Compare Power Stations

Capacity in watt-hours (Wh) tells you how much energy the battery holds. Output in watts (W) tells you which devices can run at the same time. A power station with 1,000 Wh and 1,800 W can run a kettle briefly, but only for about half an hour in total. A 50 W laptop, on the other hand, will run for many hours.

As a rule of thumb for runtime: capacity in Wh times about 0.85 (inverter conversion losses) divided by the device’s power draw. With 1,000 Wh and a 100 W load, that gives around eight to nine hours. Also look at the peak output: fridges, compressors and power tools briefly need several times their rated power when starting up.

Most current power stations use LiFePO4 cells. This chemistry is considered particularly safe and durable; manufacturers often quote 3,000 or more charge cycles to 80% remaining capacity. Older or very cheap devices sometimes still use NMC cells, which are lighter but manage fewer cycles.

For weekend camping with phone, lights and a cool box, 250 to 600 Wh is often enough. If you cook in a motorhome or run a compressor fridge, you will end up at 1,000 to 2,000 Wh. For a backup reserve at home – fridge, heating pump, router – 2,000 Wh or more makes sense, ideally combined with solar panels. Remember: a power station does not replace a generator for the whole household; it bridges the gap for selected devices.

Both store electricity in batteries, but they serve different purposes. A power station is mobile and powers devices directly via its sockets. A balcony solar battery is stationary, works together with solar panels and an inverter, and lowers your electricity bill by shifting solar power into the evening. Some manufacturers offer devices that can do both – in that case, check carefully whether feeding into the home grid complies with standards and is approved for plug-in solar kits in Germany.