I've spotted a lot of portable power station deals in the Prime Day sale. And while you can't really go wrong with Bluetti, EcoFlow, Jackery, and Anker based on my experiences, it can sometimes become a confusing mess of numbers once you start digging into the differences. So, these are my top three recommendations if you're looking for a little extra insurance while working from home and you're struck by a power outage that keeps you offline (or 'the dark ages', as I like to call it).
For laptops & Wi-Fi routers
For workstation setups
For garden offices & heavy appliances
Having reviewed some of the best portable power stations you can get, these are the key specs you want to look for:
Wh - this is the battery capacity - it's like the electrical version of a fuel tank, and it gives you some idea how long the power station will last until you need to recharge it. The higher the Wh, the more battery power you have, the longer it'll run.
W - this is the output the unit can put out. A laptop is typically up to around 65-100W to power while a standard PC is around 200W; a larger appliance like a fridge can be around 300W. Some power stations have dual surge modes, so you get extra power output for high-wattage devices.
UPS switchover - the time it takes during a power outage for the power station to kick in. The quicker, the better so you don't lose connection if it's hooked up to your router or modem. At best, select a unit that kicks in in under 20 milliseconds, but under 10 milliseconds is better.
