this example in the runtime calculator.

Decide how you will recharge

A battery can't supply energy indefinitely, so plan how you'll refill it. Your options depend on the model and the power sources you have:

• Household AC charging before an outage or when grid power returns
• Compatible vehicle charging
• Solar panels within the station's input limits
• Charging from a compatible fuel generator operating safely outdoors

If you don't plan to use solar, read home battery backup without solar. If you want solar recharging, see our solar generator guide. If you already have rooftop solar, whether it works in an outage depends on the inverter, and our panel sizing post shows how many panel watts a recharge takes.

Choose the type of system

Smaller portable units suit a selected group of appliances. Larger or expandable models can store more energy and, depending on their output specifications, support more demanding loads. Compare models on:

• Rated battery capacity
• Continuous and surge output
• AC outlet type and voltage
• Charging input limits
• Expansion support
• Weight and portability

Start with the portable power station comparison. If you need household circuits covered rather than direct appliance connections, read whole-house battery backup.

Plan for safe operation

Only power equipment through connections the power station's manufacturer approves. Never connect a power station directly to household wiring: connecting to home circuits requires listed transfer equipment, such as a transfer switch or an interlock kit with an inlet, installed by a licensed electrician with any required permit.

If recharging the battery may be difficult during your outages, compare the tradeoffs in our power station vs gas generator guide. For cold-weather outages, use the winter storm power plan. If the station will live on the wall between outages, read whether you can leave it plugged in and whether it can stand in for a UPS.

Battery safety at home

Follow your own station's manual; for example, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 manual requires a clean and dry environment for use and storage. Check the unit before every use and do not use it if damaged. Keep it away from children and pets.

Jackery says to charge in a well-ventilated area and never place the station on its side or upside down. Stop using it and contact the manufacturer if you notice rust, odd odors or overheating. For storage lasting one year, the manual specifies 32 to 77°F. It also warns that exposure to fire or temperatures above 265°F may cause an explosion.

The BLUETTI AC180 manual says to keep the station away from heat sources and direct sunlight. Do not store it with flammable liquids or gases, block its vents or stack objects on it. A cracked shell means the unit must not be used.

For storage longer than 3 months, BLUETTI specifies charging to 40% to 60%, powering off and removing all connections. Store it somewhere cool and dry, ideally 50 to 86°F. In case of fire, evacuate and call 9-1-1. Check your model in our recall tracker.