156,000 MAH 500W Portable LED Power Station (PS-04)

It’s easy to view power stations as nothing more than really big portable battery packs, but they offer much more than just a way to recharge your phone or smartwatch. A portable power station can light a room by powering lamp, or in some cases keep a mini-fridge running during a power outage. Sure, that’s an extreme example, but if you live where storms routinely threaten to knock out power, it’s a realistic one.

Power stations are also convenient when you’re camping over a long weekend, as a way to keep lamps and other gadgets powered. Or maybe you have a backyard movie setup with a projector and speakers—a power station can help you run. The point is, a power station is as versatile as you need it to be.

This power station strikes the perfect balance between affordability, portability, and utility. It is a little on the expensive side, but it’s ready to handle just about anything you throw at it. Need to keep the food in your mini fridge safe during a power outage? This powerstation could have you covered for up to 15 hours, depending on the power consumption of your freezer.

After a short charge, the powerstation is ready to go right out of the box, and it comes with everything you need. It includes a fast charger that you can plug into a wall outlet and a slower charger that you can plug into an accessory outlet in your car. The wall charger will take the battery from zero to full in about four hours, or significantly less if you add a second optional charger. The car outlet takes much longer, but it’s a helpful option to have. Though this unit doesn’t come with solar panels, you can add up to four if you need power off the grid.

The best thing about this powerstation is its utility. It features one AC outlet, and it can put out 500 watts continuously. That’s enough to run power-hungry devices like a hairdryer or a curling iron on a camping trip, run your PC or laptop for several nights, brew coffee, or even pop some microwave popcorn during a power outage. It’s also compact and light enough that it’s easy to carry around, position exactly where you need it, and store away when you don’t.