Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, occasional camper or seasoned adventurer, having a reliable, portable power source is essential to maximizing your camping experience. Modern camping batteries offer a practical solution for powering your electronics, lights and even kitchen equipment, while keeping you safe and connected in the most remote environments.
In 2024, the market is bursting with new technologies and innovative models, making the choice of the best camping battery more complex but also more exciting. This buying guide has been designed to help you navigate the available options and find the camping battery that best suits your specific needs.
The best cheap portable power stations
Going on an adventure doesn’t mean having to sacrifice convenience and connectivity. In 2024, it’s entirely possible to find affordable camping batteries that combine performance and reliability. Whether you need to charge your phone, power lights or other small appliances, there are economical solutions to suit your needs.
So, in this section of the buying guide, I’ve tried to suggest a few portable battery models that offer good features at a reasonable price.
EcoFlow River 2
The EcoFlow River 2 portable power station offers a capacity of 256 Wh and a maximum power output of 300 W. It features X-Stream fast-charging technology, enabling full charging in just 60 minutes via a wall socket.
It features multiple ports, including USB-C, USB-A, and AC outlets, allowing you to charge multiple devices simultaneously. The River 2 is also compatible with solar charging (up to 110 W), ideal for outdoor use.
Lightweight and compact, it weighs just 3.5 kg, offering a mobile and practical energy solution for your outdoor adventures.
Bluetti EB70
The Bluetti EB70 portable power station offers a maximum output power of 1000 W and a battery capacity of 716 Wh, with a guarantee of over 2,500 charge cycles at 80% capacity. It offers 10 output ports, including two 230 V AC sockets, USB-A and USB-C ports (up to 100 W), and a 15 W wireless output.
For recharging, the EB70 accepts up to 200 W via solar panels, wall socket and cigarette lighter. Recharging time varies from 3 to 8 hours, depending on the source.
With its rather compact design (32 x 21.6 x 22.1 cm and 9.7 kg), this station is ideal for camping, emergencies or outdoor travel, offering an ecological and silent solution without the use of gas.
Jackery Explorer 300 Plus
The Jackery Explorer 300 Plus has a capacity of 288 Wh and an output power of 300 W (600 W at peak surge). It offers several recharging options, including solar recharging in 4 hours (with SolarSaga 200 W panel) and recharging via a mains socket in just 2 hours.
It is equipped with multiple ports, including USB-C and USB-A, and can charge up to four devices simultaneously. It guarantees a service life of 3,000 cycles and remains lightweight at just 3.75 kg.
This station includes advanced protections thanks to its Battery Management System (BMS) and ChargeShield technology, ensuring maximum safety even during rapid recharging.
The best mid-range camping batteries
Mid-range camping batteries are a well-balanced choice for campers and adventurers concerned with energy autonomy without sacrificing practicality or exceeding their budget.
Offering an optimal combination of performance and price, these batteries provide sufficient capacity to recharge smartphones, LED lights and other essential equipment several times over. They are designed to be robust and reliable in outdoor conditions, while remaining compact and easy to carry.
This section of the buying guide explores in detail the best options available on the market, enabling you to find the ideal battery for your outdoor adventures, without compromising on quality or your wallet.
Bluetti AC70
The Bluetti AC70 portable power station offers a rated power of 1000 W and a capacity of 768 Wh, ideal for powering domestic and camping appliances.
Thanks to its rapid recharging, it reaches 80% charge in 45 minutes via a 950 W AC input, and also supports a 500 W solar input for a full recharge in 2 hours. It is equipped with a LiFePO₄ battery guaranteeing over 3,000 charge cycles and includes a UPS system for uninterrupted power supply.
Ecoflow Delta 2
The EcoFlow Delta 2 is equipped with a 1024 Wh battery, expandable up to 3 kWh with additional batteries. It offers a power output of 1800 W, enabling it to operate a wide range of appliances, including energy-hungry electrical equipment.
It supports multiple recharging methods, including solar power with an input of up to 500 W, and can be fully recharged in 1.3 hours via a wall socket. It features multiple AC, USB and DC ports for a variety of uses.
LFP battery technology guarantees long life, offering over 3,000 cycles at 80% capacity. Remote control and monitoring is possible via a dedicated mobile app, enabling energy consumption to be tracked in real time.
EcoFlow River 2 Pro
The EcoFlow River 2 Pro portable power station has a battery capacity of 768 Wh and an output power of 800 W, providing reliable power for multiple devices. It supports rapid recharging via a mains socket, reaching 100% in just 70 minutes, or via solar panels for a more eco-friendly solution.
Equipped with multiple ports, including AC, USB-A, USB-C and DC sockets, it can handle a variety of equipment simultaneously. Its LFP battery guarantees over 3,000 cycles at 80% capacity.
Jackery Explorer 500
The Jackery Explorer 500 portable power station has a capacity of 518 Wh and an output power of 500 W (1000 W peak). It is equipped with multiple outputs, including an AC socket, USB ports and a car port, enabling multiple devices to be charged simultaneously.
Charging can be done via a wall socket, solar panel or car charger, with a recharge time of around 7.5 to 9.5 hours depending on the method used.
Lightweight and portable, this station features intelligent battery management technology for safe, efficient use.
High-capacity camping batteries
Now that we’ve seen the affordable models together, it’s time to move on to the slightly more expensive, but very high-capacity models, which can charge a laptop 20 times, plug in a fridge for hours, etc.
A camping battery can be quite compact, or much larger like the ones we’re going to look at now. Here are a few higher-capacity models, to charge everything in their path.
