Best 1000Wh & Up Power Stations/Solar Generators With MPPT

1000Wh And Higher Power Stations/Solar Generators With MPPT Charge Controller

This is going to be the third and last post about the best power stations/solar generators with MPPT charge controllers. The first one compares the best 1-300Wh batteries, while the second one compares the same thing but batteries sized between 301-999Wh.

In today’s post, we’re going even larger. We’re going to be comparing the biggest power stations available with MPPT charge controllers, which have a battery capacity of 1000 watt-hours or larger. The most popular companies make power stations in all different sizes, like Jackery and Goal Zero, but some less known companies make great products in this category as well.

If you don’t know what a power station, also known as a solar generator is, I suggest reading this post.

Related Post: Can You Plug An RV/Camper Into A Power Station/Solar Generator?

A portable power station is an all-in-one box with a battery, an inverter, and a solar charge controller. The battery stores the electricity, the inverter changes the 12V battery power into 120V AC power and powers the outlets, and the solar charge controller makes it possible to recharge the battery with solar panels. There are more to a power station than that, but those are the three main players.

This makes it a great choice for outdoorsy people that go camping, or people like myself that live fulltime in a travel trailer and dry-camp 95% of the time.

My Goal Zero Yeti 1000 powers my whole camper, and lets me use not only my AC outlets but also my microwave. The only thing it can’t do is power the 13,500 BTU air conditioner.

Now, let’s start by comparing the different power stations on the table. Then we’ll take a closer look at each battery.

Best 1000Wh (Watt-Hours) And Larger Power Stations With MPPT Charge Controller

Most Portable
Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station, 1002Wh Capacity with 3x1000W AC Outlets, Solar Generator for Home Backup, Emergency, Outdoor Camping (Solar Panel Optional)
Renogy Solar Power Generator, Lycan Powerbox
Top Pick
EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station DELTA 1300, 1260Wh Solar Powered Generator with 6 x 1800W AC Outlets, Solar Generator(Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping
Watt-Hours
1002Wh
1075Wh
1260Wh
Inverter Rating
1000W/2000W Surge
1200W
1800W/3300W Surge
AC Outlets
3
4
6
USB Ports
4 (2 USB C)
4
6 (2 USB C)
DC Outputs
1
4
1
DC Solar Input
8mm, APP
Anderson PowerPole
XT60 (MC4 adapter included)
Maximum Input
200W
300W
AC: 1200W, Solar: 400W
Lithium Battery
MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Pure Sine Wave Inverter
USB C
Regulated 12V Port
Can Be Used While Charging
Includes MC4 Adapter
Weight
22 lbs
55 lbs
30.9 lbs
Size
13.1 x 9.2 x 11.1 in
14.5 x 13.4 x 11.8 in
15.7 x 8.3 x 10.6 in
Most Portable
Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station, 1002Wh Capacity with 3x1000W AC Outlets, Solar Generator for Home Backup, Emergency, Outdoor Camping (Solar Panel Optional)
Watt-Hours
1002Wh
Inverter Rating
1000W/2000W Surge
AC Outlets
3
USB Ports
4 (2 USB C)
DC Outputs
1
DC Solar Input
8mm, APP
Maximum Input
200W
Lithium Battery
MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Pure Sine Wave Inverter
USB C
Regulated 12V Port
Can Be Used While Charging
Includes MC4 Adapter
Weight
22 lbs
Size
13.1 x 9.2 x 11.1 in
Renogy Solar Power Generator, Lycan Powerbox
Watt-Hours
1075Wh
Inverter Rating
1200W
AC Outlets
4
USB Ports
4
DC Outputs
4
DC Solar Input
Anderson PowerPole
Maximum Input
300W
Lithium Battery
MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Pure Sine Wave Inverter
USB C
Regulated 12V Port
Can Be Used While Charging
Includes MC4 Adapter
Weight
55 lbs
Size
14.5 x 13.4 x 11.8 in
Top Pick
EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station DELTA 1300, 1260Wh Solar Powered Generator with 6 x 1800W AC Outlets, Solar Generator(Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping
Product Link
Watt-Hours
1260Wh
Inverter Rating
1800W/3300W Surge
AC Outlets
6
USB Ports
6 (2 USB C)
DC Outputs
1
DC Solar Input
XT60 (MC4 adapter included)
Maximum Input
AC: 1200W, Solar: 400W
Lithium Battery
MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Pure Sine Wave Inverter
USB C
Regulated 12V Port
Can Be Used While Charging
Includes MC4 Adapter
Weight
30.9 lbs
Size
15.7 x 8.3 x 10.6 in
Note: Scroll left/right on small screens to view all products in the table.

