- 100W
- while running, 600W to start
- 720Wh
- used over a full day
- 15 of 15
- models we track can run it
- Best for outages that come and goAnker Solix C1000 Gen 229.0 hr$499.99Check price
- Best for a multi-day outageJackery Explorer 2000 v22.4 days$899Check price
- Smallest unit worth trustingEcoFlow River 3 Plus8.1 hr$299Check price
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Runtime for every model
| Model | Runtime | Capacity | Output | Weight | Price | Per Wh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow River 3 | 6.9 hr | 245Wh | 300W | 7.8 lb | $239 | $0.98 |
| Jackery Explorer 300 v2 | 8.2 hr | 288Wh | 300W | 8.2 lb | $299 | $1.04 |
| Anker Solix C300 | 8.2 hr | 288Wh | 300W | 9.1 lb | $249 | $0.86 |
| EcoFlow River 3 Plus | 8.1 hr | 286Wh | 600W | 10.4 lb | $299 | $1.05 |
| Bluetti AC70 | 21.8 hr | 768Wh | 1,000W | 22.5 lb | $359 | $0.47 |
| EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus | 29.0 hr | 1,024Wh | 1,800W | 27.6 lb | $669 | $0.65 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | 30.3 hr | 1,070Wh | 1,500W | 23.8 lb | $499 | $0.47 |
| Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 | 29.0 hr | 1,024Wh | 2,000W | 24.9 lb | $499.99 | $0.49 |
| Bluetti Elite 100 V2 | 29.0 hr | 1,024Wh | 1,800W | 25 lb | $489 | $0.48 |
| EcoFlow Delta 3 Max | 2.4 days | 2,048Wh | 2,400W | 44.8 lb | $879 | $0.43 |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | 2.4 days | 2,042Wh | 2,200W | 39.5 lb | $899 | $0.44 |
| Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 | 2.4 days | 2,048Wh | 2,400W | 41.7 lb | $899.99 | $0.44 |
| Bluetti Elite 200 V2 | 2.4 days | 2,073Wh | 2,600W | 53.4 lb | $899 | $0.43 |
| EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 | 4.8 days | 4,096Wh | 4,000W | 113.5 lb | $2,799 | $0.68 |
| Anker Solix F3800 | 4.5 days | 3,840Wh | 6,000W | 132.3 lb | $1,979.99 | $0.52 |
Shaded rows are our picks. Assumed load: A 7 cubic foot chest freezer that pulls 100W when running and runs about 30% of the time with the lid kept shut, with a 600W startup surge.
Why a chest freezer is the easy one
Three things work in its favor. The lid is on top, and cold air is heavy, so little of it spills out when you open it. The walls are thick. And the food inside is frozen solid, which acts like a block of ice in a cooler.
Our numbers assume a 7 cubic foot chest freezer that pulls 100W while the compressor runs, and runs about 30% of the time with the lid shut. A compressor is the pump that moves heat out of the box. The share of time it runs is called the duty cycle. Spread over the day, that is an average of 30W, or about 720 watt-hours in 24 hours. A watt-hour is one watt used for one hour.
About 15% is lost in the inverter, the part that turns battery power into household AC. So a day takes about 850Wh of battery.
The 48-hour rule changes the math
Standard food-safety guidance says a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours with no power if it stays shut. A half-full one holds for about 24.
So a short outage may need no battery at all. For a long one, you do not have to run the freezer nonstop. You can plug it in for a few hours, let it pull back down to temperature, then unplug it and use the battery for something else. The freezer still needs the same energy overall to stay fully frozen. What you gain is the choice of when it draws, and the hold time at the end.
A cheap freezer thermometer takes out the guesswork. The same guidance says food that still has ice crystals, or is at 40°F or colder, can be refrozen.
Startup surge: why the 300W units are out
When the compressor starts it pulls a short burst, about 600W in our numbers. The three 300W units in the table have a surge rating (the most they can give for a moment) of exactly 600W. The table shows a runtime for them because the numbers match, but there is no margin. An older compressor could ask for more. Pick a unit with a surge rating of 1,200W or higher.
What raises the draw
- A hot garage. The hotter the air around the freezer, the more the compressor runs. Summer runtimes will be shorter than the table.
- Opening the lid. Take out what you need in one go.
