Jan 22, 2025

The best portable power stations for camping in 2025 Show less Jackery is a well-known brand in the power station space, and for good reason. Its versatile power stations consistently rank among our best products, thanks to the enormous power these devices provide and their flexibility in setup, especially in a camping scenario. Steve Conaway, the director of CNET Test Labs (at our sister site), has tested dozens of power stations and said the Jackery is one of his top picks. "The versatility of modularity is what makes this power station so impressive," Conaway said. "You can choose to take just the one unit for regular camping, but if you wanted a bigger setup to power a cabin, you could easily add on more units." In our lab testing of the 2000 Plus unit, we found it charged devices at 17.76Wh per minute, and it took 48 minutes to charge a device to 50% and one hour and 18 minutes to charge a device to 80%. Plus, you can add on the PackPlus E2000 Plus battery pack for an additional 2042.8Wh of electrical storage capacity to the system. Remember that the more additions you add to this setup, the heavier it will be. On its own, it weighs 41.9 pounds but can reach well over 100 pounds with more units. Despite the weight, Reddit users note that the solar additions, in particular, have been useful in camping and outdoor situations. Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus specs: Watts/hr: 2042.8W | Continuous watts: 3000W | Surge watts: 6000W | Solar input (W): 1400 | Ports: 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 4 AC | Weight: 61.5 pounds Pros Wheels make moving it a lot easier Cons Jackery is a well-known brand in the power station space, and for good reason. Its versatile power stations consistently rank among our best products, thanks to the enormous power these devices provide and their flexibility in setup, especially in a camping scenario. Steve Conaway, the director of CNET Test Labs (at our sister site), has tested dozens of power stations and said the Jackery is one of his top picks. "The versatility of modularity is what makes this power station so impressive," Conaway said. "You can choose to take just the one unit for regular camping, but if you wanted a bigger setup to power a cabin, you could easily add on more units." In our lab testing of the 2000 Plus unit, we found it charged devices at 17.76Wh per minute, and it took 48 minutes to charge a device to 50% and one hour and 18 minutes to charge a device to 80%. Plus, you can add on the PackPlus E2000 Plus battery pack for an additional 2042.8Wh of electrical storage capacity to the system. Remember that the more additions you add to this setup, the heavier it will be. On its own, it weighs 41.9 pounds but can reach well over 100 pounds with more units. Despite the weight, Reddit users note that the solar additions, in particular, have been useful in camping and outdoor situations. Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus specs: Watts/hr: 2042.8W | Continuous watts: 3000W | Surge watts: 6000W | Solar input (W): 1400 | Ports: 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 4 AC | Weight: 61.5 pounds Read More Show less Not everyone camps the same way, so for those who head outdoors in an RV or to a remote cabin, the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra (DPU) is a powerful option. EcoFlow debuted the Delta Pro Ultra at CES this year, and compared to the EcoFlow Delta Pro model, the Ultra has double the power and charges, a dedicated 4G LTE modem port to access the app in remote areas with weak Wi-Fi signals, and a 32-minute faster recharge time. ZDNET editor Maria Diaz went hands-on with this unit and called it the "Swiss Army Knife of home backup systems," and its impressive specs back that claim up. The single unit has a 6kWh capacity, 7200W output, and 5.6kW solar input, allowing it to run an entire RV or cabin, especially when stacked with other units for increased capacity. This great power packs a lot of weight --186.4 pounds, to be exact. However, it can be divided into two pieces: the inverter (top portion) is 70 pounds, and the battery (bottom portion) is 116. Diaz noted that her family experienced a power outage recently, and her husband was able to transport the battery part much more easily by separating the pieces. EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra specs: Watts/hr. 7200W | Continuous watts: 6kWh | Surge watts: 10.8 kW | Solar input (W): 5.6kW | Ports: 2×USB-A, 2×USB-C (100W), 6×AC Output, 1×DC output | Weight: 186.4 pounds AC outputs Consumption insights in EcoFlow app Modular design Score Not everyone camps the same way, so for those who head outdoors in an RV or to a remote cabin, the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra (DPU) is a powerful option. EcoFlow debuted the Delta Pro Ultra at CES this year, and compared to the EcoFlow Delta Pro model, the Ultra has double the power and charges, a dedicated 4G LTE modem port to access the app in remote areas with weak Wi-Fi signals, and a 32-minute faster recharge time. ZDNET editor Maria Diaz went hands-on with this unit and called it the "Swiss Army Knife of home backup systems," and its impressive specs back that claim up. The single unit has a 6kWh capacity, 7200W output, and 5.6kW solar input, allowing it to run an entire RV or cabin, especially when stacked with other units for increased capacity. This great power packs a lot of weight --186.4 pounds, to be exact. However, it can be divided into two pieces: the