Overview And Review Of Each Power Station


Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station, 1002Wh Capacity with 3x1000W AC Outlets, Solar Generator for Home Backup, Emergency, Outdoor Camping (Solar Panel Optional)

Check Price at Amazon

Features

The Jackery Explorer 1000 is currently the largest power station made by Jackery. They sell a couple of smaller models, but this large one is for people that need to power devices larger than phones, tablets, and laptops.

With a 1002 watt-hour battery capacity, it can power a 100W device for about 8.5 hours when considering the inverter efficiency.

The three AC outlets are powered by a 1000W pure sine wave inverter that is powerful enough to power laptops, TVs, gaming consoles, small coffee makers and kitchen appliances, CPAP machines, projectors, campers, furnaces, mini-fridges, chargers, fans, and other devices that use less than 1000W.

Related Post: How To Use Renogy Panels With Jackery Power Stations

Next to the AC outlets, Jackery has put four USB ports. Two of them are USB C, and two are USB A. The USB A ports are rated at 5V 2.4A, while the USB C PD ports are rated at up to 5V 3A, or 15W.

A regulated 12V cigarette port output next to the USB ports lets you power lights, fridges/freezers, vacuums, and other 12V devices.

The screen on the Jackery Explorer 1000 shows the state of charge in percentage, the input/output watts, and battery bars. To see the screen better, there is a button next to it that turns on the backlight.

To charge the battery, you can either use the included AC wall charger or car charger or plug solar panels into one of the inputs. It takes 7.5 hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100% with the wall charger, and about 14 hours with the car charger.

A big selling point of the Explorer 1000 is the portability. It only weighs 22 pounds and measures 13.1 by 9.2 by 11.1 inches. The rigid handle on top makes it easy to carry around.

Last but not least, Jackery has put a flashlight on the side of the Explorer 1000.

Solar Charging Limitations And Recommendations

The Jackery Explorer 1000 has an 8mm and an Anderson PowerPole input. These ports can not be used at the same time, and either one can handle up to 175W of solar.

Note that even though the Explorer 1000 has a max solar input of 175W, you can use panels larger than that to reach the maximum input.

By maxing the input, the Explorer 1000 should charge fully in about six hours.

The built-in MPPT solar charge controller can handle 12V solar panels rated up to 30V.

When it comes to solar panel recommendations, I have written a post about the best solar panels to pair with the Explorer 1000, click here to read that post.

In The Box

Jackery includes a wall charger, a car charger, and a parallel adapter for connecting two SolarSaga 100W solar panels.

Conclusion And Review

The Jackery Explorer 1000 is a new and popular power station that delivers a lot of what people are looking for in a portable power station.

With a wide variety of inputs and outputs, it will power and charge most portable devices out there. It won’t power a microwave or a large coffee maker, but smaller tools and kitchen appliances will run without issues.

I applaud Jackery for sticking with the regulated 12V cigarette port, which makes it safe to use with 12V fridge/freezers.

Even though the Explorer 1000 is an excellent power station that will do the job for most, there are a couple of things I wish Jackery would’ve done differently.

The first being the maximum input watts. With a 175W max solar input, it takes at least six hours to charge the battery if you have 250-300W of solar panels to max the input. The competitors can charge faster, and the Explorer 1000 would’ve been a much better power station if it could handle inputs of up to 300 or 400 watts, so you could charge it in a couple of hours.

