How do I calculate what size power station I need?

Add up the wattage of the devices you'll run, multiply by the hours you need them, then add 15% for inverter losses. For example, a 60W fridge running 10 hours needs ~690Wh of usable capacity.

Is a 500W power station enough for camping?

For phone charging, lights, and a cooler — yes, comfortably. For an electric cooler, a coffee maker, or CPAP plus extras, look at 700–1000Wh.

What does Wh mean on a power station?

Watt-hours: how much energy the battery stores. A 1000Wh station can theoretically run a 100W device for 10 hours; in practice expect 8–8.5 hours after inverter losses.

Published September 1, 2026 · Updated September 1, 2026

What Size Power Station Do I Need? The Honest Sizing Guide

Every “what size do I need” article online ends with a link to a $2,000 flagship. Here’s the actual math instead — it takes five minutes and a notepad.

Step 1: List your devices and their watts

Check the label or the manufacturer’s page for running watts. Typical draws:

Device	Typical draw	Notes
Phone charge	15–25W	A few minutes each
LED lights	5–20W	All evening
CPAP (no humidifier)	30–60W	All night — humidity uses much more
Camping fridge/cooler	40–60W	Cycles on/off, ~40–50% duty cycle
Laptop	45–90W	Work sessions
Coffee maker	700–1000W	5 minutes, but check the surge
TV 32”	40–60W	Evenings
Microwave	900–1500W	Check your station’s inverter limit

Step 2: Do the watt-hour math

Wh needed = device watts × hours of use ÷ duty cycle (if it cycles) × 1.15 (inverter loss)

Worked example — a weekend camping trip (2 days):

Device	Math	Wh
Fridge 50W, cycling 45%	50 × 24h × 0.45 × 2 days × 1.15	~1,240
Lights 10W, 6h/night × 2	10 × 12 × 1.15	~140
Phones ×2, 3 full charges	20 × 0.5h × 6 × 1.15	~70
Speaker 15W, 4h total	15 × 4 × 1.15	~70
Total		~1,520

So: a 1,000–1,500Wh station covers this weekend with margin; a 500Wh unit means the cooler dies on day two.

Step 3: Check the inverter, not just the battery

Two numbers matter:

Continuous output — must exceed your biggest single device (coffee makers are the classic trap).
Surge output — fridges and pumps briefly draw 2× at startup. If the surge rating is below the startup draw, the unit shuts off.

Step 4: Chemistry in one paragraph

In 2026 most new stations use LiFePO4 (LFP) cells — heavier and pricier per Wh, but rated for 3,000+ charge cycles (roughly 10 years of weekend use) versus ~500–800 for older NMC packs. For anything you’ll use regularly, LFP is worth it. Check the spec sheet for “LiFePO4” or “LFP”.

Sizing cheat table

Use case	Realistic capacity	Notes
Phone/tablet/drone charging, lights	150–300Wh	Lightest option
+ Laptop, camera gear, speaker	300–500Wh	Weekend warriors
+ Camping fridge or CPAP nights	700–1,000Wh	The versatile middle
Fridge + lights + cooking basics, weekend	1,000–1,500Wh	Family camping
Home backup essentials (fridge, router, lights, phones)	1,500–2,500Wh+	Outage coverage; expandable units

The honest caveats

Capacity ratings are at battery voltage; usable AC output after inverter losses is ~85–87% of the number on the box.
Solar input numbers (“recharge in 1 hour with 400W solar”) assume perfect sun. Plan on 60–70% of that in real conditions.
Cold weather cuts lithium capacity noticeably — expect 10–20% less below freezing.

Next step

Compare the specific models that fit your number: EcoFlow vs Jackery in 2026 covers the two brands that dominate most shortlists — and what actually differs between them.