Home backup power stations compared, on verified specifications

Three LiFePO4 power stations in the 1,000–1,200 Wh class, compared on the figures their manufacturers publish and the runtimes those figures imply. The table is the comparison — there is no score to argue with, just the numbers side by side.

Side by side

Fridge runtime assumes a modern full-size refrigerator drawing 150 W with a 33% compressor duty cycle, against usable capacity after 15% inverter loss. Full workings on the runtime reference.

Choosing between them

On the numbers, the meaningful differences are weight, recharge behavior and expandability — not capacity, which is within 12% across all three.

• If you will carry it: weight is the real differentiator. 24 lb versus 37 lb is the difference between a unit you take camping and one that lives in a closet.
• If your needs will grow: only the DELTA 2 expands, to 3,040 Wh with an extra battery. The other two are fixed at what you buy.
• If you want the largest battery: the AC180 carries the most watt-hours of the three, at the cost of being the heaviest by a wide margin. We do not publish prices — they move daily — so check the current figure before treating capacity as value.
• If you want the simplest answer: any of them runs a fridge, a router and phones through a long outage. This decision matters less than the sizing question — work through what you actually need first.

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 — the best first backup unit for most homes

1,070 Wh of LiFePO4 (LFP) behind a 1,500 W inverter, at 24 lb. ~1.7 h wall (0–100%); ~1 h in Emergency Super Charge mode. Rated for 4,000 cycles to 70%+ capacity.

Jackery markets a "1 hour" recharge; that is the Emergency Super Charge mode, not the default. The standard wall charge is about 1.7 hours. Both numbers are true — they describe different modes.

Full specification analysis →

EcoFlow DELTA 2 — the best pick if you expect your needs to grow

1,024 Wh of LFP (LiFePO4) behind a 1,800 W inverter, at 27 lb. 0–80% in ~50 min; full in ~80 min. Rated for 4,000 cycles to 80%+ capacity.

Worth knowing: EcoFlow's marketing copy advertises "3000+ full charge and drain cycles", while the spec table on the same page states "4000 cycles to 80%+ capacity". We quote the spec table and flag the gap — at a cycle a week the difference is roughly 19 years vs 25, so it does not change the buying decision, but you should know the number is not consistent.

X-Boost raises the supported device draw to 2400 W, not 2200 W. It works by reducing voltage to resistive loads — great for a heater or kettle, not usable for anything with a motor or compressor.

Full specification analysis →

BLUETTI AC180 — the largest battery of the three

1,152 Wh of LiFePO4 behind a 1,800 W inverter, at 37 lb. 0–80% in ~45 min; full in ~2 h (Turbo, 1440 W input). Rated for 3,500+ cycles.

Worth knowing: BLUETTI's own AC180 page lists the weight two different ways: the spec card says 35.3 lb, while the product description says "weighs only 37lbs / 17kg". We quote the heavier figure, because 37 lb / 17 kg is the one given with a matching metric conversion. If you are buying on portability, assume the higher number.

"Power Lifting Mode" is BLUETTI's equivalent of X-Boost: it reaches 2,700 W for resistive heating loads only (heaters, kettles, hair dryers). It will not start a motor rated above 1,800 W.

Full specification analysis →

What none of them will do

Run resistive heat for any useful length of time, start a well pump, or back up a whole house. A 1,500 W space heater flattens any of these in roughly half an hour, and central air conditioning is out of reach entirely. If that is your requirement, you are shopping for a standby generator, and our solar versus gas comparison covers the trade-off honestly.