Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, a prepper, or someone who values sustainability, a solar power station is your new best friend. It’s compact, portable, and ready to provide power whenever and wherever you need it.
OUR RATING
The Oupes 1200 power station occupies a unique position in the market. It may not have the same high capacity and power output as larger solar generators; however, it’s a significant upgrade from smaller, more compact units and maintains high portability. When paired with a solar panel, you can power most household appliances sustainably during an emergency or on the go.
The 992Wh LiFePO4 battery is just enough energy for camping trips, short-term power outages, or emergencies, but may be inadequate for extended periods of use.
Pros
- LiFePO4 Battery with 3,500+ Life Cycles
- Budget Friendly Price Point
- 3 Ways to Recharge (AC/Solar/Car)
- Enough Power for Most Household Appliances
- 1200W AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter (3600W Surge)
- 2 Year Warranty
- Industry Leading BMS System
- Supports Passthrough Charging
Cons
- 80% Battery Efficiency
- A Little Heavy (31lbs)
- No Storage for AC Charging Brick
As someone who prioritizes preparedness, I always seek alternative energy sources for prolonged grid-down situations. Whether it’s a typical power outage, a major emergency, or a natural disaster, having a reliable way to power essential appliances is crucial.
I have a large gas-powered generator, a DIY solar generator, and several small portable chargers. I’ve been missing a portable solution that will power essential appliances in an emergency. This Oupes 1200 power station is the perfect entry-level solution.
I wanted something that would run my electronics larger than a cell phone or laptop but still be portable enough to take on the go.
Some key considerations were…
Even though 1200 watts of power with a 992wh LiFePO4 battery is skirting the limit of what you can power and for how long in an emergency, I decided on the Oupes 1200 power station to see how it would work before going with a larger, more expensive power station.
The OUPES 1200w Power Station
The Oupes 1200 Solar generator is perfect for camping trips, outdoor gatherings, and short-term emergency preparedness. At 992Wh, its LiFePO4 battery is more than enough energy to power electric grills, laptops, coffee makers, televisions, ham radios, and CPAP machines.
OUPES 1200w Power Station
992W of Affordable LiFePO4 Power
- 992Wh Capacity | 1200W AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter (3600W Surge)
- LiFePO4 Battery with 3,500+ Life Cycles to 80%
- Power for 85% of appliances
- 3 Ways to Recharge (AC/Solar/Car)
- 10 Outputs For Multiple Devices
- 250W Max. Input charging speed
- Two Year Warranty
- 5% of sales will be donated to the OUPES help project
Who is a Power Station For?
While no doubt anyone thinking about preparedness needs to consider alternative energy sources, this power station would be useful to many people in various situations.
Testing The Oupes 1200
Even though the Oupes doesn’t have the brand recognition that some of the other power station brands do, it does come with the same features as the popular models, but at a much lower price.
During my testing, I wanted to see if my results stacked up to the claims on the website. Over the course of the first few weeks of testing, I was able to put the device through rigorous testing and was pleasantly surprised by its performance.
The Oupes 1200 proved reliable and efficient, ultimately exceeding my expectations and leaving me confident about using this portable generator in an emergency.
Oupes 1200 Power Station Battery & Inverter
One of the main things that interested me about the Oupes generator was the 992Wh LiFePo4 battery and a 1200W pure sine wave inverter. The LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phosphate) is much better than its predecessor, the Lithium Ion battery because it will last 4 to 5 times longer and is much safer.
Coupled with the industry-leading battery management system (BMS) and a pure sinewave inverter, you can power sensitive electronics or a wide range of appliances without worrying about safety.
At 1200 watts, you won’t be able to power anything that requires a lot of power, such as large space heaters or a table saw, but it will power most household appliances.
During my testing, I ran my large TV (140W), my dough mixer (490W), and my kitchen refrigerator (460W), among a few other things, without issue. When I tried to power my air fryer (1250W), it tripped the safety sensor, which can be reset by turning the unit off and back on.
Oupes 1200 Power Station Outputs
This power station comes with ten different outputs. Three on the AC side, and seven DC outputs. This allows you to plug in multiple devices as long as you stay under the 1200-watt rating.
