ORIUM IZYWATT 1200 (portable power station with pure sine wave output): our review

The freezer has gone quiet, the weather forecast looks unhelpful and everyone suddenly remembers a device that needs charging. With 1021 Wh of stored energy, this station offers a substantial reserve for essentials during a power cut. Think selected appliances and useful lighting, with consumption deciding how far that reserve stretches. It cannot take over the household supply.

What would you keep running first? A little planning helps you reserve electricity for what matters, rather than finding that convenience has swallowed the supply. The stated capacity describes stored energy; usable energy will be lower, so a precise appliance runtime would promise too much.

We regard it as well placed overall for this focused role. There is something reassuringly practical about arranging electricity around the essentials, even if the family disagrees about whether a laptop qualifies.

At 1200 W of continuous output, the IZYWATT 1200 has scope for a small fridge or a light-duty tool, provided the appliance's requirements fit. Heating appliances are its clear stumbling block. The camping breakfast needs a different cooking arrangement.

Check the actual appliance. A motor can draw a surge as it starts, and continuous output does not establish how much starting demand this station can handle. That matters if your plan centres on refrigeration rather than charging personal devices.

Its 2 sockets give you a few mains connections for a modest setup. At a campsite without electric hook-up, that could mean choosing which equipment earns a connection and keeping the combined demand within the available output. Socket count and available power answer different questions. A spare connection does not make a demanding appliance suitable.

A panel positioned beside a campervan while you make lunch gives solar charging a practical purpose: putting energy back into the reserve while you are away from a socket. The maximum solar input of 240 W is generous, leaving useful scope for a compatible panel arrangement.

How much sunshine reaches your pitch? The input ceiling is an allowance, rather than a promise of what panels will produce. Their output depends on sunshine, orientation and the panels themselves, so do not organise an evening's electricity around an assumed charging time.

For camping, we like having a route to replenish the battery without returning to a mains socket. Positioning the panels becomes part of the morning routine, alongside finding the mugs and persuading everyone that breakfast requires their assistance.

The ORIUM IZYWATT 1200 makes sense when you want a substantial reserve that can move with you over short distances. At 9.2 kg, it suits carrying by the handle for a few metres between a parked vehicle and a nearby shelter. A different priority can change the recommendation.

The AFERIY P310 is better suited to backup power at home and better rated overall. Its 3840 Wh provides a larger energy reserve for keeping selected essentials supplied during an interruption.

The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 is better suited to demanding appliances and better rated overall. Its 2200 W gives more room for equipment with higher continuous power requirements.

The ALLPOWERS R2500 V2 for solar charging is better suited to a generous solar charging setup and better rated overall. Its 1000 W allows a larger compatible solar arrangement, although the weather still determines what reaches the battery. Choose around the job you need done, including how often the station must move.