You probably arrived at this post with questions about the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station (PPS).
We get it — purchasing a PPS beyond the 300Wh capacity range requires plenty of homework for the rational green energy consumer. After all, for most of us, $900-$1,100 plus taxes and shipping is a considerable amount of money. Therefore, it pays to know what you’re getting when serious cash is involved.
Well, you are in for a treat! In this post, we share our findings and insights on the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station.
By the end of this post, we promise you will have an idea of how BougeRV’s Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) Lithium-Ion battery chemistry performs under different loading conditions and the actual energy capacity of this PPS.
Additionally, we will share our take on the primary considerations for selecting a decent PPS, such as:
- Charging Time
- Longevity
- Capacity
- Value for Money
In other words, we will tell you “what to expect” when you purchase this impressive offering of BougeRV.
For those of you who are in a hurry, here is the summary of our review of the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station:
BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station Best Value
Table of Contents
BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station Technical Details
BougeRV is a relatively young company focusing its product development on the outdoor/RV lifestyle. Their elevator pitch is cold beers and warm showers off-grid through solar, energy storage, and other products.
Now, without further delay, here are the main specs we think you should pay attention to:
| Category | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Cycle Life | 1500+ Cycles to 80% Capacity |
| Capacity | 1100Wh |
| PV Solar and DC Recharge | 12-30V, 8A 200W Max |
| AC Output | 3 x 110V, 1200W (2000W Peak) |
| Operating Temperature | 32°F-105°F (0°C~40.5°C) |
| Charge Temperature | 32°F-113°F (0°C~45°C) |
| Weight | 13.5kg/30Lbs |
| Dimensions | 16 x 12 x 14 in |
| Limited Warranty | 1 year |
On paper, the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station is a standard Lithium-Ion Energy storage system with certain advantages compared to others in the market.
Observation #1: Cell Chemistry And Longevity
This PPS model utilizes cell chemistry known as Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) which is arguably one of the best Lithium-Ion types. This cell chemistry is synonymous with extreme fast charging features (XFC) and is currently popular with EVs.
One of the issues of going with NMC you should be aware of is its shorter lifespan compared to LifePO4. Typical NMC PPS products out there usually have a cycle life of 500+. This means the PPS will be reduced to 80% of its rated energy capacity after 500 optimal cycles (typically 0% to 80% state of charge).
That’s where the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station surprised us.
Despite using NMC chemistry, it has a cycle life rating of 1500+. That is three (3) times what others offer out there.
It is, however, curious why BougeRV didn’t capitalize on the XFC feature that goes well with NMC. They should consider it for future product development to give their products more edge over the competition.
Observation #2: Power Input and Output
A significant positive regarding the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station is its high AC output of 1200W with 2000W surge run-through capability.
This capability allows you to use more powerful appliances on camping trips, such as coffee makers, microwaves, and some air fryers.
1100Wh is also a sizeable amount of energy to power your devices while having a buffer in case irradiance or AC outlets are scarce.
In terms of power input, we were hoping to determine the actual power output of the BougeRV 200W 12V 9BB Solar Panel rated at 17.98V and 11.1A during maximum power production.
Alas, while the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station can accommodate 200W of solar power with 12V to 30V ratings, its maximum ampacity is only 8A.
Doing the theoretical arithmetic, the BougeRV 200W 12V 9BB Solar Panel can only inject:
17.98V x 8A = 143.84W
We will verify this later in our actual demonstration.
But on the flip side, we understand. It does seem weird to bring a non-portable PV panel for outdoor activities unless we are talking about RV, trailer, and boat setups.
Pro tip: if you want to get the most bang for your buck on solar panels, we recommend matching its output with the ratings of your PPS.
Observation #3: Limited Warranty
The BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station has a Limited Warranty duration of 1 year from purchase. Hopefully, BougeRV can extend this to 24 months for extra brownie points.
BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station Best Value
BougeRV 110Wh Portable Power Station First Impression
Let’s talk about first impressions:
Say you already purchased your BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station, and it’s just arrived at your doorstep.
