Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and the yard is the show. The catch is power: the outdoor outlet is on the wrong side of the house, the extension cord crosses the driveway, and the GFCI trips the first damp night.
A portable power station solves that, and it needs less battery than you might think. A 12-foot inflatable ghost draws 44.4W, according to its own spec sheet. Here is what each decoration really pulls, how long four power stations run a full yard, and the one prop that changes the math.
- Inflatables and LED lights are light loads: a 1kWh power station runs one 12-foot inflatable for about 20 hours.
- A full yard of about 180W needs a 1kWh unit for one night, or 2kWh for two nights.
- The fog machine is the exception: it pulls more than everything else combined.
What each decoration really draws
These are the ratings printed by the makers or sellers, not guesses. Your own props will differ a little, so check the label on the blower or the plug.
12-foot inflatable ghost
44.4W
The 12 ft. Short Circuit Ghost with light show sold at Walmart: 120V, 0.37A.
8-foot inflatable scene
67W
Gemmy Airblown Runaway Ghost (model 26649), rated 66.96W with its bulbs.
100 LED mini lights
4.8W
A Northlight orange LED set. A 100-bulb incandescent set from the same brand is rated 40.8W.
Window projector
55W
AtmosFX AtmosKIT HD, built on a ViewSonic LED projector.
Fog machine
471W
Chauvet DJ Hurricane 700: 3.9A at 120V. The heater is what pulls the power.
Giant animated skeleton
Check the adapter
Home Depot’s 12-foot Skelly runs on a plug-in adapter, but the listing gives no wattage. The rating is printed on the adapter.
How long a power station runs your yard
Same math as our power station calculator: capacity × 0.85 ÷ watts, the 0.85 covering inverter losses. These are calculations, not test results. BackupPowerHub does not run lab tests (see our editorial guidelines).
Two setups: a simple porch (the 12-foot ghost and two LED strings, about 54W) and a full yard (both inflatables, three LED strings and the projector, about 181W).
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus
286Wh, 600W
Porch: about 4.5 hours
Full yard: about 1.3 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
1,070Wh, 1,500W
Porch: about 17 hours
Full yard: about 5 hours
Anker SOLIX C1000
1,056Wh, 1,800W
Porch: about 16.5 hours
Full yard: about 5 hours
BLUETTI AC200L
2,048Wh, 2,400W
Porch: about 32 hours
Full yard: about 9.5 hours
The fog machine changes everything
Add a 471W fog machine to the full yard and the load jumps to about 652W. That is more than the RIVER 3 Plus can output at all (600W). The 1kWh units handle it, but for about 1.4 hours instead of 5, and the AC200L for about 2.7 hours.
Two ways around it. Plug the fog machine into the house and keep the battery for the yard. Or run it only during trick-or-treat hours, on a timer or a remote. Its heater does not run every minute, so these figures are the worst case.
The cheap win is the lights. Swapping 100 incandescent mini bulbs (40.8W) for LED (4.8W) frees up 36W, almost a whole inflatable.
Setting it up safely
1. Keep it dry
Portable power stations are not built for rain or wet grass. Put it on the porch, under an overhang or in a ventilated plastic bin with the lid cracked, never under a tarp that traps heat.
2. Use outdoor-rated cords
Short, outdoor-rated extension cords from the station to each prop, kept out of the walking path to the door.
3. Leave room to breathe
The fans need air. Do not pile leaves, hay bales or decorations on top of the unit.
4. Charge it by day
Recharge from a wall outlet in the morning, or from a solar panel in the yard. The next evening, the yard is ready.
After Halloween, it is your outage backup
The real value comes on November 1. The same 1kWh unit that ran your yard runs a full-size fridge for several hours or a CPAP for about two nights in a power outage, and the 2kWh class runs a fridge for about 15 hours. Keep it charged in the closet and it earns its place all winter.
The four models above, with live prices from each brand’s U.S. store. Black Friday falls on November 27: our Black Friday power station deals page tracks every model daily until then.
Links to the brand stores are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which models we list.
| Model | Capacity / output | Price now | Per kWh | Lowest tracked | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 EcoFlowRIVER 3 Plus | 286Wh · 600W | $299 | $1,045 | $259 (Oct 11) | Check deal |
 JackeryExplorer 1000 v2 | 1,070Wh · 1,500W | $499 Lowest we have tracked | $466 | $499 (Oct 26) | Check deal |
 Anker SOLIXC1000 | 1,056Wh · 1,800W | $469.99 Lowest we have tracked | $445 | $469.99 (Oct 26) | Check deal |
 BLUETTIAC200L | 2,048Wh · 2,400W | $899 Lowest we have tracked | $439 | $899 (Oct 26) | Check deal |
Prices come from each brand's US store and refresh automatically every few hours (oldest check on this table: Oct 26, 5:59 PM ET). Sale prices can change within the hour; the price in your cart is the one that counts. Prices, not coupon codes: some stores stack extra member or sign-up discounts at checkout.
Full details in our reviews of the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2, the Anker SOLIX C1000 and the BLUETTI AC200L.
Quick answers
How many watts does a Halloween inflatable use?
Less than most people expect. A 12-foot inflatable ghost with a light show is rated 44.4W, and an 8-foot Gemmy Airblown scene 66.96W. The blower fan is most of that.
Can a power station run a Halloween inflatable all night?
Yes. A 1kWh power station runs a 44W inflatable for about 20 hours, which covers several Halloween nights. A small 286Wh unit runs it for about 5.5 hours.
Can a power station run a fog machine?
Only a larger one. A 700-class fog machine draws up to 471W while it heats, so choose a unit with at least 1,000W of output. On its own, it uses more power than a full yard of inflatables, lights and a projector.
Originally published: October 23, 2026