The Anker PowerHouse is a small but incredibly powerful portable power generator. Its 434Wh power supply can juice up your tablets and smartphones and power small appliances like mini-fridges and TVs.
Quick Summary
Generator Applications | |
|---|---|
Off-grid living | - |
Whole-house backup | - |
Large appliances | - |
Small appliances | + |
Camping/outdoors | + |
RV/boating | + |
Cell phones | + |
Features | |
|---|---|
Battery Capacity: | 434Wh, 120 Ah |
Power Output: | 12V DCSocket/110V AC Outlet / 4 USB outputs |
Weight: | 9.26lbs (4.2kg) |
Advantages of the Anker PowerHouse Portable Power Source
Plenty of Power
The PowerHouse’s compact size can be deceptive. The small box belies the huge amount of power inside it. The included high-capacity Lithium-Ion battery packs a powerful punch to meet most of your backup and outdoor power needs.
The Anker PowerHouse provides a 434Wh power supply. This is enough to power small devices like your kindle and larger ones like your TV. It can also power medical equipment such as CPAP machines.
On their official website, Anker says that this generator can charge your kindle ten times, your smartphone 24 times and your laptop almost seven times over.
So in case of a blackout, you are still well sorted when it comes to working and staying in touch with everyone.
If you are going camping, the PowerHouse can power a 15V lamp for days. You can also use it with a 12V air mattress electric pump.
Quality Build
For something that you are most likely going to be used a lot outdoors, the build quality is a huge deal. So Anker designed the PowerHouse with a hardy, drop-tested aluminum shell. This provides the perfect balance between durability and lightness.
Each component, whether it’s the thick handle or the buttons, looks and feels well built. You can be sure that it will not start breaking down on you when you are in the middle of nowhere.
To back up their quality guarantee, each PowerHouse unit comes with an 18-month warranty plus a lifetime of technical support. So even if you run into trouble, there are technicians on hand to help you.
Battery Management System
With that much power in the battery, you’ll want to be careful about how it is dispensed. Without proper care, it can easily damage your devices and shorten the life of the battery itself.
The PowerHouse deploys the Battery Management System or BMS to protect the battery and your devices and appliances.
The BMS provides precise voltage and temperature control depending on the environment and what kind of device is plugged in. For instance, it can adjust voltage depending on whether you are charging your iPhone or powering your minifridge.
It also has short circuit prevention to ensure your devices are always protected when connected to the power generator.
Compact Size and Design
The Anker PowerHouse is perfect for taking on the road (or water) thanks to its compact design. You can fit it in your boat, car or RV. The dimensions are 7.9 x 6.5 x 5.7 inches.
Note that it is quite heavy. It weighs a little over 9 pounds. While you may be able to carry it by hand, you will quickly get tired. So it’s more suited for home use, road trips and camping rather than carrying by hand on your hiking trips.
Versatile Power Output
The Anker PowerHouse generator provides three power output options to give you more freedom in choosing how to power your devices.
The main output is a 110V AC outlet which can power devices and appliance of up to 120W. It powers smaller appliances like small fans and mini fridges but will disconnect when you try to power high-wattage appliances such as a coffee maker.
There is also a 12V cigarette lighter socket which works with certain small appliances and devices.
For your mobile devices, four fast-charging USB ports can charge any phone or tablet. The ports use PowerIQ technology to juice up your devices efficiently and safely quickly. For instance, the iPhone 7 Plus can fully charge in 2.1 hours, the iPad Mini 4 in 1.43 hours and the Samsung Galaxy S5 in 1.3 hours.
And since there are four ports, you can connect multiple devices. This is ideal if you have a tablet and a smartphone or when other family members need to charge their devices too.
Limitations of the Anker PowerHouse Generator
No Solar Charging, Yet
Anker has promised to develop a solar charger for the PowerHouse generator. This would provide an additional recharging option. You can go on extended trips outdoors and still have plenty of power by using solar panels to recharge the battery.
We are still waiting for the Anker charger and will update this review when it’s available. Note that you’ll have to buy your solar panels separately.
It’s Fairly Heavy
The Anker PowerHouse is compact but hefty. It’s not a unit to lug around by hand. If you are going to travel with it, it’s best if you carry it in your car, RV or boat. But you can still move it over short distances such as from the car to the camping site or from storage to the living room by yourself.
Cannot Power Larger Appliances
Anker specifies a 120W maximum for the AC outlet. Most household devices such as coffee makers and hair dryers are far higher than this.
Despite its impressive power capacity, the Anker PowerHouse is only ideal as a backup and portable power unit. It can’t power large appliances or your whole home.
Conclusion
The Anker portable charger is a highly capable power unit despite its modest size. It’s one of the best camping generators you can buy thanks to its portability, high battery capacity and hardy design.
But even if you don’t go camping often or at all, the PowerHouse is still handy as a backup power unit for your work and communication devices at home. It’s also an indispensable unit to have around if you or someone in the family uses the powered medical equipment.