- Empty space. A half-empty freezer warms faster. Fill gaps with jugs of water and let them freeze before storm season.
- A worn lid seal. If the lid does not close tight, cold leaks out all day.
- Adding unfrozen food. Freezing fresh food takes far more energy than keeping frozen food cold.
How to stretch one charge
Keep the freezer full and shut. Run it in blocks of a few hours, not around the clock. Refill the battery from daylight or returning grid power in between. Save the last of the charge for the freezer, since most other things in the house can wait.
Here is the math for a long outage. The freezer needs about 850Wh of battery a day. A 2,000Wh unit carries about 2.4 days of that, and the hold time adds up to two more at the end. Past that point you need a refill, from the grid or from solar panels.
The picks in detail
Bluetti AC70
- 21.8 hr
- Chest freezer
- $359
- $0.47 per Wh
- 22.5 lb
- Weight
21.8 hours of running on a charge, for $359. Add the roughly 48 hours a full freezer holds on its own once the battery is empty, and a one-day battery covers close to three days of outage on paper. Its 1,500W surge rating is two and a half times the 600W the compressor needs to start. It also refills to 80% in 45 minutes when power comes back.
What fits
- 21.8 hours per charge
- $130 less than the cheapest 1,000Wh unit
What does not
- 22.5 lb to carry to a garage or basement
- One charge is a little under a full day of running
Coupon deals well under this price have appeared.
Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2
- 29.0 hr
- Chest freezer
- $499.99
- $0.49 per Wh
- 24.9 lb
- Weight
29.0 hours per charge, and a full wall recharge in 49 minutes, the fastest in the 1,000Wh class. That second number is the reason to pick it. If the grid returns for an hour and drops again, this unit can be full again in that window. Its 3,000W surge rating is five times what the freezer needs to start. At $499.99 it costs about $11 more than the cheapest unit its size.
What fits
- 29.0 hours per charge
- Full wall recharge in 49 minutes
What does not
- 24.9 lb
- About $141 more than the AC70 for 7 more hours
Anker's list price is $599.99. It has sold for under $430 at other retailers.
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2
- 2.4 days
- Chest freezer
- $899
- $0.44 per Wh
- 39.5 lb
- Weight
2.4 days of running on one charge, before you count the time the freezer holds on its own. At 39.5 lb it is the lightest 2,000Wh unit in the table, which matters because chest freezers tend to live in garages and basements. Its 4,400W surge rating is more than seven times the startup need. The weak spots are a wall charge of 1.7 hours and a 400W solar input, the lowest in its class.
What fits
- 2.4 days per charge
- Lightest 2,000Wh unit at 39.5 lb
What does not
- 1.7 hours to recharge from the wall
- 400W solar input is the lowest of the 2,000Wh units
Jackery's list price is $999. Jackery rates its 4,000 cycles to 70% capacity, not 80%.
EcoFlow River 3 Plus
- 8.1 hr
- Chest freezer
- $299
- $1.05 per Wh
- 10.4 lb
- Weight
The three 300W units in the table are rated for exactly the 600W surge a chest freezer needs, with nothing spare. This one is rated for 1,200W, double the need, and weighs 10.4 lb. It runs the freezer for 8.1 hours. That suits short top-up runs during a long outage, not round-the-clock running. At $299 it costs $1.05 per watt-hour, so it is poor value for stored energy.
What fits
- 1,200W surge, double the startup need
- 10.4 lb
What does not
- 8.1 hours per charge
- $1.05 per watt-hour, more than double the AC70's rate
This is EcoFlow's regular price. It has sold for far less during sales.
Verdict
Buy the Bluetti AC70 if you want cheap cover for a typical outage. With the lid shut, one charge plus the freezer's own hold time gets a full freezer through most of three days. Pay about $141 more for the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 if you want faster refills, and choose the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 for outages that run past three days. The EcoFlow River 3 Plus works only for short top-up runs. Avoid the 300W units, which have no surge margin.
How these numbers were worked out. Runtime = battery capacity × efficiency ÷ average watts. We use 85% efficiency for AC outlets and 90% for DC and USB ports, because some energy is lost as heat on the way out. A model is marked "can't run it" when the device needs more watts than the outlet gives, or a bigger startup surge than the unit is rated for. Your own device may draw more or less than our assumed load, so treat these as estimates. Prices were checked on 2026-10-04 and change often. Full method
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