Pecron has finally done it! They’ve made a power station that doesn’t look exactly like every other unit they’ve ever released. This little unit has a slightly more modern design than what we normally see from Pecron, but it’s important to remember that looks don’t power your devices, so we’re more interested in how it actually performs.
We’ve had a pretty solid overall experience with Pecron power stations so far, even going as far as to list them as some of our top options for those on tight budgets. With that said, we never just give any power station brand a blanket recommendation, so we’re here to put Pecron’s brand-new E1000LFP power station through some real-world testing.
Let’s see how it performs and whether or not this little budget-friendly unit is actually a worthwhile purchase.
Before we dive into any performance testing for this unit, let’s go over a quick rundown of what this little power station is supposed to offer:
{{review-summary}}
It has a $799 MSRP, but Pecron has already had this thing on what seems like a permanent sale for just $399. This is a pretty crazy deal if it delivers on the specs. Plus, we have an exclusive 5% discount code listed at the bottom of this article, so you can bring the price down to just $379.
While the specs look really solid on paper, especially at that discounted price of just $379, it’s always important to see how any piece of equipment actually holds up in the real world, so we put it to the test.
One of the first things we check when testing any power station is the efficiency. The E1000 has a 1,024Wh battery, meaning that in a perfect world, it could power something like a 100W heated sleeping bag for about 10 hours.
Here’s where it’s important to remember that power stations use power when they convert the DC power stored in their batteries into AC power. On top of that, cooling fans also use power to prevent the inverter from overheating. This means that you’re never going to get a 100% efficient power station, so the question becomes: “How efficient is it?”
To test this, we ran a 1,556W load, which is just under the unit’s 1,800W inverter rating. Ideally, it should have lasted 39 minutes under this load, but it actually ran for 33 minutes, making it 84% efficient. That’s actually a solid result, as we usually give anything above 80% a thumbs up. For such a small unit, this was much better than we expected.
The E1000’s 1,800W inverter is supposed to have a surge capacity of 3,000W; however, when we actually tested it out, it only maintained a 2,200W load for about five seconds before shutting down.
This means it does offer a small buffer above 1,800W, but it won’t sustain surges for long. If you accidentally exceed the 1,800W threshold, you’ll only have a brief moment before it cuts off power. 3,000W always seemed like a bit of a stretch, but we’re still disappointed with how far it fell below that advertised surge rating.
Pecron advertises that this unit charges fully from a standard 120V outlet in 1.3 hours, which is fairly impressive. When we tested this out, it actually completed a full charge cycle in almost exactly one hour, which is faster than advertised! Given how many manufacturers overstate the charge times for their power stations, this really impressed us.
The solar input also functions as expected, with no hidden limitations or inefficiencies. Additionally, pass-through charging works without issues, meaning you can charge the unit while also using it to supply power to any connected devices or appliances. Some power stations shut off their inverter when plugged into AC or solar panels, but this little Pecron continues running.
When we’ve tested other Pecron power stations, we’ve noticed that they produce a really loud and annoying fan noise, especially when they’re running at full capacity. We’ve even described other Pecron units as “angry bee hives” because of the loud humming noise they create.
Fortunately, the fans on the E1000LFP are noticeably improved. While they still produce a medium level of noise, they sound smoother and less grating. You can definitely hear them running, but it’s not something that’s going to be excessively loud or disruptive if you’re using it inside your home or even a tent while camping.
Idle consumption is a really important factor when estimating how long the battery life will last for any power station. This was actually the first time we fully tested a unit for idle consumption, and the results were surprising.
When the AC inverter is turned on but no devices are plugged in, the unit still draws power, converting DC battery power into AC and keeping it ready for when you plug anything into the AC outputs. To measure the overall idle consumption, we turned on the AC inverter and let the unit just sit for 24 hours. The battery dropped from 87% to 45%, meaning it consumed approximately 430Wh—or about 18W per hour—while doing absolutely nothing.
For comparison, the much larger Anker F3800 Power Station consumed just over 70W per hour in a similar test. While the Pecron E1000LFP’s consumption is lower, it’s still significant given the unit only packs a 1,024Wh battery. If left on without actively powering devices, it would deplete its battery in just over two days.
We also tested idle consumption with the DC inverter, which typically uses less power since no conversion is needed. When we did so, the battery power dropped from 45% to 23% over a 24-hour period, meaning it consumed about 9.5W per hour. While lower than the AC inverter, it’s still a factor to consider when estimating power usage.
Overall, we wouldn’t say this idle rate is good or bad, but definitely something to take into consideration if you’re relying on it for backup power. Basically, we’d just make sure to turn it off whenever you don’t need to use it.
Now that we’ve covered the results of our performance tests, let’s take a look at the pros and cons for this unit, starting with the things we really liked about it.
