RAVPower Portable Power Station Review: Powerful portability

Portable battery packs, once thought to be nice-to-have accessories, have become an essential part of our adventures through advancements in capacity and miniaturization. With most phone battery sizes, and even laptops, capable of being covered with solutions that you can fit into your pocket, our attention has now turned toward keeping things once thought to be tethered to the wall forever up and running while on the go.

Massive battery packs, like the RAVPower Power Station, can do just that, powering common household appliances for hours in a surprisingly compact, easy to carry package. I recently began testing out this portable powerhouse around my home, and I have enjoyed having a convenient, always-ready battery waiting for whatever crazy use-case that I can come up with. Whether it is charging my iPhone, powering wired smart home accessories, or just being available in case of emergencies, the Power Station is more than just your run of the mill battery pack.

Power for days

RAVPower Portable Power Station: The features

Just as its name suggests, the RAVPower Portable Power Station comes in a compact, speaker-like form factor that measures just over seven inches tall and five inches wide. The Power Station weighs around five and a half pounds, thanks in part to its mind-boggling 252.7 Wh, 70,200 mAh battery, but it does include a built-in handle to make transportation easy. Also included with the battery is a travel bag for additional portability and storage, along with a removable carrying strap, charging adapter, and one USB cord.

Around the left side of the battery are four total USB ports, three of which are USB-A and one USB-C port with Power Delivery. One of the three USB-A ports has a slightly higher output than the rest, coming in at 5V/3A at 18W, while the other ports are limited to 5V/2.4A at 12W maximum. The USB-C port ramps things up to 60W maximum, which RAVPower advertises as being able to charge a MacBook Pro in three hours.

Over on the right side of the battery, there is a single power button for toggling the entire operation on, as well as an integrated LED light. The white LED light is capable of displaying a solid always-on light, as well as an SOS pattern, and a faster strobe effect. While I was unable to track down the exact lumen specifications of the light, I would put it on par with an average LED flashlight, and it is not something that will fill an entire room with light. The face of the battery does not have any ports or buttons, instead offering up just five small status indicator lights.

The aforementioned handle can be found on the top of the battery, parked near to a set of two 110V AC outlets with weatherproof covers. The outlets can be used to power appliances and other devices up to 300W maximum, but the ports do not have a ground slot, which does limit some applications. While actual run times on AC will vary, RAVPower lists things such as refrigerated coolers, and lights as lasting for several hours. The AC outlets utilize their own power button, which is located between the pair, and also have their own status indicator light.

Charging takes place on the back of the battery, through a single barrel-style DC input that works with the included wall adapter. While not included, the DC input works with solar panels and car chargers, plus, next-door to it is a DC output that is capable of 12V/10A at 120W max. Near the top of the back, portion is an exhaust vent used to expel heat via a small fan when it the pack is charging.

Accessories included

RAVPower Portable Power Station: What I like

Make no mistake about it, the star of the show here is the extra large battery capacity. Now, large battery packs are not a new thing, however, the Power Station is the first in my household, and just having it around has me constantly thinking of all the potential that it unlocks. The inclusion of the AC outlets only further fuels my imagination, and I have already done things not previously possible, such as powering a wired smart home camera in a location that didn't have an outlet.

The inclusion of the LED light on the battery pack is also a favorite feature of mine, as I intend to have the Power Station always charged and ready to go in case of emergencies. RAVPower could have just left the light out entirely, and it could have still been a compelling product, but having it on-board really helps tell the story about the ways that the battery can be used, and is just overall handy to have.

Other nice to haves are the included travel bag and USB-C cable. The included bag is not just a cheap toss-in with the purchase, as it has a premium look and feel. The bag has plenty of compartments for accessories, and the divider inside clearly shows off the optimum placement for all of the pieces of the puzzle, so you are never stuck wondering how to shove everything in to make it all fit. A removable shoulder strap and the built-in handle on the bag itself are great for hauling everything around, and the USB-C cable, while not universal as of yet, is nice to have on-hand wherever it goes.

Finally, while the battery doesn't have a ton of ports, it does include the most important ones. With four total USB ports and the two AC outlets, the battery is capable of covering multiple needs simultaneously, and I can easily see it being a big hit at outdoor get-togethers. The on-board charging ports are also important, with passthrough capabilities allowing it to charge itself and other devices at the same time. The ability to charge via DC in the car, or even with a solar panel, is just icing on the cake.

Not a "fan"

RAVPower Portable Power Station: What I don't like

As once might imagine, since the battery inside of the RAVPower Portable Power Station is absolutely massive, it does come with a couple of design trade-offs. The first of which is that the entire package is heavy for the category, coming in at just over five pounds. The other is that the PowerStation is not something that you can just throw in your pocket or your gear bag when you are ready to go due to the overall size. This makes the Power Station one of those products that is better suited for specific tasks like camping trips, or in an emergency kit, and not one that you will want to carry around all the time.

The large battery capacity also means that the Power Station generates heat when charging. While heat itself isn't an issue as the Power Station is typically tethered to an outlet while juicing up, it does introduce a fan into the mix. When the fan is running, it is definitely noticeable, even in rooms with typical household activities going on. In fact, when charging the pack for the first time, I didn't actually think that the sound was coming from it at all, as sounded more like one of the air purifiers that we have on the home. The fan also didn't start immediately when charging, it kicked on a little while after plugging it in, again leading to the slight confusion.

Moving on to the on-board LED light, which is indeed a great feature, but actually getting it to turn on was not very intuitive. Yes, there is a massive power button right next to the light; however, pressing the button once or pressing and holding it doesn't turn on the light. To get it to work, I had to turn to the included manual, which I was not expecting to have to do on a battery pack. Only then did I find out that pressing it twice quickly toggled it on. The same applies to the AC outlets located at the top of the battery, which have their own power button, and requires a long press to fire them up.

My final complaint about the Power Station is its expensive price tag. At a list price of $270, it takes the battery out of impulse or one-time use purchase territory, and it really makes the whole package somewhat of a niche product. I would certainly like to see the price brought down to a more accessible level as the battery could be handy in a lot of situations, and though I love the included travel bag and cable, they are nice perks, not necessities.

Power station

RAVPower Portable Power Station: The Bottom Line

While pricey, the RAVPower Portable Power Station comes with everything needed to keep devices up and running for hours at a time, including laptops, phones, and even appliances with the onboard AC outlets. Extras like an integrated LED light, USB-C cable, and the premium travel bag are really thoughtful touches that showcase all of its potential.

With the right accessories such as a solar panel or DC charger, this already flexible battery pack gets even better, enabling an off the grid experience while still being connected. The Power Station is definitely not for everyone, but for those who need serious power on the go, you will be hard-pressed to find a better overall mix of portability and power.

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