Portable Power Station Calculator: How Long Will Yours Last?

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⚡ Power Station Runtime Calculator
Calculate how long your devices will run on battery power
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How to Calculate Runtime

It’s simple math. Think of your power station like a gas tank:

  • Capacity (Wh) = how big is your tank
  • Watts (W) = how fast you’re using fuel
  • Runtime = how long before empty
The Formula
Capacity ÷ Watts × 0.85 = Hours

Why × 0.85? No battery gives you 100% of its power. About 15% gets lost as heat. This is normal for all brands.

📊 Real Example

You have a Jackery 1000 v2 (1,070Wh) and want to charge your laptop (60W):

1,070 ÷ 60 × 0.85 = 15 hours

That’s almost 2 full workdays! ✓
💡 Good to know

Your laptop says “65W” on the charger, but it usually only pulls 30-40W during normal use. The rating is the maximum, not what it actually uses.

Quick Runtime Chart

Don’t want to do math? Here’s how long popular power stations last with common devices:

Power Station Size Mini Fridge CPAP Laptop TV
Jackery 300 293Wh 5 hrs 6 hrs 4 hrs 3 hrs
Bluetti EB3A 268Wh 4.5 hrs 5.5 hrs 4 hrs 3 hrs
Jackery 500 518Wh 9 hrs 11 hrs 7 hrs 5.5 hrs
Anker C800 768Wh 13 hrs 16 hrs 11 hrs 8 hrs
Bluetti AC70 768Wh 13 hrs 16 hrs 11 hrs 8 hrs
Jackery 1000 v2 1,070Wh 18 hrs 23 hrs 15 hrs 11 hrs
Anker C1000 1,056Wh 18 hrs 22 hrs 15 hrs 11 hrs
Bluetti AC180 1,152Wh 20 hrs 24 hrs 16 hrs 12 hrs
Jackery 2000 Pro 2,160Wh 37 hrs 46 hrs 31 hrs 23 hrs
Anker F2000 2,048Wh 35 hrs 44 hrs 29 hrs 22 hrs

Based on: Mini fridge 50W, CPAP 40W (no humidifier), Laptop 60W, TV 42″ 80W

How Many Watts Does Your Stuff Use?

Not sure how many watts your devices need? Here’s a quick reference. The lower the watts, the longer your power station lasts.

Small Stuff Under 100W – Easy to power

Device Watts Notes
Phone charger5-20WFast chargers use more
LED camping light5-15WVery efficient
Laptop30-65WGaming laptops use more
CPAP (basic)30-60WWithout the humidifier
Small fan20-50WGreat for camping
TV (32-42″)50-80WModern LEDs are efficient
Mini fridge40-60WAverage over time

Medium Stuff 100-500W – Need a bigger unit

Device Watts Notes
Full-size fridge100-200WCycles on and off
CPAP + humidifier80-150W2-3x more than basic!
Big TV (55″+)100-150WBigger = more power
Electric blanket100-200WLower once warm
PS5 / Xbox100-200WDuring gaming
Blender300-500WOnly runs a few minutes

Power Hungry Stuff 500W+ – Drains fast

Device Watts Notes
Coffee maker600-1200WOnly 5-10 min
Microwave600-1200WShort bursts OK
Hair dryer1000-1800WMost units can’t run this
Space heater1000-1500WBattery killer
Portable AC1000-1500WNot practical
⚠️ Heads up

A 1500W space heater will drain a 1000Wh power station in about 40 minutes. For heating, you need a much bigger unit or stick with a gas generator.

What Size Do You Actually Need?

Here’s the cheat sheet. Find what you want to power, and we’ll tell you what to buy:

I want to power… Get at least Good options
Phones & tablets only 200-300Wh Jackery 300, Bluetti EB3A
Laptop + lights 500-700Wh Jackery 500, Anker C800
CPAP for 1 night 500-700Wh Bluetti AC70, Jackery 500
CPAP for a weekend 1000-1500Wh Jackery 1000 v2, Anker C1000
Mini fridge all day 1000-1500Wh Bluetti AC180, Jackery 1000 v2
Full fridge all day 2000Wh+ Jackery 2000 Pro, Bluetti AC240
RV / Van life 2000-3000Wh Anker F2000, Jackery 3000 Pro
Whole house backup 5000Wh+ Jackery 5000 Plus, Anker F3800
💡 Our advice

Buy 20-30% more than you think you need. You’ll use more power than you expect, and batteries lose capacity over time. See our full buying guide for more help.

