Oupes 600w Portable Power Station Generator Review
I've been researching battery-powered power stations or generators as hurricane-season approaches and this review goes over the features of the Oupes 600w, 595wh, inverter power versus similar models from Jackery and GoalZero.
Update: The Oupes 600W power station is hard to find now. The BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 is the closest current option, with the same 600W output and LiFePO4 battery in a lighter package, but about half the capacity (288Wh). For longer runtimes, the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 has 1024Wh. See the current alternatives below.
I've wanted a portable battery-powered inverter, power station, for years now in case we encounter a hurricane-caused blackout or other extended power outage in my area of Florida. With it, I could keep cell phones and computers charged in an emergency to keep aware of what is going on. However, the price and technology have held me back until this point. Older models were based around heavy unreliable lead-acid batteries and were quite expensive. Additionally, since the batteries only last for so long I wanted to be able to recharge or extend the runtime using a solar panel which used to be expensive as well.
Oupes has released a portable power station based on lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries which are much lighter and retain their charge in storage better than lead-acid batteries. It can also support charging from multiple sources; AC, car, solar. Its inverter has native USB ports and AC adapters so I can charge my cell phones and computers in an emergency like I wanted. That combined with prices for solar panels dropping meant it was a great time to try out a portable power station.
Features of the 600w Oupes battery generator / power station
In the unboxing video below the Oupes power station features are fully tested including powering phones, an iPad, tire compression, 42" TV, and charging over AC, solar, and car cigarette adapter.
Oupes front charging ports (outlets)
- 2x USB-A
- 1x USB-C
- 2x AC outlets
- 12v marine connector
One of the nicest differentiators the Oupes power station has over competitors like Jackery or Goal Zero is the easy to read color LCD display that shows power draw, battery percent remaining, remaining runtime, and active outlets. In addition, the LiFePO4 is newer, allegedly safer, battery technology.
Charging
Included chargers
- 1x AC adapter to DC7909 connector
- 1x car charger (cigarette) to DC 7909 connector
When charging the power station itself you can use the included DC7909 barrel-style connector on the side which accepts 12-30v at 100w max or it can charge at 60w through the USB-C.
Solar Generator Charging
Most solar panels have a pair of + and - MC4 connectors coming from them. In order to connect a solar panel to recharge the Oupes battery you need to connect the MC4 to the DC7909 barrel connector.
There are two ways of doing this:
Option 1: Use a MC4 to Female Cigarette Socket and connect it to the male cigarette adapter provided with the Oupes unit
or
Option 2: Use a MC4 to direct DC 7909 plug to plug directly into the Oupes without the adapter
I tried using battery clamps on a 30 watt panel and found it was only putting in about 5 input watts according to the display on the front of the Oupes power station. I'd recommend using a larger, 100 watt solar panel, for faster charging with one of these adapters attached.
It would probably take about 2 days to fully charge the 595wH battery using a 100 watt solar panel from empty.
However, instead of letting it drain to empty before charging, you can extend the runtime by keeping the solar attached to it, charging, while using the power station's battery to power your devices.
Runtime
The Oupes' inverter inside the power station can output 600 watts and it has a capacity of 595 watt hours. What does that mean in real-world scenarios though?
Idling, I found 2 iPhones, an iPad Pro, and Macbook Pro were using about 35 watts of power which would result in a 9.2 hour runtime. My AC-powered tire air compressor drew 118 watts and a 3.6 hour runtime. Last, my 42" FireTV set drew 87 watts resulting in a 5.4 hour runtime. That is all really impressive.
Here are examples from the manual:
- 8 laptop recharges (assuming 60Wh laptop battery)
- 42 phone charges (3,110mAh/charge)
- 17 tablet recharges
- 50 hours of running a 10 watt LED bulb
- 8 drone charges
- 10 hours running a 50watt mini-fridge
- 17, (30wh) cordless drill recharges
- CPAP machine (40w model) 12.6 hours
Portability
The Oupes power station has a strong carry handle at the top. The LiFePO4 battery is lighter than lead acid so the entire unit only weighed in at about 15.6lbs though the manual says 8.6kg.
It would be good for camping since it is carryable and not too heavy, but it only has an IP21 waterproof rating which means it is rated for condensation, but not rain, splashing, or dunking in water.
Competitors like Jackery and GoalZero
Two close competitors to the Oupes power station would be the Jackery Explorer 500 and the GoalZero Yeti 400. These seem to be closest in specs and price to the Oupes 600 watt generator.
| Model | Max output | Capacity (Wh) | USB-C | USB-A | AC Ports | Solar? | Battery Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oupes 600 | 600 watts | 595 Wh | 1 | 2 | 2 | Yes | Lithium Iron Phosphate | 15.6lb |
| Jackery Explorer 500 | 500 watts | 518 Wh | 0 | 3 | 1 | Yes | Lithium | 13.3lb |
| Goal Zero Yeti 400 | 300 watts | 396 Wh | 0 | 2 | 2 | Yes | Lead acid | 29lb |
So for about the same price the Oupes has better output and capacity and includes a much easier to read color LCD screen than Jackery or Goal Zero. The Jackery is 2.3 pounds lighter which can be an advantage when camping, but it does have less output and storage capacity.
The Oupes has the latest advancements over the others which are admittedly older designs. I prefer the newer advancements.
Current Alternatives: BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 and Elite 100 V2
Since this review, the Oupes 600W has become hard to find. These two BLUETTI models are the current options I'd look at, depending on how much runtime you need:
| Model | Max output | Capacity (Wh) | Battery Type | Max solar input | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oupes 600 (reviewed) | 600 watts | 595 Wh | Lithium Iron Phosphate | 100 watts | 15.6lb |
| BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 | 600 watts | 288 Wh | Lithium Iron Phosphate | 200 watts | 9.5lb |
| BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 | 1,800 watts | 1,024 Wh | Lithium Iron Phosphate | 1,000 watts | 25lb |
The Elite 30 V2 matches the Oupes's 600W output and LiFePO4 chemistry, weighs about 6 pounds less, and accepts twice the solar input. The tradeoff is capacity: at 288Wh it has a little under half the Oupes's battery, so expect roughly half the runtimes from the runtime section above. For example, the 42" TV would run about 2.5 hours instead of 5.4. It's a good fit for charging phones and laptops or running a single device for a few hours.
The Elite 100 V2 is the better option for longer runtimes and hurricane-season backup. With 1,024Wh it has about 1.7 times the Oupes's capacity, so the same TV would run roughly 9 hours. Its 1,800W output can also handle higher-draw devices the Oupes couldn't, and its 1,000W solar input means a solar setup can actually keep up with what you're using.
Final Thoughts
I hope this review of the Oupes portable power station and solar generator provided some meaning behind the technical specs. The Oupes itself is hard to find now, so if you're shopping for one today, please consider using my affiliate links for the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 for a similar output in a lighter package, or the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 for longer runtimes. Thanks!