Gear Review: ANKER Powerhouse 555 Portable Power Station with Solar Panel

In this Gear review, I will take a look at the ANKER Powerhouse 555 – 1024Wh 1000W Portable Power Station with Solar Panel (100W).

With the uncertainty around energy supplies, having a reliable quality product, to keep the power running is almost a necessity.

The ANKER Powerhouse 555 is a power unit to have a look at if you’re looking for an all-in-one backup power solution with solar power charging as an option.

What do you get in the Anker Powerhouse 555 box?

What You Get in the box:

– Anker Powerhouse 555 Portable Power Station unit (PowerHouse 1024Wh)
– UK power cord to charge the device (Charge once fully before using).
– 3 types of charging cables (AC, car, and solar charging cable and splitter solar panel cable to use two solar panels at once),
– User manual,
– Worry-free 5-year warranty, and friendly customer service.
– Solar panels will arrive in a separate box when ordered as a bundle.

One thing I’ll say upfront is about the cost, Currently at the time of writing the Anker Powerhouse 555 with the solar panel is RRP: £1,399.

However, sign up for the Anker newsletter and keep an eye open for deals, sales and discounts as they do pop up from time to time.

there is a reason for The high cost of this unit and one of those reasons is that it is a 1kwh power unit and they don’t come cheap. It’s a heavy-duty unit that can charge a lot.

Here are some examples of what you can do:

– iPhone 13 (12.4Wh) – 66 charges.
– Drone (40Wh) – 20 times.
– Laptop (58.2Wh) 14 times
– Fan (35W) 21 hours constantly on.
– Portable fridge (45W) 17.5 hours Constantly on.

Just to give you an idea of what the Anker Powerhouse 555 can charge and do.

That means it has a capacity of 1KW for an hour and will cost 1KW/H to charge currently anywhere from 70p – £1.20 in the UK.

You can buy smaller capacity units and likely cheaper ones too, however, this level of quality and reliability comes at a price.

Which in my opinion is well worth it.

The unit is a very impressive beast. 1kw/h means you can run virtually any appliance.

Ahead of time, you should plan to make the most out of the capacity, which must be a balance between time (how long you’ll need power), power the consumption of the devices you want to operate and the consumption level of the devices.

For instance running a laptop, router and charging mobile phones, all at the same time to keep you working remotely during a power outage.

Some impressive key features of the Anker Powerhouse 555

The key features that I like most about the Anker Powerhouse 555:

– Convenient LED light. The built-in LED light illuminates the darkness and comes in handy during emergencies when you need it. Perfect for outdoor use and great for peace of mind.
– Informative display. The smart display shows the battery capacity and current output and input so you can monitor and control the use of your unit easily and with ease.
– Power saving mode – switch to power saving mode easily with a slide of a button and converse power when it isn’t needed minimising battery damage.
– Recharge and Go. Recharge 2 hours faster with the highspeed USB-C port and inbox adapter. recharge Anker Powerhouse 555 in 4.1 hours.
– Solar recharging. Fast recharge with the Anker solar panels in 5.5 hours with 200W solar input.

Inputs and outputs on the Anker Powerhouse 555?

Power Input is done by charging with the included UK power adaptor.

You also have the option to input power via one of the 100W USB-C ports for fast charging.

Power output options:
– Two UK plug ports.
– One car socket port.
– Two +IQ USB Ports.
– Three USB-C ports, two 60W outputs and one 100W input/output.

Loads of different ports and charing options to choose from as well as the use of the built-in LED light.

Once you’ve made your energy consumption budget as part of your emergency plan at home, you can lose the anxiety of losing mains power and sitting in the dark.

The device needs to be charged up as what you have is essentially a high-capacity battery, with a built-in charge/capacity meter and a set of different output sockets. 5V USB will last a lot longer than 240v running a 700w kettle for instance or an 800-watt rice cooker.

You can charge the device according to your environment.

If you’re at home, simply plug it into the mains, and in an hour or so it will be charged. If you’re driving, charge from your vehicle battery.

If you’re in the wild or static, use a Solar panel, to keep the unit “Float charged”, which is always topped up.

There’s little point in having a unit if it’s not kept charged and ready.

This unit is so versatile, it’s a buy one, use many pieces of kit that will last for years if it’s kept charged and treated well.

It’s a high-quality product and comes with all of the required adapters and cables.

You do need to occasionally “Cycle” that is “use” the power in the unit and recharge it. That keeps the battery healthy.

To get the real value out of the unit, you need to make use of it in many ways, then the initial cost outlay is spread out and the value outways the cost.

Think of the unit as the thing to take out with you on trips, use at home, in the garden, on days out, holidays camping and for general emergency use as part of your kit.

Use At home during a power cut or outage

I’d concentrate on having enough charge to keep your mobile phone, laptop, tablet and similar devices charged.

You can run lights off it, and USB lights draw little power and give off good light.

Modern TVs draw little current, if you have a set-top box, you’ll need to power that too.

A microwave uses less power than a hob, the unit can power a microwave, with a 1kwh capacity.

A microwave to heat water will use less power than a kettle, now that’s a top tip.

The main thing is to plan for the unexpected.

You do not want to be fumbling in the dark to find your power bank.

The perfect cooking device is a rice cooker, this means you can still cook hot food alongside the microwave. I have a 700W caravan kettle, that works fine.

Use whilst out for the day on holiday with the car or caravan

The perfect companion device keeps the children occupied with their tablets powered and charged.

Power your cool box, and keep your phones charged.

Power your cool box and the electric pump for the air beds, you could even take the microwave with you.

Really hot day, power an electric fan, and keep cool!

The beauty of this unit is its portability, you can have all of the benefits of a camper van electrical system, without the cost and issues of a permanent installation.

You can of course use your laptop and work from the car or caravan whilst on holiday.

Why not, remote working is the way to go.

Useful for camping and enjoying the great outdoors

The power bank will keep your mobile phone charged and give you the versatility to take an essential domestic appliance with you such as a rice cooker, kettle, small microwave or toaster!

The secret is to look at the power consumption says 500-800 watts, I love my rice cooker, it’s so versatile for cooking outdoors and camping foot.

The built-in capacity meter will show you the remaining charge.

Using the optional high-quality solar panel, you can recharge the unit when not in use on a sunny day.

At night, you can power your built-in LED light which is useful to allow a lighting feature to be added within your tent.

In the winter, you could even power your electric blanket, to keep warm! Now that’s a smart idea.

Also remember, cooking with electricity, no naked flames or safety issues inside your tent or vehicle! A modern and practical solution to enjoying the great outdoors.

Use In the Garden and outside and become mobile

The power bank is perfect to power various low-wattage electric tools, saving you from having to buy battery-powered items, and use your mains-driven ones when you are away from mains power.

Think of the unit as a replacement for a petrol generator in remote locations.

Especially with the added benefit of the additional solar panels you can arrange remote charging with direct sunlight becoming totally off-grid.

Thank you for reading my review of the ANKER Powerhouse 555

Thank you for passing by my blog and reading my gear review of the ANKER Powerhouse 555.

I hope you’ve found all the information above useful towards helping with your purchasing decision.

All the best and enjoy using your new Anker powerhouse Portable Power Station with Solar Panel.