A portable power station can offer ample portable power for illuminating your campsite or backyard with Christmas string lights. It is advisable to opt for energy-efficient LED string lights to ensure optimal usage. Additionally, during the festive season, you can utilize a portable power station indoors to brighten up a Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations.
Use Portable Power Stations To Light Up Your Life
Whether you require a portable power source for indoor Christmas tree lighting or outdoor campsite illumination, there are compact portable power stations available to meet your needs. However, it is crucial to determine the power requirements and duration of use for your string lights. Depending on the power consumption of the lights, you may need a larger portable power station than initially anticipated. Failing to consider this may result in the power station dimming the lights before the night is over.
LED bulbs are a more energy-efficient option for Christmas string lights compared to incandescent bulbs. The length of the string of lights directly affects the number of bulbs and the power consumption. Typically, Christmas string lights range from 25 to 100 feet in length.
LED bulbs have the advantage of being durable and resistant to breakage or chipping. Additionally, they have a longer lifespan, lasting up to 25000 hours or more. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs remain cool to the touch, as they do not rely on heated wire filaments to produce light.
What is the power consumption of Christmas string lights?
Christmas string lights can have a significant impact on energy consumption and the required size of a portable power station. By using a simple calculation, the power consumption of the lights can be determined by multiplying the watts per bulb by the number of bulbs. This calculation allows for an understanding of how much power a string of lights consumes.
Specifically, the power consumption of incandescent string lights is up to 90% higher than that of LED string lights. Consequently, incandescent lighting may require nearly ten times more power. For instance, a string of 100 incandescent mini lights may use approximately 50 watts, while a similar string of LED mini lights may only use 5 watts.
Therefore, LED Christmas lights have significantly lower power consumption compared to incandescent lights. Additionally, LED bulbs remain cool to the touch, unlike incandescent bulbs that can become hot. Furthermore, LED lights offer cost savings on both the power bill and longevity. LED light strings are designed to last for up to 50000 hours, whereas incandescent lights typically last for only 5000 hours.
To power a 50-watt string of incandescent lights for up to 10 hours, a portable power station with a minimum capacity of 500 watts may be required. On the other hand, a 5-watt LED string light could theoretically be powered for 10 hours using a much smaller portable power station, such as this MARBERO 88Wh model that I have reviewed.
In the following section, I will explore and evaluate a few examples of portable power stations that are suitable for powering a string of Christmas lights.
500-Watt Portable Power Station For String Lights
The Jackery Explorer 500 is a portable power station that offers 518Wh capacity and 500 watts of continuous AC power in a compact package. It can be expanded with the Jackery 50W and 100W solar panel kits, and protected with a Jackery carrying bag for camping trips.
This model has one 110V AC outlet that can peak at 1000 watts, making it suitable for powering a single string of mini Christmas lights. It also features two 12V DC ports and one DC car port, as well as three 5V USB-A outputs for running laptops and tablets. While it lacks USB-C ports, the Jackery Explorer 500 is a reliable choice for powering portable devices. It can be fully charged in approximately 8 hours via AC wall outlet or DC car port input, and in 10 hours with a Jackery SolarSaga 100W solar panel.
Overall, Jackery is a reputable company that produces well-built products that exceed expectations. The Jackery Explorer 500 could potentially provide sufficient power to illuminate a single string of mini Christmas lights for a few hours during the night, should you desire to do so (buy the Explorer 500 on Amazon).
750-Watt Portable Power Station For String Lights
The EF ECOFLOW RIVER 2 Pro is a portable power station with a 768Wh LiFePO4 battery, which can keep a string of Christmas lights running for a few hours. Its fast charging technology allows the battery to be fully recharged in only 70 minutes when using an AC outlet. Additionally, the RIVER 2 Pro can be recharged using a USB type-C port, a DC car port, or solar energy from a 220W solar panel, which takes approximately 5 hours.
The RIVER 2 Pro is equipped with advanced BMS protection, which monitors voltage, current, and temperature to ensure the LFP battery runs for years. The LFP battery cells allow for thousands of uses and recharges, or up to 10 years of regular use. The RIVER 2 Pro has 11 outlets, including three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, two DC outlets, one DC car outlet, and four AC outlets, allowing for simultaneous charging or running of multiple devices and lights without overloading.
With its built-in handle, the RIVER 2 Pro is easy and convenient to take anywhere power is needed. Overall, the EF ECOFLOW RIVER 2 Pro is an excellent choice for powering string lights (buy the EF ECOFLOW RIVER 2 Pro on Amazon).
Best Portable Power Station For Christmas String Lights
Both the Jackery Explorer 500 and the EF ECOFLOW RIVER 2 Pro have the capability to power a string of Christmas lights for a few hours. However, it is worth noting that the Explorer 500 only has one AC outlet, whereas the RIVER 2 Pro offers four AC outlets. Consequently, the RIVER 2 Pro allows for the potential to connect and power a greater number of string lights compared to the Explorer 500.
If you are seeking to power a substantial amount of string lights either at home or during a camping trip, it would be advisable to consider a portable power station with a 1000Wh battery capacity. In addition to the previously mentioned Explorer 500 model, another viable option from Jackery is the Explorer 1000 Plus.
The Explorer 1000 Plus boasts an impressive 1264Wh battery capacity and an AC output of 2000 watts. Notably, it is equipped with three AC outlets, enabling the possibility of powering multiple string lights simultaneously. Furthermore, this model is compatible with up to three additional battery packs, which can expand its capacity from 1.25kWh to an impressive 5kWh. Consequently, I believe that the Explorer 1000 Plus has the potential to sustain the operation of multiple string lights for extended periods of time (buy the Explorer 1000 Plus on Amazon).
Photo by Conor Brown on Unsplash.