We have tested multiple portable power stations from the most popular brands to find the best portable power station to run a TV.
After rigorous testing, our winner is...
Best overall - Bluetti EB55
We recommend the Bluetti EB55 when choosing a portable power station to run a TV.
Boasting a 700W output and a 537Wh battery, it can run a full-size TV with many accessories for more than 6 hours!
Pros:
- Very portable, only weighing 7.5kg (16.5lbs)
- LiFePO4 battery with 2,500+ Life Cycles to 80%
- UPS and pass through charging
- Great price for its output
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Cons:
- Can't be charged by USB-C
- There is no official expandable battery
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Not sure if this is for you? Take the quiz
But how did we decide that the Bluetti EB55 is the best portable power station to run a TV? Let's explore this in greater detail.
Table of contents
Nearly all portable power stations can run a TV. So, we had to look at more when deciding which portable power station to recommend.
Our tests included:
- Inverter power
- Battery capacity
- Battery chemistry
- UPS features
- Connectivity
- Portability
- Cost
- Reliability & Support
While we recommend the Bluetti EB55 as the best overall portable power station to power a TV, you might have differing needs, making another model more appropriate.
I have created a simple 4 question quiz to help you choose the best portable power station for your needs.
Portable power station quiz
I have also written reviews on each brand which you may find helpful:
Different TVs have different power needs, and various models of power station have varying capacities. So how long will an average TV run?
| Model |
TV Runtime |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | 2 hours, 55 minutes |
| Bluetti EB3A | 3 hours, 13 minutes |
| Jackery 240 | 3 hours, 28 minutes |
| Jackery 300 Plus | 3 hours, 38 minutes |
| Bluetti AC60 | 5 hours, 16 minutes |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | 5 hours, 59 minutes |
| Bluetti EB55 | 7 hours, 11 minutes |
| Jackery 500 | 7 hours, 25 minutes |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | 8 hours, 52 minutes |
| Bluetti EB70 | 8 hours, 55 minutes |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | 12 hours, 46 minutes |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | 13 hours, 25 minutes |
| Jackery 1000 | 14 hours, 20 minutes |
| Bluetti AC180 | 14 hours, 53 minutes |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | 16 hours, 55 minutes |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | 20 hours, 14 minutes |
| Bluetti AC200P | 27 hours, 05 minutes |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | 27 hours, 39 minutes |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | 27 hours, 44 minutes |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | 28 hours, 03 minutes |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | 28 hours, 55 minutes |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | 50 hours, 24 minutes |
Based on an average 50" LED TV requiring 65 watts.
How do you calculate how long your TV will run?
To calculate how long your Bluetti will run a TV, you will need the following:
- The battery capacity of the power station,
- the power consumption of the TV, and,
- the power station efficiency.
You can use the following calculation to determine how long your TV will run for any portable power station.
Run-time calculation
Battery capacity (watt-hours) / TV power (watts) * Power Station efficiency (%) = run-time (hours)
Power Station battery capacity
Let's look at the battery capacity by popular models:
| Model |
Battery Capacity |
| Bluetti EB3A | 268Wh |
| Bluetti EB55 | 537Wh |
| Bluetti EB70 | 716Wh |
| Bluetti AC60 | 403Wh |
| Bluetti AC180 | 1,152Wh |
| Bluetti AC200P | 2,000Wh |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | 2,048Wh |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | 256Wh |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | 512Wh |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | 768Wh |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | 1,024Wh |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | 2,048Wh |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | 3,600Wh |
| Jackery 240 | 240Wh |
| Jackery 500 | 518Wh |
| Jackery 1000 | 1,002Wh |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | 1,002Wh |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | 1,512Wh |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | 2,160Wh |
| Jackery 300 Plus | 288Wh |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | 1,264Wh |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | 2,043Wh |
TV power consumption
Your TV should have a sticker indicating its power consumption, or you should be able to find the power required from the manufacturer's website. But if you can't find out what yours needs, we have a handy table below showing examples of what different TVs need:
| TV |
Power |
| 50" LED |
65 watts |
| 50" LCD |
70 watts |
| 50" OLED |
95 watts |
| 50" CRT |
190 watts |
But we need to consider not just the TV's wattage. You may also need to consider other devices, including:
- WiFi router
- DVD player
- Satellite/Cable box
- Games consoles
Each device will draw its power, which you should consider for your setup.
Power station efficiency
Different portable power stations will have varying efficiencies, and there will be a difference between AC and DC powering.
