nrgGo 400 Portable Power Generator Battery | Portable Solar Generator w/1200W Pure Sine Wave Surge Inverter | Small Quiet Portable Generators for Home Use, Power Outages, Camping, Refridgerator, CPAP

I love it! It works exactly as it says. Bigger AC devices such as my fan and my desk light take more of the battery life up, obviously, but I can still run both at once while charging a few USB devices! At that rare the battery would only last about three hours. But I can use all of them for a little while as I am getting ready for bed ( #vanlife) and when I turn one or the other or the both off, then the battery life goes back up to having 20, 40, 60 hours left.The cool thing is that it shows you exactly how many watts are going in as you charge (about 72 if hooked up to AC) and how many go out based on what is plugged in (6 watts for an iPhone charger, 45 for my fan on high, 35 for my desk lamp, etc).You always know what percent is left in the battery and how much battery life by hours you have left based on what is currently plugged in. If you plug in something else or unplug something it will immediately adjust.I charge the battery while I drive as my van has an AC outlet in it. I have only had to bring it in the house to drive when the plug came out of the van and I wasn’t noticing it.I bought a car refrigerator and that was a bit too much for it, it was a bigger one that holds 40 soda cans, but it also ran out my car battery after two days! So I find fault with the fridge not my Nrgo. That got sent back.However just be aware, something like a fridge that is cycling and uses up a lot of energy constantly might not be a good idea for this battery unless you drive a lot to keep it recharging.It also has a dc plug in to charge it with the car and can have solar panels added later as a separate purchase.I also ran my little food warmer on this which gets up to 300 degrees.It has two AC plug ins, two usb, one electronic port under the usb that I haven’t used yet, something for phones it seems,A dc port also.It suits my needs wonderfully! I also had a usb evaporative cooler hooked up to it and it ran that very well, it took a lot less voltage than the fan. The fan ran perfect though, at top speed just like it would in a house.It has a pretty blue display and a handle to carry it around. It’s very easy to carry, it weighs about 12.5 pounds. It’s a little heavy so I can feel my muscle working as I carry it but in a good way not a super tired way! I’m not a very strong person though so I like it. It will help me get fit. But anybody could carry this. But if you are not very fit and plan to be carrying it way out into the woods you might get annoyed by it. But if you put it in your backpack it would be fine, not so noticeable. Again it’s only 12.5 lbs. something easy to carry from car to house but you wouldn’t want to have to walk down the street with it.It rarely makes any noise at all, every once in awhile the fan will come on, similar to a laptop fan, to help it cool down.It’s nice and sturdy and built to last.It can be fully charged 350 times per the box and it does not have a replaceable battery. However it will take a long time for it to have to be charged that many times because it runs a very long time depending on what you charge with it. Usb devices can run for 75 hours straight. And there will be times whenYou aren’t using it at all and it holds all of that charge it doesn’t just leak it away.I love it. When it eventually cannot hold a charge like all batteries over time, I am going to buy the exact same one again!

Overloaded, in turn, on each of our three 24" undercounter refrigerators that draw .9 amps and that can all start on a small propane generator with a max surge capacity of 900 watts. Overloaded running an inductive hotplate even on the 100W setting. I use this product for nothing now except holding a door open. It was unfit for purpose and noisy in operation for even a 20 watt indicated load when powering the wall brick for a laptop computer. A CPAP user might not notice the noise. Plus they might die and not be annoyed by having to reset an overload. It might be the ideal pairing for this machine. This is in the same family as the Ryobi 40V inverter paired with a larger battery -- just dressed up a bit. If Ryobi or DeWalt had made one of their inverters work also as a charger then I probably would have bought that. I was swayed by the advertised built-in solar charger in this but I'm too afraid to ever connect a panel to it now that I've seen the difference between a Watt and an NRG Watt. Which kind of panel would I connect? It makes me nervous about continuing to use the NRG DC fast charging stations on my BMW...

