Disclaimer: This product was sent to us for free, in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views and experiences.
Should the BougeRV 1100Wh be your next power station?
Are you looking for a power station that will keep your devices charged on the go? This one might be of interest to you.
BougeRV is not a new contender in the power station and solar panel market, and I have been using its panels, adapters, and connectors for years.
They reached out to us and asked if we would like to review its latest solar generator, which is their biggest power station yet in terms of battery capacity.
The BougeRV 1100Wh/1200W is a competitor to similar power stations like the Jackery Explorer 1000 and Goal Zero Yeti 1000X.
One of the biggest differences compared to those popular products is the price.
The BougeRV 1100Wh is priced at $899.99 before taxes on BougeRV’s website, which is a lot cheaper than its biggest competitors. Using the coupon code AFF16 when buying this specific power station from BougeRV is going to decrease the price by $144, bringing the price down to $756 before taxes.
BLACK FRIDAY DEAL: Use code AFF30 for a whole 30% off (ends December 7th).
How does it compare in terms of features? Let’s get right into it by taking a look at what it can do.
Features
Battery capacity
The lithium-ion batteries inside the BougeRV 1100Wh has a capacity of 1100 watt-hours.
Due to the battery chemistry used, it’s rated for 1500+ cycles to 80% capacity.
That’s better than most power stations on the market, which are usually rated for 500-800 cycles to 80% capacity.
If you’re not sure how to calculate how long a battery like this can power your devices, check out the FAQ at the bottom of this post.
Inverter
The inverter rating tells us how many watts the AC outlets can output in total.
The pure sine wave inverter can output up to 1200W continuously, and support surges up to 2000W.
In my tests, the inverter was around 85% efficient. This number will be used when calculating how long the battery can power certain devices.
A 1200W inverter is powerful enough to power devices like TVs, gaming consoles, desktop computers, laptops, toasters, some microwaves, and other small kitchen appliances.
It’s not powerful enough to power large kitchen appliances, space heaters, power tools, etc.
Ports
The inverter powers the three 110V AC outlets on the front of the power station.
These AC outlets look the same as regular outlets in a home, but you should only plug in devices that require 1200W or less.
There are three USB A ports and one USB C PD port.
The USB A ports can output 12W and 18W, the USB C port can input or output up to 60W.
Next to the USB ports you’ll find the cigarette port which is a regulated 12V source rated at 10A. There are also two smaller DC ports above it.
The cigarette port is to be used with devices like a 12V fridge/freezer, for example the BougeRV CR45 we have reviewed.
Charging
There are two inputs on this solar generator. One is for solar charging, and one is for the AC wall charger and car charger.
The included AC wall charger (200W) will charge the battery in 5.5 hours, and the car charger (120W) will do it in 9 hours.
The solar input is an Anderson Power Pole input, making it compatible with a lot of different solar panels on the market.
There is no information on what type of solar charge controller it uses, I am going to do some tests on a sunny day to see how efficient it is.
Since BougeRV includes an MC4 to Anderson adapter, you can easily connect a solar panel as long as it has an open-circuit voltage between 12 to 30 volts.
The solar charge controller maxes out at 200W input, meaning that it’s going to take at least 5.5 hours to fully recharge the battery.
You can charge with both solar and USB C at the same time, which can technically bring the charging time down to five hours.
Note that this will require a USB C PD charger capable of outputting at least 60W. One example of a charger like that is the Nekteck 60W (click to view on Amazon).
The AC charger can not be used at the same time as solar, but you can charge via AC and USB C PD at the same time.
Display
The display on the front shows the input/output watts, active ports, battery percentage, battery bars, and temperature warnings.
In the box
BougeRV includes an AC charger, car charger, and an MC4 to Anderson adapter.
Size and weight
The power station measures 16 by 12 by 14 inches and weighs 30 pounds (13.5 kg).
There are two built-in handles that make it easy to carry and transport the power station.
What I Like
The batteries
While they are lithium-ion batteries, they’re rated at 1500+ cycles before reaching 80% total capacity.
We need more sustainable products, and one way to make these last longer is by using batteries that don’t degrade as much every cycle.
With 1500+ cycles, you’re going to get a lot of use out of this battery and it should last several years depending on how much it’s used.
One easy way to extend the life of these is to not regularly discharge it to 0%. Try to keep it between 20-80%, and occasionally fully discharge and charge it.
The number of ports
BougeRV didn’t want to be worse than the similar Explorer 1000 and Yeti 1000X, and put a respectable number of ports on its 1100Wh power station.
