Anker PowerHouse, a Huge Battery Pack and Generator Alternative

I came across the Anker PowerHouse, a rather large battery pack power supply.

It’s kind of like the huge mobile Bosch mobile battery bank that we posted about back in September, but smaller, less expensive, and designed with consumers in mind.

Even so, I can’t help but wonder if it has potential jobsite applications.

The Anker PowerHouse is said to be a 400 Wh portable generator alternative, and it features an AC plug, 4 USB charging ports, and a 12V auto charging port. It can be recharged via AC or solar power.

Anker says that their PowerHouse can be used for camping or as an emergency backup, and is capable of powering all kinds of devices, such as lamps, phones, laptops, TVs, and even mini fridges.

Specs and Features

• 434Wh energy capacity
• Comes with a 10 ft AC adapter and a 2ft micro USB charging cable
• Recharges in 10 hours (AC), or 16 hours via solar

Anker mentions that the PowerHouse should be used and recycled at least once every 4 months in order to preserve the lifespan of its Li-ion battery packs.

I couldn’t find any information about how much power can be delivered via the AC outlet, and all they say is that USB ports are “fast0charging.”

A single 18V-sized battery pack with 4.0Ah capacity has a Wh rating of about 72Wh. So this Anker PowerHouse battery bank is equivalent to around (6) 4.0Ah battery packs. Many power tool brands now offer slide-on adapters that provide a USB charging port or two.

I wonder if the PowerHouse is durable enough for jobsite use. I imagine that it must be somewhat durable, if it’s marketed for camping needs, but that’s probably not going to be enough for rough and tough jobsite abuse.

I also seriously doubt whether this is up to the task of running any kind of power tools. I wish that Anker specified the max amperage of the AC outlet, but I’m almost certain it’s not going to be up to powering most corded power tools that you’d want to try.

USB-chargeable devices are on the rise, but something like this seems a little excessive. But it still looks like a “good to know” product. It’s enticing, but for my own needs a smaller and lower capacity battery charger is more than I need. Or a couple of pro-brand batteries with a USB adapter or two.

What do you think, could you use something like this?

Price: $499, $399 after coupon

Buy Now(via Amazon)

I searched Anker’s website to see if they had more detailed specs, and all I found was a taken-down page that was luckily saved via Google cache. There, they have a coupon code, ANKPower, that takes the price down from $499 to $399. I just checked, and it still works, although there’s no indication as to if or when it might expire.