The best portable power stations for home backup

How big a power station do you need?

1. Add up the average watts of what must stay on. Essentials come to about 130 W: fridge 84 W, Wi-Fi 24 W, lights 15 W, phones 7 W. A fridge does not draw its label watts all day; it cycles on and off. A closed fridge keeps food cold about four hours, and a full freezer about 48 hours¹. An older furnace blower adds about 182 W. It draws about 550 W while it runs, about a third of each hour²³. A typical sump pump adds about 136 W, and far more in a heavy storm.
2. Multiply by the hours. A night of essentials: 130 W × 12 h = 1.6 kWh. Add the furnace, for a day: 312 W × 24 h = 7.5 kWh. Add the sump pump, for three days: 447 W × 72 h = 32.2 kWh.
3. Buy about 18% more battery, and check the peak. About 85% of a battery comes out as power, so divide by 0.85. Then check the peak watts. A sump pump or furnace blower can need up to 4,500 W for a split second to start.

Of the 62 power stations we track, 34 run a night of essentials on one charge. None runs the furnace day without extra batteries. (as of October 1, 2026). Your fridge may use more or less: find its number from the yellow label.

The picks and their closest rivals

The DELTA 3 Max and the Explorer 2000 v2 cost less per kWh than the night pick, but neither takes an extra battery. Buy one if you never will add one. The DELTA Pro 3 holds more in one box than the F3800 but costs more per kWh.

Model	Battery	Output	Hours: essentials / + furnace / + sump	Grows to	Amazon price
DELTA 2 Max Night pick	2,048 Wh4 (1,741 usable)	2,400 W (4,800 W peak)	13 / 5.6 / 3.9	6,144 Wh	$1,029 at Amazon $591 per usable kWh
DELTA 3 Max	2,048 Wh5 (1,741 usable)	2,400 W (4,800 W peak)	13 / 5.6 / 3.9	No	$879 at Amazon $505 per usable kWh
Explorer 2000 v2	2,042 Wh6 (1,736 usable)	2,200 W (4,400 W peak)	13 / 5.6 / 3.9	No	$899 at Amazon $518 per usable kWh
F3800 Day pick	3,840 Wh7 (3,264 usable)	6,000 W (9,000 W peak)	25 / 10 / 7.3	26,880 Wh	$1,980 at Amazon $607 per usable kWh
DELTA Pro 3	4,096 Wh8 (3,482 usable)	4,000 W (8,000 W peak)	27 / 11 / 7.8	12,288 Wh	$2,799 at Amazon $804 per usable kWh
Explorer 5000 Plus Several-days pick	5,040 Wh9 (4,284 usable)	7,200 W (14,400 W peak)	33 / 14 / 9.6	30,240 Wh	$3,149 at Amazon $735 per usable kWh

Hours on one charge. Per usable kWh = price ÷ 85% of the battery. Prices checked October 3, 2026.

Questions buyers ask

Can a power station run a sump pump?

Yes, if it can start it. A sump pump needs 2,000–4,500 W for a split second. Our three picks: DELTA 2 Max starts it; F3800 starts it; Explorer 5000 Plus starts it. On one charge, a typical sump pump alone runs about 13 hours on the DELTA 2 Max and 32 on the Explorer 5000 Plus. In a storm it may run far more. Sump pump picks.

Can a power station run my furnace?

It can run the blower, the part of a gas furnace that needs power. An older blower averages about 182 W. Alone, it runs about 9.6 hours on the DELTA 2 Max, 18 on the F3800 and 24 on the Explorer 5000 Plus. Starting it: DELTA 2 Max starts it; F3800 starts it; Explorer 5000 Plus starts it. A furnace is wired in, so it needs an inlet and a transfer switch (below). Furnace picks.

Can a portable power station run a whole house?

Not all at once. Plan on a few circuits. A window air conditioner alone averages about 721 W in our model, so even the Explorer 5000 Plus runs one only about 5.9 hours. With all 5 of its extra batteries it holds 30,240 Wh: about 57 hours of the whole set. We found none of those batteries sold alone on Amazon.

Do I need a transfer switch?

Only for things that are wired in. Anything with a plug can run on an extension cord. A furnace or well pump needs an inlet box and a transfer switch or panel interlock, fitted by a licensed electrician. Never plug a power station into a wall outlet to feed the house. Anker sells the F3800 with a 10-circuit manual transfer switch⁷. EcoFlow says the DELTA 2 Max works with a home transfer switch for partial backup¹⁰. Which transfer switch fits which unit · every way to connect one.

Can I recharge it with solar?

Yes, and past the first day it is the plan. A full day of fridge, furnace, sump and essentials uses about 10.7 kWh. The most solar each pick takes: DELTA 2 Max 1,000 W, full in about 2.3 hours, EcoFlow says¹⁰. F3800 2,400 W, full in under 2 hours in ideal sun, Anker says⁷. Explorer 5000 Plus 4,000 W, but only on its high-voltage input, 135–450 V¹¹. With ordinary 16–60 V panels it takes up to 1,200 W¹¹. Real panels give less than their rating. Which panels fit.

Power station or generator?

A generator may suit you better if your outages last several days, if you need central air or a well pump, or if the battery for your load costs more than you want to spend. A battery holds a fixed amount. A generator runs as long as you add fuel. Three days of the whole set needs about 32 kWh of battery. But a generator must run outside, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages¹. A power station runs indoors and makes no fumes. Power station or generator: how to choose · generator picks.

Can it work as a UPS?

Yes. Leave it plugged into the wall, with the fridge or router plugged into it. When the power cuts, it switches to battery. Switch time: DELTA 2 Max within 30 ms¹²; F3800 under 20 ms⁷; Explorer 5000 Plus under 20 ms, or 0 ms on two outlets in its Online UPS mode¹³. A fridge or router will not notice. A desktop computer may restart.

Sources

Specs are the makers’ own. Typical appliance draws come from our load model (how we work them out). Prices come from the Amazon listings linked above.

More: EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max: runtimes and extra batteries · DELTA Pro 3 vs F3800 vs Explorer 5000 Plus · Which Jackery to buy · Which EcoFlow to buy · Power station for a refrigerator · Size your own list of appliances.