inverter (top portion) is 70 pounds, and the battery (bottom portion) is 116. Diaz noted that her family experienced a power outage recently, and her husband was able to transport the battery part much more easily by separating the pieces. EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra specs: Watts/hr. 7200W | Continuous watts: 6kWh | Surge watts: 10.8 kW | Solar input (W): 5.6kW | Ports: 2×USB-A, 2×USB-C (100W), 6×AC Output, 1×DC output | Weight: 186.4 pounds Read More Show less Looking for something more compact for overnight camping or hiking? The EcoFlow River 2 Max weighs just 13.4 pounds but has a battery capacity of 512Wh. In addition, you can recharge the unit using one of four methods: AC, solar, 12V in-car, or USB-C. If you choose AC, the unit can go from zero to 100% in an hour, which means you can leave charging to the last minute while camping. The company claims that one full charge of the River 2 Max can charge an iPhone 41 times, a drone 10 times, and an electric blanket eight times. ZDNET's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes tested this unit and called it, "compact enough to be portable, big enough to be practical." "If you want to go totally off-grid, EcoFlow offers a 160W solar panel that can recharge the River 2 Max in about four hours," he wrote. "The panel is durable and waterproof to IP68, so it's the perfect adventure companion for the River 2 Max." Verified Amazon customers note that this compact unit has been helpful for everything from camping festivals to powering a CPAP machine in primitive areas. EcoFlow River 2 Max specs: Watts/hr: 512W | Continuous watts: 500W | Surge watts: 1000W | Solar input (W): 220W | Ports: 3 USB-A, 1 USB-C, 4 AC | Weight: 13.4 pounds Pros Looking for something more compact for overnight camping or hiking? The EcoFlow River 2 Max weighs just 13.4 pounds but has a battery capacity of 512Wh. In addition, you can recharge the unit using one of four methods: AC, solar, 12V in-car, or USB-C. If you choose AC, the unit can go from zero to 100% in an hour, which means you can leave charging to the last minute while camping. The company claims that one full charge of the River 2 Max can charge an iPhone 41 times, a drone 10 times, and an electric blanket eight times. ZDNET's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes tested this unit and called it, "compact enough to be portable, big enough to be practical." "If you want to go totally off-grid, EcoFlow offers a 160W solar panel that can recharge the River 2 Max in about four hours," he wrote. "The panel is durable and waterproof to IP68, so it's the perfect adventure companion for the River 2 Max." Verified Amazon customers note that this compact unit has been helpful for everything from camping festivals to powering a CPAP machine in primitive areas. EcoFlow River 2 Max specs: Watts/hr: 512W | Continuous watts: 500W | Surge watts: 1000W | Solar input (W): 220W | Ports: 3 USB-A, 1 USB-C, 4 AC | Weight: 13.4 pounds Read More Show less Portable power stations can get pretty pricey, but this one from Bluetti retails at $449, making it a great budget pick. Plus, it charges quickly, especially when utilizing its turbocharging feature. In our lab testing, the AC70 took only 33 minutes to charge a device to 80% battery in turbo. Kingsley-Hughes also tested this model and praised it for delivering enough power to energy-intensive devices during a road trip. "It has enough capacity to meet the needs of a small group for several days," he wrote, adding, "I've relied on the power station to charge my smartphone, cameras, drones, and laptops efficiently." In his testing, he also found that charging the station from a car's 12V outlet is particularly efficient for keeping the unit charged, as long as the battery is not drained too much. Verified customers praised the AC70 on Bluetti's website, with most of the reviewers saying they bought it for camping and were pleased with the experience of using it for this purpose. Bluetti AC70 specs: Watts/hr: 768W | Continuous watts: 1000W | Surge watts: 2000W | Solar input (W): 500W | Ports: 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 2 AC | Weight: 22.5 pounds Pros Portable power stations can get pretty pricey, but this one from Bluetti retails at $449, making it a great budget pick. Plus, it charges quickly, especially when utilizing its turbocharging feature. In our lab testing, the AC70 took only 33 minutes to charge a device to 80% battery in turbo. Kingsley-Hughes also tested this model and praised it for delivering enough power to energy-intensive devices during a road trip. "It has enough capacity to meet the needs of a small group for several days," he wrote, adding, "I've relied on the power station to charge my smartphone, cameras, drones, and laptops efficiently." In his testing, he also found that charging the station from a car's 12V outlet is particularly efficient for keeping the unit charged, as long as the battery is not drained too much. Verified customers praised the AC70 on Bluetti's website, with most of the reviewers saying they bought it for camping and were pleased with the experience of using it for this purpose. Bluetti AC70 specs: Watts/hr: 768W | Continuous watts: 1000W | Surge watts: 2000W | Solar input (W): 500W | Ports: 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 2 AC | Weight: 22.5 pounds Read More Show less What makes this portable power station so versatile for camping is the amount of power and port options. There's a 100W and 60W USB-C