The perfect portable power plant for the summer

If you need a source of electricity that is always available, to move around the house, to take to the garden, on vacation or for a trip out of town, you might consider purchasing a portable electric generator. The model we tested and we are talking about in this article, that is Anker 521, could be seen more as a large battery and less as a real electric generator, if we wanted to take the meaning of "generator" literally. However, we believe that the literal translation from English "Power Station", which we see translated as "power plant", is not particularly suitable for this type of product. In short, whatever you want to call them, "portable electric generators" or "portable power plants", the goal of these products is to provide you with electricity wherever you are to power or recharge the battery of smartphones, laptops, drones, action cameras and other gadgets. , but also of small household appliances, provided that the output energy is sufficient and classic electrical sockets are present, and not just USB connectors.

How Anker 521 is made

Anker 521 is primarily meant for electronics and all our electricity-hungry gadgets, and less for the use of household appliances. The limitation of use is mainly given by the maximum output power of about 200 watts, insufficient to power, for example, a coffee machine or a hairdryer, which like many appliances that must generate heat reach higher peak consumptions, even if for a short time. Therefore, consider this parameter of maximum consumption if you are looking for a system to power an electronic device; for example, we used it to power a massager, sitting comfortably in an armchair that was, however, too far from a power outlet.| ); }


On the front you will find all the connection ports:

1x 12V 2x USB 1x USB-C 1x Schuko
A rear connector is used to recharge the internal battery, which has a capacity of 256 Wh. Considering that it is possible to recharge it not only with the standard power supply but also with the cigarette lighter and with solar panels, it is therefore not wrong to call this product an "electric generator".

How to use Anker 521

Using Anker 521 is super simple. If you want to recharge or power a product via the USB port, you simply need to connect the cable. There is no general power button, the energy will be delivered as soon as you connect a device. However, it is possible to activate or deactivate the cigarette lighter and the Schucko with a small button near the sockets.


When it is recharging, the instantaneous absorption and time are instead indicated residue for full recharge. A series of icons lined up at the top of the screen will tell you which port is delivering power and, in case of problems, if the temperature is too high or too low. Considering that it is a product also designed for outdoor use, perhaps during a camping trip, these are useful indications.

User experience: very simple

Considering the simplicity of use, there is not much that we can tell or that we have discovered during our experience of use. You plug in your device and Anker 521 starts charging or powering it. The presence of a cigarette lighter socket allows you to power, for example, portable refrigerators. Considering what it offers, it is mainly to be considered as a device to recharge laptops or smartphones, but in our case we also used it to power a massager or a fan to give us some refreshment while we were in the garden.

The LED light is quite dim, so it is fine for a minimum of lighting in the evening, but it is not</a> to be considered a primary light source. It will even be easier to connect lamps directly to the power socket if you have this need. The dimensions are so small that it is easily transportable, you can put it in any trunk, even in a motorcycle suitcase if you are adventurous.

The capacity offered by the battery, of about 250 Wh, is good if you want to power gadgets of electronics, as it allows you to recharge a smartphone, laptop, drone batteries and cameras several times. Of course, you can use multiple ports simultaneously, as long as the total consumption does not exceed. However, it may be less suitable if you have different needs and electronics that require more energy. However, if you fall back into the latter case, the Anker 521 is probably not the product for you.

The possibility of recharging the internal battery via the USB-C port is interesting, provided you have a power supply capable of up to 60 watts.

Verdict

If you are looking for a large external battery to power your laptop while you are away from the power outlets of the house, or are adventurous , you like camping or you are often on trips where it is useful to recharge your batteries on the go, Anker 521 is for you. watt). It is not a cheap product at all, considering that it costs just over 350 euros, but it is not an out of market price, indeed there are products with similar characteristics even more expensive.

In this price range there are others competing products that offer the same battery capacity, more connectors, but at the expense of weight and size. In this product category you should choose Anker 521 if you think that the doors made available are sufficient for you and if you want a compact product.