7 garden gadgets you can run off a portable power station

Jim Fellows — Garden-Review, Outdoor Power Equipment Specialist

Wattage figures verified against manufacturer data · Runtime estimates calculated at 90% inverter efficiency · Updated June 2026

LED shed lighting

LED strip lights are the gateway drug for portable power station use in a garden shed. A set of four 6W LED strips — enough to light a standard 8×6ft shed brightly — draws just 24W total. That's so low that even the smaller Explorer 240 v2 can run them for over 9 hours on a single charge. The Explorer 500 v2 stretches that to a remarkable 19 hours — more than enough for an entire weekend of evening shed work without touching the charge.

Motion-sensor LED strips (widely available from £15–£30) take this further: the draw drops to near-zero when you're not in the shed, meaning a single full charge can realistically provide months of come-and-go lighting if you're not using the unit for anything else simultaneously.

Outdoor Bluetooth speaker

A quality outdoor speaker transforms a few hours in the garden from a chore into an occasion. Most Bluetooth garden speakers are USB-charged and draw between 5W and 20W — well within the range of even the smallest power station. Plug it in via USB-A or USB-C and it charges rapidly while you work, or run it continuously directly from the AC outlet.

Larger party-style speakers (JBL PartyBox, Sonos Move) draw more — typically 50–100W — but still run comfortably for several hours on the Explorer 500 v2, making it ideal for a summer garden party without trailing a cable across the lawn.

Cordless tool battery charger

If you use 18V or 20V cordless tools - drills, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, grass trimmers — their battery chargers typically draw 40–80W. That's well within the Explorer 240 v2's 300W output limit, and the 500 v2 can charge multiple batteries simultaneously without breaking a sweat. On the Explorer 500 v2, you'll get approximately 10–12 full tool battery charges per station charge — more than enough for a full day's garden work.

This is one of the most practical use cases for allotment holders: rather than running flat in the middle of trimming a hedge 200 metres from a mains socket, charge your spare batteries from the power station while the first one is in use.

Heated propagator

Electric heated propagators are one of the most genuinely useful pieces of kit for any serious seed-starter — maintaining a consistent 18–25°C soil temperature that dramatically improves germination rates for tomatoes, peppers, chillies, and other warm-season crops. The catch is that without a mains socket in the greenhouse or shed, they're unusable. A portable power station removes that restriction entirely.

Most standard heated propagator mats draw 20–50W. Larger, thermostatically controlled models run at 60–100W. Even at 100W, the Explorer 500 v2 gives you approximately 5 hours of continuous heat — enough to get through a full germination day, and pairable with the SolarSaga 100W panel to keep topping up during daylight. The Explorer 240 v2 handles the lower-wattage propagator mats (under 50W) for around four hours comfortably.

Greenhouse or shed circulation fan

Poor air circulation is one of the most common causes of fungal disease in greenhouses — botrytis, damping off, and powdery mildew all thrive in hot, still air. A small circulation fan running continuously is cheap insurance against this, but it needs a power source. A 30W oscillating fan is the ideal companion for a power station: low draw, reliable runtime, and quiet enough that it doesn't become a nuisance.

The Explorer 500 v2 runs a 30W fan for approximately 17 hours — comfortably overnight and into the next morning on a full charge. The Explorer 240 v2 manages around 8 hours at the same wattage, which covers an overnight run if you charge it each day. Pair either model with the SolarSaga 100W panel and you have a near-continuous daytime airflow solution with no ongoing energy cost.

Outdoor string and festoon lighting

LED festoon and fairy string lights have become a staple of the UK garden — but running them to the far end of the garden without a permanent outdoor socket usually means a trip hazard of a cable across the patio. A portable power station eliminates this entirely: position it wherever the lights need to be and plug straight in.

A 10-metre LED festoon string (typically 10–15W) and a 20-metre fairy light set (5–8W) running together draw around 20–25W. The Explorer 240 v2 keeps them glowing for over 9 hours — plenty for an evening garden party that runs well into the night. The Explorer 500 v2 doubles that runtime if you're hosting across consecutive evenings.

Laptop and tablet (shed office use)

The garden shed office has gone from novelty to mainstream — and the number one barrier for most people without mains power is simply: where does the laptop charge? Both Jackery models covered in this guide support 100W USB-C PD (Power Delivery) charging, which is the standard used by virtually all modern MacBooks, Windows ultrabooks, and iPads.

A MacBook Air or similar ultrabook draws 30–65W during use. The Explorer 240 v2 powers a 45W laptop for approximately 5 hours — enough for a focused morning session. The Explorer 500 v2 doubles that to 10+ hours, which combined with the SolarSaga 100W solar panel charging simultaneously, can sustain a full working day in the shed with no mains connection whatsoever.

Budget pick

Explorer 240 v2

From £259

256Wh · 300W output · 3.5kg · 3,000 cycle LiFePO4. Best for lighting, speakers, phone charging, and light garden use. Ideal if you mainly want to power 1–2 things at once.

Best all-rounder

Explorer 500 v2

£449

512Wh · 500W output · 5.7kg · 6,000 cycle LiFePO4. Best for all-day shed use, multiple devices simultaneously, propagators, tool charging, and shed office work.