EcoFlow Delta Pro 3
The EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 is a high-performance portable power station featuring a LiFePO4 battery with a capacity of 3600 Wh, expandable up to 25 kWh with additional modules. It has a maximum output power of 3600 W, expandable to 4500 W, capable of powering heavy appliances such as refrigerators or power tools.
It features multiple ports, including AC, USB-A, USB-C and a cigarette-lighter socket, for recharging or powering a variety of equipment. Recharging is fast via multiple sources, including solar, with an input of up to 1600 W.
The station is compatible with a mobile application, enabling remote control and monitoring of energy performance. What’s more, it incorporates an intelligent energy management system to optimize battery life and performance.
Anker Solix F2000
The Anker Solix F2000 is a portable power station with a battery capacity of 2048 Wh, expandable to 4096 Wh via additional modules. It offers a maximum output power of 2400 W, enabling it to power energy-hungry devices.
It is equipped with several types of port, including AC, USB-C and a 12V socket, enabling various devices to be charged or powered simultaneously. The station can be recharged via solar panels or a mains socket, with optimized recharging times.
The station includes intelligent battery management systems to extend battery life and protect against overcharging. The whole system can be controlled remotely via a dedicated mobile application.
Bluetti AC200PL
The Bluetti AC200PL offers a capacity of 2,304 Wh and a nominal output power of 2,400 W, ideal for domestic and recreational devices. Compatible with B210P, B230 and B300 extension batteries, its capacity can reach up to 8,448 Wh.
It recharges quickly, reaching 80% in just one hour thanks to the 2,400 W fast charge function. With multiple recharging options, it can be powered via solar panels, a mains socket or a car charger.
This station is designed to meet a variety of energy needs, from motorhomes to homes, while offering great durability with over 3,000 charge cycles at 80% capacity.
How does a nomad camping battery work?
Operation is identical to that of conventional external batteries, except that here the battery cells are simply much larger. For the rest, it’s a battery, which charges and discharges, so all you need to do is plug it into the mains, or connect solar panels, usually also sold by the manufacturer, to charge it.
When it comes to charging devices, you can connect a wide range of equipment, from laptops and smartphones to refrigerators, coffee machines and TVs. If you wish, you can connect several devices at the same time, subject to the battery’s maximum power output (expressed in watts).
Some batteries have a display that shows instantaneous power output and the battery’s charge level, so you can see if it needs to be plugged in quickly.
Why buy a camping battery?
A nomadic camping battery does a number of things, first and foremost from an ecological point of view, but also from a practical one. It not only recharges your appliances, but also provides a powerful power source for other must-have accessories, such as a small fridge, a portable oven, a coffee machine, etc.
For XXL autonomy
With a camping battery, you get XXL autonomy for your smartphones and laptops in particular. In fact, if you decide to charge your devices using your vehicle’s battery, you have two concerns. Firstly, it’s going to take a hell of a long time, and secondly, it’s going to seriously drain your vehicle’s battery, which isn’t always a good thing.
With a nomad battery, you can charge your devices without worrying about these kinds of issues: you charge your devices, then connect the battery to a power source after a few charges, to restore its energy.
Making life easier
The advantage of these nomad or camping batteries is that you can connect several devices simultaneously. This is very practical, and means you don’t have to wait for the socket each time to plug in your smartphone, then your PC, then other devices… Here, you can charge up to 10-12 devices at the same time, for added convenience.
On top of that, you don’t have to move around until you find a power source, especially if you’re camping in the wilderness, where you shouldn’t be able to find a wild socket. With a camping battery, this worry is solved. Some models even include a wireless smartphone charger.
Is a camping battery eco-friendly?
For a start, it avoids anything that consumes petroleum and therefore emits CO2. Indeed, unless you charge your battery with a thermal vehicle, which is possible in itself, the charge is either solar or via the mains, which in France means nuclear / hydro / solar / wind.
Yes, a camping battery is eco-friendly, and it’s even more so if you use solar panels to charge it, so you can get energy back whenever you want during the day.
How to choose the best camping battery?
To get the most out of your camping battery and avoid any hassle during your trip, it’s a good idea to pay attention to certain features before choosing the model you want.
Battery capacity
This is undoubtedly the number 1 point to check: the capacity of the battery, as well as its power output. Some batteries offer fairly small capacities, from 300 to 500 Wh, so they won’t be ideal for everyone. Although they can be very practical, they can’t power certain power-hungry devices.
Other models offer autonomy of up to around 2000 Wh, or even more, providing excellent performance and long autonomy. They also generally offer better connectivity, with more outputs.
Size and weight
When choosing your camping battery, these criteria are very important. Battery capacity is certainly key, but it all depends on what you’re doing. If you want to stay in one place for a few days with your pickup, go for a medium-sized battery. However, it’s important to consider how much space it will take up in your vehicle.
The weight is also important, as it has to be lifted, stored and so on. However, if you have a fairly large motorhome, with plenty of storage space, you can opt for a high-capacity battery, which is bulky and a little heavy, but will deliver excellent performance.
Connectors
The third point to check when buying a camping battery is its connectivity. Some offer apps and Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone, but that’s not the most important criterion.
The important criterion here is the outputs you’ll find – 220V mains outlets, USB-C, USB-A connectors, in short, anything you can plug your devices into. Some batteries are only equipped with a 220V socket, so you need to think about your needs first before taking the plunge.
Little extras
Among the little extra features, some manufacturers add a wireless charging zone to the battery. Bluetti, in particular, offers this, but it’s still rather anecdotal, and is one of the few manufacturers to do so.
Another practical feature is the projector function. An LED is integrated into the battery to illuminate the area, making it easier to set up a tent at night, for example. It’s not a super-powerful spotlight, of course, but it gets the job done!