With the improvement of living standards and health awareness, more and more people now like to travel, camp in the wild or do outdoor sports, and the portable power station comes into being. The portable power station, as the name implies, is an energy source that can be used outdoors for a long time. It can be understood as a relatively large power bank or an outdoor solar generator, but it has a larger capacity and longer battery life than ordinary power banks, and is suitable for electronic equipment and scenes. So let’s talk about the characteristics and buying guide of the portable power station.
What is portable power station?
The portable power station is a mobile rechargeable energy storage power supply with a built-in lithium-ion battery, which can be used for conventional charging or solar charging. It has AC output/DC output functions. It not only has a USB interface, but also usually has AC, Type-C ports. It can provide continuous output sine wave current for various small and medium-sized electrical devices, which is especially suitable for tourism, mountaineering, camping, stargazing, emergency rescue and other outdoor scenes that are inconvenient for conventional charging.
For example, if you want to go outdoors for a self-driving tour during a long holiday, you can get a portable power station in the car. Now the mainstream portable power station on the market is generally not very large and heavy, and it is suitable for placing in the car.
So how to choose a portable power station for you needs? With limited outdoor conditions and a changeable natural environment, people need a variety of electronic devices to ensure safety and survival, as well as to deal with natural unexpected incidents. Therefore, a portable power station with sufficient power, convenient use, safety and reliability is very important. At present, there are many kinds of portable power stations on the market. If you want to buy a reliable one, you need to pay attention to the following factors.
1. Lithium-ion battery cells
At present, portable power stations mainly use lithium-ion batteries with light weight, small size, long cycle life and stable performance. However, some lithium batteries are prone to fire and explosion due to short-circuit or overcharge because of poor technology or improper use. Therefore, we should select the portable power stations with explosion-proof and fire-proof functions.
2. Voltage
When purchasing a portable power station, you should also choose the standard voltage one, in order to better adapt to other electronic equipment, maintain the high efficiency and stability of the voltage and current output, and will not cause damage to the devices.
3. Battery capacity
The larger the capacity of the battery, the longer the continuous output of electric energy. On long trips, if the power of electronic devices is insufficient, it will not only cause inconvenience, but also easily lead to accidents. Therefore, the capacity size is a parameter that must be paid attention to when purchasing portable power station.
4. Power
The more wattage a portable power station has, the more devices it can power. When doing outdoor sports or camping, it is usually necessary to carry certain electronic equipment, including not only basic equipment such as mobile phones and flashlights, but also laptops, cameras, video cameras, drones, stoves, small refrigerators, headlights, and even small microcomputers. Medical emergency equipment. The more equipment you carry, the more powerful the portable power station should be.
5. Power station interface
The more types of interfaces supported by the portable power station, the stronger the compatibility and the more applicable electronic devices. Therefore, portable power station that supports AC, USB, Type-C, car charger and other interface outputs should be selected to meet the needs of different devices.
6. Charging method and efficiency
At present, portable power stations generally have car charging, solar panel charging, and some are also equipped with PD fast charging adapters. For users, the more charging methods of the portable power station, the better for users, and the higher the charging efficiency, the better for users too. If you’re someone who loves outdoor adventures, you definitely need to have a portable solar panel in your outdoor gear collection.
7. Portability
Portable power stations are mostly used in outdoor scenes, so portability is very important, especially in emergency rescue situations, if the portable power station is too bulky, it is likely to delay the rescue time.
Conclusion
You can check out the full review from ChargingGeek for some of the best portable power stations on the market today. Based on the number of users, the number of days out, the number of devices you carry, and usage scenarios, it is easy to make corresponding choices.
