Menu

How Long Will a Power Station Run a Chest Freezer?

By Hicham M. · Updated October 11, 2026 · How we calculate

If there’s one appliance a power station handles well, it’s a chest freezer. We plan on about 29 W (0.7 kWh a day), a little above ENERGY STAR’s own figure of about 25 W, so a 1,000 Wh station runs one for about 29 hours and a 2,000 Wh station for about 2.4 days.

The lid opens from the top, so cold air stays put. ENERGY STAR puts a certified chest freezer at about 215 kWh a year, against about 395 kWh for a certified upright. Starting it takes about 800 W for a moment, which most stations over 500 W can manage.

Running100 Wtypical range 100–200 W
Starting (surge)800 Wfor a split second
Average29 Wincluding on/off cycling
Per day0.7 kWhat 24 h/day
Calculate with your model Find the right size

Runtime by power station

Nonstop runtime for one chest freezer at 29 W average, with 85% inverter efficiency. Models that can't supply its running or starting power are listed separately below.

How long each power station runs a chest freezer: longest 10
Power stationBatteryRuntimeBar
Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus5,040 Wh6.2 days
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 34,096 Wh5 days
Goal Zero Yeti PRO 40003,994 Wh4.9 days
Anker SOLIX F38003,840 Wh4.7 days
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus3,840 Wh4.7 days
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Older3,600 Wh4.4 days
Anker SOLIX F30003,072 Wh3.8 days
BLUETTI Elite 3003,014 Wh3.7 days
BLUETTI Apex 3002,765 Wh3.4 days
BLUETTI Elite 200 V22,074 Wh2.5 days
Show the other 38 models that can run it
How long each power station runs a chest freezer: the rest
Power stationBatteryRuntimeBar
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max2,048 Wh2.5 days
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus2,048 Wh2.5 days
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max Older2,048 Wh2.5 days
BLUETTI AC200L2,048 Wh2.5 days
BLUETTI AC200MAX Older2,048 Wh2.5 days
Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 22,048 Wh2.5 days
Anker SOLIX F2000 (767) Older2,048 Wh2.5 days
DJI Power 20002,048 Wh2.5 days
Jackery Explorer 2000 v22,042 Wh2.5 days
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Older2,042 Wh2.5 days
BLUETTI AC200P Older2,000 Wh2.4 days
Jackery Explorer 1500 v21,536 Wh45 hours
Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra1,536 Wh45 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 1500X Older1,516 Wh44 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 15001,505 Wh44 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus1,264 Wh37 hours
Anker SOLIX F1200 (757) Older1,229 Wh36 hours
BLUETTI AC1801,152 Wh34 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 v21,070 Wh31 hours
Anker SOLIX C10001,056 Wh31 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 31,024 Wh30 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus1,024 Wh30 hours
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Older1,024 Wh30 hours
BLUETTI Elite 100 V21,024 Wh30 hours
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 21,024 Wh30 hours
DJI Power 10001,024 Wh30 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro Older1,002 Wh29 hours
Jackery Explorer 1000 Older1,002 Wh29 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 1000998 Wh29 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro Older768 Wh23 hours
Anker SOLIX C800 Plus768 Wh23 hours
BLUETTI EB70S Older716 Wh21 hours
Goal Zero Yeti 700677 Wh20 hours
Jackery Explorer 500 Older518 Wh15 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max Older512 Wh15 hours
DJI Power 500512 Wh15 hours
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus286 Wh8.4 hours
BLUETTI EB3A Older269 Wh7.9 hours

Models that can't run it

Power stationOutputSurgeWhy
Jackery Explorer 300300 W500 WCan’t start it
Jackery Explorer 300 v2300 W600 WCan’t start it
Anker SOLIX C300300 W600 WCan’t start it
Jackery Explorer 240 v2300 W600 WCan’t start it
EcoFlow RIVER 3300 W600 WCan’t start it
Jackery Explorer 240200 W400 WCan’t start it

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our numbers, and every model in our database is included whether or not it pays us. Learn more.

Real freezers, real numbers

From ENERGY STAR’s certified freezer list. Even the 21.7 cu ft model averages well under 50 W.

Runtime for specific chest freezers
ModelPer yearAverage drawOn 1,000 WhOn 2,000 Wh
Frigidaire FFCS0562AW (5.1 cu ft)196 kWh22 W38 hours3.2 days
Danby DCF070A5WDB (7.0 cu ft)225 kWh26 W33 hours2.8 days
GE FCM16DL (15.7 cu ft)277 kWh32 W27 hours2.2 days
Hotpoint HCM22QW (21.7 cu ft)346 kWh39 W22 hours43 hours

Annual figures are from the EnergyGuide test; a freezer in a hot garage will use more.

How long it holds without any power

A full freezer stays at a safe temperature for about 48 hours with the lid closed, and a half-full one for about 24, according to USDA and the CDC. Food that still has ice crystals, or is at 40°F or below, is safe to refreeze. It may lose some quality, but it stays safe.

Put together, that means you rarely need to run a chest freezer nonstop in an outage. A few hours of power a day, with the lid shut in between, is often enough.

Making it last

Questions

Can a 300 Wh power station run a chest freezer?
Usually not: most stations in the 300 Wh class can’t supply the startup surge (see the table above). Ones that can will run it for several hours, which works best topping up the cold a few hours at a time.
How long can a freezer go without power?
About 48 hours if full and 24 hours if half full, as long as the lid stays closed (USDA and CDC).
Is it safe to refreeze food after an outage?
Yes, if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below. Quality may drop, but USDA says it remains safe.

Related

Sources

Wattage figures are typical values from the sources below. Your appliance may differ, so check its label or measure it with a plug-in watt meter.

  1. data.energystar.gov/resource/8t9c-g3tn.json
  2. championpowerequipment.com/generator-wattage-chart
  3. powerequipment.honda.com/generators/generator-wattage-estimation-guide
  4. energystar.gov/products/freezers
  5. fsis.usda.gov/es/node/3347
  6. cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/keep-food-safe-after-emergency.html
  7. fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely