What’s the Best Portable Power Station For Home Backup?
Renewable and clean energy is making its way into more homes as homeowners seek sustainable and eco-friendly power solutions.
There are many kinds of systems to provide your home with clean energy: fixed systems and portable systems.
Depending on your needs, one can be more suitable than the other.
However, a portable power system is multifunctional and useful for other situations as well such as camping, tailgaiting,…
In particular, to function as backup power during blackouts for instance. The last 10 years there as been a significant rise of blackouts in the US.
Finding the right power station for home backup can be difficult because there are many options and things to consider.
In this guide, we review the top portable power stations for home off-grid use.
Wether you want to be prepared for a power outage or need a portable clean energy system, we carefully tested and selected the best option on the market today.
Read our other 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 is a portable power station?
A solar generator or portable power station provides electricity without the need for grid power. They are portable which makes them suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
They consist of a rechargeable battery and an inverter that converts DC power to AC. With most models you can charge or power devices like phones, laptops or even larger appliances like fridges or aircons.
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Top 3 Best Portable Power Stations For Home Use
- EcoFlow Delta Pro (3600Wh) power station
- ZERO BREEZE ElecHive 2200 (2500Wh)
- EcoFlow Delta 2 Max (2000Wh)
1. TOP PICK: EcoFlow Delta Pro (3600Wh)
EcoFlow Delta Pro Review score: 4.7/5 stars
The EcoFlow Delta Pro received a high score based on our extensive tests and results. Its excellent performance make it the perfect choice for home backup use.
Best DealBattery Capacity and Power
The EcoFlow Delta Pro is a power horse and is able to power heavy appliances. It has a whopping battery capacity of 3600Wh!
It has 5 AC outlets that together can power devices of 3600W with up to 7200W in surge. With the X-boost mode turned on you can even power an appliance of 4500W.
The X-boost mode is not suitable for fine electronics since the voltage (120V) of the AC outlets will drop to +-90V. This mode is made for heavy appliances that use an electric heater for instance like a hairdryer.
In general, it is no problem to power multiple heavy appliances at the same time with this station.
A single Delta Pro unit is capable of running most of your household appliances for more than a day.
Another great feature why our experts choose the Delta Pro as the best portable power station for home backup is because of its expandability options.
With the Delta Pro you have the ability to expand and build a whole home backup system up to 25000Wh of energy capacity. These kind of systems make it possible to power your whole house for up to a week!
You can also connect the backup system to your home its electric system via a transfer switch. Simple and easy.
These kinds of setups are also eligible for a -30% tax credit (Clean Home Energy Credit).
You have a wide range of options to tailor a clean solar power backup system depending on your needs.
Charging Time
The Delta Pro can be charged from 0% to full in approximately 2 hours. It can charge via a 120V outlet at 1800W AC input or via a 240V AC outlet at an incredible 3000W.
It can be charged through solar panels as well. The maximum solar input is a whopping 1600W. So even if you run out of battery you can easily and rapidly recharge this solar generator.
You can use any solar panels as long as they use MC4 connectors and their combined voltage and current are within 11-150 volts.
Weight and Portability
The EcoFlow Delta Pro is quite heavy at around 99 lbs (45 kg). So it is definitely not the smalles and lightest model on the market.
However, It is designed with portability in mind. It has built-in wheels and a telescoping handle similar to a suitcase. This makes it possible to move it around with ease.
If you are looking for a home power backup solution that can be moved around but only occasionally, then the Delta Pro is perfect for you.
Look at it as a semi fixed and modular home backup system when you combine multiple units or additional batteries.
Durability
The EcoFlow Delta Pro will power your house when its needed for many years to come. The battery is a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery and can complete 3500 cycles to 80% capacity, and up to 6,500 cycles to 50%.
Although if first launched in 2021, it still has a lot of remarkable features compared to newer alternatives on today’s market.
Read the full EcoFlow Delta Pro Review.
