Appliances › Comfort & Electronics

What size power station runs a phone / tablet charging?

Negligible — count on dozens of recharges from any unit.

12 Wrunning watts

—startup surge

100%duty cycle

53 Whfor 4.0 h

Need to run it alongside other things? Add it to the full sizing tool with the rest of your load.

What size you need for 4.0 h

You need about 53 Wh — and 52 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Jackery Explorer 100 Plus; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 12 W.

The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 12 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 12 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 12 W
Watt-hours = 12 W × 4.0 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 53 Wh

Jackery Explorer 100 Plussmallest that fits

99 Wh 128 W cont · 128 W surge ~7.4 h on this load $

A pocket-sized 99 Wh unit for phones and small USB gear — no AC outlet, just USB output.

LiFePO4 · ~1.8 h AC; ~2 h with SolarSaga 100W · 2 lb

Check price on the Jackery Explorer 100 Plus → Full specs

Goal Zero Yeti 200Xstep-up

187 Wh 120 W cont · 200 W surge ~14 h on this load $$

A pocketable unit for phones, CPAP, and small electronics — premium build, small inverter.

NMC · ~4 h AC; up to 100 W solar · 5 lb

Check price at Amazon → Full specs

EcoFlow RIVER 3

245 Wh 300 W cont · 600 W surge ~18 h on this load $

The entry point below the RIVER 3 Plus — a 245 Wh, 300 W unit (X-Boost to 600 W) for phones, CPAP, and small electronics in the smallest, cheapest body in the line.

LiFePO4 · 0-100% in 60 min AC; ~2.6 h at 110 W solar · 8 lb

Check price at Amazon → Full specs

Jackery Explorer 240 v2

256 Wh 300 W cont · 600 W surge ~19 h on this load $

A featherweight entry unit — phones, CPAP, laptops, lights through an evening.

LiFePO4 · ~1.5 h AC; up to 100 W solar · 8 lb

Check price at Amazon → Full specs

EcoFlow RIVER 2

256 Wh 300 W cont · 600 W surge ~19 h on this load $

Fastest-charging tiny unit; X-Boost stretches it to bigger resistive devices briefly.

LiFePO4 · ~1 h AC; X-Boost runs up to 600 W resistive · 8 lb

Check price at Amazon → Full specs

Bluetti EB3A

268 Wh 600 W cont · 1,200 W surge ~20 h on this load $

Punches above its size — a 600 W inverter in a tiny 268 Wh body for surgey small loads.

LiFePO4 · ~30 min to 80% AC; up to 200 W solar · 10 lb

Check price at Amazon → Full specs

🔗 The "Check price" buttons are brand-direct affiliate links. We earn a commission when you buy through one — at no extra cost to you, and it never changes which unit we recommend. Disclosure.

Can a specific unit run a phone / tablet charging?

52 of the units we track deliver enough watts to run a phone / tablet charging. Check a specific one for the runtime and the full verdict:

Jackery Explorer 100 Plus

Jackery Explorer 240 v2

Jackery Explorer 300 Plus

Common questions

What size power station do I need to run a phone / tablet charging?

A phone / tablet charging draws about 12 W running (a resistive load, so no real startup surge). So you want a unit with at least 12 W continuous output. For 4.0 h of runtime that's roughly 53 Wh of capacity — the Jackery Explorer 100 Plus is the smallest unit that clears all of it.

How many watts does a phone / tablet charging use?

About 12 W while running.

Sources: Phone / Tablet Charging wattage — Standard appliance-wattage / generator-sizing charts (representative values; verify your nameplate); station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-08-10; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.