If you rely on a CPAP, a power outage isn’t an inconvenience, it’s a bad night (or several). A portable power station is the simplest fix: no fuel, no fumes, silent enough for a bedroom, and big enough to run your machine for one or more nights.
Here are the four models we’d shortlist, compared on the specs that actually matter for CPAP use.
How we chose: we compared the manufacturers’ published specifications (capacity, battery chemistry, UPS switchover time, ports, weight) against typical CPAP power draws. We have not run these units ourselves. Prices change constantly, so check the current price through the links.
This guide is about power, not therapy. Always follow your doctor’s and equipment provider’s advice for your CPAP settings.
Quick comparison
| Model | Capacity | Battery | AC output | UPS switchover | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | 1,024 Wh | LiFePO4 | 2,000 W | 10 ms | ~24.9 lb |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | 1,070 Wh | LiFePO4 | 1,500 W | Pass-through (bypass) | ~23.8 lb |
| BLUETTI AC180 | 1,152 Wh | LiFePO4 | 1,800 W | Pass-through | ~35 lb |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | 286 Wh (expandable to 858 Wh) | LiFePO4 | 600 W | <10 ms | ~10.4 lb |
How many nights will each one run a CPAP?
Using the formula from our CPAP runtime guide (capacity × 0.85 ÷ power draw) and an 8-hour night:
| Model | No humidifier (~40 W) | With humidifier (~80 W) |
|---|---|---|
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | ~2.7 nights | ~1.4 nights |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | ~2.8 nights | ~1.4 nights |
| BLUETTI AC180 | ~3 nights | ~1.5 nights |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | ~0.75 night | ~0.4 night |
Want your own numbers? Plug your settings into our CPAP battery calculator. These are estimates. Your real draw depends on your machine, pressure and humidifier settings, so measure it if you can. With a heated tube as well as the humidifier, owners have measured well over 100 W on average, which would roughly halve the right-hand column (see what owners say below). Running from a DC cord adds roughly 10% or more.
1. Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2: best overall for nightly backup
The C1000 Gen 2 has 1,024 Wh of LiFePO4 capacity, 2,000 W of continuous AC output and a UPS switchover of 10 ms. That last spec is the one CPAP users should care about: if you leave your machine plugged into the power station every night, it should keep running through a grid outage instead of shutting off and waiting for you to wake up and restart it.
It also recharges fast from the wall (Anker quotes 49 minutes to full with its HyperFlash mode enabled in the app), which matters when the power comes back briefly between outages.
- Good for: people who want “set it and forget it” nightly backup
- Watch out for: it is not expandable, so 1,024 Wh is what you get
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2. 1,024 Wh, LiFePO4, 10 ms UPS. Check the current price and bundles.
2. Jackery Explorer 1000 v2: best for camping with a CPAP
The Explorer 1000 v2 pairs 1,070 Wh of LiFePO4 capacity with 1,500 W of AC output, at about 23.8 lb, one of the lightest 1 kWh units around. It includes a 12 V car port, which is what you want if your CPAP maker sells a DC cord: it skips the inverter losses and stretches each night further.
Jackery rates the battery for 4,000 cycles to 70%+ capacity. It also has a bypass mode on AC, so it can pass wall power through to your devices while plugged in.
- Good for: camping and road trips where weight matters
- Watch out for: only three AC outlets, and Jackery’s lineup has several 1000-series models, so make sure the listing says “v2”
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2. 1,070 Wh, LiFePO4, around 24 lb. Often sold in a bundle with a SolarSaga panel.
3. BLUETTI AC180: most capacity for the money
The AC180 has the largest battery in this list at 1,152 Wh, with 1,800 W of AC output and four AC outlets. That extra capacity buys you roughly a third of a night more than the 1,000 Wh class, which helps if you run a heated humidifier.
The trade-off is weight: around 35 lb, noticeably heavier than the Anker or Jackery. Fine for a bedroom, less fun to carry to a campsite.
