European Home & Garden

Home Energy · Buying guide

Best Portable Power Stations for Home Backup

Chosen for 230 V European appliances, Schuko sockets and the kind of outage that lasts a few hours rather than a few days.

By Katrin BauerUpdated 19 September 202612 min read

Our researchBench and household testing in Leipzig · 7 units measured under identical 230 V loads · capacity verified by discharge, not datasheet

For most European households, backup power is about keeping a fridge, a gas boiler's pump and the internet alive through an outage — not running a whole house. That makes a 1 kWh station with a real 1,500 W output the sensible centre of the market.

Our top picks

EcoFlow DELTA 3 PlusBest overall

1. EcoFlow

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus

Measured capacity close to its rating, fast recharge when a storm is forecast, and expansion batteries if your needs grow.

Capacity
1,024 Wh (expandable)
AC output
1,500 W (2,200 W surge)
Cells
LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles
Solar input
500 W
Sockets
Schuko, 230 V / 50 Hz
Weight
12.5 kg

Pros

  • Very fast AC recharge
  • Quiet in eco mode
  • Expandable with extra batteries

Cons

  • Fans ramp up under heavy load
  • App occasionally slow to reconnect

Typical price €649 – €899 · Availability Excellent across the EU

Where to buy

BLUETTI AC180Best value

2. BLUETTI

BLUETTI AC180

Higher continuous output and regular discounts. Slower to recharge and heavier, but hard to argue with at its typical street price.

Capacity
1,152 Wh
AC output
1,800 W (2,700 W surge)
Cells
LiFePO4, 3,500 cycles
Solar input
500 W
Sockets
Schuko, 230 V / 50 Hz
Weight
16 kg

Pros

  • Higher continuous output
  • Frequently discounted
  • Simple, readable display

Cons

  • Heavier
  • No expansion battery

Typical price €599 – €799 · Availability Good: DE, FR, NL, PL

Where to buy

Anker SOLIX Solarbank 2Best for balcony solar owners

3. Anker SOLIX

Anker SOLIX Solarbank 2

If you already have balcony panels, storing the midday surplus is worth more than a portable unit you use twice a year.

Storage
1.6 kWh (expandable to 9.6 kWh)
Micro-inverter
Integrated, 800 W
Inputs
4 × MPPT
Protection
IP65
Compliance
VDE-compliant 800 W feed-in

Pros

  • Simple plug-in installation
  • Meets the German 800 W limit out of the box
  • Clear consumption data

Cons

  • Heavy to lift onto a balcony
  • Needs a smart meter for best savings

Typical price €999 – €1,399 · Availability Strong in DE, AT, NL; growing elsewhere

Where to buy

Sizing for a European home

Add up what you need for a realistic outage: a modern fridge uses roughly 0.8–1.2 kWh per day, a gas boiler pump around 50–80 W continuous, a router 10 W. A 1 kWh station covers a long evening comfortably; it will not run an electric oven or a heat pump.

  • LiFePO4 cells only, for cycle life and safety
  • Check the socket type — you want Schuko or a local 230 V standard, not an adapter chain
  • Look for pass-through charging if you want simple UPS-like behaviour

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