About & methodology

ProductVeredict helps you choose a portable power station from its numbers, not its marketing. Spec sheets are hard to compare: brands round differently, measure cycle life differently and bury the details that matter.

What we do and don’t do

We don’t run hands-on lab tests. Instead we compile manufacturer-published specifications, check them against the maker’s own US store and an independent source, and do the math consistently across every model. Each product page shows when its specs, list price and availability were last checked. Product photos are the manufacturers’ official images.

How runtimes are calculated

• Usable energy = rated capacity × 85%, to account for inverter and conversion losses on AC loads.
• Runtime = usable energy ÷ (device watts × duty cycle). Fridges and freezers run their compressor about 35% of the time.
• Can it run it? The station’s continuous rating must exceed the device’s running watts, and its surge rating must exceed the start-up surge, each by at least 10%. Within 10% we call it “borderline”. If a maker publishes no surge figure, we assume no more than the continuous rating.
• Lifetime energy = capacity × rated cycles, a rough guide to total use before significant wear.

How rankings and awards work

Only models the maker still sells are ranked. Each “best for” list states its rule at the top, and each award goes to the current station with the best published figure. Value rankings use the regular list price on the maker’s US store on the date shown. Discontinued models keep their pages, marked as such, with a link to the successor. Affiliate commissions never affect rankings.

Corrections

Spotted an error or want to send a copyright notice? Email contact@productveredict.com and we’ll fix it.