Vanpa 300W Solar Power Station - Best Budget Buy
We were looking for a solar power station that met with our requirements.
First, the power station should be rated 300W of power, as that would be enough for the appliances and devices that we would bring on our off camping and off road trips. Next, it should have a high battery capacity to last at least 3 days, running our essentials such as a fridge freezer, lights and fans. Our third requirement was that the power station should have different options for charging. It should be able to charge using a wall plug charger, a car charger and by solar panel charging. The unit should be small, portable and lightweight so that it could be placed almost anywhere in our rig. And finally, it should be affordable for anyone with a small budget.
So we went online and started our search.the power
We found many solar power generators that were rated 300W. Most of them had very low battery capacities and were not suitable for our use. And the prices were quite high. Those that came close to what we were looking for had really exorbitant prices. Were were ready to give up when we came across one that really surprised us.
It is a 300W unit, had 600Wh (150,000mAh) battery capacity, is compact and light, has a 1 year local supplier warranty, and a very low price tag. It is the Vanpa Solar Power Station 300W.
Although the unit could be charged using the AC wall charger, car charger and solar, only the AC adapter is supplied. You need to get your own car charger and solar charging cables. But these were available online at low cost. So we placed an order for the power station to try it out.
The unit took only a day and a half to arrive. It was very well packed to avoid damage to the product.
Our first impression was that the unit was sleek and compact. The weight was light and the carrying handle was comfortable when moving the power station around. It does look good, better than the 12V lead acid battery we were carrying around on our camping trips.
It has two 3-pin AC outlets and a single 12V DC car outlet. That didn’t really bother us because I could easily rig up an extension board with more 12V connectors. There were also ready-made adapters that allows the connection of more than one cigarette lighter type DC jacks.
There is a ventilation fan that draws air in from one side and out the other. 3 switches control the DC, AC and built-in lights.
The other thing we love about the Vanpa Power station is the built-in lights found on the top left and right corners, at the front of the unit. The light can be used for lighting up the campsite or as reading lights in the tent before you go to sleep. If you go fishing, these lights will definitely be of use when you need to setup your lines or remove a fish from the hook.
There is also a charging port at the top right of the power station. You can plug-in the wall plug charging adaptor, car charger or the solar charger plug.
You will also find 2 USB charging ports next to the display so that you can charge your phone or other devices that charge by USB.
Who should get the Vanpa Power Station?
Anyone who needs to be off grid, whether for off road trips, camping, fishing or hiking, and need to power lights, fans as well as charge batteries. You can also power a DC fridge or freezer to keep your frozen food for longer or get cold drinks while you are in the outdoors. A Vanpa Power Station with a higher wattage can be used to power household appliances such as a rice cooker or small oven.
If you own a boat and need a DC power source, the Vanpa will make a good choice. It’s small, light and can be stored in most small spaces.
And even if you are at home. the Vanpa Power Station can be used to operate an appliance in a part of the house where you do not have an AC outlet. It’s also great for the times when you have a power outage. It could be used to power a fan to keep your children cool, run lights at night or to run appliances that you absolutely have to.
So what do we think of the Vanpa 300W Power Station?
To us, the 300W Vanpa is ideal for our needs. We recently decided to get rid of all the bulky equipment that we were carrying around in our rig. One of the things we were planning to leave behind were the 12V batteries we were carrying around. One lead acid battery was enough for when we were away for two or three days, but we needed another for the longer trip. They were big, heavy and took up too much space. And they looked ugly.
The Vanpa was all we needed for those longer trips. It could fit under the seats or by our feet without being a bother. The charge could power all the devices we needed for a very long time. We could use it on our off grid trips and even when we were home. The best part is that it didn’t cost us too much. It was a mere fraction of what the other power stations cost for even lower power capacities. And if we ever need to get another unit, we wouldn’t hesitate to get another Vanpa.
Here’s what we feel could be improved.
When off grid for long periods, the power station may need to be recharged. Unfortunately, only the AC charging unit is provided. It would help if the manufacturers provided the solar and car charging cables.
Another thing is that when charging the unit, you cannot use it to power any appliances. It would be really great if we could power our devices while the charging was taking place.
But given that the price is low, I guess we could live with the downside.
You can watcher our video review below, or get your own Vanpa Power Station using the links below.