Over the past several months we’ve received almost 20 power stations and power banks to review. We weren’t compensated by the vendors to write this review, or publish the YouTube video that accompanies this article.
The top six power stations and power banks we tested are reviewed below. Each of them was the best in class for its category. It’s entirely possible there are other products that are just as good, but our list is based on what we were able to test firsthand.
Here are Survival Dispatch’s best in class winners
- Small form factor power bank (100W class): Storm², 25600mAh capacity
- Medium form factor power bank (100W class): Crave PowerPack, 50,000mAh capacity
- Small portable power station (300W class): EcoFlow RIVER 2, 256Wa capacity
- Small portable power station (600W class): Bluetti EB3A, 268Wh capacity
- Medium portable power station (1,200W class): OUPES 1200, 992Wh capacity
- Medium portable power station (1,500W class): BioLite BaseCharge 1500, 1,521Wh capacity
If you want to skip to the video, where we put each device under load to see what they can run in real world applications, here it is. Otherwise, keep reading below for more details.
Storm² Power Bank
Best In Class 100W Small Form Factor Power Bank … MSRP $229.00
Features:
- Vendor: Shargeek
- Model: Storm²
- Charge Time From 0%: ~90 minutes
- Battery Capacity: 25,600mAh
- Price Per mAh: $0.009
- Price Per Wh: $2.45
- Weight: 1.3 lbs
- Smartphone App: NO
- Output: 100W
- Output Ports: (1) 100W USB C, (1) 30W USB C, (1) USB A, (1) 12v DC Barrel Port
- Input Port(s): (1) 100W USB C
- Warranty: (1) year
- Will Charge: (3) electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops etc.)
Why did we choose the Storm² as best in class?
- Light weight and small form factor
- Max size for TSA carry-ons (significant value-add for frequent flyers)
- Dashboard info typically only available on larger power stations
The Storm² has earned itself the distinction of being one of our favorite everyday carry items.
Get the Storm² power bank for $229.00 here: https://amzn.to/3EB7e6U
Crave PowerPack
Best In Class 100W Medium Form Factor Power Bank … MSRP $249.99
Features:
- Vendor: Crave
- Model: PowerPack
- Charge Time From 0%: ~4 hours
- Battery Capacity: 50,600mAh
- Price Per mAh: $0.005
- Price Per Wh: $1.35
- Weight: 4.15 lbs
- Smartphone App: NO
- Output: 100W
- Output Ports: (1) 100W USB C, (1) 30W USB C, (1) USB A, (1) 12v DC Barrel Port
- Input Port(s): (1) 60W USB C
- Warranty: (1) year
- Will Charge: (4) electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops etc.)
Why did we choose the Crave PowerPack as best in class?
- Ultra durable, we’ve accidentally dropped this device on concrete several times and it only has small scratches
- Reasonable price per mAh for such a durable case
- 18 months warranty
- Long lasting power
We recently used the Crave PowerPack at the Georgia Bushcraft event. Over the course of three days it was used to charge six people’s phones and ran on one charge from Friday through to Sunday.
Get the Crave PowerPack for $249.99 here: https://amzn.to/3Om07DI
EcoFlow RIVER 2
Best In Class 300W Small Portable Power Station … MSRP $299.00 On Special $219.00 (as of the date this article was published)
Features:
- Vendor: EcoFlow
- Model: RIVER 2
- Charge Time From 0%: ~60 minutes
- Battery Capacity: 256Wh
- Price Per Wh: $0.86
- Weight: 7.7 lbs
- Smartphone App: YES
- Output: 300W (600W surge)
- Output Ports: (2) AC sockets, (1) 12v DC Carport, (1) 60W USB C, (2) USB A
- Input Port(s): (1) AC wall power, (1) solar
- Warranty: (5) years
- Will Charge: Multiple electronic devices simultaneously
- Will Run: 12v tire air compressor, 10W rated room fan, 60W rated cordless tool battery charger, 200W rated hair curling iron, a small 450W rated rice cooker
Why did we choose the EcoFlow RIVER 2 as best in class?
- (5) year warranty, best on the market
- Fast charging from completely dead
- Smartphone app
- Light weight
The EcoFlow smartphone app provides tremendous information, especially the input wattage from a solar panel, which allows you to adjust its angle to the sun to get the maximum wattage possible. There’s more on this subject at the end of this article.
Get the EcoFlow River 2 power station on special for $219.00 here: https://tinyurl.com/bdez4c3a
Bluetti EB3A
Best In Class 600W Small Portable Power Station … MSRP $299.00 On Special $209.00 (as of the date this article was published)
Features:
- Vendor: Bluetti
- Model: EB3A
- Charge Time From 0%: ~70 minutes
- Battery Capacity: 268Wh
- Price Per Wh: $0.78
- Weight: 10.14 lbs
- Smartphone App: YES
- Output: 600W (1,200W surge)
- Output Ports: (2) AC Sockets, (2) DC Barrel Ports, (1) 12v DC Carport, (1) 100W USB C, (2) USB A, (1) 15W wireless charging pad
- Input Port(s): (1) AC wall power, (1) solar, (1) 12v DC Carport
- Warranty: (30) months
- Will Charge: Multiple electronic devices simultaneously
- Will Run: 12v tire air compressor, 10W rated room fan, 60W rated cordless tool battery charger, 200W rated hair curling iron, a small 450W rate rice cooker
Why did we choose the Bluetti EB3A as best in class?