2. RUNNER UP: ZERO BREEZE ElecHive 2200 (2500Wh)
Review score: 4,5/5 stars
Based on our extensive tests we can recommend the ZERO BREEZE ElecHive as a solid power station for home backup because of its capacity and portability to move around the house.
Best DealBattery Capacity and Power
If you want to keep it lighter and more portable then the Delta Pro may be too much. For the second place in our “best portable power station for home” list we looked for a model that fits those needs.
It can be handy to be able to move your power station to the rooms where you need to power your essential appliances the most.
In that case our experts recommend the ElecHive 2200 because it is both powerful and portable.
The capacity and power are less compared to the Delta Pro but the energy density is remarkable for its size, with a battery of 2500Wh capacity.
It’s capable of powering appliances up to 2200W and even a whopping 4400W in surge. So you can charge or power a wide range of appliances like phones, fridges, laptops a heater,…
Charging Time
The ElecHive has the ability to charge through a fast charge cable with 1250W input. It is recharged (100%) in just 2 to 2.5 hours.
In addition, you can charge the ElecHive also via a 600W normal wall charger, through solar panels or via a car charger.
Weight and Portability
The ElecHive 2200 is very portable despite having a large battery capacity.
It weighs -20% less and is -30% smaller than other comparable power stations on the market.
Durability
The ElecHive offers long-lasting energy support with up to 2,300 charge cycles while maintaining 80% battery health. It uses a NMC battery.
However, compared to LFP batteries (LiFePo4) they have a shorter life cycle.
Read the full ElecHive ZERO BREEZE Review.
3. BEST VALUE: EcoFlow Delta 2 Max (2000Wh)
Review Score: 3.8/5 Stars
Based on our extensive tests we can recommend the EcoFlow Delta MAX 2 as a solid portable power station for home.
Best Price EcoFlow shopBattery Capacity and Power
Our experts were also convinced that the Delta 2 Max deserved a spot in our “Best portable power station for home power backup” list. This unit also has a large battery capacity of 2048Wh.
It can power appliances for a total of 2400W.
It is also very suitable to charge and power a wide range of appliances in your home during a blackout.
For instance, with X-Boost mode switched on it powers devices requiring up to 3400W by lowering the voltage. This feature enhances its versatility for various applications.
Charging Time
With X-stream Fast Charge technology you can charge it from 0% to 68% in just one hour (1700W input).
It takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes for a full charge.
Fast charging is a huge advantage because it allows you to quickly get your power station operational again. During a blackout you can charge it by day with solar energy and use it by night for instance.
Of course, it is also possible to charge via solar energy and DC car charger.
Weight and Portability
The Delta 2 Max is on the heavier side and quite large as well compared to to the ElecHive from ZERO BREEZE.
If you plan to leave it at the same place in your home then that is not a problem. If you want to move it around a lot be aware of the weight and size of this unit.
Durability
The Delta Max 2 features advanced LFP (LiFePO4) battery technolog. It provides an impressive lifespan of up to 10 years with 3,000 cycles until it retains 80% capacity.
Read the full EcoFlow Delta 2 Max Review.
Discover our TOP 10 Best Portable Power Stations.
How we test
We have tested portable power stations using a protocol that includes several important factors. These factors helped us evaluate the quality and performance of the power stations, and enable us to compare different models. Our product tests were either done in the “lab” or in the field to gain real life user experience. Here’s what we did:
- Battery Capacity: We fully charged the power station and then discharged it by running various appliances to determine how long it lasts. This enabled us to measure the battery capacity and how long the power station can last on a single charge.
- Power Output: During our moderate and heavy load tests we connected various appliances to the power station and measured the power output. This helped us determine how much power the station can deliver to devices.
- Charging Time: We connected the power station to various charging sources, such as wall outlets and solar panels, and measured the time it took to fully charge. This helped us determine the charging time of the power station.
- Weight and Portability: We carried the power station for a period and evaluated how easy it is to transport. This helped us determine the weight and portability of the power station.
By following this testing protocol we were able to evaluate and compare different portable power stations, and choose the best ones that suited our needs.
Discover all our portable power station reviews.
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