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The 10 best portable power station holiday deals
Portable power stations -- think power banks, only bigger, a lot bigger -- are all the rave, not just with campers, RV users, or those who want to go off-grid for work and play, but also those who want backup power at home in case the lights go out during an emergency.
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The only problem is that good, solid, reliable portable power stations aren't cheap. If you've been holding out on buying one, the deals that are available during the holiday season can help make the price tag easier to swallow.
If you want a portable power station, there's never been a better time to pick one up. I test and review portable power stations frequently, and these are my picks for the best portable power station deals currently on offer.
The best portable power station holiday deals
- Jackery Solar Generator 4000 Kit: Deal for $4,299 (save $700 with Amazon coupon)
- EcoFlow River 2: Deal for $189 (save $100)
- EcoFlow Delta 2 : Deal for $699 (save $300 with Amazon coupon)
- Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus : Deal for $999 (save $200 with Amazon coupon)
- Bluetti AC200MAX: Deal for $1,599 (save $560)
- EcoFlow River 2 Pro: Deal for $469 (save $130)
- Ugreen PowerRoam 2200: Deal for $1,499 (save $500)
- Current price: $4,299
- Original price: $4,999
Jackery, a familiar name in the power station game for over a decade now, has a new power station called the Explorer 2000 Plus, and this thing is a total game changer. You can scale it up from a single unit that's good for a day or two of camping to an array of batteries and solar panels that can power your home for two weeks.
You read that right: two weeks.
But you might notice that something is sitting atop my Explorer 2000 Plus. That's an add-on PackPlus E2000 Plus battery pack that adds an additional 2042.8 Wh of electrical storage capacity to the system. A single PackPlus E2000 Plus weighs in at 41.9 lbs (19 kg), so the two units combined come in at over 100 lbs (46.9 kg).
- Current price: $189
- Original price: $289
While there's a time and a place for massive behemoth power stations, sometimes I want something I can grab and go, throw into a car or truck, and take with me camping or on jobs.
The EcoFlow River 2 fits the bill perfectly. It's solid and well made, as I've come to expect from EcoFlow, and it's perfect for those times when you want power but don't want a huge amount of it!
- Current price: $1,699
- Original price: $2,159
The Bluetti AC200MAX is an awesome power station. It's big and powerful, yet portable. It's rugged and durable, yet doesn't look out of place in a home or office. It has a huge capacity that's expandable if you need it. And, so far, based on my testing, it delivers on everything it claims to offer.
If you want backup power for when the lights go out this winter, you want flexible charging options and massive power output to keep up with the heaviest loads, all packed into a rugged, durable package, this is the power station to take a look at.
More portable power station holiday deals
How did we choose these deals?
After extensively testing dozens of power stations, I chose these portable power stations and researched the product category. I regularly take trips that take me off-grid, either for camping or to carry out photography, videography, and drone work, and at these times, I rely on having access to a reliable power source.
I compared several factors:
- Size and weight: Some people need a small, grab-and-go power station that's easily transported, while others need the biggest capacity they can get and don't mind a big, bulky unit.
- How many ports: Some people only need an AC port and a couple of USB ports. Others might need as many as possible.
- Battery capacity: This is how much power is contained in the power station. Some will run a home for days, while others are designed to keep small items like smartphones, cameras, and drones charged up.
- 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.
- Company reputation: Power stations are expensive, and I recommend buying hardware from reputable brands.
What is the best portable power station?
This is a bit like asking what's the best takeout meal -- it depends on what you want!
There's no doubt that the ultimate power station is the Jackery Solar Generator Kit 4000 -- this is a beast of a kit that comes with a massive portable power station, a huge expansion pack, and two solar panels to keep the battery packs charged when off-grid.
But if you want something more modest, something that's a lot more portable, something that you can throw into the trunk of a car or back of a truck, my vote goes to the EcoFlow River 2. This is small, portable, powerful, reliable, and very competitively priced.
Is a portable power station worth it?
A portable power station is absolutely worth the purchase if you have sensitive medical equipment that needs to stay in operation during a power outage, mobile devices that need to stay connected, or an RV with power-hungry appliances that you take camping. A backup power supply can help avert disaster by keeping food and medicine at proper temperatures and keeping your mobile devices charged so you can stay connected to emergency services and family.
What are the best holiday deals?
ZDNET's experts have been searching for holiday deals across sites like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more. Here are the top deals by category we've found so far.
- Best holiday phone deals
- Best holiday laptop deals
- Best holiday tablet deals
- Best holiday TV deals
- Best holiday smartwatch deals
- Best holiday headphones deals
- Best holiday monitor deals
- Best holiday robot vacuum deals
- Best holiday VPN deals
- Best holiday gaming deals
- Best holiday gaming desktop deals
- Best holiday Roku deals