Runtime by Brand

Already know which brand you want? Here’s how long each model lasts at different power levels:

🟠 Jackery

Model @ 50W @ 100W @ 200W
Explorer 3005 hrs2.5 hrs1 hr
Explorer 5009 hrs4.5 hrs2 hrs
Explorer 1000 v218 hrs9 hrs4.5 hrs
Explorer 2000 Pro37 hrs18 hrs9 hrs
Explorer 3000 Pro51 hrs25 hrs13 hrs
Explorer 5000 Plus86 hrs43 hrs21 hrs

→ Jackery vs Bluetti comparison · Solar charge time calculator

🔵 Bluetti

Model @ 50W @ 100W @ 200W
EB3A4.5 hrs2 hrs1 hr
AC7013 hrs6.5 hrs3 hrs
AC18020 hrs10 hrs5 hrs
AC180T24 hrs12 hrs6 hrs
Elite 200 v235 hrs17 hrs9 hrs
AC24031 hrs15 hrs8 hrs

→ Is Bluetti a good brand? · Best Bluetti for home backup

🩵 Anker SOLIX

Model @ 50W @ 100W @ 200W
C300X5 hrs2.5 hrs1 hr
C80013 hrs6.5 hrs3 hrs
C800 Plus15 hrs7 hrs3.5 hrs
C100018 hrs9 hrs4.5 hrs
F200035 hrs17 hrs9 hrs
F380065 hrs33 hrs16 hrs

→ Anker SOLIX buying guide · Budget pick: 535 Powerhouse

What Else Affects Runtime?

The calculator gives you a good estimate, but real-world results can vary. Here’s why:

🌡️ Cold weather hurts

Batteries don’t like the cold. Below 50°F (10°C), you might get 10-20% less runtime. If you’re camping in winter, keep your power station inside your tent or vehicle. More tips in our RV setup guide.

🔋 Old batteries fade

After a few hundred charges, your battery won’t hold as much. Most units keep 80% capacity for 500-1000 charges. That’s still years of use for most people.

⚡ Startup spikes

Fridges and AC units need a big burst of power to start up (2-3x their normal draw). Make sure your power station can handle the surge, not just the running watts.

☀️ Solar can help

Add a solar panel and you can extend runtime indefinitely. On a sunny day, a 200W panel can add 150+ watt-hours per hour back to your battery. Check our solar angle guide to get the most from your panels.

Common Questions

Depends what you’re running! At 50W (laptop), about 17 hours. At 100W (mini fridge), about 8.5 hours. At 200W (multiple devices), about 4 hours. See our Jackery 1000 v2 review for real test results.

Yes! A full-size fridge uses about 100-150W on average. A 1000Wh power station runs it for 8-12 hours. For a full 24-hour outage, you need 2000Wh+ or add solar panels to keep charging.

Yes, power stations are great for CPAP! Without the heated humidifier, most CPAPs only use 30-60W. A 500Wh unit gives you 8-14 hours — plenty for one night. But heads up: turn on the humidifier and it jumps to 80-150W, cutting runtime in half.

For weekend camping with just phones and lights: 300-500Wh is plenty. Add a CPAP or mini fridge: step up to 1000Wh. Long trips off-grid: 2000Wh+ with solar. See our best budget picks if you’re just starting out.

At the same capacity, they last the same time — it’s just physics. The differences are in features, build quality, and charging speed. We break it all down in our Jackery vs Bluetti comparison.

Pretty good — usually within 10-15% of reality. The 0.85 efficiency factor accounts for real-world losses. You might get a bit more or less depending on temperature and battery age, but it’s a solid estimate.

Real-World Examples

Still not sure what to buy? Here’s what people actually use:

Weekend Camping

  • 📱 Phone charging: 20Wh
  • 💡 LED lantern: 20Wh
  • 🌀 Small fan: 120Wh
  • 💻 Laptop: 120Wh
= 280Wh/day × 2 days = 560Wh

Jackery 500 + 100W solar panel

😴

CPAP for 3 Nights

  • 💨 CPAP (8 hrs × 40W × 3): 960Wh
  • 📱 Phone charging: 60Wh
  • 📖 Reading light: 30Wh
= 1,050Wh total

Jackery 1000 v2 or Anker C1000

🏠

Power Outage (24 hrs)

  • 🧊 Fridge (100W avg): 2,400Wh
  • 📶 WiFi router: 240Wh
  • 📱 Phones: 80Wh
  • 💡 Lights: 120Wh
= 2,840Wh total

Jackery 5000 Plus or Anker F3800