Reviewing a Dirt Cheap Power Station: What Does $499 Get You?

Jul 26

Here at The Solar Lab, we’re inundated with requests to review budget-friendly power stations. So, we’re responding to popular demand and taking an in-depth look at one of the cheaper power stations on the market today - the ALLPOWERS R1500 Portable Power Station.

Touted as a budget-friendly powerhouse, this little unit promises a lot; however, as we’ll discover, it leaves us with more questions than answers. If you’ve ever wondered whether this cheaper power station can actually hold its own, keep reading. Spoiler: it’s a mixed bag.

Our First Impressions: Serious Confusion

The ALLPOWERS R1500 is a bit of a mystery. Weighing in at 37 pounds, it boasts a 1,152Wh battery and a 1,000W pure sine wave inverter with a 3,000W surge capacity.

However, the "1500" in its name seems to be a misnomer, as it seems to relate to the fact that it has a maximum AC input of 1,500W. In most cases, when a power station or solar generator has a number like this in the name, it usually corresponds to the output power or the storage capacity. With this unit, it seems like they plucked the number out of thin air by choosing the input power. It’s like they just wanted to make it sound more impressive than it actually is.

Charging is advertised to take about 45 minutes with AC input and roughly 2 hours with solar input, as it’s supposed to be capable of handling up to 650W of solar input. The port array includes four 120V AC outlets, a 12V car socket, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and two wireless charging pads on the top.

It's usually priced at just $499, so it definitely lives up to the budget-friendly claim. However, it’s only a steal if it actually performs as advertised.

Our Performance Tests: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Efficiency Test:

We wanted to kick things off by testing this unit’s efficiency. With a 1,152Wh battery and a 1,000W inverter, we expected decent performance.

When we tested it by running a 1,560W load, it should have lasted about 44 minutes. Instead, it overheated and died after just 25 minutes. Upon inspection, it became clear the unit had overheated internally really fast.

Not only did it fail to live up to expectations, it triggered alarm bells that it’s probably not going to last too long. Overheating this quickly really isn’t a good sign when you’re assessing a power station’s potential lifespan.

Charging Test:

Next, we tested the charging speed. This thing claims to be capable of sustaining a 1,500W AC input, but the highest we recorded was 1,200W. Instead of the advertised 45 minutes, it took 2 hours and 8 minutes to charge fully. Another major failure.

Efficiency Re-Test:

After giving it enough time to cool down, we ran our efficiency test again, but this time with a lower 1,326W load. At 43.5 minutes, it lasted longer, translating to about 83% efficiency—acceptable, but definitely not anything we were impressed by.

Surge and Solar Input Testing:

The R1500 struggled with a pretty basic surge test. Basically, it failed to handle a 3,000W spike and shut off immediately. This thing is supposed to be able to handle 3,000W surges, but it didn’t even come close.

Testing the solar input was a bit finicky. We managed to get it running a 400W solar input, which isn’t bad, but it’s supposed to be rated for a 650W solar input and we just couldn’t get that going.

Is it a Hit or Miss? - The Pros and Cons:

What We Liked About the R1500:

The Handles: The handles are ergonomic and well-designed, making it easy to carry. Even some of the high-end power stations have crappy handles, so this is actually a really solid feature. Given that it’s also only 37 lbs, it’s definitely really portable.

Wireless Charging Pads: We actually really loved the addition of these on the top of the unit. They’re a great use of otherwise wasted space.

Output Ports: For a fairly basic unit, there are plenty of output ports, making it easy to connect your devices.

The Low Price: At $499, the price point is one of the best things the R1500 has going for it. Just don’t expect much for the price, or for this thing to last too long.

What We Didn’t Like About the R1500:

False Advertising: Without a doubt, all of the false advertising is the number one thing we dislike about this thing. The ALLPOWERS website claims the unit is expandable, but no compatible expansion batteries are available. It also falsely advertises app connectivity and a 45-minute charge time. Simply put, just about every single specification is exaggerated. As reviewers of solar products, we can’t stand that.

Voltage Limitations: The unit outputs only 108V instead of 120V, which can be problematic for some devices. It’s just really underpowered.

Overheating Issues: As our tests showed, this unit overheats really easily, which drastically reduces its efficiency and lifespan. We just doubt it would last long if you actually used it on a regular basis. It’s just plain unreliable.

Our Final Verdict? You Get What You Pay For

In comparison to pricier models like the Anker F1500 Power Station or the Jackery 1000 Plus, the ALLPOWERS R1500 falls really short.

The Anker F1500 offers a 1,264Wh battery with a 2,000W inverter for as low as $749, while the Jackery 1000 Plus has a 1,536Wh battery and a 1,800W inverter for $999.

Both alternatives are more reliable and efficient, making them worth the extra investment. Sure, they cost more, but it’s so obvious where your money is going.

If you’re on a tight budget and need a power station for very occasional, light use, the ALLPOWERS R1500 might get the job done. With that said, its numerous performance issues and the brand’s misleading claims make it really hard for us to recommend it. As is so often the case with solar equipment, you get what you pay for.

If you can, spend a little extra, or wait and save until your budget allows you to do so. At the end of the day, $499 is still a decent chunk of money, so you don’t want to waste it on some misleading, unreliable piece of equipment.