But most TVs will need to be powered by AC, so let's look at the AC inverter efficiencies by popular models:
| Model |
AC Inverter Efficiency |
| Bluetti EB3A | 78% |
| Bluetti EB55 | 87% |
| Bluetti EB70 | 81% |
| Bluetti AC60 | 85% |
| Bluetti AC180 | 84% |
| Bluetti AC200P | 88% |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | 88% |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | 74% |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | 76% |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | 75% |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | 81% |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | 89% |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | 91% |
| Jackery 240 | 94% |
| Jackery 500 | 93% |
| Jackery 1000 | 93% |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | 87% |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | 87% |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | 87% |
| Jackery 300 Plus | 82% |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | 87% |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | 88% |
Power station battery chemistry
There are two main types of battery chemistry that portable power stations use:
- Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
- Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4)
Lithium-ion has a higher power density, meaning that the battery can be smaller and lighter.
However, the main drawbacks are that the battery degrades quicker than lithium iron phosphate, and they are more likely to catch fire if over-discharged.
For most use cases, a LiFePO4 battery is preferable and is my recommendation.
These batteries are really common in portable power stations and are what both Bluetti and EcoFlow use.
Only if weight and size are most important would I consider a Lithium-ion battery, such as those found in most Jackery products.
| Model |
Battery Chemistry |
| Bluetti EB3A | LiFePO4 |
| Bluetti EB55 | LiFePO4 |
| Bluetti EB70 | LiFePO4 |
| Bluetti AC60 | LiFePO4 |
| Bluetti AC180 | LiFePO4 |
| Bluetti AC200P | LiFePO4 |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | LiFePO4 |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | LiFePO4 |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | LiFePO4 |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | LiFePO4 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | LiFePO4 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | LiFePO4 |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | LiFePO4 |
| Jackery 240 | Lion |
| Jackery 500 | Lion |
| Jackery 1000 | Lion |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | Lion |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | Lion |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | Lion |
| Jackery 300 Plus | LiFePO4 |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | LiFePO4 |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | LiFePO4 |
UPS features
A great feature that Bluetti portable power stations have is uninterruptible power supply (UPS) functionality, also referred to as pass-through charging.
This allows the portable power station to be plugged into mains A/C input, and its output A/C will be powered by the grid rather than the battery and inverter.
When the A/C input is disconnected, the inverter will instantly take over, powering the output loads in less than 10 milliseconds.
This means that you can power your TV and ancillaries without issue in the event of a power outage.
Some power stations also support emergency power supply (EPS). EPS does not switch over as quickly as UPS; however, it should still be less than 250 milliseconds, which will be fine for most appliances (fridges/freezers etc).
Test whether your appliances will work with your portable power station UPS / EPS functions before the power goes out in a critical environment.
Not all power stations offer UPS modes, which are a big bonus.
| Model |
UPS Feature |
| Bluetti EB3A | UPS |
| Bluetti EB55 | UPS |
| Bluetti EB70 | None |
| Bluetti AC60 | UPS |
| Bluetti AC180 | UPS |
| Bluetti AC200P | None |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | UPS |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | EPS |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | EPS |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | EPS |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | EPS |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | EPS |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | EPS |
| Jackery 240 | None |
| Jackery 500 | None |
| Jackery 1000 | None |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | None |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | None |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | None |
| Jackery 300 Plus | EPS |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | EPS |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | None |
Power station portability
Larger portable power stations can be fairly bulky and heavy. While they are still classed as portable, you would not want to be lifting them above your head very often,
Fortunately, they will have handles, some wheels, and even telescopic handles like on suitcases. This can all aid towards making them more practical to live with.
Smaller portable power stations will also come with less weight too, as the battery contributes most of the weight.
| Model |
Weight |
Features |
| Bluetti EB3A | 4.6kg / 10.14lbs | 1 lift up handle |
| Bluetti EB55 | 7.5kg / 16.5lbs | 1 lift up handle |
| Bluetti EB70 | 7.5kg / 16.5lbs | 1 lift up handle |
| Bluetti AC60 | 9.1kg / 20.06lbs | 1 lift up handle |
| Bluetti AC180 | 16kg / 35.27lbs | 2 fixed handles |
| Bluetti AC200P | 27.5kg / 60.6lbs | 2 fixed handles |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | 28.1kg / 61.9lbs | 2 fixed handles |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | 3.5kg / 7.8lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | 6.1kg / 13.4lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | 7.8kg / 17.2lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | 12kg / 27lbs | 2 fixed handles |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | 23kg / 50lbs | 2 fixed handles |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | 45kg / 99lbs | 2 fixed handles + 2 wheels |
| Jackery 240 | 3kg / 6.6lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 500 | 6kg / 13.3lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 1000 | 10kg / 22.04lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | 11.5kg / 25.4lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | 17kg / 37.48lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | 19.5kg / 43lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 300 Plus | 3.75kg / 8.27lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | 14.5kg / 32lbs | 1 fixed handle |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | 27.9kg / 61.5lbs | 2 wheels + telescopic handle |
Power station cost
When purchasing a portable power station, a large factor in which model you choose will likely come down to price.
I have compiled a list of Recommended Retail Prices for the most popular models which we have considered.