The media could not be loaded. After having evaluated two solar charging-capable battery stations for my friends and I, the nrgGo 400 caught my attention recently. The logo looked vaguely familiar, and as it turns out, it is the first generator from US-based energy provider, NRG Energy ("NRG" on NYSE), a Fortune 500 company that provides power for homes and businesses to "approximately 3.7 million customers". The device's exterior certainly does not win any awards in my book: it is very muted, plain, and shall we say -- somewhat ugly? I decided to go past the book's cover and see what a company of that size came up with.The two power stations I had previously reviewed were made by Chinese-based companies with batteries made in-house and not by well-known companies. So, safety became an immediate concern. Would a generator made by a US-based, ENERGY company with all the scrutiny and regulations of the U.S. government -- at a lower cost than industry-leading Goal Zero -- be worth looking into? How would it compare to the Suaoki G500 and Rockpals 500W that I previously wrote about?Note: This review will be lengthier than usual as I would like to go over some battery technologies and how they relate to safety. I had recently done a lot of research on the topic to become a better-informed and safer user.WHY BATTERY STATIONS?I am an avid hiker, camper, and wilderness backpacker and also am one of those guys who has a bug-out bag packaged for emergencies. There are times where I want to be able to bring the comforts of electricity with me to go camping or picnicking, and when there is an extended power loss in our home. This is when I started looking at portable generators to power lights and a mini fridge. At first, I had bought a gas powered one, but did not appreciate its maintenance requirement, loud noise, and unhealthy fumes.I looked into the Goal Zero Yeti 400 Lithium ($600) that delivers 428 Wh. It was quiet, virtually maintenance free, and solar chargeable, but the high cost and size made my wife and I balk.One of my friends has had a Suaoki 150 Wh generator, and even though he loves it, I wanted one with a much larger capacity. So, I had given their Lithium-based Suaoki G500 (500 Wh) battery a try and loved it. Later, I purchased the Rockpals 500W (540 Wh) and ended up liking it slightly more.BATTERY TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETYA coworker of mine is a huge battery fanatic. Literally, he gets excited talking about solar panels, taking out his oscilloscope and measuring the waves a generator puts out. I learned a lot from him over the past few weeks, knowledge I will be more than happy to share here.Goal Zero debuted with Lead-Acid batteries that were bulky and heavy. Today's devices use Lithium-ion (Li-ion) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) cells so they can pack more power in a smaller package and weigh less. However, Li-ion (which the nrgGo is made with) also is more volatile whose risk increases as more cells are packed together.The higher the Watt-hour rating, the more dangerous the battery could become if not handled right. The quality of the battery cells and the BMS (Battery Management System) are crucial for safety.CELL MANUFACTURERSMy battery-enthusiast coworker stated that cells made by LG and Sony are the best among the hobbyist world. My research supported that: LG, Sanyo/Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung are top-notch producers. nrgGo said their batteries are made by LG.SAFETYA battery's safe operation depends heavily on the design, cell manufacturer, and BMS (Battery Management System.) On several enthusiast sites, hobbyists noted that some BMS manufacturers overstate their capabilities, resulting in the insufficient management of the battery's operation. This can lead to risk of injury, damage, and more. Search the web, and you will find plenty of stories about Lithium batteries catching fire.The higher the capacity (watt-hours), the higher the chances for an improperly designed battery (made with subpar cells and flawed BMS) to fail and cause damage.IN A NUTSHELLThe nrgGo 400 is functionally an excellent, portable power station, though its muted, somewhat ugly, brushed exterior did not particularly catch my attention nor win any beauty awards. However, it makes up for it with some user-friendly features, uses Tier 1 LG battery cells made by one of the top manufacturers in the World, and is designed by a US-based, Fortune 500 energy company that is in the business of providing power to millions of customers in the consumer and enterprise space. With a backing like that, I feel quite confident in the safety and quality of this product. It is perhaps on par with industry-leading Goal Zero, but at a much lower price point. Originally, I had considered giving this product a lower rating, but the safety features and battery cell quality considerably nudged the Design score higher.PROS- Lithium-ion cells are made by LG, a top-notch, Tier 1 battery manufacturer- Backed by a Fortune 500, US-based