In our unboxing experience, we can attest that the BougeRV packaging has a premium feel (See left image).
The box is matte-gloss with the signature BougeRV black and yellow vibe. The main features and notes are all on the sides of the box.
Well-contoured foams protect the actual product from impact, which is a plus for peace of mind.
Another thing that caught our attention was the notice label on the box.
Of course, not everyone is enthusiastic about going through a user manual and Googling jargon. That’s why we will explain some of the specs to you.
However, exercise due diligence and go through the manual yourself.
It’s not that painful, thanks to the convenient visual found in the manual (see the image on the left).
The PPS weighs 30lbs and requires moderate effort to lift. There are also two handles on the sides of the PPS, allowing you to use both hands.
The aluminum material for the battery cell housing is okay. For us, it’d be better if they also used the same material on the top and bottom.
We also noticed that some of the AC outlets are a bit loose. This poses a bit of a problem in the long run for people who overexert force when plugging and unplugging appliances.
What Can the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station Power?
As we mentioned in observation #2, this PPS is rated at 1100Wh with various outlets for almost anything.
Power-wise, the highest continuous power you can draw is 1200W with a surge run-through capability of 2000W.
Ultimately, you can power home appliances with this thing, such as microwaves, coffee makers, wine coolers, or anything rated below 1200W.
Not to mention, it is also a good, short-term backup generator without noise.
See the left image for more examples.
How Do I Charge My BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station?
So how does one charge the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station?
The product itself comes with four charging options:
- AC Battery Charger (200W)
- Solar Panel (200W)
- Car Charger (120W)
- USB-C Charger (60W) – add-on
This is impressive since some PPS products don’t even provide a car charger. That is plus brownie points for us.
BougeRV must’ve also realized that no one is fond of waiting 6 to 7 hours to charge a PPS. That’s why they added a charging port via USB-C, which adds 60W to the existing chargers.
For example, you can charge the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS using a solar panel/AC charger (200W) and USB-C (60W) simultaneously for a total of 260W. This means reducing your charging time from 6 hours to 4.
The BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station in Action — Performance Tests and Results
So how does the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS measure up to our expectations? Through a capacity test, let’s see how it performs under different loading conditions.
| Description | Scenario 1: 225-Watt Load (19% Rated Power) | Scenario 2: 463-Watt Load (39% Rated Power) | Scenario 3: 858-Watt Load (72% Rated Power) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Charge (SoC) | 97% | 94% | 50% |
| Duration (D) | 4h40min | 2h13min | 33min |
| Observed Total Energy (E, obs) | 1,050 Wh | 1026 Wh | 472 Wh |
| Expected Total Energy (E,exp) | 1,067 Wh | 1,034 Wh | 550 Wh |
| Observed-to-Expected Ratio | 0.98 | 0.99 | 0.85 |
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, capacity tests are a direct approach to determining a battery’s performance. It’s a straightforward litmus test that tells you immediately how much energy to expect from a PPS on each full charge.
How To Conduct A Capacity Test
The steps are as follows:
- Fully charge the battery;
- Plug in a load;
- Drain the PPS; and
- Measure the energy used.
Knowing that a capacity test is a key method to measure performance, BougeRV should include energy as part of the measurements displayed on the LED screen, such as:
- Time Left to Fully Charge the PPS;
- Estimated Energy Stored/Left; and
- Energy Consumed
Given that these stats aren’t available, we ran a variable load under different power settings, such as a hair dryer.
As shown in the table above, we ran the hair dryer at 225W, 463W, and 858W, respectively. The actual energy drawn is close to the Expected Total Energy based on the State of Charge (SoC) and 1100Wh rating
For clarity, the theoretical Expected Total Energy is determined using the formula:
Expected Total Energy = SoC x PPS Energy Rating
Let’s dive into an actual demonstration to see theories in action:
Sample BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station Capacity Test Scenario
The BougeRV PPS is rated to have 1100Wh at full charge. In Scenario 1, we began drawing 225 watts from the PPS with an SoC of 97%.