Fortunately, there are often sales which can further help you achieve a better price. Therefore, I always suggest you click on the "check latest price" to see if you can obtain a better deal than the listed RRP.
| Model |
RRP |
|
| Bluetti EB3A | $299.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Bluetti EB55 | $559.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Bluetti EB70 | $699.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Bluetti AC60 | $699.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Bluetti AC180 | $1,099.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Bluetti AC200P | $1,399.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Bluetti AC200MAX | $1,799.00 | Check Latest Price |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 | $269.00 | Check Latest Price |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | $549.00 | Check Latest Price |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | $749.00 | Check Latest Price |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 | $1,099.00 | Check Latest Price |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | $1,899.00 | Check Latest Price |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | $3,199.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 240 | $259.99 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 500 | $556.99 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 1000 | $1,049.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 1000 Pro | $1,099.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 1500 Pro | $1,499.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 2000 Pro | $1,999.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 300 Plus | $319.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 1000 Plus | $1,149.00 | Check Latest Price |
| Jackery 2000 Plus | $1,999.00 | Check Latest Price |
Power station reliability & support
Fortunately, from our testing, we have not had any reliability concerns with any of the portable power stations tested.
I have therefore looked at common issues faced by other owners.
The main faults that I could find were units being dead on arrival or faulty, even from first use.
As the products are typically shipped to you (as the manufacturers do not have shops themselves), you will have to contact them by phone, email, or through their website for support.
EcoFlow customer support has the best reviews, with Jackery slightly ahead of Bluetti.
The main issues with support were lack of response to emails and poor telephone support. Furthermore, some clients reported that delivery took much longer than it was supposed to.
Thankfully, I have had no such issues with any units, nor any problems with delays to delivery.
Straight out of the box, your portable power station should be configured to run A/C appliances, including a TV.
But, before using your portable power station to power your TV, you should first charge its internal battery.
Your user guide will explain how to charge your specific power station.
In general, one of the easiest ways to charge your portable power station will be using the included power cable in a wall outlet tied to the grid.
Once your power station is charged, you can plug your TV straight into the A/C outlet.
However, if you are planning to power multiple devices, you may choose to plug an extension cord with multiple outlets. This could allow you to power additional ancillaries needed for use with your TV, including:
- WiFi router
- DVD player
- Satellite/Cable box
- Games consoles
A great feature of a Bluetti is that you can charge your battery while powering a TV. If you are at home, you can use your mains power to keep your Bluetti fully charged while using your TV.
This can be a great option to use your BLuetti as a UPS to keep your TV running during a power outage.
But what if you are on the road or don't have access to mains power?
Two other great ways to keep your power station charged are:
- Solar power
- DC power
Solar power
Bluetti works excellently with solar panels. Whether you have yours hard mounted on the roof of your house or portable for camping, using the sun's rays to charge your battery is a great way to boost performance.
Your power station will include a solar charge cable pre-terminated to MC4, a widespread solar connector.
While Bluetti sells solar panels specifically for their power stations, they can be expensive compared to others on the market.
Bluetti PV200 Solar Panel
The PV200 Solar Panel is compatible with all their portable power stations and provides 200W of solar power. However, they cost more than double what you can pay for a similar-performing panel from other manufacturers.
But, if you use your own solar panels, be careful; you must ensure that they are within the specification of your Bluetti.
Important!
Ensure you refer to the owner's guide, which will tell you the Open Current Voltage (OCV), maximum input current, and maximum input power.
Do not exceed these parameters, or you will damage your power station!
DC power
Charging your portable power station with DC power is one of my favourite ways to extend its run-time.
Bluetti offers pass-through charging, meaning you can charge your power station while simultaneously powering a TV.
So, even if you own their baby EB3A, you can get hours of extra run-time by charging with DC.
You can charge your Bluetti with:
- 12V (100W) vehicle adapter, or,
- 12-28V (8A max, 200W max) DC
Powering by another DC battery is one of my favourite ways to add extra battery capacity cheaply!
My setup allows me to more than double my battery capacity for much less than buying the next model up.
This allows me to charge my Bluetti EB3A at 152w, which is more than enough to extend the battery on the EB3A while powering a TV.
Even better, I get to use the EB3A's improved screen to see exactly what percentage of the battery remains (the EB55 lacks this). Plus, I can use it for other projects too!
To replicate, you will need the following:
While powering your TV off-grid with a portable power station is a great solution, it will only be suitable for some.
Some other alternative ways to power your TV include:
- solar
- diesel generator
- gas (propane) generator
- buy a TV which has a battery built-in
- UPS
To stay as green as possible, we always recommend, where possible, powering your devices using solar power.
About the author
Andy Vickery has been DIY'ing energy projects for years. From solar and home electrics, to car rewires, Andy is passionate about sharing his personal experiences.