Best portable power stations for 2024

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For essential backup juice when you’re camping or on road trips Portable Power Generation

While we’re all well-acquainted with handy little power banks that we pop in our bags and use to recharge our phones on the go, what if you need much more power for many more devices? That’s where chunkier portable power stations come in.

These units are your all-in-one hub for recharging and powering your gadgets including TVs, slow cookers or pressure washers – they’re ideal for anyone camping, out in the garden or on a long car journey, or anybody needing the peace of mind you get from owning a backup battery in the event of a power cut.

Here are our picks for the best portable power stations to buy in 2024:

The models that we’ve picked below are more than just a bigger power bank, coming with car sockets and mains power sockets in addition to the USB ports that you’d expect on the more compact alternatives. We know that buying one of these enormous batteries is a bit daunting, so we’ve selected a range of different capacities and weights within our roundup – and there’s a buying guide below our list.

The main thing to know is that owning even the lowest capacity model here will give you enough backup electricity to recharge your iPad nearly six times over, and an AC port that can power the likes of lamps and fans when you’re on the road (you’ll need to check the wattage of your appliances, though – more on that below).

For our list of the best portable power stations, we focused on trusted brands and reliability, and we picked a range of models with different capacities, wattage ratings, weights and sizes.

We tried out models by powering up our phone and laptop and timing how long it took to fully recharge a MacBook Pro. Charging speed isn’t the only feature to note, though, so we considered all the specifications, including size and portability, whether they have built-in lights, the number of ports and the amount of power available. Plus how much they cost – our picks range from £259 up to £999. The selections in our roundup are a mix of our hands-on tests and expert recommendations.

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EcoFlow's mid-range portable power station, the River 2 Max has beaten the original as our favourite model overall. It has a new two-tone colour scheme, the handle has been moved to the back so items can be stacked on top and it now comes with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries that claim a massive 10-year lifespan while boosting energy efficiency.

The 500W AC output easily fuels phones, tablets, laptops and even more power-hungry devices like hair dryers and mini-fridges. This is the ideal home and camping companion, and it’s now more than 1kg lighter than its predecessor.

In our tests, which started with the power station at full capacity, recharging a Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphone from empty to full took under two hours and used just 4% of the battery. Charging a Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i Windows laptop from empty took two hours, while a MacBook Air M2 took the same amount of time to reach full charge from 25%. After all that usage, the River 2 Max still had 46% of its battery left in the tank.

We like there’s a mobile app for checking and managing the power output and charging speeds in real-time, plus downloading and applying any future software updates. This is a standout feature that you don’t find on other portable power station brands on our list, and it’s compatible with the full River series.

We also love that the two AC ports, three USB-A ports, one 100W USB-C port and a DC port for in-car charging are now accessible from the front of the device – and we found the backlit display to be ideal for night use.

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Like the rest of the latest entries in the Ecoflow River series, the base model – simply called the River 2 – has a two-tone colour scheme and houses the latest LiFePO4 battery technology that boasts a massive 10-year lifespan.

Specs-wise, it sits between the River Mini and the previous standard model, giving you power output of up to 300W (plus a surge of up to 600W) and a solid selection of ports. You get two USB-As, one USB-C slot plus sockets for AC and in-car charging.

Want some real-time insight into power usage? There’s a neat backlit display on the front of the unit that shows battery and output information – perfect for seeing the metrics at night – and you can download an Ecoflow mobile app to further tinker with charging speeds and download software updates. Like on the rest of the River series, this is a helpful bonus feature that you won’t find on other brands of portable power stations.

This is for anyone who needs slightly more portability than the mid-range River 2 Max (the River 2 is nearly 3kg lighter) and wants long-lasting battery tech. Charging times are now better – the River 2 going from empty to full in 60 minutes instead of 80 minutes of the Mini.

We also appreciate the new addition of USB-C, which most smartphones and tablets now use to charge. The capacity between the River 2 and mini is similar, so you’ll still be able to fuel a laptop in under two hours, or get up to 12 recharges for a typical phone from 100%.

