Roundup

Best Budget Power Station Under $300 for Outages

By Jeremy Kelly · Specs last checked November 7, 2026 · Research-based, not hands-on tested

Four small LiFePO4 power stations that were listed under $300 when checked on 2026-11-07, compared on manufacturer specs: what a sub-$300 unit can and can't run in an outage.

You don’t need a four-figure battery to get through most outages. If your goals are keeping phones charged, the Wi-Fi up, a laptop running and maybe a CPAP overnight, a small power station is enough. This guide compares four compact units on their published manufacturer specs. We haven’t tested any of them.

About prices. We don’t quote exact prices, because they change constantly, especially around sales events. Every product below was listed under $300 when checked on 2026-11-07, on the retailer named in its section. Prices may have changed since; check the current price before buying. We dropped products we couldn’t find at or under $300, or in stock, that day (see the end of this guide).

What a sub-$300 power station can (and can’t) do

At this price you’re generally buying about 250–500Wh of capacity and 300–500W of rated output. In practice:

  • Good fits: phones, tablets, laptops over USB-C, a Wi-Fi router and modem, LED lights, a CPAP with the humidifier off, a small fan for a while.
  • Poor fits: full-size refrigerators (surge and energy), space heaters, microwaves, coffee makers, sump or well pumps.

For the arithmetic, see our sizing guide. One example from it: a 3W router plus a 50W laptop for 4 hours of an 8-hour day comes to 224 Wh, or about 264 Wh after a 0.85 loss factor. That’s right in this class’s range if you use DC/USB-C outputs.

Comparison table

Spec (manufacturer) EcoFlow RIVER 3 Jackery Explorer 240 v2 Anker SOLIX C300 DC EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max
Capacity 245Wh 256Wh 288Wh 512Wh
Rated AC output 300W (600W X-Boost) 300W None (DC only) 500W (1,000W X-Boost)
USB-C Check spec sheet 100W two-way + 15W 2 × 140W two-way + 15W Check spec sheet
Switchover claim <20 ms (Amazon listing) 20 ms (UL1778 UPS, Jackery) Not specified Within 30 ms (Amazon listing)
Wall recharge 0–100% in 1 hr (EcoFlow claim) 2 hr; 1 hr emergency mode via app Via USB-C PD charger (not included) 1 hr (EcoFlow claim)
Solar 110W (2.6 hr claim) Needs DC8020-to-USB-C adapter 100W, 11–28V 220W (2.3 hr claim)
Chemistry / cycles LiFePO4, 3,000+ LiFePO4, 3,000 LiFePO4 LiFePO4, 3,000+ to 80%
Weight 7.8 lb 7.7 lb 6.17 lb 13.3 lb (Amazon listing)
Warranty See EcoFlow 3 + 2 years (official store) 36 months 5 years (Amazon listing)
Where seen under $300 Amazon Jackery store Amazon EcoFlow store

“Check spec sheet” means we didn’t confirm the value on the pages we used.

EcoFlow RIVER 3: best all-round budget pick

The RIVER 3 is a 245Wh LiFePO4 unit with 300W of AC output. EcoFlow’s X-Boost runs suitable devices up to 600W by lowering voltage, which suits heating devices, not everything. EcoFlow says it fully recharges from the wall in about an hour and weighs 7.8 lb. The Amazon listing claims a <20 ms switchover. EcoFlow’s runtime claim for small loads is an eye-opener: 30.8 hours for a 3W light or Wi-Fi router. That’s 3 W × 30.8 h ≈ 92 Wh delivered, our arithmetic on EcoFlow’s figure, which shows how much AC overhead eats into a small battery. Use USB or DC outputs for small loads when you can.

It was listed under $300 when checked on 2026-11-07 on Amazon, and shown as in stock.

