Portable power stations

Buying guide

A portable power station is a large battery with ordinary sockets: it runs a laptop, fridge or power tool without mains power, with no noise or fumes. Capacity (in watt-hours) decides how long it lasts, while output (in watts) decides which devices it can run at all: heaters and kettles demand a lot. If it needs to power a computer without interruption, check whether it has a UPS mode and what the switchover time is. Solar charging is handy for long stays outdoors.