This massive EcoFlow power station has the highest capacity of any model on our list at a colossal 882 Wh, but it’s important to factor in that it’s also far heavier at 12 kilograms.

It’s also worth knowing that there are models like the EcoFlow Delta Pro which packs in far larger batteries and more power for a higher price and more weight – that heavy-duty station weighs 45kg and has wheels for moving around, so it doesn’t quite feel as “portable” to us!

We’re thankful that the Delta 2 has two sturdy handles for moving it around, making it ideal if you’re bringing it in a car or camper van. Its output from the four mains ports is enough to power fridges, wifi routers or circular saws, it can recharge via a solar panel, there are enough ports to power up to 13 appliances, and there are quick charge options including two 100W USB-C ports and two fast USB-A ports too. Overall, this is an excellent pick for backup power or for a big family camping trip.

For most people, this little Anker power station delivers all that you’ll need when it comes to fast charging and backup juice. We used the mains socket to recharge our MacBook Pro and the 521 saw it back to full power in an hour and 36 minutes.

We like that this model comes in at an affordable price and gives you a decent range of ports – including a 60W USB-C port – and a bright light. We’ve also seen that it often goes on offer for a lot less than £299, sometimes going for under £250.

For all the basics, this is an excellent option, and its batteries are LiFePo4 rather than standard lithium-ion (something it shares in common with the Anker 535) so they’re rated to last far longer than most other battery packs.

We have selected this model as a top pick for value because it offers you many of the features we like from the bigger Delta 2 at a lower cost and weight. The capacity here is nearly as much as the beast above, and its AC output is more than enough for electric blankets, blenders and TVs.

You can recharge this using solar panels too, and its handle makes it just about as portable as others on our list, even if you may not want to lug it around for too long. We love the port selection here, especially as it delivers three AC ports, and ten ports overall, and Ecoflow also claims that it recharges from 0 to 100% within 70 minutes on mains power.

If you want a power station that’s going to stick with you for years ahead, it makes sense to go with some of the latest battery technology. LiFePO4 batteries are worth considering as their lifespan is claimed to be six times larger than an equivalent lithium-ion battery.

The wattage may not quite extend to powering devices like microwaves, hair dryers or coffee machines, but it’ll deliver enough to keep a little mini fridge or portable heater going while packing in enough capacity to recharge a camera 30 times.

We love the chunky handle on this model and its handy strip for ambient lighting on the front. This is very similar to Ecoflow's River 2 Max, so it comes down to aesthetics, and you may prefer the top handle on this one.

Picking a mid-range portable model for a weekend camping trip? This Jackery is a sensible pick that has many features in common with the EcoFlow River 2 Max and Anker 535 while coming in at around a kilogram lighter than the Anker model and having a top rather than rear handle when compared to the EcoFlow.

You do miss out on USB-C ports with this option, but it gets you enough capacity to recharge a phone over 50 times and enough output to power devices like air pumps, mini-fridges and blenders. Jackery promises it’ll keep a laptop going for 30 hours or a TV on for over seven hours.

All things considered, that’s tons of power to cram into a portable package that weighs as much as a bowling ball. Designed for the outdoors, it also packs in a bright torch light (that can blink as an SOS light too) and it offers solar recharging with a compatible panel.

An excellent option for campers, this one really delivers when it comes to ports, giving you enough to recharge eight devices at once. There’s a mains port, two USB-A ports, and a 100W USB-C port too.

There’s a convenient 15W wireless charging pad on the top, so even if you were using all the other ports with cables to recharge phones, you can still pop another handset on top to refuel there. It’s also a LiFePO4 battery, like several on this list, meaning it’s a long-lasting option.

The capacity here should be enough for over 12 phone recharges, and there's enough wattage to power a 60W mini fridge for four hours. On test, we used it to recharge our MacBook Air – it topped it up to 50% in 47 minutes and used around 30 to 40% of its overall capacity to restore it to full power. We appreciate the addition of a light bulb on the front that can cycle through weak, strong and SOS modes.

