Portable power stations for camping
Jackery, EcoFlow, and Anker SOLIX, compared as classes. The right size is the one that runs the things you actually brought, not the biggest box on the shelf.
Last updated
Not a lab test. These stations have not been run side by side in a Nerdsquatch yard. Numbers below are the published class. Open the listing and read watt-hours and continuous watts before you buy. Links are searches for that class, because model names change.
Start with the job.
- You needPhones, lights, one or two nightsStart hereSmall Jackery or Anker classWhyA few hundred watt-hours. Simple. You can lift it out of the trunk.
- You needWall-charge it fast between weekendsStart hereEcoFlow River classWhyThat line is known for fast AC charging. Confirm the current model’s time-to-full.
- You needA 12V fridge all weekendStart hereAbout 1 kWh classWhyA 300 Wh box will not do this job. Step up before you shop logos.
- You needJust the phonesStart hereA USB-C power bankWhyA station is the wrong tool. Smaller, lighter, enough.
5 picks, with the catch attached.
- 01
Jackery Explorer, small class
The straightforward small station. One screen, a few ports, a solar-panel family (SolarSaga) that is meant to match the box.
Works in its favor
- Easy to explain to someone who does not want an app.
- The small class covers phones, headlamps, a camera, and a CPAP only if you have already checked that machine’s watts.
- Panels in the same family reduce the “wrong voltage” mistake.
The catch
- Older small Explorers were not all LiFePO4. Read the chemistry line. Prefer LiFePO4 if you will cycle it for years.
- Wall charging on the small class has often been slower than EcoFlow’s River class. Fine if you charge at home the day before.
- A marketing photo of a blender does not mean this size will cook dinner.
Who it’s for. Car campers who want the simple box and will charge it before they leave.
- 02
EcoFlow River, small class
The small EcoFlow. The reason people pick it is recharge speed, plus an app if you like seeing the watts.
Works in its favor
- EcoFlow has advertised about an hour to full on this class from the wall. Treat that as their claim and check the current spec sheet.
- Recent River models are sold as LiFePO4, which is the chemistry you want for a thing you drain every weekend.
- Useful when two trips are back to back and the box has to be ready overnight.
The catch
- More features means more to learn. The app is optional for basic use, but the port labels are worth five minutes at home.
- Fast charging is a wall trick. A small solar panel will not refill it at that rate.
- Still the wrong size for a compressor fridge over a long weekend.
Who it’s for. People who come home Sunday and leave again Friday, and want the box full without babysitting it.
- 03
Anker SOLIX, small class
Anker’s compact camping station. Usually sold as LiFePO4, with a long cycle-life claim and a quieter reputation than older brick stations.
Works in its favor
- Compact for the watt-hours. Easier to live with in a small car.
- Anker’s cycle-life claims on this line are high. Confirm the “cycles to 80%” line on the listing; it is a catalog number, not our measurement.
- A sane default when Jackery feels basic and EcoFlow feels like a gadget.
The catch
- The solar-panel story is less “one obvious matching panel” than Jackery’s. Check input volts before you buy a panel.
- Names move (C300 and its neighbors). Shop the watt-hour number, not a review of last year’s initials.
- Same ceiling as the other small boxes: lights and phones, not heat.
Who it’s for. Weekend car campers who want a small LiFePO4 box and will read the solar-input line once.
- 04
The 1 kWh class
Jackery Explorer 1000-class, EcoFlow Delta 2-class, or Anker SOLIX C1000-class. This is the size that changes what you can run.
Works in its favor
- A 12V compressor fridge for a couple of days is a reasonable ask, if you start full and the fridge is not sitting in the sun.
- Some Delta and SOLIX models in this class offer extra battery packs. Jackery’s equivalent may not. Read “expandable” on the listing.
- Still quiet. Campgrounds that hate generators usually do not hate a battery box. Check the site rules anyway.
The catch
- Heavy. This is a car-to-table carry, not a backpack item.
- Costs more and takes more space. Do not buy it for phones.
- A kettle, hot plate, or space heater still eats it. Resistive heat is a different product.
Who it’s for. Car campers whose real load is a fridge, or anyone who already killed a small station in one night.
- 05
A USB-C power bank
The honest pick when the list is phones, a headlamp battery, and maybe a camera. Twenty thousand milliamp-hours is the usual pocket class.
Works in its favor
- Lives in a day pack. A power station does not.
- Enough for a weekend of phones if you are not also running a fridge.
- One less thing to “set up” at the site.
The catch
- No AC outlets. It will not run a fridge, a laptop charger that wants a wall plug, or a CPAP that has no USB mode.
- Cheap banks lie about capacity. Buy a known maker and ignore fantasy milliamp-hour numbers.
- Not a substitute for the hubs above if your cooler is electric.
Who it’s for. First trips, day drives, and anyone whose “power needs” are really “my phone”.
Read this before the logos.
Watt-hours and watts are different jobs
Watt-hours (Wh) are the size of the tank: how long things run. Watts (W) are the size of the tap: what can run at the same time. A station can be large and still refuse a load that spikes above its continuous watts.
Read both numbers on the listing. “Peak” watts are a short burst. “Continuous” or “rated” watts are the number that matters for a fridge compressor starting up.
What a car-camping weekend actually draws
Phones and headlamps are a rounding error on a few-hundred-Wh box. A lantern left on all night is still small. A 12V compressor fridge is the load that decides the size.
Anything that makes heat — kettle, hot plate, hair dryer, space heater — is a poor fit. Those want a camp stove or a hookup, not a battery you carried from the car.
Chemistry, solar, and the app
LiFePO4 is the chemistry to prefer for a station you will empty over and over. It is heavier on the spec sheet as a promise of cycle life. Confirm it. Do not assume every Jackery, EcoFlow, or Anker box uses it.
A solar panel only helps if its voltage sits inside the station’s input window. Match the panel to the station, or buy them as a pair the maker already matched. Charge from the wall before the first night either way.
Apps are nice for a state-of-charge graph. They are not required to turn the thing on. Learn the buttons at home, once, with the manual.
What this page will not claim
No runtime we measured. No “winner” that ignores your fridge. No rank you can buy. If a newer model lands with different watts, the listing beats this page.
Short answers.
Can I run a CPAP?
Maybe. Read the machine’s watt rating and whether it has a DC cable. Compare that to the station’s continuous watts, and remember humidity heaters draw more. We have not metered any machine. Try it at home for a night before you depend on it.
Do I need solar on the first trip?
No. Leave full. Solar is how you stretch a second and third day, and only with a panel the station can actually take.
Jackery vs EcoFlow vs Anker, in one line?
Jackery for the simple small box, EcoFlow River when wall-recharge speed matters, Anker SOLIX when you want a compact LiFePO4 default. All three have a ~1 kWh class for a fridge. The size matters more than the logo.
Are these allowed at a campground?
A battery box is usually fine where a generator is not. Quiet hours and generator bans are about engines. Read the site rules before you show up with either.
Keep going
Hear when this list changes.
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