Portable power stations are hands down one of the best additions to a modern camping (and even campervanning) setup.
They seem to have exploded onto the block in the last decade and there are a number of companies out there now pushing newer and more powerful/efficient stations.
And one of the brands that are very much up and coming are ALLPOWERS.
They’re not quite as well known yet as some other brands.
But without spoiling what’s to come, their units pack a LOT of power and tech features and at very reasonable prices.
Definitely worth a consideration if you’re in the market for the best portable power station for you to buy.
I’ve personally tested the ALLPOWERS R600 unit for over 3 months now and wanted to share my in-depth review with you.
Covering all the features on offer, the pros and cons of the unit, and ultimately whether or not it’s worth buying.
Let’s get stuck in.
Full Disclosure: We received courtesy product and compensation from ALLPOWERS in exchange for our honest review only. All opinions expressed here are our own.
You could say, ALLPOWERS are an up and coming brand on the block when it comes to power stations.
That’s probably a bit of a stretch, as the company has been around now for a number of years releasing newer and more up-to-date units in quick succession.
However, the reason they’re more “up and coming” is because they currently lack a lot of the quick brand recognition as companies with higher marketing budgets like Jackery.
That isn’t an indictment on either Jackery or ALLPOWERS by the way. If you’ve read my Jackery review you’ll know that I’m a big fan of the brand.
However ALLPOWERS does have its place and as you will see can stand up in a number of ways in comparison to its larger competitors.
Bit more on that to come …
Just to quickly clarify for those new to the world of these units, a power station is the actual battery bank, plus all the tech that goes into you being able to use your electronics when away.
The only difference between a power station and a solar generator is that the latter shipment includes a solar panel when purchasing.
Meaning that you can recharge your unit when away and off-grid … so long as there is sunshine of course!
It’s worth pointing out here the sort of tech that lies inside an ALLPOWERS power station.
The list isn’t complete by any stretch, but is the basics of what allows the unit to work.
One of the reasons I'm Such a big fan of these power stations is that, when we converted our campervan back in 2020, it was a very long and expensive process to learn about, purchase and install all of the things listed above.
Of course, if you can afford to and are going to be living in a van for long periods (like we did) then completing a proper camper setup is worthwhile.
However, if you are a part time vanlifer, or of course go camping a lot, then you can see how these power stations are of such incredible value. And also shockingly compact for the amount of tech that works within them.
It’s certainly not a case of just sticking some battery cells inside and fitting some plug outlets, there's a serious amount of work that goes into making them so compact and portable.
Okay, spiel over and back to the review!
Okay so just to quickly clarify something here, Watts (W) and Watt Hours (Wh) are two different things.
Watts are a unit of power. They represent the rate at which a unit other uses or produces energy. For example, the ALLPOWERS R600 that we reviewed is 600 watts.
This means that you can run devices through it that go up to 600 watts. This is a fairly inclusive range and will allow you to get by with most devices, Like charging laptops, drones, even hair dryers.
But it won’t run things like kettles which draw an incredibly high amount of power (usually 2000-3000 watts).
On the flip side, Watt Hours are a unit of energy. This refers to how much energy you essentially have at your disposal.
So for example if you had a 600W device, you could run it for exactly 30 minutes and then the R600 would be drained.
Let’s add some better context. Most power station providers have a range of units, offering you the choice of a Wh & W that suits you best.
However, what makes ALLPOWERS stand out is that their R600 unit with its 600 watt capability has roughly 10%+ more actual usable storage capacity than the similarly produced product from other brands.
Just look at the BLUETTI EB3A that we reviewed. Same 600W output, but 11% more usable power.
It also has a 1200W surge, like many other brands. All this means is that it can temporarily handle up to 1200 watts, which is what many devices may need when turning on.
However this doesn’t mean it can run for extended periods at that level, only temporarily while a unit powers on.
This is another key feature the R600 offers. Its fast charger means that you can take the unit from 0-100% in as little as 1 hour. Which I tested and can confirm is true, just about.
This may not be important to everyone, but is great for things like camping where sun is not always guaranteed and you may need to pack as much charge in as possible when the sun is briefly out.
Or if you forgot to charge the unit before heading out the house and can quickly punch as much power in as possible before heading out.
You have two types of current here, your DC outputs, i.e. USB type A and C's are used for charging small electronics like phones and tablets.
Then you have your AC output ports, which are 240V (thanks to the inverter) and allow you to charge things like laptops or run other electronics like a toaster.
Most comparable units only have 1 of these 240V plugs, so it’s useful that there are two.
Just bear in mind that the unit will still trip if you go above the 600W maximum the inverter runs at, but it certainly can be useful to have!
