In terms of outages, the months of summer 2024 turned out to be no less difficult for Ukrainians than the winter of 2022-2023. Yes, if living at 35 degrees below zero is very difficult and sometimes impossible, then at 35 degrees below zero the issue of survival is not so pressing. However, food storage, computer operation and lighting are top needs in the summer. Yes, in winter, food can be stored on the balcony or outside the window, and LED portable lamps can be used for lighting. But the latter, like computers and smartphones, still need to be charged from time to time. And somehow there is no need to rely on honestly laundered “No Evil Points”.

 

In this material we will identify the top models of charging stations from famous and not so famous brands in several categories. We will also designate charging models, since, for example, gas boilers need the correct sine wave of the electrical signal, but for laptops and refrigerators the pulse shape is not so important.

 

Portable charging station. How to choose

 

In general, it is worth considering a number of parameters of charging stations, including not only numbers, but also the type of elements used.

 

Charging station power

 

• Power can be rated and peak

 

Rated power – the power that the charger can support during throughout your entire work

Peak power – short-term power that the charger can withstand within a few seconds or tens of seconds. Consumer devices, especially those with reactive elements, such as motors, can consume electricity at the time of start-up several times higher than their rated power

 

• It is important to choose a charging station with a sufficient rated power so that it exceeds the total power consumption of the devices by 20-30%, so that the charger does not work at the limit of its capabilities.
• The estimated power rating is calculated based on the total power of the devices that will be connected to the charging station during a power outage.

 

Approximate power of household devices in the house

Device

Rated power, Wh

Peak power, W

32″ LCD TV	70	80-100
60″ LCD TV	200	220-260
Refrigerator class A	100-150	500-800
Refrigerator class A+++	60-80	300-500
Laptop 15″	50-70	100-120
Standard LED lamp 600-900Lm for the kitchen	8-10	12-15
Router	10-50	10-50
Simple and faster smartphone charging	10-18	20-25
Smartphone fast charging protocols	18-25	20-25
Gas boiler (with electric pump)	140-180	200-240
Heating system pump	30-60	40-80

That is, if you need a charging station in an apartment, which should provide operation of a class A refrigerator, a laptop with a router, one light bulb and provide simple charging of a smartphone, then the rated power of the charger in the weakest configuration will be:

100+50 + 10 +10 +8 = 178 W ~ 200 W (with a small margin)

 

Of course, in each specific case, you need to calculate the power parameters individually for specific devices.

 

Charging station capacity

 

• The capacity of a charging station determines how long it can power all connected devices without recharging. It is important to choose a station with a reserve capacity, taking into account the possible connection of other devices.

 

Charging speed of the charging station

 

• The charging station should charge quickly enough, at least in 2-3 hours. Moreover, for at least a month the voltage in the network appeared for no more than the same 2-3 hours. But with increased capacity, charging time can reach 4 hours.

 

Battery type of portable charging station

• LifePo4 based batteries are preferred due to their longer service life. They can withstand up to 3000 recharge cycles and do not heat up.

Charging station for gas boiler

 

What kind of charging station is needed for gas boilers? Most models of charging stations have the correct sine wave. For reference, gas boilers usually consume from 70 to 150 W and the quality of the electrical signal is important to them – the presence of a correct, and not an approximated, sinusoid.

 

There are also uninterruptible power supplies with the correct sine waveand high capacity and power, but they have no more than 1000 recharge cycles. When using servers, this is enough, but when the lights are turned off 3-4 times a day, the charge cycles are good if they last for 4 months.

Top charging stations by power

 

EcoFlow RIVER mini

Nominal power	300W
Peak power	600W
Technology	NCM
Capacity	210 Wh
Charge cycles	500
Price	$400

 

EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max

Nominal power	500W
Peak power	1000W
Technology	LiFePO4
Capacity	512 W/h
Charge cycles	3000
Price	$600

 

EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max

Nominal power	1000W
Peak power	2000W
Technology	LiFePO4
Capacity	864 Wh
Charge cycles	3000
Price	$900

 

Bluetti PowerOak AC200Max

Nominal power	2400W
Peak power	4800W
Technology	LiFePO4
Capacity	2048 Wh
Charge cycles	3500
Price	$1700

 

Charging stations for refrigerators and household appliances

 

Supporting high peak power will be more important here. For example, modern refrigerators, even if they consume 150-200 W, must start the refrigeration motor to start working. And its starting current reaches 500-800 W, so even an inverter with a rated support of thousands of watts cannot always cope.

 

How long the station’s charge will be enough, all other things being equal, for a boiler, TV, air conditioner or, my God, a mixer or juicer – depends on their energy efficiency class.

 

Charging stations for computers and digital gadgets

 

If in addition to a laptop you have several smartphones and tablets, then the number of USB Type-A and Type-C ports will become important. Moreover, it is desirable that they be flexible in terms of output power and equally suitable for Android smartphones and iPhones.
You can also connect a Wi-Fi router to the charging station, but if you don’t have any equipment other than a couple of smartphones, then portable battery (power bank). As is correct, relatively simple and, therefore, low-power routers have low consumption. A capacity of 20,000 mAh is sufficient. We do not recommend taking more unless there is a fast charge, since the power bank still needs to be replenished, but it lasts for 15-17 hours. That is, you still have to charge it once a day.

 

It is also important that the portable battery supports the voltage required for the router. It can be 5, 9, 12 or 24 V. The latter value is mainly found in sophisticated and powerful routers, which also have increased power consumption.

 

Alternative to charging stations

 

Of course, there is also the so-called “collective farm” approach. A set of a car battery (preferably an AGM or LiFePO4 battery), a charger for it and an inverter with the correct sine wave. Simple lead batteries are highly not recommended due to the toxicity of electrolyte fumes when heated during charging. But AGM batteries, which are designed for cars with a Start Stop system, are safer due to the different state of the electrolyte in them. The price is also 1.5-2 times higher, but still many times far from the overpriced Bluetti, EcoFlow, Jackery and others. But the storage location for such systems cannot be called aesthetic. But there is a reason to remember the physics studied in the 8th grade.