The AC and DC options can be activated together or separately by pressing the small button below the outlets. At 1200 watts, you can easily charge a couple of cell phones, turn a light on, and watch TV simultaneously for hours during a blackout.
Oupes 1200 LED Light with SOS Signal
Unlike most portable power stations, the Oupes has a light on the back with three modes. The low light mode uses about 3 watts, the high mode uses 6 watts, and the SOS mode uses 5 watts.
If you find yourself stranded in a vehicle and only use the light, you could do so for well over a week straight. Far longer than you would ever need to…hopefully.
The light is something that some people could do without, but I like that it has an internal light. Having a light source without having to plug something in gives you more flexibility. This light will not light up the neighborhood, but it will light a room in an emergency, a tent, or an RV.
Oupes 1200 Effeciancy & Runtime
The 992Wh battery was about 80% efficient during my testing, meaning you will get around 800Wh usable energy, which is relatively standard. This is not as good as some high-end brands claim (about 85%), but it’s much better than some generic models you might see on Amazon.
During my testing, I drained the battery from 100% to empty six times and never had an issue. I did not get any errors, nothing turned off, and the display is reasonably accurate with the watts used and estimated run time.
Each time I drained the Oupes, I plugged a watt meter in and measured the watt hours I got out of the battery. It consistently came in at just under 800Wh, about 80% of its rated capacity.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean it has a bad battery. Portable power stations are more or less efficient than others due to various factors related to their design, components, and technology. The inverter efficiency, the battery management system, and conversion loss all play a factor.
Charging the Oupes 1200 Power Station
The Oupes 1200 offers three ways to charge the unit. It comes with a 200W AC adaptor, a car charging cable, and can be charged with solar panels. It also supports pass-through charging, enabling you to charge the power station while it is in use.
The solar panels are the wild card, just like any solar device. I got 148W peak with two 100-watt solar panels during my testing. The average over the day was around 100 watts.
Oupes 1200 Design & Build Quality
At first glance, the Oupes looks like a Jackery and a Bluetti had a baby. The control panel is similar to a Bluetti, and the black and orange colors resemble a Jackery.
The Oupes is encased in a durable, impact-resistant shell, ready to withstand bumps and knocks. The feet on the bottom of the unit are about 1/4″ tall, protecting it from scrapes, scratches, and possible water damage.
The front display has a great design and gives you all the relevent information, such as charge remaining, estimated run time, watts being used, and charging watts.
My only issue with the display is that when you turn it on, it times out after around 30 seconds. This may be a minor issue for some people, but an option to leave the display on to monitor the output would be nice rather than having to push the button every 30 seconds.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the fan noise of the Oupes 1200. It kicks on when it’s under a heavy load, but it’s not much louder than a high-end computer fan. You won’t even notice outdoors; indoors it’s low enough that you will “tune it out” after a while.
Oupes Solar Panels (Optional)
You can purchase the Oupes 1200 unit without the solar panel, but you will want the availability to charge using solar power to get the most out of this unit. Oupes has foldable 100W and 240W solar panels, but you can also plug in your own with an MC4 adaptor.
I used a Renorgy 100W solar panel I already own during my testing, with the foldable Oupes 100W solar panels. The Oupes solar panels come with a two-panel splitter, allowing you to plug in their solar panel and another solar panel. My Renorgy uses MC4 connections, so I needed the MC4 to 8MM adaptor.
The Oupes solar panels are quality made and had the output wattage I expected from foldable solar panels. The Oupes panel was comparable to the wattage I got from my Renorgy panel when I tested them separately.
The kickstand mechanisms were the one thing I didn’t like about the Oupes 100-watt solar panel. Because only a cloth strap holds them in place, moving them to align with the sun is a chore.
The Bottom Line
If you are a purist only looking for a popular “top of the line” portable power station, then this Oupes power station probably isn’t for you. If you are someone who can’t afford top of the line prices but still need something reliable, the Oupes 1200 is a great choice.
Other than minor issues like the kickstands and the display timing out, I haven’t had any problems whatsoever. The Oupes products’ two-year warranty tells me they are confident in their power stations. With that said, I will update this post if that changes in the next few months.
Comment below if you have any questions I still need to answer in this article.
