A backup battery, often referred to as a Uninterruptable Power Supply or UPS, is the perfect system for safeguarding your home from unexpected power outages.
These batteries give you an alternative to mains electricity, so in the unlikely event of an outage, you have a reliable power source that you can draw electricity from. This is ideal for keeping core appliances like your fridge fully powered, as well as for charging important mobile devices like phones in the event of an emergency.
There’s loads of options on the market, from affordable low capacity units to doomsday prepper high capacity systems. These portable power stations are also great for van life, where mains electricity isn’t as easily accessible.
We’ve put together this list covering the best portable power station for van life or home backup for blackouts, and it covers a range of different price points.
So, what are our favourites?
Best Options At A Glance
Product Summaries
CyberPower BR1000ELCD-UK BRICs Series
- Brand - CyberPower
- Dimensions - 16.6 x 28.8 x 11.8 cm
- Weight - 5.3 kg
- Capacity - aprx. 600Wh
- Special Feature - Automatic Voltage Regulation
Firstly we have the CyberPower BR1000ELCD-UK BRICs Series. It’s currently selling for £114/$146 on Amazon.
This CyberPower battery backup is perfect if you’re looking for an affordable backup power solution. It has an a 420 watt capacity, and it can be recharged to full in around 8 hours. The battery comes with 6 UK plug sockets as standard (3 surge only and 3 battery + surge). This allows you to power PCs, gaming consoles, surveillance systems, servers, routers and more.
The PowerPanel Personal Edition management software can automatically save computer files and ensure your system shuts down safely in the event of a blackout. You have the option of either USB or serial connection to setup the software and ensure you’re covered.
Another great feature is the GreenPower UPS™ Technology. This helps to keep the system’s energy consumption as low as possible, improving efficiency and saving money for the user in the long run. CyberPower have also included Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) to maintain a safe voltage for any connected equipment.
This CyberPower UPS is an ideal choice if you want a reliable backup battery that won’t break the bank.
Buy the CyberPower BR1000ELCD-UK BRICs Series from Amazon for only £114/$146:
CERIHA 600W Portable Power Station
- Brand - CERIHA
- Dimensions - aprx. 15 x 27.5 x 20 cm
- Weight - 9 kg
- Capacity - 622Wh
- Special Feature - Emergency LED Light
Next we have the CERIHA 600W Portable Power Station. It’s currently selling for £499/$634 on Amazon.
This CERIHA portable power station has a 622Wh capacity and loads of different charging methods. You can use the included DC cable to charge the battery in around 7.5 hours, a combination of DC and USB to charge the system in just 3.5 hours, or a solar panel to recharge in the event of an emergency. This versatility ensure that you have access to power in almost any scenario.
It offers a shocking 9 output ports. This includes 2 AC mains plugs, 3 standard USB ports, 1 USB C port, 2 DC outputs, and one car output. What more could you need!
CERIHA also offer a 12 month warranty and aftermarket support, so you’re covered if anything goes wrong after purchase. The shipping times are impressive as well – if you’re buying in the UK, you can expect your battery to arrive as quickly in as 1-3 days.
This versatile backup battery from CERIHA is perfect if you’re looking for a variety of charging methods and loads of output ports.
Buy the CERIHA 600W Portable Power Station on Amazon for only £499/$634:
VDL 2000W Power Station
- Brand - VDL
- Dimensions - 39 x 28 x 32.5 cm
- Weight - 22 kg
- Capacity - 1997Wh
- Special Feature - 13 Device Outlets
Another high-quality backup battery is the VDL 2000W Power Station. It’s currently selling for £1099/$1397 on Amazon.
This system has an impressive 1997Wh capacity, and it can be charged via 1100W AC in as quickly as 2 hours. It also has a solar panel input, allowing you to charge the battery in almost any emergency situation, even in the absence of main electricity.
It offers a shocking 13 output ports. This includes 3 AC sockets, 2 USB-A QC3.0 ports, 2 USB-A ports, 2 USB-C PD ports, 1 car charging socket, 1 XT60 port and 2 DC5521 outputs. It’s safe to say they’ve got your covered!
VDL’s UPS and safe battery systems protect any connected devices in the event of a power outage. They are capable of activating in as quickly as 0.01 seconds to ensure that your devices receive power continuously regardless of mains interruptions.
This system comes with 2 year warranty as standard, but you also have the option to contact VDL and join the VDL club to get an extended 3 year warranty.
This power station from VDL is one of the best on the market at the ~£1000 price point.
Buy the VDL 2000W Power Station from Amazon for only £1099/$1397:
Dabbsson Portable Power Station DBS2300
- Brand - Dabbsson
- Dimensions - 35.2 x 43 x 53 cm
- Weight - 24 kg
- Capacity - 2330Wh
- Special Feature - 4 Year Warranty
Next we have the Dabbsson Portable Power Station DBS2300. It’s currently selling for £1799/$2298 on Amazon.
This Dabbsson backup battery is an excellent all rounder. It has an impressive 2330Wh capacity, 11 power outputs, and 4 different charging methods, giving you options for every eventuality.