company whose focus is on energy and power on the go- Very well-priced at $399 at the time of this writing- At 411 Wh, it nearly matches the Yeti 400 Lithium's 428 Wh capacity--- That is roughly 38,000 mAh capacity at 10.8V or 114,000 mAh at 3.6V- Can power AC and DC (USB/12V Car adapter) at the same time (as long as they draw less than 300W combined)--- Laptop, tablet, phones, lights, fans, CPAP medical device, projector, TV, mini refrigerator, speaker, camera, DSLR battery charger, and SOME rice cookers- Can be used while charging- Excellent, informative LCD with LED backlight--- Total power is coming in (via solar panel or AC adapter)--- Capacity left (as a percentage)--- Total power (AC and DC combined) is being used--- Suaoki displays the Wattage separately for DC and AC, which I prefer--- Estimated hours: When Input > Output, shows time to full capacity. When Output > Input, shows time to empty--- Like the Suaoki, the LCD panel can be visible without turning on the LED backlight- Bowl-shaped top makes it convenient to store small itemsINPUTS- 1x USB-C (5-20V, max 3A, max 45W)- 2x 8mm (found at front and back)--- Accepts up to 120W. Max 13-22V and 10A. WARNING: Do NOT use a power source/solar panel that exceeds 22V or 10A! Be mindful that solar panels that are daisy chained may output more than 22V combined!--- MPPT charge controller is built in. I recommend using a solar panel that's between 30W – 120W at 18V (with the right Amps to equal 120W)--- Do not daisy-chain solar panels in sequence/series as that can add voltage along the way. Use their MC4 Branch Connector cable to connect the panels in parallel, keeping the voltage at a safe level (below 22V)OUTPUTS- 2x AC with 3 prongs (120V)--- Inverter can handle a continuous 300W, peaking at a crazy 1200W! See the TIPS section below for an explanation of what all this means. Goal Zero Yeti 400 Lithium is the same. Suaoki provides 300W with 600W peak. Rockpals does 500W with 1000W peak--- Pure Sine Wave Inverter. Ensures clean power to protect against damage to sensitive electronics. Generates less heat. My coworker confirmed that this device generates a Pure Sine Wave. Some manufacturers claim to be this but actually use Modified or Square Waves- 1x Cigarette socket (10.8V, max 10A, max 120W)- 2x USB-A (5V, max 2.4A, max 12W)- 1x USB-C (5-20V, max 3A, max 60W)- Charge Times. Wall charger: 7-8 hours. 150W solar panel: 5-12 hours, depending on weather conditions. See TIPS section below to calculate solar panel charging time- Built-in overload, overcharge (automatically stops charging when the device is full), and short-circuit protection- LCD Display tells you what the error is instead of a cryptic code (ie. "Overload")- Multiple fans to keep the station's temperature safe- Compact: 9.25" x 6.5" x 9.7". Rockpals: 10.24" x 6.7" x 6.82". Suaoki: 11" x 7.5" x 8.3". Goal Zero: 10.2" x 8" x 8"- Portable: 12.13 lbs (Rockpals is the same, Suaoki is 22 lbs, Goal Zero is 16 lbs)- Technical support was excellent in answering all my questions- Muted, brushed look may be appealing to some, but not for me- 1 year warranty + 1 more year with registration- Very well-written manual, though some details are missingCONS- Muted, brushed look. I prefer the industrial look of the Goal Zero and Suaoki, but also Rockpals' professional, yet fun vibe- Bowl-shaped top makes it convenient to temporarily store small items, but is hampered by the permanently attached (but sturdy) carry handle that cannot be stowed away (so things can be stacked on top)- Power buttons can be accidentally turned on/off through a single press (ie. while packing away your camping gear). Can lead to accidentally turning on/off the output during transport. Suaoki requires you to hold the DC or AC button for 2 seconds before it turns on/off that output, helping to minimize accidental presses- No automatic power off once no power is drawn/station has become idle. You may unexpectedly find the generator fully drained when you need it- When the AC port is turned on, it draws 7W of power even though nothing is connected to either AC plug. According to nrgGo support, this is because the AC Inverter itself requires power to stay on. Rockpals and Suaoki both do not show any power draw on their displays when their AC ports are turned on. So, I do not know if they are simply hiding it, or if nrgGo is being transparent--- If the AC port is accidentally left on, and assuming the station is fully charged (411 Wh capacity), a constant draw of 7W would fully drain the nrgGo within 49.9 hours. Without having an automatic power off, this could result in you unexpectedly finding the station fully empty!