It has the ports I need and they’re all located on the front so you don’t need to plug in cables both in the front and the back.
USB C supports charging
The USB C port can be used to not only charge compatible devices, but also to charge the battery in the solar generator itself.
Not all USB C ports can do this, but it’s something I often ask for in my reviews and suggest to companies when they ask for feedback.
Regulated 12V
If you plan on powering devices that might have a low-voltage cutoff, like a 12V fridge, a regulated 12V output is necessary.
Almost all manufacturers realize that this is a must-have feature on power stations, at least batteries with a battery capacity of 500Wh and higher.
Portable
Thanks to the built-in handles, it’s easy to carry and transport the BougeRV 1100Wh. It’s not as light as some of its main competitors, but it doesn’t feel very heavy at 30 pounds.
The included accessories
It’s pretty standard to include a wall and car charger, but not all companies include an MC4 to DC adapter, so I have to commend BougeRV for doing so.
What I Dislike
Low solar input/high charging times
One downside with a cheaper model like this is that they’re often limited in terms of solar input.
It maxes out at 200W solar input, and that means it’s going to take a full day of sunshine to charge it from 0 to 100%.
This won’t be a dealbreaker to most people, but if you’re planning on using the battery throughout the day it’s something to be aware of.
Note that the input limit is still higher on this than the Jackery Explorer 1000, but not the Explorer 1000 Pro.
No WiFi/app support
There are not a lot of power stations that can be controlled and monitored via an app, but I like the ones that do it so much that I want to mention it when I review one that doesn’t have that feature.
Conclusion
To conclude, should it be your next power station?
Well, it won’t be as powerful as the higher end products by companies Goal Zero, Jackery, and EcoFlow, but it can still do a lot of things for the price.
If you don’t need it to be more powerful than what it is, it’s a great buy.
So do I recommend it? Yes I do, after using it for a couple of weeks I can say that it’s a reliable power station that can do what BougeRV says it can do.
If you’re looking for a relatively cheap power station and don’t need to power anything that requires more than 1200W, go for it!
Remember to use coupon code AFF16 if you purchase it directly from BougeRV.com, to get 16% off the purchase.
Is it better than the Jackery Explorer 1000 and Goal Zero Yeti 1000X?
It’s better than the Explorer 1000 in almost every way, but not better than the Explorer 1000 Pro.
Unless you need to be able to quickly charge it with solar, I also consider it to be more price-worthy than the Yeti 1000X.
If you’re still not sure which power station is going to be the best for you, please leave a comment and let me know how you plan on using the power station. I’ll do my best to help you out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use the BougeRV 1100Wh/1200W while it’s charging?
Yes, you can.
Is it waterproof?
No, do not use it anywhere it might get wet.
How long can it power my devices?
The 1100Wh battery can power a 50W TV for almost 19 hours (1100Wh/50W*0.85=18.7)
You can do similar calculations if you know how much electricity your specific device requires.
Start by dividing the capacity (1100Wh) with the required wattage, then multiply by 0.85 (the inverter is 85% efficient) to get a more accurate estimate.
If you’re not sure how much electricity a specific device requires, you can use a Kill-A-Watt power meter (click to view on Amazon).
Can I plug a power strip into one of the AC outlets?
Yes, that is fine to do.
You’re still going to be limited by the 1200W output limit of the inverter.
Can I plug my travel trailer/RV into it?
Sure, but you’re going to be limited to the 1200W the inverter can output.
You can use a 15A to 30A adapter (click to view on Amazon) or a 15A to 50A adapter (click to view on Amazon) to make the connection. That’s the same type of adapter you would use to connect your camper to an outlet in your garage.
By doing this, the power station will provide electricity to the outlets inside and outside the RV.
The 1200W inverter will be powerful enough to power some of the devices in the RV, like the TV and furnace fan.
It will not be powerful enough to run the air conditioner or the water heater on electric.
Note that the power station will also start charging the house batteries in the RV, just like what happens when you plug in at a campground.
You might be able to turn off the converter charger by the electric panel in your RV to stop it from draining the battery of the power station.
Please leave a comment down below if you have any questions.
can you buy,
like a little ceramic heater for this power pack/if not what kind of heater could I use in a small room, so I don’t freeze. and thank you for everything you do, it is very knowledgeable and so helpful again thank you so much.
Hi,
A power station of this size would power a small 500W ceramic heater for about 1-2 hours, so it wouldn’t be able to heat up a room much unfortunately. If you have good ventilation you might want to take a look at small propane heaters like this one.