Can you trust a portable battery for home backups? My advice after testing one

I rely on a great power station in my home. I live in an area that is sometimes affected by power outages, with my home experiencing at least a handful each year. Whether it’s a storm, a maintenance issue, or a fallen tree, I don’t like my kids spending winter nights without heat. 

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Aside from full home backup power, a great portable power station also powers individual devices as needed, like a chainsaw to cut down a fallen tree in the backyard, a coffeemaker during an outage, or inflating an air mattress while camping.

I used the Ampace Andes 1500 portable power station last summer for these activities and more, and here are my thoughts.

The Andes 1500 is a 1462Wh LiFePO4 portable power station built to provide power wherever needed. It features up to 6,000 charging cycles before degradation is evident, fast charging with an A-Boost function, and 2400W output power. 

LiFePO4 batteries, or lithium iron phosphate batteries, are thermally and chemically stable batteries that provide a long lifespan compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. They use lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material and a graphite carbon electrode as the anode. This makes them more stable than other battery chemistries, like lithium cobalt oxide, often found in smartphones and wearables. 

Essentially, LiFePO4 is less likely to overheat, even in harsh conditions, and is best suited for high-performance applications. The drawback? LiFePO4 batteries are heavier and bulkier than most lithium-ion batteries. The Ampace Andes 1500 weighs about 35 lbs. 

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While it weighs 35 lbs, the Ampace Andes 1500 has two handles along the top, making it easy to carry from one spot to another. Its portability is a definite plus. The convenience of a power station makes a big difference in something as simple as keeping a fan running in a tent during a hot weekend campout.

In our tests, the Andes 1500 showed a 1219Wh usable capacity or about 83% of the advertised hourly wattage. This is what you’ll actually get to use during a discharge cycle. No manufacturer gives 100% usable capacity, but a minority can get close, like the much smaller Jackery Explorer 240, which scored 99%. 

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The Andes 1500 takes just over an hour and 15 minutes to charge from depletion to 100%, making it one of the fastest charging power stations available. If you enable the A-Boost function on the Ampace app for faster charging, you can get it up to 100% in about 55 minutes. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

I’d recommend the Ampace Andes 1500 if you’re looking for a medium portable power station on the go. It’s perfect for camping trips and outdoor activities. It has a built-in camping light and is portable enough to use as a power source for exterior work.

If you’re looking for value for money, however, you may do better to look elsewhere, especially during sales events. Right now, you can get a 2,400W EcoFlow Deta 2 Max portable battery for the same price of $999, as it’s on sale from its regular $1,899 price. The Bluetti AC200L is also 2,400W and 50% off at $999.