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Portable power stations -- think power banks, only bigger, a lot bigger -- are all the rave, not just with campers, RV users, or those who want to go off-grid for work and play, but also those who want backup power at home in case the lights go out during an emergency.
Also: The best Cyber Monday deals: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Apple, and more
The only problem is that good, solid, reliable portable power stations aren't cheap. If you've been holding out on buying one, the deals that are available during the holiday seasons can help make the price tag easier to swallow. There are some amazing deals available now for Cyber Monday.
If you want a portable power station, there's never been a better time to pick one up. I test and review portable power stations frequently, and these are my picks for the best Cyber Monday portable power station deals.
Jackery, a familiar name in the power station game for over a decade now, has a new power station called the Explorer 2000 Plus, and this thing is a total game changer. You can scale it up from a single unit that's good for a day or two of camping to an array of batteries and solar panels that can power your home for two weeks.
You read that right: two weeks.
But you might notice that something is sitting atop my Explorer 2000 Plus. That's an add-on PackPlus E2000 Plus battery pack that adds an additional 2042.8 Wh of electrical storage capacity to the system. A single PackPlus E2000 Plus weighs in at 41.9 lbs (19 kg), so the two units combined come in at over 100 lbs (46.9 kg).
While there's a time and a place for massive behemoth power stations, sometimes I want something I can grab and go, throw into a car or truck, and take with me camping or on jobs.
The EcoFlow River 2 fits the bill perfectly. It's solid and well made, as I've come to expect from EcoFlow, and it's perfect for those times when you want power but don't want a huge amount of it!
As a power station, the AC60 is flawless. Power outputs are all as rated, and the easy-to-read display and a small number of buttons mean that this is simple to use in possibly adverse conditions, such as in inclement weather or at night. The wireless charging mat on the top also offers added flexibility. Just pop your phone on the top to get an instant, no-fuss top-up. No cables are required.
Oh, and the whole unit is IP65 rated for dust-proofing and water resistance. This makes the AC60 the perfect choice for outdoor use.
One of the biggest improvements to power stations recently has been the shift from lithium-ion battery technology to LiFePO4 batteries. These aren't as power-dense as their lithium counterparts, but they're safer (i.e., less likely to catch fire) and have a much longer lifespan. How much longer? Up to six times longer with more than 3,000 recharge cycles, making them ideal for long-term usage.
For the past six months or so, I've been using the PowerRoam 1200 to run power tools away from a main outlet. This means that it has been thrown into the back of a truck and dragged to some inhospitable places filled with mud, dirt, and dampness, subjected to high loads, and then been put back on charge awaiting its next work outing. This type of usage goes above and beyond what a power station is designed for, yet the PowerRoam 1200 is still going strong.
The Bluetti AC200MAX is an awesome power station. It's big and powerful, yet portable. It's rugged and durable, yet doesn't look out of place in a home or office. It has huge capacity that's expandable if you need it. And, so far, based on my testing, it delivers on everything it claims to offer.
If you want backup power for when the lights go out this winter, you want flexible charging options and massive power output to keep up with the heaviest loads, all packed into a rugged, durable package, this is a power station to take a look at.
Cyber Monday 2023 falls on Monday, Nov. 27 this year -- the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday in the US. It's a great time to find deals across different categories, including TVs, laptops, tablets, Apple products, and more.
After extensive testing of dozens of power stations, I chose these portable power stations and researched the product category. I regularly take trips that take me off-grid, either for camping or to carry out photography, videography, and drone work, and at these times, I rely on having access to a reliable power source.
This is a bit like asking what's the best takeout meal -- if depends what you want!
There's not doubt that the ultimate power station is the Jackery Solar Generator Kit 4000 -- this this a beast of a kit that comes with a massive portable power station, a huge expansion pack, and two solar panels to keep the battery packs charged when off grid.
But if you want something more modest, something that's a lot more portable, something that you can throw into the trunk of a car of back of a truck, then my vote goes to the EcoFlow River 2 . This is small, very portable, powerful, reliable, and very competitively priced.
A portable power station is absolutely worth the purchase price if you have sensitive medical equipment that needs to stay in operation during a power outage, mobile devices that need to stay connected, or have an RV with power-hungry appliances that you take camping. Having a backup power supply can help avert disaster by keeping food and medicine at proper temperatures, and keeping your mobile devices charged so you can stay connected to emergency services and family.
Outdoor Battery Pack ZDNET's experts have been searching for Cyber Monday deals across sites like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more. Here are the top deals by category we've found so far.