Checking the Loadshedding schedule has become more important than keeping up to date with your WhatsApp. Unfortunately, for those in South Africa, we are still suffering from Loadshedding. Many have had to find other ways to power up their phones, computers, appliances, internet routers, lights and other important appliances. Luckily we have many options available to us, though they do come at a cost. You can get an inverter and battery setup installed in your home. You can even add solar panels. You can buy a heavy setup on wheels, that can be moved around, but even that can nearly break your back trying to move it. For those who are looking for something that can easily be moved around the home or taken outdoors, while giving you power when you need it, the Anker 535 Portable Power Station PowerHouse 512Wh is a great portable power station to consider. Let’s take a closer look at how it works, and what it can power so you can decide if it is the right loadshedding solution for you.
Firstly, what do you get in the box?
The Anker PowerHouse 535 comes in a cardboard box, with loads of useful info on the packaging. Inside the box, you will find:
- Anker PowerHouse 535 (512Wh) Portable Power Station
- Charging Cable
- Car Charging Cable
- EU to SA Plug Adapter
- Welcome Guide
The Design:
The Anker 535 Portable Power Station comes in a medium-sized rugged body with a handle. The outer shell is made of hard plastic and has an impact-resistant drop-proof design. The handle has rounded edges and finger bumps so that you can securely and comfortably carry the power station around. The sides of the unit have air vents, to ensure that the unit doesn’t overheat, and underneath you will find two large rubber feet, to ensure that the unit has grip when placed on a surface. The back of the unit features a DC-IN port, for charging (more on this further down) and important information about the unit. Weighing 7.6 kg, the Anker 535 is still easy to carry around.
On the front of the Anker 535, you get a range of ports, buttons to turn on the ports, an LED display and a light bar. Starting from the left, there is a Car Socket, 1x Fast Charge USB Type-C Port, 3x Fast Charge USB-A Ports and 2x AC EU Ports. For the EU ports, there was an adapter in the box so that I could use the ports in South Africa. Then lastly there is a toggle to turn the power saving mode on or off. The Car Socket section has its own button to power the socket. The USB section does not have a power button, these ports you can simply plug in and power your devices. The AC ports have a power button.
The clear LED display shows the remaining battery percentage, remaining hours, wattage output and input, which ports are powered on, the status of the light bar and the power saving status. The display does turn off to save power and it can be woken up by pressing the display button located below the display.
The Light strip provides a decent amount of light, perfect for giving you some light when it is dark, whether you are at home or camping. It also makes it easier to plug in cables to the PowerHouse and your devices.
Battery Performance:
The Anker 535 Portable Power Station has lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) and is suitable for charging small appliances such as phones, tablets, laptops, lamps, mini coolers, medical devices and more, with a rating less than 500W. It has a max total output at any given time of 512Wh and 716W of total output. I even used it to make a smoothie, since I couldn’t make one during loadshedding as the plugs in my kitchen weren’t working. All the ports can be run at the same time, thanks to the internal chip and intelligent AI algorithm. To keep the unit from overheating, the Anker 535 has Smart Temperature Control. This also keeps the unit silent when on and charging your devices, or when being charged itself.
The Anker 535 has an upgraded BMS (Battery Management System) to manage the usage of the battery, and Anker claims that the battery will last 6 times longer than other portable battery packs. When it comes to charging/powering your products, the battery won’t let you down. Anker claims that you can power/charge a Mini Cooler for 8.5 hours, A Macbook Air 8 times, a Fan for 10.9 hours, a phone 40 times, a camera 30.5 times, a heated blanket for 6.9 hours, a lamp for 32 hours and a CPAP machine for 9.6 hours (One of these at a time), to give you an idea. So if you are out camping or at home, you can always power the essentials when there is no electricity or a blackout.
The USB ports (Type-C and USB-A) are all Fast Charging, which means that you can charge your smartphone, tablet and laptop at the fastest possible charging speeds. The USB Type-C port has a 60W maximum input/output. The USB-A ports have a maximum output of 12W per port. The DC Input port has a max input of 120W. The AC ports can output a maximum of 500W across both ports. The car charging port can output 120W.
The built-in Power saving Mode, helps you save battery power by automatically turning off the power station once all your devices are fully charged! This not only conserves battery power but also protects your devices from overcharging!
Power/Charging Test:
To test out the Anker 535 Portable Power Station, I grabbed a few devices and plugged them in to charge. In the USB Type-C port, I charged a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. I then plugged in a PowerBank and Sony Linkbuds S Earbuds into the USB Type-A ports. At the same time I plugged in the Car Charger and I made a Smoothie in my Nutribullet using the AC Port. This produced a low 28W of output, and with the battery being 97% and 14.8 hours remaining, I was not concerned at all about running out of power.
Recharging:
The Anker 535 Portable Power Station supports pass-through charging, so you can charge the unit, while devices are plugged in and being charged themselves. This is helpful if you are limited on plugs and need to charge both the power station and some devices at the same time. It also features Maximum Power Point (MPPT) Tracking technology to ensure optimal recharging efficiency.
When it comes to the lifespan of the Anker PowerHouse 535, you will be able to recharge the LiFePO4 batteries 3000 times. Thanks to the proprietary long-lasting technology InfiniPower, you will be able to use the Anker PowerHouse 535 for over 10 years!
When it comes to recharging the power station, you can do this a number of different ways, and even by two methods at the same time for a faster charging rate. Below are the different recharge options available:
- DC Adapter – 4.5 Hours
- USB Type-C – 9.5 Hours
- Car charger – 4.5 Hours
- USB Type-C + DC Adapter – 3.3 Hours
- Solar Panel – 4.5 Hours
For a recharge to 80%, you can use the DC-IN port and the USB Type-C port, with a total output of 180W in 2.5 hours.
Price:
The Anker 535 Portable Power Station PowerHouse 512Wh is for sale in South Africa for around R10999. You can find it on Takealot, Incredible Connection, Makro, Leroy Merlin and other stores. The Anker PowerHouse also comes in Anker 521 and Anker 757 models, which is one size smaller and one size bigger.
Verdict:
The Anker 535 Portable Power Station PowerHouse 512Wh is a rugged portable power station that can be taken anywhere. It is perfect for those who spend loads of time outdoors and need to power small appliances, and also well suited for any home that needs backup power when there is Loadshedding or a blackout. Thanks to the range of ports, their high wattage and the intelligent AI algorithm, you can safely charge and power a range of devices at the same time with ease. The display makes it super easy to know how much power you are drawing, the battery power remaining, the remaining charge time and other useful information. Lastly, the light bar provides a decent amount of light so you can read a book, play a game or simply see what you are plugging in when it is dark!
This article was sponsored by Anker South Africa
