Sourcing Portable Power Stations from China: Wholesale Guide

Portable power stations — large battery packs with AC outlets, USB ports, and often solar input — have become one of the fastest-growing outdoor and emergency preparedness product categories. Jackery, EcoFlow, and Bluetti are the major brands in this space, and all three are Chinese companies (or Chinese-manufactured). The same factories and supply chain serve importers building competing products.

The margins are exceptional when positioned correctly. A 1000Wh station costing $180–250 factory can retail for $500–800. That’s not a misprint.

Product Tiers by Capacity

Small (100–300Wh) — $35–90 factory cost: Camping and day-trip use. AC output typically 200–300W. Enough to charge phones, run small appliances, power lights. Popular as entry-level emergency kits.

Mid-range (500–1000Wh) — $120–280 factory cost: The core consumer market. 1000W AC output handles most home appliances (just not HVAC or high-resistance heaters). Good for weekend camping, power outages, remote work. This tier represents the volume sweet spot.

Large (1500–3000Wh) — $300–600 factory cost: Home backup applications. Can run a refrigerator for 8–12 hours. 2000W–3000W AC output. Expandable models with add-on battery packs becoming common (EcoFlow Delta Pro style).

Industrial (5kWh+) — $600–1,500 factory cost: Whole-home backup, van life setups, off-grid living. This segment is dominated by a few specialized factories.

Key Specs to Verify

Actual battery capacity vs. claimed. Same issue as power banks, worse stakes. A unit claiming 1000Wh should deliver 900+ Wh of usable output. Test with a calibrated kill-a-watt meter: charge fully, run a constant load (a light bulb works), measure actual Wh delivered until cutoff. Budget 5–10% for conversion losses.

AC inverter type: pure sine wave vs. modified sine wave. Pure sine wave inverters produce clean AC power compatible with all devices. Modified sine wave is cheaper but can damage motors, audio equipment, and some sensitive electronics. Any power station sold to quality-conscious consumers should use pure sine wave. Confirm this explicitly.

AC inverter peak vs. continuous wattage. A “1000W AC output” station may have a peak capacity of 2000W for motor startup. Continuous output is the sustained wattage. Know both. A 1000W continuous / 2000W peak unit can run a 1000W microwave but can also handle the 1500W startup draw of a fridge compressor.

Battery chemistry: LFP vs. NMC.

• LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate): Safer, longer cycle life (2,000–4,000 cycles to 80% capacity), less energy-dense. Preferred for stationary and near-stationary use. EcoFlow, Jackery now increasingly use LFP.
• NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt): Higher energy density (more Wh per kg), shorter cycle life (500–1,000 cycles), slightly higher fire risk. Older and lower-cost power stations typically use NMC.

For any product sold as home backup or emergency power, LFP is the preferred chemistry. It’s a legitimate differentiator to highlight.

Solar input capacity. A power station that accepts 200W of solar input vs. 400W makes a significant difference in how fast it recharges from panels in the field. Check both max input wattage and the input voltage/amperage range. Some stations accept unusually wide ranges; others are restrictive and won’t work with common solar panels.

BMS quality (Battery Management System). The BMS controls overcharge, overdischarge, temperature cutoffs, and balancing. A poor BMS is a safety and longevity risk. Ask for the BMS manufacturer and model. Top-tier power stations use Texas Instruments or similar quality chips. Anonymous BMS claims need verification.

Safety Certifications — Critical Category

This product contains large lithium batteries, AC inverter circuitry, and significant energy storage. The safety certification requirements are more involved than most electronics categories.

UL 1973: UL standard for battery systems for stationary and non-road EV applications. Required by major US retailers for power stations.

UL 62368-1: Audio/video, IT, and communications equipment safety standard — applies to the AC inverter and overall system electronics.

FCC Part 15B: Digital electronics. Required for US sale.

UN38.3: Transport safety certification for the lithium cells. Required for air freight (though most power stations ship by sea due to lithium battery air restrictions).

CE + LVD + EMC: Required for EU/UK.

IEC 62619: International standard for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in portable applications. Increasingly required.

For any power station sold through US retail channels, UL certification is practically mandatory. Getting a power station UL certified from scratch costs $8,000–25,000 and takes 3–6 months. However, factories with UL-listed products are common — verify UL file numbers at ul.com.

Shipping Considerations

Power stations contain large lithium battery packs. The shipping rules matter.

Air freight: batteries over 100Wh face restrictions. A 1000Wh power station is banned from most air freight unless via specially approved dangerous goods shipping — expensive and complex. Sea freight is the standard mode for power stations.

IMDG code compliance: Sea freight for lithium batteries requires proper DG documentation, labeling, and packaging. Tell your freight forwarder the product contains lithium batteries with exact Wh rating. They handle the DG paperwork.

See our full lithium battery shipping guide.

MOQs

The MOQ reality in this category is lower than you’d expect for the price point. Many Shenzhen factories with established power station designs will quote:

• 50–100 units for stock designs with your branding
• 200+ units for custom color or minor design modifications
• 500+ for custom form factor changes

The factory cost per unit is high enough that small MOQs are financially viable for the factory.

The Market Opportunity

EcoFlow, Jackery, and Bluetti have educated the market. Buyers understand what a power station is and why they want one. The opportunity for importers is:

Outdoor/camping positioning at the mid-range ($499–699 retail for a 1000Wh unit): Strong Amazon and REI/Cabela’s channel potential.

Emergency preparedness ($499–799): FEMA and emergency management communities, hurricane-prone regions, parts of the US with wildfire-related power outages. Direct marketing to this audience is effective.

Van life / off-grid ($699–1200): Customers who live or travel in vans, RVs. High engagement community, strong word-of-mouth. They do thorough research and reward genuinely good products.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LFP battery chemistry and why does it matter for power stations? LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) is a battery chemistry with lower energy density than NMC but far higher cycle life (2,000–4,000 cycles to 80% capacity vs. 500–1,000 for NMC) and better thermal stability. For power stations used as home backup or emergency power, LFP is the better choice. Buyers increasingly research battery chemistry before purchasing.

What is a pure sine wave inverter? A pure sine wave inverter produces AC power with a smooth waveform, identical to grid power. This is compatible with all devices. Modified sine wave inverters are cheaper but produce a stepped waveform that can damage motors, audio equipment, and some medical devices. Power stations should use pure sine wave inverters.

Can a 1000Wh power station run a refrigerator? Most modern refrigerators draw 100–200W running. A 1000Wh station should run a typical fridge for 5–8 hours. The startup draw (compressor kick) can reach 600–800W, so the inverter’s peak output must exceed this. A 1000W continuous / 2000W peak inverter can handle most refrigerators.

What’s the difference between Wh (watt-hours) and Ah (amp-hours) for battery capacity? Wh is the more useful measure for power stations because it accounts for battery voltage. To convert: Wh = Ah × Voltage. A 100Ah battery at 12V = 1200Wh. A 50Ah battery at 24V = 1200Wh. They hold the same energy. Wh is always the better spec to compare.

How do I handle sea freight for a power station shipment? Power stations must be declared as dangerous goods (lithium batteries). Tell your freight forwarder the Wh rating of each unit and the number of units. They’ll prepare the required IMDG documentation, UN number labels (UN3481 for lithium-ion batteries in equipment), and fire-resistant packaging requirements. Don’t try to ship power stations without properly declaring them.