Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Duracell has been around for as long as I can remember. I’ve got countless memories of grabbing some Duracell batteries to throw in toys, remotes, and other tools growing up, all the way up to toys for my kids. Duracell is a well-known, highly-reputable company that people recognize and trust.
Having reviewed the best portable power stations, I can confidently say this one is meant for everyday use, has excellent ports, and is a simple backup for essentials. However, what sets this power station apart is not the bold design, port offering, power output, or capacity.
What sets this apart is that you can recharge it with a standard AC extension cord. There is no fancy proprietary charger or IEC cable that swears on the cable that you can only use for that power station. Any AC extension cable will do.
Duracell G800: Price and Availability
The Duracell G800 is available through Duracell’s official website for only $699 but be warned that it frequently sells out. They offer a smaller variant, but if you’re going with this company, I’d choose this larger one for portable power stations.
Duracell G800: Unboxing & first impressions
When I first found the Duracell G800, I thought it was a gimmick. A power station resembling a famous battery wouldn’t work well. But, once I got it, I was proven wrong. The build quality is excellent, the packaging is professional and straightforward, the handle is comfortable to carry, the port offering is fantastic, and then I noticed the way to charge, and I realized this is working hard to compete right out of the gate.
Duracell G800: Design & build quality
Specs
Battery Capacity: 620Wh
Output: 800W (shared across 3 AC ports)
Ports:
• 3x AC Outlets (total 800W shared)
• 3x USB-A (7.2A shared)
• 2x USB-C (100W per port, 200W total)
• 1x Car charger port (120W max)
Weight: 19.4 lbs
Dimensions: 12.5” x 8.3” x 11.5”
The Duracell G800 is a unique look. It’s got a bronze top half to resemble the famous battery, but what’s great is that Duracell chose to make the line between the black and copper a ring light, helping light whatever you may be trying to plug in, in the dark, without power, thus the need for a power station.
Further, the handle is solid and firm, and there is some integrated storage on the backside of the power station to help carry the power cable or any USB-C/USB-A cables.
Thankfully, all the main ports are on the front, which I appreciate. It makes for a portable power station that is easy to use, allowing for this to be set down and forgotten about while charging whatever you may be keeping charged.
Duracell G800: In use
Admittedly, I’ve had this G800 for around 160 days. However, in that time, I’ve had my team put this thing to the test in real-life scenarios. I’ve had this power station help out when charging cameras on the go out of the back of my Jeep, charging iPads and computers on a long trip, and being a light source and emergency power in a power outage. I’ve had this power station help out my family in Florida during the crazy hurricanes this last year. In all the scenarios, this power station functioned great. The handle makes it easy to maneuver in all of these environments, and the forward-facing ports mean that all ports are accessible simultaneously.
Throughout my time testing, the most standout feature is that this unit recharges with a standard AC extension cord outlet. One thing that makes a power station less usable is when it has a proprietary charger or a unique charger that works only for that unit. It makes recharging more cumbersome, more challenging in many ways, and more expensive if you ever damage or misplace your charger. With Duracell, they chose to go the opposite route of an Apple with the (late) Lightning cable, and they decided to go with a cable option that is nearly everywhere (in the US). This may be an intentional move, or it’s beginner’s luck; regardless, I am a fan.
While testing, I got this power station recharged to an impressive 80 percent in about an hour, just as Duracell suggests. I got my 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro fully recharged about 8.5 times, depending on just how heavily I ran it when plugged in (I run my computers hard with all that I do in a day).
Duracell promotes being able to run a Wi-Fi router for around 26 hours, a TV (very generic) for 5 hours, a mini cooler for 22 hours, a drone for 26 charges, and lights for 6.7 hours.
If you want to extend your off-grid power, plug in a G-Solar Panel to recharge the power station directly from the sun.
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Unique and iconic |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Ease of use |
Easy to use |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Practicality |
Practical for most |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Price |
Decent price |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Duracell G800: Final verdict
Overall, the Duracell Power 800 is a quality power station, especially for the price, making it a great travel, camping, and home backup for smaller items that need to be charged. Sadly, it does not have app control, but it does have nice features such as a built-in light ring and that handy ability to recharge with a simple standard AC extension cord.
