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Forget Louis XIV, the solar panels in my garden make me the true Sun King
by Patrick Vogt
Portable power stations: which models spark joy?
12/4/2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
If you plan on working during your camping holidays or keeping your beer cold, you’ll need a power station. Although the different models all work in the same way, they differ tremendously in terms of battery capacity and performance. Let me give you an overview.
Be that as it may – there’s an increased interest in power stations. So what models make sense to invest in? After all, there are a few big differences. But let’s look at the similarities first.
Battery capacity
When it comes to capacity, there are big differences between power stations. The capacity is expressed in watt-hours (Wh) and determines how long you can run a device or how many devices you can connect at the same time.
Up to 300 watt-hours – power stations for candy crushers
Maybe you’ll want to charge your phone during your digital detox in the great outdoors. After all, you might have the urge to «briefly check» a few Insta stories or play a quick game of chess Candy Crush. If that’s the case, you won’t need a huge battery. If you’re working on the go, 300 watt-hours will even cover the odd laptop charge or two.
You might be thinking: what and how much are watt-hours? Let me break it down for you with the help of my OnePlus Nord 2. Disclaimer: I studied journalism and was graded a C in maths in my high school diploma.
My phone has a battery capacity of 4,500 milliampere hours (mAh), as I found out on Google with the search term «oneplus nord 2 battery capacity». This corresponds to 4.5 amp-hours (Ah). However, I need to know what that is in watts and watt-hours, as most power station manufacturers state their capacity in watt-hours. This makes sense, as it’s the unit of energy that states how much power was or will be used.
To translate the energy of my smartphone into watt-hours, I multiply the charge in amp-hours by the voltage of the phone battery, which is 3.7 volts (V). Ah × V = Wh. In other words, Ah × V = Wh. So I calculate 4.5 A × 3.7 V and get 16.65 watt-hours. I then divide the 300 watt-hours by 16.65 watt-hours and get 18.01. That’s how often
you can charge your smartphone with one charge of the power station.
By the way, if Candy Crush is the only reason you need a mobile charging station, then a simple [power bank]/en/s1/producttype/powerbank-2040?tagIds=77-100) will probably do.
Up to 600 watt-hours – power stations for your office on the road
I’d go so far as to say that 600 watt-hours is the standard size for a power station. It has enough power to charge your most important devices during a camping trip: mobile, laptop, fridge, coffee machine, fan. Provided that the wattage of the devices is compatible with that of the power station, that is. And that’s the second important difference – power. But I’ll get to that in the next chapter.
Up to 1000 watt-hours – power stations for your creature comforts
In terms of battery capacity, you can charge everything you enjoy using at home or use often. In addition to the previously mentioned appliances, you can also bring a vacuum cleaner, a radio and your smoothie maker on your socket-free vacation. Or maybe you want to transform your allotment garden cabin into a summer residence with all the trimmings.
The sky’s the limit – power stations for the apocalypse
Power output
Huge batteries are pointless if you only have 200 watts of power output and want to plug in your hair dryer. They usually require a minimum of 1000 watts to get going. So before you add anything to your cart, think about the devices you want to charge with the power station and check their power (in watts).
Verdict
Once you’ve gone through this mental checklist and decided on a model, all you need to do is add an adapter to your shopping cart. Most power stations are equipped with a Schuko or Euro plug, so you won’t manage to plug in a three-pin Swiss T13 plug.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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