- Good for: home outages where it stays in one place
- Watch out for: weight
BLUETTI AC180. 1,152 Wh, LiFePO4, four AC outlets.
4. EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus: best compact option (one night, no humidifier)
The RIVER 3 Plus is much smaller: 286 Wh, 600 W of output and about 10.4 lb. It has a UPS switchover under 10 ms, so it can sit on the nightstand as an always-on backup. On its own, it will get most users through most of a night without the humidifier.
What makes it interesting is expansion: EcoFlow’s add-on batteries take it up to 858 Wh, so you can start small and grow.
- Good for: short outages, light packers, a bedside UPS
- Watch out for: not enough on its own for a night with a heated humidifier
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus. 286 Wh, <10 ms UPS, expandable to 858 Wh.
What to look for in a CPAP power station
- Capacity (Wh) for the nights you need. Work it out with your real power draw, not the number printed on your CPAP’s power brick, which is the maximum.
- Pure sine wave AC output. All four picks have it. Avoid cheap modified sine wave inverters for medical equipment.
- UPS or fast switchover if the unit will sit plugged in as nightly backup.
- A DC path. Check whether your CPAP maker sells a DC cord for your model. It is the single easiest way to get more runtime.
- LiFePO4 chemistry for a long cycle life if you’ll use it often.
- Quiet operation. It sits next to your bed. Fans spin up under heavy load or fast charging, but a CPAP is a light load.
What CPAP users say about running on battery
We read through CPAP and RV owner discussions to see how this works in real life. A few points come up again and again:
- The heated tube changes everything. One RVer who metered a ResMed AirSense 10 overnight with the heated humidifier and heated tube measured about 1.17 kWh over 8 hours, roughly 145 W on average and far above the 80 W we used in our table. With heat off, owners report a small fraction of that. If you use a heated tube, plan on the BLUETTI-size class or larger, or two units, and measure your own machine. (RV Electricity)
- The DC cord is the upgrade people wish they’d bought sooner. Users who switched from the AC brick to a DC power supply say it’s worth the money because it skips the inverter losses. (RV Electricity reader comments)
- Many campers simply turn the humidifier off. Long-time CPAP campers often say they skip tube heat and humidity on battery, and that a modest battery then lasts several nights. Check with your provider before changing your settings. (Slickdeals discussion)
The bottom line
For most CPAP users, a 1,000 Wh LiFePO4 power station is the sweet spot: two or more nights without the humidifier, about one night with it. If you also use a heated tube, measure your machine first: you may need a larger unit or a DC cord to get through the night. Pick the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 if you want automatic nightly backup, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 if you’ll carry it camping, the BLUETTI AC180 for the most capacity, and the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus if you only need a compact bedside backup.
Not sure about your numbers? Start with our CPAP runtime formula.
Sources
- RV Electricity: Power needed for a CPAP with heater/humidifier
- RV Electricity: reader comments on CPAP power use
- Slickdeals: CPAP users on battery power while camping
Frequently asked questions
- What size power station do I need for a CPAP?
- For one or two nights, 1,000 Wh covers most users comfortably, even with some humidifier use. A compact unit of around 300 Wh can usually cover one night without the humidifier. Use your machine's real power draw to confirm.
- Do I need a power station with UPS for my CPAP?
- Only if you want the CPAP plugged into the power station every night so it keeps running automatically when the grid goes down. A fast switchover (10 ms or less) means the machine keeps running without restarting. If you only plan to use it camping, UPS doesn't matter.
- Can I run a CPAP from the 12V car port instead of AC?
- Yes, if your CPAP maker sells a DC cord or converter for your model. Running on DC skips the conversion losses of the AC inverter, so you get noticeably more runtime from the same battery.
- Is LiFePO4 better for a CPAP power station?
- For a unit that sits plugged in as nightly backup and gets cycled often, yes. LiFePO4 batteries are rated for thousands of cycles and age more slowly than older lithium-ion chemistries. All four picks in this guide use LiFePO4.