- Largest range of ports (input and output), plus a 15W wireless charging pad
- Fast charging from completely dead
- Best smartphone app
This power station has an amazing range of ports for a small form factor device. The Bluetti smartphone app also provides tremendous information, especially the input wattage from a solar panel, which allows you to adjust its angle to the sun to get the maximum wattage possible. There’s more on this subject at the end of this article.
Get the Bluetti EB3A power station on special for $209.00 here: https://shrsl.com/3sxkj
OUPES 1200
Best In Class 1,200W Medium Portable Power Station … MSRP $999.99 On Special $699.99 (as of the date this article was published)
Features:
- Vendor: Oupes
- Model: 1200
- Charge Time From 0%: ~7 hours
- Battery Capacity: 992Wh
- Price Per Wh: $0.71
- Weight: 24.25 lbs
- Smartphone App: NO
- Output: 1,200W (3,600W surge)
- Output Ports: (3) AC Sockets, (2) DC Barrel Ports, (1) 12v DC Carport, (1) 100W USB C + (2) USB C, (2) USB A
- Input Port(s): (1) AC Wall OR Solar, (1) 100W USB C
- Warranty: (30) months
- Will Charge: Multiple electronic devices simultaneously
- Will Run: 12v tire air compressor, 10W room fan, 60W rated cordless tool battery charger, 200W rated hair curling iron, a small 450W rated rice cooker, 1,200W rated air fryer, 1,440W rated vacuum cleaner, 1,500W rated toaster oven
Why did we choose the Oupes 1200 as best in class?
- Best price per Wh by a significant margin
- Over performed in our load testing
- Best surge output
From strictly a dollars and cents perspective, the Oupes 1200 is an amazing bang for the buck. It also way over-performed in our hands-on load testing.
Get the Oupes 1200 power station on special for $699.99 here: https://bit.ly/3FcDDTk
Get another 10% off the sale price with the coupon code: survival10
BioLite BaseCharge 1500
Best In Class 1,500W Medium Portable Power Station … MSRP $1,699.00
Features:
- Vendor: BioLite
- Model: BaseCharge 1500
- Charge Time From 0%: ~16.5 Hours AC, ~10 Hours USB C
- Battery Capacity: 1,521Wh
- Price Per Wh: $1.12
- Weight: 26.5 lbs
- Smartphone App: NO
- Output: 1,200W (2,400W surge)
- Output Ports: (3) AC Sockets, (2) DC Barrel Ports, (1) 12v DC Carport, (1) 100W USB C + (2) USB C, (2) USB A, (1) 10W wireless charging pad
- Input Port(s): (1) AC Wall OR Solar, (1) 100W USB C
- Warranty: (2) years
- Will Charge: Multiple electronic devices simultaneously
- Will Run: 12v tire air compressor, 10W rated room fan, 60W rated cordless tool battery charger, 200W rated hair curling iron, a small 450W rated rice cooker, a 1,200W rated air fryer, a 1,440W rated vacuum cleaner, a 1,500W rated toaster oven, 1,875W rated hair dryer
Why did we choose the BioLite BaseCharge 1500 as best in class?
- Large Wh capacity for its form factor
- Large range of output ports
- Wireless charging pad
The BioLite BaseCharge 1500 is our go-to power station when traveling or camping because of the battery capacity and output charging options. We only need the BaseCharge 1500 and a small power bank when traveling to have confidence that our charging needs are met.
Get the BioLite BaseCharge 1500 power station for $1699.99 here: https://tinyurl.com/33bcc7ep
Click HERE to download our power station and power bank comparison spreadsheet that summarizes the information above.
Solar Charging Footnote
EcoFlow were the only company who sent us a portable solar panel out of the six units covered in this article. The panel they sent was capable of 110W output under optimum conditions.
Even if the other vendors sent solar panels, it would difficult to capture empirical charging results because even the slightest difference in panel construction and angle to the sun can cause a large variance in output wattage.
Further to the last point, here’s a screenshot and picture of the EcoFlow 110W solar panel providing 43W of charging power.
We slightly changed the angle of the solar panel, moments after the results noted above, and increased the solar panel’s output to 70W. We’re mentioning it in this article so our readers are aware of how such a small change can make a big difference.
Conclusion
“Battery anxiety” is a real thing with some people. A decent power bank is a great way to keep your gadgets charged up without stressing about getting your work done, or losing contact with the rest of the world.
A good power station is a life saver during power outages, and keeps modern amenities alive when traveling or camping. Adding a solar panel to a power station is a highly recommended option for campers.
At the end of the day, most people do not have primitive survival skills. Having power available can be the difference between struggling to get by and making the best out of a situation.
Please note, we have affiliate partnerships with the brands mentioned in this article and we may get a small portion of the revenue when you purchase an item using the links provided.