Best Portable Power Station UK: We Tested Three Off-Grid for a Week
- Martin
- Aug 14
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 16
We took three power stations off-grid for a week in the Lake District. No hook-up, a 12V fridge running all day, phones, lights and the odd film night, and we put all three through exactly the same test. They are the three we get asked about most in the 1kWh class: the EcoFlow Delta 3, the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 and the AFERIY P180.
This is the honest verdict on which one to buy. The answer is not quite as tidy as a single winner, because the right one depends on what you already own and what you want it for. Here is where we landed, and then how we got there.
By Martin· Nest Nomad & Beyond · Last Updated August 2026
Our three picks at a glance
Overall pick, and the one we use: EcoFlow Delta 3. Here is the honest reason, because it is not that it thrashed the others on paper. We already run an EcoFlow Wave 3, so we are in the ecosystem, and that turned out to matter more than we expected. Everything lives in one app, the kit talks to each other, and we are not juggling three different apps for three different bits of gear. If you already own EcoFlow kit, or you can see yourself adding a fridge or an air conditioner later, staying in one ecosystem is a real convenience, and it is why the Delta 3 is the one we reach for at home and for bigger jobs.
The one we loved for van life: Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2. Take the ecosystem out of it and this is the unit that won us over on the trip. It charges faster than anything has a right to, it has the most mains sockets of the three, and for actual van life it was the one we kept reaching for. If you are starting fresh, with no other kit tying you to a brand, this is the one we would point you to.
Best budget pick and best first power station: AFERIY P180. The cheapest of the three by a clear margin, and it does not embarrass itself. It ran the fridge for a proper night, charged quickly, and even put the solar cable in the box, which neither of the others did. If it is your first power station and you want to spend as little as possible without buying something that lets you down, start here.
So the short version: EcoFlow if you are in the ecosystem, Anker if you are starting fresh and living in a van, AFERIY if the budget rules. All three ran our fridge overnight and charged quickly. There is no bad choice here, only the right one for your situation.
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How the three compare
| EcoFlow Delta 3 | Anker C1000 Gen 2 | AFERIY P180 |
Capacity | 1024Wh | 1056Wh | 1024Wh |
Weight | ~12.5kg | ~12.9kg | 11.6kg |
AC sockets | 4 | 4 | 2 |
USB-C max | 140W | 140W | 140W |
Full charge (mains) | ~56 min | ~49 min | ~70 min |
12 Volt Socket | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fridge runtime | ~14.5h | ~13.5-14h | ~13.5h |
Solar cable in box | No | No | Yes |
Best for | Ecosystem, home backup | Van life | Budget, first buy |
EcoFlow Delta 3: our overall pick, if you are in the ecosystem
The Delta 3 did everything well and nothing badly. It ran our fridge the longest of the three, it charges fast, and it has the app and the polish you would expect from the biggest name in the category. On its own merits it is a very good unit.
The reason it takes our overall pick is honest and specific: the ecosystem. Because we already run the Wave 3, adding the Delta 3 meant one app, one account and kit that works together, rather than a drawer full of chargers and three apps that do not talk. If you already own EcoFlow gear, or you expect to, that convenience is worth paying for. If you do not, read the Anker section next, because the ecosystem argument does not apply to you and the maths changes.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2: the one we loved for van life
If we set the ecosystem aside and asked which unit we actually enjoyed living with for a week, it was the Anker. The headline is the charge speed, close to a world record and genuinely useful when you are topping up on a short burst of hook-up or a service stop.
For anyone starting fresh, with no other kit pulling them toward a brand, this is the one we would buy for van life. It is the heart pick, and if the film had to crown a single favourite for the road, this was it, it's small and fast.
AFERIY P180: the best budget pick
The AFERIY is the value play, usually a couple of hundred pounds cheaper than the other two, from a brand a lot of people have not heard of. The surprise is how little you give up. It ran the fridge for a proper night, charged in about seventy minutes, and it was the only one of the three to include the solar cable in the box.
It is not perfect. The finish is plainer, the app is more basic, and we had one odd screen reading on day three that settled after a restart and never came back. But as a first power station, or for anyone who wants the job done for less, it earns its place.
Which is best for a campervan or van life?