Here’s where my first gripe is with the R600 however …
They have dust covers over the sockets, which most units don’t have, and are useful for keeping the outlets clean. However … plugging a lot of devices is very awkward (if not impossible).
This is because the covers only go back so far. If you ask me it is a bit of a crucial design oversight.
All I can assume is that the unit was first designed to cater for a US market where the outlets are shaped differently, i.s. much smaller. But the large 3 pin UK sockets don’t quite work side by side.
You may therefore have to remove these (or perhaps just one) dust cover in order to properly access your plugs.
This is a cool little addition that makes it an event handler unit to have at hand.
As well as being able to charge phones via the cable outlets on the front, you can just lay your phone on top, so long as it is enabled for wireless charging.
I will say that your phone needs to be laid just right in order to work.
I wouldn’t say this is a flaw with the unit itself, as I’ve found this to be the case with other power stations that have this feature, and indeed wireless chargers in general. Instead, it’s just something to bear in mind.
For its capacity and range of features, the R600 really is incredibly compact.
I mean, it can only be so small, based on the battery bank and units itself, as well as the number of outlets.
But the fold down handle makes it even easier to pack and store, better than units with rigid fixed handles on top.
I also love that they have recently rolled out a new beige version of the unit.
Most brands all come in similar colours, but the white one is particularly striking and I think will appeal to a lot of people!
Honestly, if you are going to be off-grid camping a lot, then I would 100% recommend grabbing a solar panel with your unit.
Why?
Because for the sake of a few extra quid, you have peace of mind knowing you can always keep your unit topped up.
Due to the rapid charging capabilities, even just an hour of sunlight a day on your panel will keep you nicely topped up for however long you are away.
Of course, it depends on how much you are using your unit and what for.
But for example, based on 4 people using the unit to charge their phones for a weekend camping, and perhaps using a blender a few times, an hour or two of sunlight a day from their 100w panel is more than enough to keep things full.
How does their panel hold up to other solar panels from similar makers?
Well first up, I wouldn’t say it’s the best, in terms of size and capacity, based on the units we have tested so far, I really like the 200W panel from Anker.
However, something like that would simply be too much for the R600, a 100W panel is more than enough.
Again, it does depend on your usage, and if you do want more capacity, then ALPOWERS actually sell a 200W panel, a 400W panel, and even a 600W one!
Which is pretty mad, and I would be keen to try out. But you just need to remember the trade off between space and portability.
When I first went to download the ALLPOWERS app, I did become skeptical.
The reviews are pretty poor, with the Android version having a rating of 2.5/5 at the time of download.
So, how did I find it?
Honestly, it's great!
I can't speak for everyone else's experience. Perhaps there is poorer compatibility with older models, or whatever else.
But the app for me worked great and I really did not expect it, as I'd never yet tried a power station mobile app before.
I love that you can remotely control the buttons (for me the main feature you would want really).
How is that cool?
Well, why get out of bed to turn a device on when you can prep it the night before and stay curled up in your bed and flick it on!
Perhaps with a bigger ALLPOWERS unit that could be quite cool. Get the kettle boiling before you're even up.
or perhaps even to remote control the light without needing to stumble about in the dark.
Honestly, for the price point of the ALLPOWER R600, I think it is well worth considering as your go-to power station.
Its power capacity alone, based on the price, makes it extremely competitive once you start comparing it against the other top portable power stations out there.
But when you also factor in its fast charging capabilities and number of outlets, then it really is great value for money.
To reiterate though, it’s certainly not perfect. And the issue with the plug covers being too restrictive is certainly something to bear in mind.
I wouldn’t discount the unit because of that. Especially as you can just remove these and almost all other power stations don’t come with these anyway; so you can essentially remove them from the equation.
The other thing is the noise from the unit. This can be loud when running at high usage for an extended period. There are quieter units out there to consider if this is something that’s an issue for you.
But for more limited weekend/weeklong camping trips where you need to charge phones and tablets to keep the kids happy, then it’s definitely a top contender!
The 2 best places to buy the ALLPOWERS products are directly from their site and also from Amazon.
If You are from the US, then you can find the R600:
From the UK, you can find them:
And if you’d like 25% off your order direct on their site you can use the discount code: WD118DPZASM2
Well, that’s about it!
I feel like this is a pretty comprehensive rundown of the feature on offer from the ALLPOWERS R600 + 100W panel.
I also tried to intertwine my thoughts with who I think the unit is well suited towards.
I do recommend that you check out ALLPOWERS full range of products.
The tech in their products is very advanced and if the R600 doesn’t offer quite enough juice for what you need, then I would consider looking at their other larger models as well.
Now over to you …
Do you have any questions that you think I missed?
Or perhaps want to share your own thoughts on the product?
Drop a comment below and let me know.
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