Most power stations this size give you two AC outlets, with four being the most we’ve seen, but Pecron went the extra mile and gave us five 120V AC plugs. Plus, they’re not stacked awkwardly on top of each other, so you can actually use all of them at the same time without fighting for space. More outlets = more devices running at the same time. A simple feature, but one that is really useful, even in a fairly small power station.
Some brands (looking at you, EcoFlow) have started ditching the 12V car socket, which is annoying because a lot of camping and overlanding gear requires this type of DC input. Pecron left it in, along with a 5A barrel connector and an XT60 plug, which is great for people who actually take these things outdoors. It wouldn’t have been a deal-breaker if it didn’t have a DC plug, but it’s something we really like to see.
You’d think a power button would be a standard feature, right? Nope. Pecron’s previous models required you to turn on either the AC or DC inverter just to see the screen, but not anymore. This also made it awkward when you wanted to turn the thing off, because you were never fully sure if the unit was deactivated. Now, you can just press the button, check the battery status, and turn it off when you’re done. Took them long enough, but now you can know for certain that the unit isn’t drawing idle power when you think it’s off.
Pecron also gave the display screen a nice refresh. It functions the same as the screen you get with the E1000LFP’s bigger brothers, but it just looks crisper. Everything is displayed in a bright, backlit blue color, making it easier to read the information being displayed.
The old Pecron units looked like they came straight out of a WWII supply drop. This one? Much better. The rounded corners, flush rubber feet, and more intuitive labeling make it look and feel more modern.
It’s still simple, but it’s cleaner and easier to use. They also incorporated directional arrows into the design, showing which outlets output DC or AC power. Again, nothing revolutionary, but it’s nice buying something that just looks sharp.
Pecron brags about this unit’s “Intelligent Battery Temperature Management System” on their website, which sounds like it means the unit can keep itself warm in cold weather. But nope! It only works when plugged into the wall.
If you’re out camping in freezing temperatures, you’d expect this feature to keep the battery cells warm using power stored in the batteries themselves, so it could still function off-grid. But unless you have access to AC power (which kind of defeats the purpose of a backup power station), it doesn’t really do anything. It’s a letdown and something that could mislead some buyers.
We know we sound like a bit of a broken record, but power stations should have built-in lights! If you’ve ever carried one around in the dark during a blackout, you know what we mean. Whether you’re setting up camp in the dark, inflating an air mattress at night, or dealing with a power outage, having an integrated light just makes sense.
Plenty of other brands, like Anker, are starting to include built-in lights. Pecron could really make this unit more practical with a simple LED light on the front. For now, you’ll need to bring a separate flashlight or just stumble around in the dark.
Although we appreciate the fact that Pecron put protective flaps over the AC and DC outlets to keep dust and debris out, they're the cheap, saggy kind that don’t stay open when you need them to.
In contrast, the similarly sized ICECO PB1000 Power Station we reviewed a while back had really sturdy, spring-loaded flaps that lifted up and stayed in place until you were done. The flaps used on Pecron units are just a bit frustrating.
This one is a bit weird to include in the “things we don’t like” section, as Pecron has definitely stepped up their customer service game in recent months, but it’s still not great. Previously, you could only contact them by email, which was incredibly annoying if you just had a quick question and didn’t want to deal with back-and-forth emails when a 10-minute phone call would have been easier. Now, Pecron has a dedicated phone line.
The reason why we don’t want to give them full credit is because the customer service could use a little work. We gave them a call and asked some fairly basic questions. While they did their best to answer those questions, some of the information was a little off, which could just be due to the inexperience of their customer service representatives.
For example, we asked if this unit could run a fridge, which it could, but they said a fridge would draw too much power, so we’d need to pick up one of their bigger units. We have an entire video about running a kitchen fridge off a power station, so we already knew something the size of the E1000LFP would be able to run one. They were either trying to upsell us, or just didn’t know the facts.
Hopefully, the customer service will improve with experience. But either way, it’s nice to see that they now have an American-based customer service line that actually takes calls.
For $379, the Pecron E1000LFP is really a solid budget-friendly power station with great features. The five AC outlets are a huge addition, and everything about this power station is pretty impressive for such a lightweight and affordable unit.
We’d probably just ignore the battery heating feature if you’re looking at picking one up, as it’s pretty much useless, but in terms of just general performance, it’s a really solid unit.
Overall, If you need an affordable, reliable backup power source for camping, van life, basic backup power for emergencies and blackouts, this is a great option—especially at this very reasonable price. It’s not perfect, but for $379, it’s a steal.
Pecron: https://www.pecron.com
Use Code THESOLARLAB5 for 5% Off
We test solar products so you don’t have to. Check out our opinions and which units we think are worth your money and which ones aren't.
More Reviews >