Pros

  • Fast 1-hour wall recharge (claimed)
  • Light and compact; IP54-rated battery pack (EcoFlow)
  • Automatic switchover for a router or CPAP

Cons

  • Smallest capacity here
  • 300W AC limit

Check EcoFlow RIVER 3 on AmazonAffiliate link

Jackery Explorer 240 v2: strong USB-C and UPS certification

Jackery lists 256Wh and 300W AC output, one 100W two-way USB-C port, a 15W USB-C, a 15W USB-A, and a UPS certified to UL1778 with a 20 ms transfer time. Wall charging takes about 2 hours, or 1 hour in the app’s emergency mode. The weight is 7.7 lb. One gotcha Jackery spells out: solar charging needs a separate DC8020-to-USB-C adapter, which isn’t in the box. Jackery’s official store adds a 2-year extension to the 3-year warranty.

It was listed under $300 when checked on 2026-11-07 on Jackery’s own store. We couldn’t verify a live Amazon.com listing for this model that day (the listing we found returned “page not found”), so this is a direct link to Jackery, not an affiliate link.

Pros

  • 100W two-way USB-C
  • UL1778-certified UPS, 20 ms (Jackery)
  • 3 + 2 year warranty from Jackery’s store

Cons

  • Solar needs an extra adapter
  • 300W AC limit

See Jackery Explorer 240 v2 at JackeryNot an affiliate link

Anker SOLIX C300 DC: lowest-cost way to back up USB-C gear

There are no AC outlets at all, which keeps it small (6.17 lb) and avoids inverter idle drain. Its two 140W two-way USB-C ports can charge most laptops quickly, and Anker says you can recharge to 80% in about an hour with dual 140W input. It ships without a wall charger: Anker says to use a USB-C PD charger of 30W or more. Anker’s US store showed it as sold out when we checked.

It was listed under $300 when checked on 2026-11-07 on Amazon, and shown as in stock.

Pros

  • Two 140W USB-C ports
  • No inverter overhead
  • Lightest unit here

Cons

  • No AC outlets
  • Charger not included; no published switchover spec

Check Anker SOLIX C300 DC on AmazonAffiliate link

EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max: most capacity for the money

EcoFlow lists the RIVER 2 Max at 512Wh and 500W output, about twice the capacity of the other three. The Amazon listing adds X-Boost to 1,000W, a switchover “within 30 milliseconds,” a 1-hour AC recharge, 220W solar input and a 13.3 lb weight. It’s an older-generation model, but the extra watt-hours matter more than anything else here if you want a CPAP and a router through a long night.

It was listed under $300 when checked on 2026-11-07 on EcoFlow’s US store. The Amazon listing we checked showed it as currently unavailable, so this is a direct link to EcoFlow, not an affiliate link.

Pros

  • About double the capacity of the others
  • 500W rated output
  • 1-hour recharge (claimed)

Cons

  • Heaviest here
  • Older generation; 30 ms switchover

See EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max at EcoFlowNot an affiliate link

Which one should you get?

  • Router, phones and occasional laptop, with automatic switchover: EcoFlow RIVER 3 or Jackery Explorer 240 v2.
  • Mostly USB-C devices: Anker SOLIX C300 DC.
  • Longest runtime under $300: EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max.
  • CPAP: any of these can cover a humidifier-off night on DC by our math. Read the CPAP guide and check with your CPAP maker and your doctor first.

Checked but not included

On 2026-11-07 we also checked these, and left them out under our rules (at or under $300 and in stock that day):

  • Anker SOLIX C300 (AC version): listed above $300 on Amazon when checked.
  • BLUETTI EB3A: Amazon showed “Currently unavailable.”
  • EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus: Amazon showed “Currently unavailable,” and we didn’t see it listed on EcoFlow’s US RIVER collection page that day.

Bottom line

A sub-$300 power station is a smart first step for outage prep. It won’t run your fridge, but it keeps you connected, lit and charged. The EcoFlow RIVER 3 is the best all-round pick on paper. The EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max gives the most capacity, and the Anker SOLIX C300 DC is the efficient choice if your gear runs on USB-C. Check today’s prices, since they move.

Sources