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Buying guides · Updated October 23, 2026

Best power station for the job

Dark living room during a power outage with one lamp on

Pick the job, then the station. A fridge, a CPAP, a sump pump and an RV air conditioner stress a power station in different ways: a fridge needs a motor-start surge and days of watt-hours, a CPAP needs a fast UPS switchover and low overnight draw, a sump pump needs high continuous watts, and an RV AC needs both. Each guide below ranks stations against the published spec that decides that job.

Every “best power station for” guide

Portable power station on a kitchen counter next to a coffee makerBest power station for a refrigerator in a power outageENERGY STAR full-size fridges average 41–82 W. Picks by outage length, apartment, RV and solar, with runtime tables, startup-surge rules and food-safety limits.CPAP machine on a nightstand next to a portable power stationBest power station for a CPAPCPAP power station picks for outages and camping, with runtimes that include inverter idle draw, UPS switchover times, DC converter limits and maker caveats.Home oxygen concentrator beside a recliner with a portable power station during an outagePower station for an oxygen concentratorMaker wattages for EverFlo, Perfecto2 V, DeVilbiss and Inogen units, hours by station, overnight sizing, switchover and a backup-cylinder plan.Small 12 V cooler with insulin pens and a thermometer plugged into a portable power stationPower station for an insulin fridgeFDA 28-day room-temperature rule, 12 V cooler vs mini fridge watts, hours and days by station, and no-power backups.Portable power station beside a lit tent at duskBest power station for campingFor a carried campsite, the EcoFlow RIVER 2 (7.7 lb, 256 Wh) and Anker SOLIX C300 (288 Wh) cover a CPAP and lights; a Danby compact fridge pushes you toward the RIVER 2 Pro, DELTA 2, or AC180 if you can spare the weight.Travel trailer with its 30 amp shore cord plugged into a portable power stationBest power station for an RVA 13,500 BTU roof AC pulls about 1,800 W on a hot day. TT-30 outlets by station, roof-AC hours, soft starters, converter drain and a boondocking budget in watt-hours.Portable space heater and power station in a living room during a winter outageBest power station for a space heaterA 1,500 W heater empties a 1 kWh station in about 36 minutes. Only published continuous watts count; a 100 W heated throw lasts about 8 hours on the same battery.Well pressure tank in a basement next to a large wheeled power stationBest power station for a well pumpMost submersibles are 240 V and the start is the problem: locked-rotor amps vs station surge, soft-start pumps, and when a generator is the better answer.Dark living room during a power outage with one lamp onBest power station for home backupOn stored energy alone, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 (4,096 Wh) outlasts the Anker SOLIX F3800 (3,840 Wh), while the F3800 has the higher continuous output at 6,000 W. A 1,500 W Lasko heater needs at least 1,500 W continuous or a documented resistive boost.Basement sump pit with a cast iron pump and a portable power station on a dry shelfBest power station for a sump pumpThink in gallons per charge: a Zoeller M53 (1,115.5 W, 2,040 GPH at 10 ft) empties a 2 kWh station after about 3,100 gallons. Hours by measured inflow, motor-surge checks, no-extension-cord hookup, and Zoeller's DC battery-backup pump compared.

The spec that decides each job

JobDeciding load figureSourceWhat to check on the station
Fridge41–82 W average for ENERGY STAR full-size fridges; plan for about 1,200 W at motor startENERGY STAR; Haier and Champion start-up figuresMotor surge (not boost mode), Wh for the outage length
CPAPResMed AirSense 11: 7 W humidifier off, 19 W humidifier on, 55 W heated tubeResMedPublished UPS switchover time, DC output, auto-off timer
CampingCarry weight vs Wh (RIVER 2: 7.7 lb, 256 Wh)EcoFlowWeight, solar input, DC ports
RV8,000 Btu/h BLACK+DECKER window unit ≈ 533 W coolingENERGY STAR CEER600 W+ continuous; compressor start is unpublished
Home backupStored energy: DELTA Pro 3 4,096 Wh vs F3800 3,840 Wh; 1,500 W heaterEcoFlow, AnkerContinuous W, 120/240 V output, expansion
Space heaterTypical portable heater 1,500 W continuous (12.5 A); 900 W or 750 W on low; ~35 min per kWh on highLasko 755320, Honeywell HCE317 manual, DeLonghi, SunbeamPublished continuous W ≥ setting (not surge); Wh for the hours you actually need
Well pumpFranklin 1/2–1 HP: 670–1,210 W running; 23–49 A locked-rotor at 230 V; usually 240 VFranklin AIM manual, Grundfos SQ, Amtrol, EPANative 240 V output; surge amps ≥ motor LRA; transfer switch or interlock
Sump pumpZoeller M53: 1,115.5 W running, 2,040 GPH at 10 ft ≈ 547 Wh per 1,000 galZoeller, HondaGallons per charge (Wh), continuous W, motor-rated surge

How runtimes on these pages are calculated

Every runtime uses the same published rule from our methodology: runtime = nameplate Wh × 0.85 ÷ (average load W + about 15 W). The 0.85 is our allowance for inverter loss, not a measured efficiency for any model. The 15 W is inverter self-consumption, the figure BLUETTI uses in its AC180 runtime formula; it barely matters for a 1,000 W heater but cuts a router or compact-fridge estimate by a third or more. CPAP pages also show DC-converter nights separately as a best case.

For starting a motor (fridge, sump pump, AC), a station only counts its surge figure when the maker lists it separately from a heater-only boost mode. X-Boost, Power Lifting and SurgePad are treated as resistive-only.

More ways to size it

Medical devices: power stations are not medical devices, and several makers say their stations are not for life-sustaining equipment. Ask your doctor or equipment supplier before relying on battery power for a CPAP or other medical device.

Shopping on a budget? Best power station under $500 compares the sub-$500 models by fridge surge, switchover time, solar and stock.