Explainer
Watt-hours per pound, explained
Portability is the specification buyers regret most, and this is the only way to compare it across models. It also has a bias you have to know about before you use it.
Every figure on this page is computed from the WattPicks dataset (107 models from 12 brands, all read from the manufacturers' own product pages). We do not test power stations, so nothing here is a measurement of ours.
The formula and the bias
Watt-hours per pound = capacity ÷ net weight. Higher is better. It answers a real question: how much energy am I carrying for each pound of pack?
The bias is that small units always win. A 300 Wh pack is inherently lighter per watt-hour than a 2,000 Wh one, because enclosure, inverter and cabling weight does not scale down with capacity. An all-comers list therefore flatters compact models, which is why the ranking is also published within capacity bands.
The ranges in our data
In the 500–1,000 Wh band the models we track run 20.0–51.8 Wh per pound. At 1,500 Wh and above the range is 21.3–57.3 — lower at the top, as the bias predicts.
That is why comparing only within a band is the fair reading, and why the ranking page offers band-restricted tables alongside the all-comers one.
What it does not capture
Treat it as the starting point for a shortlist rather than the verdict. It reliably tells you which units are in the wrong class for carrying; it cannot tell you which of two similar ones feels better.
- Shape and handles. A unit with a good handle and a balanced weight is easier to carry than a denser one with neither.
- Wheels and trolley kits, which change the answer completely for large units.
- Where the weight sits when you lift it — the spec sheet cannot tell you that.
Frequently asked
What is a good watt-hours per pound figure?
It depends on the band. Compare within a capacity band rather than against the whole dataset, because small units always score better on this metric.
Is weight always published?
No — it is missing for 4 of the 107 models we track. Those are excluded from the portability ranking rather than estimated.