Best small power station alternative: LFP micro power stations w/solar panels are the FUTURE

A USB-focused power bank is a better (and cheaper) option that can keep your phone, laptop, lights, and more running during a power outage and is portable enough to throw in a bag during an emergency. I test the 3 best USB-C power stations with LFP batteries and pair them with the best small solar panels to recharge them in one day of good sun.

Note: I reached out to Jackery, Anker, UGREEN, and Sunjack to get sample products to test but this is not a sponsored video and all opinions are my own.

Amazon affiliate links:

Anker 737 Power Bank

UGREEN  Nexode Power Bank 25000mAh 200W

AOHI 140W Power Bank 

— Small kit

Jackery Solar Generator 100 Plus with SolarSaga 40W solar panel kit

— Medium kit

UGREEN 300W LFP Power Bank

UGREEN  Nexode Pro 65W Ultra-Slim Charger

Big Blue 30w solar panel

FlexSolar 40w solar panel

Ecoflow 45w solar panel

Sunjack 40w solar panel

— Large kit

Anker SOLIX C300 DC LFP Power Station

Syncwire Micro USB-C Car Charger

UGREEN Nexode X 160W Charger 

Anker SOLIX PS100 Portable Solar Panel

UGREEN 130W USB C Car Charger

Powernes 80w solar panel (Budget pick)

DJI / Zigness 100w solar panel

XTAR SP100 solar panel

Sunjack 120w solar panel (Upgrade pick)

—

Chapters
0:00 Introduction to micro power stations
1:03 Jackery Power 100 kit review
3:28 Jackery 40 solar panel review
5:32 UGREEN 300w power bank review
7:42 Best solar panel for UGREEN 300w
10:35 Anker Solid C300 DC review
13:14 Best solar panel for Anker C300 DC
17:02Recommended micro power station kits

#Anker #Jackery #UGREEN #powerbank

[todd.parker]

Hi all, Amazon links (affiliate) to purchase the products mentioned are below:

Anker 737 Power Bank

UGREEN Nexode Power Bank 25000mAh 200W

AOHI 140W Power Bank

— Small kit

Jackery Solar Generator 100 Plus with SolarSaga 40W solar panel kit

— Medium kit

UGREEN 300W LFP Power Bank

UGREEN Nexode Pro 65W Ultra-Slim Charger

Big Blue 30w solar panel

FlexSolar 40w solar panel

Ecoflow 45w solar panel

Sunjack 40w solar panel

— Large kit

Anker SOLIX C300 DC LFP Power Station

Syncwire Micro USB-C Car Charger

UGREEN Nexode X 160W Charger

Anker SOLIX PS100 Portable Solar Panel

UGREEN 130W USB C Car Charger

Powernes 80w solar panel (Budget pick)

DJI / Zigness 100w solar panel

XTAR SP100 solar panel

Sunjack 120w solar panel (Upgrade pick)

[HoneyBadgerDontCare]

I’m always blown away by your reviews and the amount of information you provide!

[MegaAzn]

Your micro power system video was the reason I subscribed! Really good stuff

[StevePilgrim]

Great video. You just made my search much easier. Thanks for a really well-done video!

[johntate]

Great review! I have 2 of the Anker Solix C300DC's and 2 of the Jackery Explorer 100's! The little Explorer 100 is my favorite and i use them quite often but will definitely be using the D300 DC's soon. Thanks for reviewing them with solar recommendations!

[lamarwilliams]

Thanks for the thorough review. I fell asleep half way through. Lucky I did not loose my place when I woke up. Watching all the way to the end paid off. Great Job!!!

[jasyamaha]

This is an excellent review, thank you.

[Dracomies]

I like these but I haven't actually bought one yet. My issue is (1) they’re not modular and don’t last long. Blink, and there's already a smaller, better, more powerful version out, so you’re stuck either paying $200-$300 every time or settling for old tech. (2) It’s situational—I’d only really need it if the power went out, which rarely happens here. Usually, I’d just drive to a restaurant and do what I need there until power's back. (3) Planned obsolescence—like with iPhones. We’re on, what, 15 or 16 now? Not long ago, we had the XR, and now it’s obsolete. Same idea here: the actual lifespan isn’t that long before the newest model totally overshadows it.

[MatthewSmith-lgzz]

I went with the Anker C300 because I want the inverter to plug in a lamp during a power outage and for quick wall charging without an expensive 140w wall charger which actually makes the DC version more expensive with less features. I’m also using the PS100 panel and it works really well.

[TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

They’re cool for sure, but my concern is you can use a few small cheaper powerbanks instead for USB stuff, or you need a 1000Wah or more to run most real stuff off grid…. So for me pointless, but for some could work.

[Jahang]

Love the compact car charger idea for the Anker!

[douglasmontgomery]

Todd, you missed another foldable panel. I bought this one - LUMOPAL 60W Foldable Solar Panel Folding Solar Charger with PD60W USB C QC3.0 USB A DC18-20V Output off Amazon and was able to 50-55 watts out the USB-C

[JenkinsUSA]

Thanks for the info and the recommendation on the Syncwire car lighter to usb flush mount adapter. Perfect for my new Delta 3 Plus.

[MainelyElectrons]

Other than long periods away from a power source, such as multi day hikes and some off grid cabin stays, what is the use case for spending the money on a solar panel versus buying a larger unit (for these small solar gens)? When I was looking into this a while ago, it seemed like it was more cost-effective to just buy a second power bank and dedicate the weight to that versus the bulk of a foldable panel that relies on the sun to charge. At least for my use which does not include any overnight/multiday. My needs are charging phones, lights and drones away from other power sources for a full long day of use. I carry a 95Wh anker usb power bank to recharge my phone and small drone, if i need to charge large batteries I use a Milwaukee M18 180w AC/USB inverter. That allows me to carry extra batteries as needed to expand a reduce my battery capacity for what I’m going to do that day. no need to carry an extra hundred watt hours if I’m not going to use it.

[Bomelinn]

Nice review. I really like my Anker Solix C 300 DC. I got the Eco flow 45 W USB-C panel to use with it. However, as you note, the USB-C port puts out very little power. The tiny specs on the panel show, in the bottom right corner, that the USB-C is actually only rated for 15 W. Eco flow took down my two star review, where I posted a photograph of these specs. I have had a much better experience with the Renogy 100 watt EE flex panel. It is well made and while I don’t remember the exact outputs, I was not disappointed with them.

[WesRiley-ev]

Todd - I love this content! Thank you.

[adriftatlas]

I have the Anker Solix C300 DC. Absolutely love it and the price is very reasonable when it's on sale.
Still looking for a compact 100W panel for it that is not expensive or poor quality. It's so weird that rigid panels are 50 cents per watt or less, but portable ones are $1 to $3 per watt.

[jannahfirdausmediapro]

other simple alternative diy pelican case 1200 + 12v 12ah lifepo4 battery + 12v solar charger controller + 12v 300w Pure sinewave inverter

[adolfo]

good info...how long can you run your portable fridge with the anker solix?

[troyguererro]

Still expensive. I got my romoss PMT60 for under US $50.00 (Yep, LFP batteries also). It got 192 wh and 4 ports. Yes, 100 w input and output. I had it for almost 2 months now, no regrets. In terms of cost to performance ratio, this is by far the best. Look it up and make some reviews also.