- No QuickCharge 3.0 USB output port- Multiple fans turn on during high peak and can be too noisy for some- Only the AC brick is included to charge the nrgGo with (100-240V, 50/60Hz 1.5A with Output of 16.0V, 5A)- Other cables must be purchased separately, including: MC4-to-8mm, 12V Car charger (ensure the other end is 8mm)MC4 Branch Connector (to connect multiple solar panels)- Li-ion batteries have 500 lifetime charge cycles. According to nrgGo, this unit can be charged up to 2000 cycles -- about 1/4 of total capacity is lost every 500 cycle. Battery cannot be replaced. This can lead to unnecessary landfill waste- No built-in LED light bar like the Rockpals 500W- Cannot be daisy-chained to other nrgGo 400's to extend the battery capacity. Some Goal Zero stations can be hooked up to other ones so power can be provided for an even longer time without needing to switch- Not waterproof. Keep it away from water splashes, rain, and pool! Lithium and fire or water can cause serious damage or injury!- At 411 Wh, it offers about 100 Wh less capacity than the Rockpals and Suaoki, but the same as the Goal Zero- Unlike LiFePO4 batteries, Li-ion can operate only in temperatures between 32-104F (0-40C). According to nrgGo, its Battery Management System (BMS) prevents recharging past 113F and outputting power beyond 149F- Battery slowly drains over time even when station is powered off. nrgGo states a 1-1.5 year hold from a full charge before it is completely drained- No master power off button to turn off ALL outputs at the same time. You have to manually switch off each type: DC, AC, USB. All 3 must be off before the entire unit itself is turned off- No official or included carry bagUSAGE- To turn ON or OFF, press the corresponding button. Note: This single-press (without a 2 sec press-and-hold) can lead to accidentally turning on or off the power station- To reset an Error condition that's shown on the LCD (ie. AC port is Overloaded), turn OFF the respective 12V, AC, or USB output, and back onTIPSCONTINUOUS VS PEAK OUTPUTnrgGo's AC Inverter provides a continuous output of 300W with an impressive peak/surge of 1,200W. AC Inverter: Component responsible for converting battery (DC) power into AC for use by microwaves, mini fridges, laptops, CPAPs, etc.- Continuous Output: As long as a device (or combination of multiple ones) does not exceed 300W, it can be used. Example: A TV that uses 100W can be used because it is less than 300W. You can add more devices as long as they do not exceed 300W combined. Example: A vacuum I have uses 1,140W, and because it exceeds 300W, it cannot be used- Peak/Surge: Almost every device temporarily draws more power when it is turned on. The highest amount it pulls during that time is the Peak/Surge. This nrgGo can accept up to a whopping 1,200W! Example: A TV that uses 200W (continuous) may temporarily suck up 700W (peak) when powered on. Because 700W is less than 1,200W (peak), this battery will allow the TV to turn on at that level for a few seconds before shutting it down as a safety precaution. However, after a few seconds, the TV only uses 200W (continuous) while staying on. Because it only draws 200W continuously, which is below the 300W limit, it can be used until the battery drains- Some devices power on at a higher (Peak) wattage than when they are already on (Continous). As a result, the power station may not be able to start itTo calculate how much Wattage a device uses: Voltage x Amperage- Example: if a vacuum is 120V and 9.5A, its Wattage is 1,140W (120 x 9.5)- Since this power station can accept an impressive peak of 1,200W and sustained power of 300W, the vacuum cannot be used. In the video, however, you can see that the vacuum does turn on for a few seconds (1,140W < 1,200W) before being shut down (1,140W > 300W). Note: If a device draws more than 300W for an extended period of time, the power station will shut off as a safety precaution- Always make sure you test your devices with the power station before you depend on it. Items that may not work include some rice cookers, 12V DC air pumps, coffee makers, and hair dryers. Use the above formula to calculate the device's wattageTo calculate how long a device could be used for: 411 Wh x 0.85 / Device Wattage- About 10-15% of power is lost during power conversion, which is normal for all power stations- Example: if a device uses 60W, it could last up to about 5.82 hours (411 Wh x 0.85 / 60 W). An Amazon TV I have uses about 100W. If this nrgGo is full at 411 Wh, this would result in about 3.7 hours of continued usage (411 x 0.9 / 100)To calculate how long a device would need to charge: 411 Wh / Device Wattage- Example: if a device uses 60W, it would take 6.9 hours to charge (411 Wh / 60 W)- To calculate how long the nrgGo would need to charge via solar panel: 411 Wh / (Panel Wattage x [0.5 or 0.75])- In a perfect lab environment, solar panels charge at the indicated wattage (ie. 150 W). Outdoors, expect to only receive 50-75% on a good, sunny day (ie. 75 W – 112 W). Example: if a solar panel is rated for 100W, it could take as fast as 5.48 hours [411 Wh / (100 W x 0.75)] to charge, depending on environmental conditions and the panel's age. Tip: Even if it is overcast, the panels will STILL collect solar energy. So, keep charging!