We tested and found each UPS below to deliver precisely what we needed out of what should be an otherwise unremarkable-looking black box. Again it's meant to give you enough time to save your work and shut down your PC safely. The more devices plugged in, the shorter the runtime. These aren't personal generators, so you're looking at up to 10-15 minutes max battery runtimes on average. The time a UPS gives you to save your game or work will vary, depending on its power draw, and there are other things to consider, too. It's a bit pricey, but it'll provide plenty of juice for even the most power-hungry gaming PCs going for about 10-20 minutes after you lose power. Our current favorite is the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD. This protects your precious system from fluctuations in outlet power and acts as a surge protector. A UPS utilizes internal batteries to deliver a steady flow of energy, and a good one will give you plenty of time to save your work or get to a safe point before shutting down your PC safely. While prices can fluctuate, this approach helps us quantify the bang-for-your-buck factor using hard data.If you have a high-end gaming PC, pairing it with an uninterrupted power supply as a backup is wise. Good value: Instead of setting a hard price cap, we look at capacity (in Wh) per dollar.Readily available customer support: We contact each company anonymously to gauge how difficult it would be to get in touch with someone and obtain help should a problem arise.No battery lasts forever, and the capacity will usually diminish after the first year, but our picks should keep working well after the warranty has run out. At least a one-year warranty: A one-year warranty ensures that you actually get to use the thing before its warranty expires.Some models can also recharge through a car power socket or a solar attachment, which is invaluable if you’re off-grid for more than a couple of days. USB charging is nice to have as a backup, but it’s slower. Included wall charger: At minimum, we require that each model be rechargeable via an AC wall outlet.At least one USB-C port, 6 mm DC port, and/or car power socket: We don’t require each model to have all three, but we prefer power stations that have one or more fast-charging USB-C ports, 6 mm DC ports, and/or car power sockets (what my parents, former smokers, incorrectly call “ the cigarette lighter”) for charging a wider variety of devices.At least two USB-A ports: USB-A ports can charge small devices such as phones, tablets, and portable Bluetooth speakers, freeing up an AC outlet that you can then use for more power-hungry items.For this guide, we seek out portable power stations with at least two, which allow you to operate two or more AC-powered devices at the same time. None of our picks for the best USB power bank have an AC outlet, and our favorite portable laptop chargers have just one. At least two AC outlets: A pair of AC outlets is a bare-minimum requirement, since the majority of gadgets-from desk lamps to baby monitors-run on AC power.Informative display: Most portable power stations offer a battery meter to show you how much charge they have left, but we prefer displays that provide a precise percentage and other useful data.We also look for protective features such as port covers to keep out harmful dust and moisture. Rugged and portable design: Since these devices are often used outdoors, we assess their exterior materials’ resistance to scuffs and scratches.Anything heavier than that can be hard to load and unload from a car or to carry around a house in a blackout. We set a weight limit of 50 pounds, a heft that one (strong) person or two people can reasonably carry. Maximum weight of 50 pounds: Most portable power stations are too big and heavy for the average person to carry them for long distances on foot.Output rating of at least 200 W: Lower outputs are fine for charging phones and other small electronics, but you need 200 W or more to charge a few devices at a time, especially if one is a high-powered device like a laptop.Battery capacity of at least 300 Wh: A watt-hour (Wh) is literally the measure of watts per hour, so a battery with a 300 Wh capacity can run a 300 W device for one hour.This allows them to safely run appliances with a powerful motor or critical devices such as a CPAP machine. Pure sine-wave inverter: We require each model to utilize a pure sine-wave (PSW) inverter, which produces electrical waveforms as clear and smooth as those of the AC power coming out of any wall outlet.
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