Anker produce a wide range of highly popular electronic and electrical accessories, including portable power stations. The power station we are looking at here is the Model 535, which sits in the middle of their range, and as you might expect incorporates some of the latest technology. So, you can depend on a reliable, robust, and well-made product that should provide you with great service for many years.

LiFePO4 Battery Technology

While many portable power stations are equipped with the lithium-ion variety of batteries, the Model 535 comes standard with LiFePO4 technology. This is the kind of battery that has no "memory effect" and is a more stable technology. This is just one of the reasons it is used to power electric vehicles such as the Tesla.

Compared to standard lithium batteries, LiFePO4 also last up to 6x longer and are rated for 3,000 charge cycles before they reduce to 80% of their original capacity. To give you some idea, that is the equivalent of around 8 years! (For ease of reference, one cycle is the process of draining the batteries from 100% down to 0% and then recharging them all the way back up to 100%).

The batteries have an appreciable 512Wh capacity allowing the device to be an all-round solution to charge much of your equipment, including drones, and seamlessly power a heater, portable fridge, lamp, and TV (of course within its total rated output and bearing in mind that you should not try to use it with appliances that demand more than 500W continuous input - such as microwaves, electric grills, refrigerators, electric vehicles, and coffee machines. In terms of its surge capability (how much power it can handle for an extremely short amount of time, say to start a motor), the Model 535 has a capacity of 1000W.

Comprehensive Set of Ports

With a total of 9 ports the Model 535 has everything you need to charge your devices and appliances. The ports are made up of:

• 4 x AC ports
• 3 x USB-A ports
• 1 x USB-C port
• 1 x DC Car Outlet
• And a USB-C adapter to boost recharging so you can recharge to 80% in under 2.5 hours which will, for example, allow you to rapidly charge your laptop with just a single cable.

As an aside, some buyers might have wished for more than one USB-C port as more and more new equipment is fitted with this technology in place of the older USB-A. But you can always get hold of a USB-A to USB-C cable adapter to at least double the number of USB-C ports. Anker make this model that will do just the job.

Durable Construction

Compared to other forms of generating equipment, power stations are highly valued for their real portability. And being as portable as they are means they are more likely to have to face the rough and tumble of adventurous outings, such as trekking and camping, but also all sorts of other outdoor activities. With this very much in mind Anker have focused on building the Model 535 in a drop-proof unibody structure designed to enhance durability even in the harshest of environments. And evidence of the robust construction is demonstrated by Anker having the confidence to give you an unprecedented 5-Year Warranty instead of the 2-years generally offered by many other manufacturers.

Part of the design includes a comfortable handle and an LED lighting system which has an SOS mode.

Ways to Recharge the power station

As shown immediately above, you can recharge the Model 535 in 5 different ways. A sixth method is also possible when using a portable generator.

The time needed to recharge the unit can vary according to ambient conditions. But, as a very general guide, you can expect to achieve times of about:

• +/- 2.5 hours to 80% using the 120W DC input on rear of the device
• +/- 8-10 hours from a car port
• Unfortunately, at this time, we have been unable to find any specific information on the time it takes to charge the device using solar panels

Eco-friendly clean indoor and outdoor power

Portable power stations have some similarities to portable generators. But they are really very different devices, especially in the reduced amount of power they can deliver. On the other hand, they have the advantage of being a lot safer to use, are far more portable given their much smaller size and weight, plus you won't have to worry about toxic carbon monoxide gas produced by portable generators.

Other benefits include having no need to worry about looking how to store fuel safely, or about gas going bad and gumming up the carburetor, which is often a problem associated with gas-powered portable generators, and for which many buyers opt to use a fuel stabilizer.

Power stations may also be the only solution for people living in apartments or with no access to the amount of space and open air required for the safe operation of a portable generator. They can also be a useful addition for people who own a portable generator and don't always need a lot of power delivery.

It's worth noting that power stations generally lose a very small amount of power when the car socket or AC control button is turned on. To avoid draining the battery unnecessarily, Anker recommend that you keep the Power Saving Mode turned on except when you are charging low-powered devices like CPAP machines and cameras.

Warranty

Anker offer a class-leading no-worry 5-year warranty on the Model 535, outdoing many other manufacturers who only offer 2-years or so.

Here is the User Manual for this model.