Portable Power Station vs Portable Power Bank. What is the difference between the two?

A portable power bank is a small battery pack that is meant to charge small portable electronics such as a phone, tablet and can supply some power to a laptop.  

A portable power station is a larger portable battery that has the ability to charge not only phones and tablets, but can also power appliances such as a mini fridge, a projector, and can be charged using solar panels in addition to using a wall outlet.   

The Main Differences Between the Two Include: 

• The weight: portable battery banks are lighter than a portable power station but they lack the other features that a power station has. 
• The output: a portable battery bank has a much lower output level compared to a power station since it is smaller and uses USB ports to charge devices whilst a power station has DC outlets as an example. Our Nomad power station as an example has an output of 400 wats which is enough to power a mini fridge.  
• The capacity: most mid-range power banks have a capacity of 10 – 15 thousand mAh while a power station such as our ROCKSOLAR Adventurer which has a capacity of 60,000 mAh.
• How they charge: most power banks charge via a USB cable which can plugged into a wall outlet with an adapter whereas power stations such as the ROCKSOLAR ones can be charged not only via a wall outlet but also using our portable solar panels.  

In the end, a portable power station is more versatile option compared to a battery pack as it can power more devices, has a higher capacity, different charging options and is a better long-term option. To check out the different ROCKSOLAR portable power stations click HERE.