Another thing that bothers me is the “slow” USB C PD port. A 15W max output is really weak compared to most USB C PD ports on other power stations.

The last thing I don’t understand is why the two input ports cant be used at the same time. Sure, it’s great that you have two connectors to choose from, but why not utilize both at the same time to charge faster?

Overall, where the Jackery sticks out is in the portability-department. With its 22 pounds, it’s much lighter than every other power station on the list, without compromising a lot. It’s an excellent power station for camping, power outages, and other places where you need a battery to rely on.

Pros

  • 1002Wh battery capacity, 1000W pure sine wave inverter
  • 3 AC outlets, 2, USB A ports, 2 USB C ports
  • Regulated 12V cigarette port output
  • Very lightweight (22 lbs)
  • Two inputs (8mm/Anderson PowerPole)
  • The screen shows battery percentage, input/output watts
  • MPPT Charge Controller
  • Built-in flashlight
  • Individual power buttons (AC/DC)

Cons

  • Slow USB C PD ports (15W max)
  • The screen is hard to see in daylight
  • Only one input port can be used at a time
  • Low max input
  • Slow AC wall charger

Renogy Lycan Powerbox

Renogy Solar Power Generator, Lycan Powerbox

Check Price at Amazon

Features

Renogy is a popular solar panel brand that also has started making both batteries and power stations.

The Renogy Lycan Powerbox is a heavy but powerful power station that even has built-in wheels to make it easier to move.

In addition to the wheels, the Lycan Powerbox also has a suitcase-style handle that extends.

One reason it’s so heavy (55 lbs) is that it’s using higher quality lithium batteries than found in most other products. The lithium-iron-phosphate battery can go through a lot more cycles than a lithium-ion before seeing the same permanent damage.

Renogy advertises that the Renogy Lycan Powerbox can go through up to 2000 cycles before reaching 80% capacity. With lithium-ion, that number is usually around 500 cycles.

Four AC outlets are powered by the 1200W pure sine wave inverter, and there are also four USB and DC ports.

The screen on the front shows the state of charge in both a percentage and bars and what input/output ports are active. It also shows external battery voltage and charging indications.

One great feature on the Lycan Powerbox that I wish more power station manufacturers would add is the lid that covers the ports. When you’re outdoors camping, dust is an enemy, and being able to close the lid to protect the ports is a great feature to have.

Another neat feature is that you can connect external lead-acid batteries.

The Renogy Lycan Powerbox weighs 55 pounds and measures 14.5 by 13.4 by 11.8 inches.

Solar Charging Limitations And Recommendations

One impressive thing with the Lycan Powerbox is its MPPT charge controller. It can handle voltages between 17-72V, which means that you can wire solar panels in either parallel or series.

The charge controller can handle up to 300W of input, which means that you can charge the Powerbox in just a couple of hours if you max it out.

I recommend using Renogy solar panels, like the portable Renogy 100W suitcase, and if you buy the kit you will get everything you need.

Renogy includes the MC4 to Anderson PowerPole with the Lycan Powerbox so you can connect their rigid 100W solar panels right out of the box.

In The Box

Renogy includes a wall charger, an MC4 to Anderson PowerPole adapter, and a car charger. It also includes two Hex keys.

Conclusion And Review

The Renogy Lycan Powerbox has a lot of outputs, high-quality batteries that will last a long time, and the third most powerful inverter on today’s list.

If you need a lot of AC, DC, and USB ports, it might be the power station that fits your needs the most, but there is one heavy downer.

At 55 pounds, it feels wrong to call it portable, and although it has wheels and a handle that extends, it’s a heavy unit to move around.

So why would you choose a power station that weighs 55 pounds, when the Jackery Explorer 1000 weighs 2.5 times less? Well, that is the question.

You do get another AC outlet, faster charging, a protective lid, wheels, and the lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, but that’s about it. To some, it’s worth it to be able to wire solar panels in series, but unless you know what you’re doing I would recommend a lighter power station for portability.