The Anker, for us. The fast charge and smaller size and weight suite the rhythm of van life, where you top up when you can and everyone needs power at once. The EcoFlow is the pick if you are building an EcoFlow setup around a fridge or air conditioner, and the AFERIY is the sensible starting point if you are new to it and watching the budget. All three carried our fridge through the night, so any of them will keep a van running for a weekend.
Which is best for home backup and power cuts?
The EcoFlow, and again the ecosystem is why. For home use, having your power station, and later a fridge or a portable air conditioner, in one app is a genuine convenience during an outage. A 1kWh unit will keep a fridge, the wifi, phones and some lights going through a typical power cut, and top back up quickly once the power returns. If you only want a home backup and have no interest in an ecosystem, the Anker's charge speed and sockets make it just as strong a choice.
Will a 1kWh power station run a fridge?
Yes, comfortably, and this is the test we care most about. Running a 12V compressor fridge as the main draw, all three lasted between roughly thirteen and a half and fourteen and a half hours on a single charge, a full night and into the next afternoon. Add a solar panel in daylight and you stretch that further, which for most trips means you stop thinking about power. The differences between the three on fridge runtime are small enough that it should not be the thing that decides your choice.
Can you run a caravan or motorhome from one?
For the everyday loads, yes. A 1kWh station will happily run the lights, the water pump, phone and laptop charging, a fridge and a television. What it will not do is run high-draw heating or air conditioning for long, because those pull more than a unit this size can sustain. If you want to plug your van's hook-up lead straight in, you will need the right adaptor, and you should keep an eye on the total draw. For weekend and touring use, one of these covers most of what people actually plug in.
Are cheap power stations any good?
On the strength of the AFERIY, yes, with eyes open. The cell chemistry in the budget unit is the same LiFePO4 that the pricier units use, which is the part that decides how long it lasts, and it did the real work without missing a beat. Where the lower price shows is in the finish and the software, not in whether it powers your trip. If you buy a cheaper unit expecting the polish of the big brands you will be disappointed, but if you buy it expecting a capable battery in a plainer box, it delivers.
Shop the Kit
Pick | Unit | Best for | Link |
Overall / ecosystem | EcoFlow Delta 3 | EcoFlow owners, home backup | |
Van life | Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | fast charging and mixed use where you are moving it around. | |
Budget | AFERIY P180 (Nomad1800) | First power station, value | |
Add solar | 100W to 200W panel | Stretch runtime in daylight |
What size do you need?
A quick rule. Look at the watt-hours (Wh), which is the size of the tank. All three here are around 1000Wh. As a rough guide, a modern 12V fridge uses somewhere between 30 and 60 watts on average, so a 1000Wh unit runs one for the best part of a day. Add up the other things you run at once, phones and laptops are small, kettles and hair dryers are huge and short, and if your total rarely goes above the unit's output rating you are fine. For most campers, van lifers and home-backup users, 1000Wh is the sweet spot of capacity against weight and price, which is exactly why we tested this class.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best portable power station in the UK?
For most people we would pick the EcoFlow Delta 3 if you are already in or heading into the EcoFlow ecosystem, the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 if you are starting fresh and living in a van, and the AFERIY P180 if you want the best value. All three ran our fridge overnight in a week-long off-grid test.
Which is the most reliable brand?
All three use LiFePO4 batteries rated for thousands of charge cycles, which is the part that decides longevity. EcoFlow and Anker have the longer track record and more polished software. AFERIY is younger and shows it in the finish, but the core of the unit held up across our week.
Will a 1kWh power station run a fridge overnight?
Yes. In our test all three ran a 12V compressor fridge for roughly 13.5 to 14.5 hours on a full charge, a full night and into the next day, and longer with solar.
Can I plug my motorhome or caravan into one?
Yes for everyday loads like lights, pumps, a fridge and charging, with the right adaptor. No for sustained high-draw heating or air conditioning, which need more than a 1kWh unit can give.
Which charges the fastest?
The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2, at close to a world-record time from flat to full. The EcoFlow is close behind and the AFERIY takes around seventy minutes.
Are cheap power stations any good?
The AFERIY proved they can be. It uses the same battery chemistry as the pricier units and did the real work. The savings show in the finish and software, not in whether it powers your trip.
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