Battery backup with a portable power station
A power station is a large rechargeable battery with outlets. You plug your items straight into it. It is silent, needs no fuel, and its manufacturer states whether it can be used indoors.
When it fits
- Shorter outages, or longer ones where you have a way to recharge it.
- Apartments, condos, and homes with no safe place for a generator.
- Quiet nights, and items that should not lose power for even a moment, if the model offers UPS or EPS switchover.
What to check
- Continuous output (W) must be above the total of everything running at once.
- Surge rating (W) must cover the moment a motor starts, such as a fridge or sump pump. If no surge rating is published, we compare the continuous rating instead.
- Stored energy (Wh) is how much it holds. The manufacturer’s runtime guidance is the reliable source for how long it lasts.
- Charging temperature if your outages come in freezing weather.