What would’ve made the Lycan Powerbox a lot better, in my opinion, is a 1800W inverter and a USB C PD port.

Pros

  • 1075Wh battery capacity, 1200W pure sine wave inverter
  • 4 AC outlets, 4 USB A ports, 4 DC ports
  • The screen shows the percentage, voltage, battery bars, active ports, charging indication
  • MPPT Charge Controller
  • Individual power buttons (AC/DC)
  • Wheels. Handle extends
  • Supports 17-72V input
  • Protective lid
  • Includes MC4 to Anderson PowerPole Adapter
  • Expandable
  • Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries

Cons

  • No USB C
  • Heavy
  • Slow AC wall charger

Ecoflow Delta

EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station DELTA 1300, 1260Wh Solar Powered Generator with 6 x 1800W AC Outlets, Solar Generator(Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping

Check Price at Amazon

Features

The Ecoflow Delta is a feature-packed power station that has become increasingly popular for several reasons.

First off, it has a 1260 watt-hour battery capacity. That’s not anything special, but it also has a 1800W pure sine wave inverter, which is as powerful as a 15A outlet in a household.

With 1800 continuous watts and 3300 surge watts, it’s powerful enough to power large kitchen appliances like grills, toaster ovens, air fryers, instant pots, and microwaves.

The Delta has the most powerful inverter on today’s list, and if you plan on running power-hungry appliances or devices, it’s a great choice.

The pure sine wave inverters power the 6 AC outlets which are turned on with a button.

There are four USB ports and two USB C ports. Last but not least, Ecoflow has put a regulated 12V port on the Delta. The USB C ports can output up to 60W.

Another impressive feature of the Ecoflow Delta is how fast it can recharge. With the included wall charger, it can go from 0 to 100% in 1.6 hours. That’s way faster than any other power station over 1kWH on the market today.

A screen on the front shows the battery percentage, input/output watts, and time to empty/full.

The Ecoflow Delta weighs 30.9 pounds and measures 15.7 by 8.3 by 10.6 inches.

Solar Charging Limitations And Recommendations

The Ecoflow Delta isn’t just impressive when charging via the included AC charger, but also when using solar panels. It can handle panels rated between 10-65V, so you can wire panels in either parallel or series to a certain point.

It can handle up to 400W or 10A of solar input, and Ecoflow includes an MC4 to XT60 adapter that is used to connect third-party panels to it.

Due to the amperage limit, I recommend combining two panels in series. If you have four panels, I recommend a parallel-series connection to utilize all four panels.

Ecoflow makes a 110W solar panel that is waterproof and portable.

I recommend pairing the Delta with a Renogy 100W suitcase, or a Renogy 100W panel if you want to mount it.

You can combine two or three panels in series by connecting the positive MC4 connector on the first panel to the negative MC4 connector on the second panel, then use the included adapter to plug it into the Delta.

To pair two panels in parallel you can use an MC4 Y branch like this.

Note that the Ecoflow Delta has a built-in charge controller like most power stations, so don’t connect a solar panel with a charge controller.

In The Box

Ecoflow includes the wall charger, a car charger, an EFDelta bag, and the MC4 to XT60 adapter.

Conclusion And Review

The Ecoflow Delta is a powerful power station that can do a couple of things better than the rest. It has an impressive pure sine wave inverter that is as powerful as a regular 15A outlet, and with six of them, you can power a lot of devices at the same time.

But being able to charge the battery fully in less than two hours is where it shines the most. It might be a useless feature for some, but for somebody that travels fulltime in an RV/camper, it means that you can turn on a 2000W+ generator and have a fully charged battery in less than two hours.

In addition to the powerful inverter and charging speed, it also supports a wide variety of solar panel setups. The fast USB C ports are also impressive and not that common.

I wish it supported more solar than 400W, but that’s still not bad compared to the rest. I also wish it didn’t’ have such a strange input port since it means you’ll have to buy another MC4 to XT60 adapter from Ecoflow in case you lose the one included.