- Li-ion batteries are volatile. To minimize fire damage to your belongings or loved ones, store the power station in the garage and not inside the house. According to nrgGo, the power station can be stored in the car while camping during a hot, California summer. However, keep the battery out of direct sunlight and do not USE if the temperature falls below or exceeds nrgGo's rated, operating temperature (32-104F or 0-40C)Charging with multiple Input ports- There are two 8mm ports: at the front and back. Only one will be allowed to receive power in order to prevent damage to the idle one- USB-C port can receive power at the same time as the 8mm ports due to being on a separate charge control circuit- If using a car charger, make SURE you only charge while the car is RUNNING. Otherwise, you'll deplete your car's battery and leave you stranded- If charging with the solar panel, be sure to keep the station out of direct sunlight as it could overheat- You should NOT charge the power station AND use it to power something else at the SAME time as it can damage the battery. Either charge OR use it to power something else, but not both concurrently. Manufacturers' recommendations... nrgGo: can use while charging. Rockpals: can use while charging. Suaoki: should NOT be use while charging- NEVER charge the power station itself in below freezing temperatures, or you will damage the Lithium-ion battery AND potentially limit its overall capacity. However, you CAN use the station to power OTHER devices- The power station has a low temp charging protection (manual does not state so, but confirmed with nrgGo support). nrgGo 400's operating temperature range is 32-104F (0-40C)- If you have to use the station in below freezing temperatures, keep the power station in an insulated cooler and connected to a power source (ie. solar panels). The heat generated by the battery will keep it running as best as it can- Turn off any output ports (AC/DC) that are not being used in order to conserve power- Solar panel is NOT required to use this power station- Do not use this (or any power station) in a tightly enclosed area as the station can overheat- If charging the station with the car charger, you cannot charge it to 100% capacity with a 12V outlet. If you have a 24V outlet, however, you could- To prolong the battery lifetime while in storage, keep the station fully charged every 3-6 months. Or, according to nrgGo support, keep it plugged in when not in use and discharge it to 50% every 3-4 months. NOT using the battery for a very long time can actually hurt its lifetime. There is no "memory effect" in this station's battery. Note: It is better to NOT let it completely drain before recharging- The charging controller automatically gets disabled once the batteries are fullFINAL THOUGHTSThe nrgGo, like the Suaoki and Rockpals I previously reviewed, is an excellent item to have in my camping and emergency inventory. For those who suffer from power outages, these stations can be lifesavers, particularly for those who depend on medical devices to keep them comfortable or alive. I like using them during camping to power several small fans inside our tent during the hotter, windless, daytime temperatures and to provide lighting throughout the site.The nrgGo is as portable and compact as the Rockpals, has some nice usability touches like the Suaoki, but disappoints with how it looks and how the carry handle is in the way. I thoroughly appreciate the fact that it is made by a US-based, Fortune 500 energy company that provides power to millions of domestic customers (including enterprises). Add to that the knowledge that the batteries are made with Tier 1 LG cells, it commands a bit more of my trust in its safety over the other brands who may be using cells manufactured in-house or by unknown companies. It is perhaps on par with industry-leading Goal Zero, but at a much lower price point.I hope that nrgGo will, with future versions, address the carry handle that is permanently affixed across the top, add an automatic idle power shut off, and produce power stations that have a more fun look with user-replaceable batteries to help minimize waste. I originally considered giving this product a lower score for those reasons, but the safety features and battery cell quality considerably nudged the Design score higher.I highly recommend all three (nrgGo 400, Rockpals 500W, Suaoki G500) for the outdoor person and for emergency preparedness. However, if purchasing a power station from a large, US-based company with know-how in energy, portable power, and safety is important to you, the nrgGo takes the trophy. If capacity and a much more fun design appeals to you, go with the Rockpals or Suaoki, though I gave a slight edge to the former for its smaller size and built-in LED light bar.

I've used this as a live sound engineer to power a Surface Pro and a small portable mixing board (xtouch compact). This little beauty allows me to stay completely free to place my setup anywhere in a club without being restricted to a wall outlet. Perfect in every way. Lightweight, more than enough clean power to mix a 4 hour gig, including setup, breaks, etc... It even looks cool.