You can charge this power station to 100% capacity in just 2 hours via AC input, 2 hours using a generator, 3 hours via solar input, or 21 hours using your car’s battery. This means that you always have access to power, no matter the emergency situation.
The expandable capacity is one of the more interesting features of this power station. The unit can be connected to up to 2 additional batteries, increasing the standard 2330Wh capacity to a shocking 83330Wh! This versatility makes this kit perfect if you a system that can be added to in the future.
Dabbsson also supply this portable power station with a 4 year warranty as standard, and there’s a 30 day money back guarantee if there’s any reason you’re not happy after purchase.
This premium Dabbsson power station is an excellent all-rounder that you can add to in the future, and the 4 year warranty is the cherry on top.
Buy the Dabbsson Portable Power Station DBS2300 from Amazon for only £1799/$2298:
BLUETTI Portable Power Station AC200MAX
- Brand - BLUETTI
- Dimensions - 42 x 28.2 x 38.7 cm
- Weight - 28 kg
- Capacity - 4096Wh
- Special Feature - Expansion Battery
Finally we have the BLUETTI Portable Power Station AC200MAX. It’s currently selling for £2998/$3829 on Amazon.
This premium power station from BLUETTI has a massive 4096Wh capacity, 15 outputs covering every major charging port, and loads of innovative extras. To put that 4096Wh capacity in to perspective, that can charge the average phone 170 times!
There’s loads of reliable charging options for this battery system. You can use a single AC input to charge the unit in around 4.5 hours, dual AC adapters (using a BLUETTI T500 Adapter Kit) to charge it in 2.5 hours, or a combination of solar and AC to recharge the system in just 2 hours!
One of the most innovative features is the expandability of this system. This BLUETTI kit comes with a B230 expansion battery as standard, but you can buy additional B230 or B300 batteries to get your max capacity as high as 8192Wh.
To top it all off, BLUETTI’s premium Battery Management System and reliable LiFePO4 cell ensure that this system is capable of 3500+ charge cycles to 80% – that’s nearly 5 times as many as most of it’s competitors!
This premium power system from BLUETTI combines high capacity, reliable charging and innovative features. If you’re looking for a premium battery backup for home power outages, this model is an excellent choice.
Buy the BLUETTI Portable Power Station AC200MAX from Amazon for only £2998/$3829:
Comparison Of Portable Power Station Wattage
The chart below compares the wattage of different UPS batteries on this list.
For reference, we’ve also added the estimated number of mobile phone charges that these batteries can supply when at full capacity. This helps to give a rough idea of what that wattage translates to in terms of powering the devices in your home.
As you would expect, the BLUETTI battery is the standout here at 4097 watts and an estimated 290 mobile phone charges.
FAQs
Your household energy consumption and the amount of time you want to be able to use electricity in an emergency situation are the main two considerations when deciding on the size of a backup battery.
The average household uses around 7-10 kWh of electricity per day, but this is largely dependant on the number of people in the house as well as the number of high-consumption devices. This means that if you want to be able to use electricity for half a day in a blackout, you need a backup battery with a 3-5 kWh capacity. If you want to continue to use your electricity for a full day or more, you’ll need a battery with a 7-10 kWh capacity.
To work out your daily energy consumption, you can multiply the hourly energy consumption of key appliances like fridges and washing machines by the number of hours that you use them per day. Adding the total daily energy consumption of each of your appliances together will give you a total figure for your daily household energy consumption. You can then use this figure to help guide your decision on the battery capacity required to run your home.
A 10 kW battery should be able to power an average home for 10-12 hours, but this is largely dependant on the energy consumption of the home.
A low consumption household might only use 5 kWh per day, whereas a high consumption may use as much as 12 kwh per day.
To work out how long a 10kW battery will power your house, work out your total daily energy consumption. Adding the daily energy consumption of each of your appliances together will give you your daily household energy consumption. You can then divide the 10kW capacity of a battery by your daily kW consumption, giving you a figure for the number of days it could power your home. For example, if your daily household energy consumption was 20kW, a 10kw battery could run your home for 0.5 days.
There’s loads of great home batteries on the market, but the Dabbsson Portable Power Station DBS2300 is one of our favourites. It comes with a sizeable 2330Wh capacity as standard, and you have the option to link two extra batteries to achieve a combined capacity of 8330Wh. Dabbsson also supply this battery with a 4 year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee if you have any concerns after purchase.
If you want something that’s a bit more affordable, the CyberPower BR1000ELCD-UK BRICs Series is great value for money.
The BLUETTI Portable Power Station AC200MAX is one of the best portable power stations on Amazon, and the massive 4096Wh capacity is a great fit for van life. One of the best features of this battery is the ability for expansion – you can buy additional BLUETTI batteries and link them together to create a sizeable power network for your van or house.
Thanks for reading our article covering the best portable power station for van life or home backup power.
If you’re interested in off-grid living, you may want to check out our article covering the Best Caravan Solar Panel Kit UK 2023.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or queries that you’d like us to take a look at – we’d be happy to help.
