Guides

Plain-English explanations for choosing, sizing and charging a portable power station.

How We Calculate

The formulas, default assumptions and data sources behind every calculator on this site, and the limits of any runtime estimate.

Running Watts vs Starting Watts

Why fridges, pumps and air conditioners trip power stations when they start, how surge ratings work, and how to pick a model that can handle the spike.

How to Size a Power Station for a Power Outage

A step-by-step way to work out how big a power station you need for an outage, with worked examples for a basic kit, a fridge + CPAP setup and a sump pump.

Series vs Parallel: Wiring Solar Panels to a Power Station

How to wire two or more solar panels to a portable power station without exceeding its voltage or current limits, with worked examples.

Can Solar Panels Work in an Outage Without a Battery?

Most rooftop solar shuts off in a blackout. The few systems that work without a battery, what about 2 kW of daytime power can run, and what it costs.

Power Station Cycle Life: What 3,000 or 6,000 Cycles Really Means

Why a 4,000-cycle claim to 70% isn’t the same as 4,000 cycles to 80%, what the claims add up to in years, and what the warranty actually covers.

Why Your Power Station Runs Out Sooner Than the Math Says

The inverter’s own power draw, conversion losses and battery reserve, why a router or CPAP loses the most runtime, and settings that win some back.

UPS vs EPS Mode on a Power Station: What the Switchover Time Means

What 0 ms, 10 ms and 20 ms switchover figures mean, how many of our 54 models list each, and which devices need a fast switch.

Using a Power Station in Cold Weather

Charging limits below freezing, how much capacity a battery loses in the cold, and the published temperature ranges for 24 power stations.

How to Connect a Power Station to Your House (Safely)

Extension cords, transfer switches, interlocks and maker home panels, explained. Why backfeeding a wall outlet is dangerous, and which models offer 240 V.

LiFePO4 vs NMC: Which Battery Chemistry Should Your Power Station Have?

We compared LFP and NMC models across our database: weight per watt-hour, cycle-life claims, thermal runaway research and cost. When NMC still makes sense.