97% of 1100Wh leads to an Expected Total Energy of 1067Wh.
The BougeRV 1100Wh PPS supplying approximately 225W lasted 4 hours 40 min. Therefore, the Actual/Observed Total Energy Drawn is 1050Wh (Recall that energy (Wh) is power (W) multiplied by duration (h).)
Getting 1050Wh out of the expected 1067Wh is good news. This means that the capacity of the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS is as advertised (The Observed-to-Expected Ratio is 0.98).
For this series of tests, we noticed that the Observed-to-Expected Energy Ratio decreased at high load (see Scenario 3 of the table above). This is probably due to the PPS cooling fan drawing more energy or inaccurate SoC readings at lower SoCs.
Bottomline, the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station delivers its capacity at high accuracies at lower loadings. Higher power requirements, on the other hand, lead to lower capacities.
Before we wrap up this review and provide final insights, let’s answer some FAQs about this product:
BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station Best Value
How Long Does It Take To Charge A BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station With Solar Panels?
On a 200W solar panel alone, the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS needs 5.5-6 hours for a full charge on a perfect sunny day.
Bonus: Charging The BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station With A 200W 9BB Solar Panel
Earlier, we said that theoretically, the BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station could only accept 143 Watts from the BougeRV 200W 9BB Solar Panel. We confirmed this via demonstration.
We plugged the BougeRV 200W 9BB Solar Panel into the PPS using the Anderson-MC4 adapter and recorded the results shown in the table below on a sunny day in San Jose, California.
| Time | 12:30 pm | 1:30 pm | 2:30 pm | 3:30 pm |
| Highest Recorded Output | 152 Watts | 144 Watts | 145Watts | 143 Watts |
To ensure maximum power output, we conducted this experiment as if the solar panel is attached to a sun-tracker, facing the sunlight directly with the panel perpendicular to the sunlight.
We were pleasantly surprised to see how close the actual results were to our theoretical calculations — knowing basic solar operating principles can make a difference if you plan to DIY your solar setup.
How Long Does It Take To Charge A BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station With AC Outlet or Car Charger?
How about an AC Outlet? We did test the BougeRV AC Charger, and the input power varies from 170-260W. Expect 4-6 hours for a full charge.
Can You Use a BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station While It’s Charging?
We confirm that the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS does have a charge-through capability. Meaning you can draw power from the PPS while charging it.
We verified the charge-through capability through a setup where we hooked the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS to a 12V 100Ah LifePO4 Battery via inverter while powering a hair blower.
Can I take The BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station On An Airplane?
Nope! Under FAA regulations, you cannot take any battery exceeding 100Wh onto a plane.
What Colors Can I Get The BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station In?
As of the time of this writing, the BougeRV 1100Wh PPS comes only in the black and yellow color scheme.
Final Thoughts
There you have it! Our insights on what to expect when you get your BougeRV 1100Wh Portable Power Station.
In a nutshell, this PPS is perfect for the outdoorsy types with considerable energy needs. Despite operating a variable fan and an LED screen, this PPS delivers true 1100Wh at low to medium loading conditions. Running it is a no-brainer, and BougeRV has implemented safety features to account for human errors when using its product.
It’s safe to say this product provides excellent value for your money. 1100Wh and 1200W energy and power capacities offer great flexibility in use cases, not to mention surge capabilities. Many people underestimate this feature until their entry-level inverters start rejecting motor loads that require high power during start-up.
We also like that BougeRV is a company known for outstanding customer care.
Future Recommendations
For future product development, we think companies should challenge themselves and offer green energy consumers the option to pay for XFC features. BougeRV, in particular, already uses NMC, which goes well with XFC.
It is a venture worth looking into because we are sure some of us are willing to pay extra dollars to trim down charging time from 6 hours to 2.
Increasing the input current beyond 8 Amperes would also be nice so that the current PPS can accommodate a wider variety of solar panels.
Lastly, one of the primary considerations you should consider when comparing this to other similar products is the longevity limitations introduced by NMC cell chemistry.