With its versatile 11 outlets, we recommend this robust 7.5kg unit as a high-powered backup for the home, a campervan or to keep in the car. A long-lasting LiFePO4 battery with a handy display that shows the charge status, output and input, this also has a powerful lamp on the rear of the device with an impressive set of bright, dim and SOS modes.

We found this power station excellent for use with many of the everyday electrical items found in the home. Starting with a full charge, it has ample capacity to charge mobile phones (up to 50 times) and laptop computers (approximately 12 times) and, on test, we used it to power an electric drill, a saw, table lamps and a fridge-freezer.

If you want to be prepared for a power cut, we can confirm that the EB55 would allow you to light at least one room, avoid the food in the fridge going bad and simultaneously keep your phone charged – at least for a few hours until the mains electricity comes back on.

It’s worth noting that this wouldn’t power higher-wattage domestic kettles, toasters, microwaves or hairdryers, although it may have enough for travel versions of these products. For the number of ports available, plus the wireless charging surface on top, we’d say this is great value – and we’ve noticed it’s often on offer too.

There’s a fair amount to consider when searching for the right portable battery for your needs. Will you need to carry it around or is it going in the car or garage? How large of a capacity do you need for the gadgets you want to power and charge? And do you need a light so that it’ll double up as a torch?

This will give you an idea of how long your power station will last and how many charges you’ll get out of it, depending on what you need to refuel. Measured in watt hours (Wh), the ones on our list go from 210Wh (enough for 12 phone charges) up to 882Wh (enough to recharge your phone 62 times).

For context, that lower capacity of 210Wh is roughly 58400mAh for anyone comparing these to power banks – that means it’s twice as large as bigger portable chargers you’ll find.

All power stations have a plethora of useful ports. The key ones are your familiar mains AC ports for attaching a regular wall plug, standard USB-A ports (many of your charging cables will use this) and upgraded USB-C ports (ideal for quicker charging speeds and newer products).

Need a car socket, DC outlets or a wireless charging surface too? We’ve indicated which models on our list include these.

You’ll need to keep an eye on wattage to work out what your battery can power. Picking one with a higher wattage means you’ll get more power out of your device, and the models on our list go from a lower 200W up to a more substantial 600W.

Still, with 200W you’ll be able to power appliances like slow cookers and electric blankets. Think you’ll need a station for things like electric cooking plates, hair dryers, microwaves or kettles, you’ll want something that goes up to over 600W.

You'll notice references to "surge" too, this indicates the output for brief additional demand, for example when starting up a motorised appliance.

We think it’s handy to have a built-in light or torch on your power station, especially if you’re camping. This could provide a bit of extra ambient light in your tent or be an essential way to find something you lost in your bag.

Some of these double up as an SOS light too, so they’re ready for emergencies. We’ve pointed out which ones in our roundup include a light.

It’s possible to recharge your power station in several ways, whether that’s via a mains plug at home, from your car’s 12V lighter power outlet or from a separate solar panel that you’ve bought separately.

We’ve listed which charging types are compatible with the models in our list, as some also work via a USB-C wall adapter. It’s also worth knowing that charging time can vary a bit depending on the method of refuelling and the model that you pick.

How cumbersome your power station is matters – these are meant to be portable, after all. The heaviest one on our list comes in at 12kg, and has a pair of handles to help you when moving it around.

Of course, that level of chunkiness makes it more suitable for bringing with you in the car. There are some on the market that are heavier still and need wheels to move around. To keep things portable, we excluded those massive variants.

We have made sure every model on our list includes some kind of grip or handle, and the lightest ones are just under 3kg, with small enough dimensions that you could consider popping them in a backpack.

Simon Cocks is Hearst UK’s Technology Ecommerce Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy across a range of titles including Good Housekeeping UK, Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.

Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.

A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.

He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.

He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.

You can follow Simon on Instagram at @simonrcocks, on Threads at @simonrcocks, and on Twitter/X at @simoncocks.

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