port on the front, along with four USB-A ports, so all your devices are covered. There is also a 12V car socket capable of outputting 120W of power and six AC outputs, each capable of 1500W or 2400W in a power surge. Kingsley-Hughes tested this unit and said in his review that the Anker 757 Powerhouse is "well thought out, not overly complicated, built with ergonomics in mind, and packs quite a lot of power." That power is demonstrated in our lab testing, too: the 757 took 40 minutes to charge a device to 50% and a little over one hour to charge a device to 80%. Customer reviews note that adding portable solar panels allows for greater battery charge retention, especially while camping. Kingsley-Hughes said that while he wouldn't carry this unit too far (it weighs 43.9 pounds), the ergonomic handles distribute the weight well. Anker 757 Powerhouse specs: Watts/hr: 1229W | Continuous watts: 1500 | Surge watts: 2400 | Solar input (W): 600W | Ports: 4 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 6 AC | Weight: 43.9 pounds Pros What makes this portable power station so versatile for camping is the amount of power and port options. There's a 100W and 60W USB-C port on the front, along with four USB-A ports, so all your devices are covered. There is also a 12V car socket capable of outputting 120W of power and six AC outputs, each capable of 1500W or 2400W in a power surge. Kingsley-Hughes tested this unit and said in his review that the Anker 757 Powerhouse is "well thought out, not overly complicated, built with ergonomics in mind, and packs quite a lot of power." That power is demonstrated in our lab testing, too: the 757 took 40 minutes to charge a device to 50% and a little over one hour to charge a device to 80%. Customer reviews note that adding portable solar panels allows for greater battery charge retention, especially while camping. Kingsley-Hughes said that while he wouldn't carry this unit too far (it weighs 43.9 pounds), the ergonomic handles distribute the weight well. Anker 757 Powerhouse specs: Watts/hr: 1229W | Continuous watts: 1500 | Surge watts: 2400 | Solar input (W): 600W | Ports: 4 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 6 AC | Weight: 43.9 pounds Read More What is the best portable power station for camping? Based on our hands-on experience and in-lab testing, the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is the best portable power station for camping. Its modularity makes it a versatile option for all types of camping. Which portable power station for camping is right for you? It depends on the type of camping you prefer before you choose which portable power station will fit your needs. Consider what devices you want to bring with you and keep powered and whether you will be staying in an RV or cabin vs. a tent. Choose this portable power station for camping... If you want... Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus The best overall option. It packs a lot of power at 3000 continuous watts, and its modularity makes it versatile for camping. EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra A powerful portable power station best for RV camping. It can run an entire RV or cabin, especially when stacked with other units for increased capacity. EcoFlow River 2 Max A compact portable power station for camping. It weighs just 13.4 pounds and is rated IP68 for water- and dust-proof. Bluetti AC70 A budget-friendly portable power station for camping. This unit also has a turbocharging feature, which allows for super fast charging. Anker 757 Powerhouse A versatile portable power station for camping with lots of ports. It also has an ergonomic build, making it easier to carry despite its weight. Factors to consider when choosing the best portable power station for camping: Power stations are a significant investment, but they can ultimately upgrade your camping experience to allow for power off-grid. Before making our top picks, we considered several factors. Weight: Bigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to camping. Will the portable power station be wheeled down a paved trail, or will you be moving it from your vehicle to your camp? Do you want something you could carry in a backpack for a day? Battery capacity: If you plan to power an RV or bigger devices from your power station, you want as much battery capacity as you can afford, but for off-grid adventures, it's important to bear in mind that there's a penalty here in the form of weight. Cost: Some units cost several thousand dollars, while others cost a couple hundred. Plus, add-ons like battery packs and solar panels also increase the price. Charging: How do you plan on charging your power station? Are you mostly going to use AC power from an outlet, or do you want the independence of solar? Battery Chemistry: Lithium-ion (Li-ion) is the traditional battery technology, but the newer lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) are safer and have a much longer lifespan. How did we test these portable power stations for camping? Over the past few years, we've tested well over 100 different portable power stations to find out which are the best of the best. To do this efficiently -- because it takes days to do properly -- we've developed a comprehensive testing structure. This not only ensures that manufacturers aren't playing fast and loose with their spec sheet data but also checks whether the units are safe and reliable. Here's an overview of how we test portable power stations. Unboxing and visual inspection