To me, what makes the Ecoflow Delta the best power station on the list is the powerful inverter, the quick charging, and the number of ports.

Pros

  • 1260Wh battery capacity, 1800W pure sine wave inverter
  • Fast charging times (1.6 hours with included charger)
  • 6 AC outlets, 4 USB A ports, 2 USB C (60W)
  • The screen shows the percentage, battery bars, input/output watts, charging indication
  • MPPT Charge Controller
  • Individual power buttons (AC/DC)
  • Rigid handles
  • Supports 10-65V solar input
  • Includes MC4 to XT60 adapter

Cons

  • Odd proprietary solar input

Conclusion And Recommendations

It’s hard to point and say which power station is the best since it depends on your situation and needs. What matters the most to me is portability, ports, solar charging capabilities, and battery capacity.

Based on the information and reviews above, here are my recommendations. I recommend pairing all of them with solar panels of some kind, to be able to recharge the battery without the wall charger.

For most car/van/RV travelers – The Jackery Explorer 1000 is overall a great power station that has a lot of things going for it. With a lot of outputs, a great screen with the most useful information, a regulated 12V output, and a rigid handle on top in a portable package, it’s exactly what most people are looking for in a power station for the outdoors.

My top pick – The Ecoflow Delta has a mix of everything that matters the most to me. Fast charging, an impressively powerful inverter, lots of outputs, and a great screen, in a relatively portable package. Even if you don’t plan on charging it with the included quick charger, you’re going to love the number of ports on this and how modern it is overall.


Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Battery Capacity Do I Need?

To know how much battery capacity you need I suggest making a list of everything you plan on powering and for how long. You can usually find the wattage rating of a certain device on the device itself or its power brick. You can also use a P3 Kill A Watt which will tell exactly how many watts the device plugged into is drawing.

If a device requires 50W, it will use 50 watt-hours in one hour. Run that 50W device for 10 hours, and you’ve used at least 500 watt-hours.

When you make a list of all your devices and how many watts they use, you can start figuring out how many watt-hours you might use in a day, and if a 1000Wh power station will be enough or if you need something larger.

How Do I Calculate How Long A Power Station Will Run A Device?

There are a couple of things we need to know to answer this question.

How many watts does the device need, and what is the watt-hour capacity of the power station?

For example, if you have a 60W device and a 1000Wh power station. We can divide the two to figure out how many hours it will run: 1000/60=16.67 hours.

Another thing to take into consideration is the inverter efficiency. The inverter changes the 12V DC battery power into 120V AC power, and it isn’t 100% efficient while doing so. Usually, the inverter is around 85% efficient. Therefore, we should multiply our calculated hours by 0.85 (85%) to get a more realistic number. So for the example above, 16.67*0.85=14.17 hours. Realistically, we can expect the 60W device to run for about 14 hours.

Why Does It Matter If A 12V Port Is Regulated?

Some 12V devices, like 12V fridge/freezers, have a low-voltage cutoff that stops the appliance from running properly if it senses a low voltage. An unregulated 12V port is linked directly to the battery voltage, so if the battery is at a low state of charge (could be at any percentage), the port will be outputting a voltage that is not high enough for the appliance, and the appliance will shut off.

A regulated 12V port will keep a consistent voltage until the battery is down to 0%, which is why a regulated 12V output is necessary if you plan on using sensitive 12V devices.

Can I Use A Power Station While It’s Charging?

Not every power station can be used while it’s charging, but every power station on the list above can.

What’s A Power Station/Solar Generator?

I recommend reading this article if you want to know how a power station works.

Do Power Stations Need Ventilation?

Since power stations not only have batteries, but an inverter and a solar charge controller that will run hot, power stations should be placed in a well-ventilated area and not in a closed storage compartment. Most power stations have fans that will turn on to cool down the parts inside of the enclosed box. There are no dangerous fumes to worry about, but power stations will shut themselves down if they get too hot.

Please leave a comment down below if you have any questions about any of the power stations or other questions in general.

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