How Do I Work out what Size Power Station I need?

Portable power stations come in a wide variety of sizes, power and capacity.

The larger the battery often means a larger energy capacity and higher power.

This also reflects in the price. Portable power stations with a higher energy capacity cost more than smaller models.

The energy capacity is expressed in Watt Hours (Wh). This value tells you how much energy the battery can store and release in 1 hour.

For instance: a battery with an energy capacity of 100Wh will be able to power a device of 100W for 1 hour.

So it’s important to determine your energy needs beforehand because it will tell you how much energy capacity your battery should be.

To answer the questions: “what size portable power station do I need?”, follow the steps below.

Read our Portable Power Station Reviews or learn what the TOP performers are for different occasions: TOP 10 BEST Portable Power Stations, BEST Portable Power Stations for Camping, BEST Portable Power Stations for Power Outage, BEST Portable Power Station under $200, BEST Portable Power Station for Refrigerator.

What size portable power station do I need?

Calculate Your Power Requirements (W)
Add up the wattage of all devices you’ll run simultaneously. Small electronics like phones and lights need less power, while appliances like refrigerators and power tools need more. The result will be the total power in wattages that the portable power station will need to give in able to run these appliances.
Battery Capacity (Wh)
Use our battery usage calculator to calculate how large your portable power station should be. Use the wattages from step 1 and fill them in the calculator. You should also determine for how long you want to use those devices. Example: is it just for a couple of hours during a power outage or for longer? A short camping trip our off grid living? Depending on the answer you might want to go for a bigger battery. You can also use our calculator for this.
Consider Surge Power
Some appliances need a peak of power to start running. Think of devices with electric motors, like blenders or fridges. This is called surge power. If you want to use these kind of devices then make sure to check the surge wattage capabilities of the portable power station.

Both the maximum power (W) and energy capacity (Wh) values can be checked in the “key specs” section of our in-depth portable power station reviews.

How Do I Know the Capacity of a Power Station?

To know a power station’s capacity, check the specifications listed in watt-hours (Wh).

On most models its written somewhere on the unit itself or even in the name of the model. The Bluetti AC180 has a battery capacity of 1800Wh for instance. Be aware that the number in the name can also refer to its maximum power instead of energy capacity.

This differs from brand to brand.

Keep in mind that actual performance may vary based on factors like inverter efficiency and device usage patterns.

How do I Know the Power of an Appliance?

To find an appliance’s power, look for a label or sticker—usually located on the back or bottom—showing its wattage (W). This is often listed as “Power” or “Input Power.” If it isn’t in watts, check for voltage (V) and current (A) ratings.