Portable Power Station
Sizing Calculator

Two minutes. Real appliance draw numbers. Specific product names — not a watt-hour range that leaves you guessing.

What it does

Calculates your real watt-hour requirement from actual appliance draw — not nameplate ratings.

Surge warnings

Flags sump pumps, well pumps, and AC units that will trip an undersized inverter.

Real recommendations

Returns specific model names by tier — not a generic capacity range.

No signup needed

Free, instant, works in your browser. No email required to see results.

Step 1 of 3

What matters most to you?

This changes everything. A mountain hunter and a homeowner need very different systems.

Maximum power & runtime
Home backup, basecamp, RV, or any situation where weight isn't a constraint. Size for what you need to run.
🏔
Minimum weight, critical needs only
Mountain hunting, backpacking, hiking in. Every pound costs you on the trail. We'll find the lightest unit that covers your critical gear.
Step 2 of 3

What do you need to power?

Select everything you want to keep running. You can start small and expand later.

Step 3 of 3

How long do you need power?

Choose the outage duration you want to plan for. Going longer gives more protection but costs more upfront.

Your Recommendation
How we sized this
× × 1.25 loss buffer =
Energy over Time
E = P × t
Energy (Wh) = Power (W) × Time (h). A 100W device running 10 hours consumes 1,000 Wh.
Electrical Power
P = V × I
Power (W) = Voltage (V) × Current (A). A 12V battery at 10A delivers 120W.
Battery Capacity
Wh = Ah × V
A 100Ah 12V battery stores 1,200 Wh. Most portable stations are rated directly in Wh.
Inverter Efficiency
Ereal = Edraw ÷ η
Inverters run at ~85–92% efficiency (η). Our 1.25× buffer covers conversion loss and battery aging.
W = watts    Wh = watt-hours    V = volts    A = amps    Ah = amp-hours    η = efficiency (0–1)

Recommended products
Recommended products

How the calculator works

Step 1: Your situation

Select your primary use case — home backup, medical devices, camping, RV, or off-grid. Each changes which appliances appear and how we model your duration needs.

Step 2: Your appliances

Choose which devices need to run and for how long. The watt figures are real measured draw numbers, not nameplate ratings — nameplate ratings are almost always higher than actual consumption.

Step 3: Your result

You get your minimum watt-hour requirement with a built-in 25% buffer for inverter losses. Surge warnings appear automatically for sump pumps, well pumps, and large motor loads. Products are named by tier.

What this calculator cannot tell you

No calculator replaces reading the actual spec sheet for your specific appliance. Wattage varies widely by model and age. If your application is critical — medical life support, sump pump in a flood-prone basement — verify numbers against your actual equipment before buying.

Well pumps above 1 HP and central air conditioning units generally exceed portable power station limits. The calculator flags these automatically but confirm with your equipment documentation.

Related guides

Not sure where to start?

Browse guides organised by your specific situation — sump pumps, medical devices, camping, RV, and more.

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