California, Texas, and various other states have experienced regular nightmarish power outages due to both natural and man-made disasters. Such unfortunate events have rendered thousands of reptile and gecko keepers completely helpless during times of emergency. There is a silver lining to this though – many pet parents have now begun exploring alternative power sources!
Because battery-powered outlets are relatively new to the community, not many people are aware of which products are the best. However, the Reptile Hero is here to give you a detailed review of 3 tried-and-tested power banks with the help of other experienced keepers and experts.
The best power bank for a leopard gecko based on our analysis is the Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station.
If that doesn’t suit your leopard gecko’s needs, don’t panic just yet! In fact, we have taken this into consideration and decided to try out 2 other portable power stations. One of these is perfect for pet parents who need a more versatile, higher-capacity battery power bank. Meanwhile, the other unit is great for keepers who only have minimal needs when it comes to providing their baby an alternative power source.
One disclaimer: our review is focused on helping you make your gecko safe even in such a situation. However, as you might guess, there is not a powre bank just for leopard gecko owners. Hence, the power bank we discussed below can also be used to supply your appliances at home in case of a problem!
Now without any further ado, let’s get into the meat of our product reviews!
| Features | Jackery | Bluetti | Rockpals |
| Battery Capacity | 1002Wh | 2000Wh | 520Wh |
| Ports | 2 inlets 8 outlets | 2 inlets 15 outlets | 2 inlets 11 outlets |
| Weight | 22.04 lbs (10 kg) | 60.6 lbs (27.5 kg) | 14.33 lbs (6.5 kg) |
| Dimensions (Length x Width x Height) | 13.1 x 9.2 x 11.1 in (33.3 x 23.3 x 28.3 cm) | 16.5 x 11 x 15.2 in (41.9 x 27.9 x 38.6 cm) | 12.05 x 7.87 x 6.93 in (30.6 x 19.9 x 17.6 cm) |
Jackery – Best Overall
Our top pick for the best battery power bank for leopard geckos is from Jackery. The quality of their products shows exactly why they are a strong favorite among not only pet parents, but campers, people working on the go, and emergency preppers as well.
All The Inclusions
The Jackery Explorer 1000 comes in a complete package with a few interesting features!
This small portable power station comes with the following accessories:
- 1 user guide
- 1 warranty card for 2 years
- 1 storage pouch for extensions and cords
- 1 AC brick and adapter
- 1 car charger cable
- 1 Y-parallel adapter cable for their optional SolarSaga panel
In case you don’t have a solar panel system set up at home yet, another option is to buy a few small solar panels with it! For instance, on Amazon, there is an all-in-one bundle that includes the 2 foldable Jackery Solar Saga 100 W panels. Choosing this will allow you to save a few hundred bucks as buying a single solar panel does fetch a high price.
Plus, they frequently have sales for all of their products on both their Amazon store and the Jackery website. Make sure to check in frequently before purchasing one if you aren’t in a hurry.
High Battery Capacity (More than Enough For a Gecko Tank)
Every single Jackery Explorer 1000 unit houses a group of 18650 lithium-ion battery cells that are cylindrical in shape and has a total electrical energy storage capacity of 1002Wh.
So if you would need to provide power to not only your leopard gecko’s lighting and heating needs but also small appliances and electrical devices (e.g., a mini-fridge, electric stove, WiFi router, etc.), you definitely can. With this 1002Wh you can provide energy to a gecko tank for approximately 2 days (48 hours) as discussed in our article.
Just make sure the starting (surge) and operating (continuous) power those devices need do not go over this unit’s capacity.
Many Ports
The Explorer 1000 model from Jackery has 10 ports in total, 2 ports for power input and 8 for power output. These are turned on and off using their respective AC and DC power buttons.
More specifically, the it possesses the following ports:
- 2 DC inlets
- 1 quick charge 3.0 USB-A outlet (5-6.5V / 3A, 6.5-9V / 3A, 9-12V / 1.5A)
- 1 regular USB-A outlet (5V / 2.4A)
- 2 USB-C outlet (5V / 3A, 9V / 2A, 12V / 1.5A)
- 1 car outlet (12V / 10A)
- 3 pure sine wave AC outlets (110VAC)
You can easily power up to three individual tank set-ups for your leopard gecko babies while also hooking up your phone and a rechargeable hand warmer (here on Amazon) all at once. Simply plug in one heat source for each tank into one of the three AC outlets, connect your phone charging cable to either one USB-A or C outlet (i.e., Android or iPhone), and the pocket-sized hand warmer to another free USB-A outlet.
Just make sure their total rated wattage (W) doesn’t go over the maximum power capacity the unit can supply.
In addition, since this model allows pass-through charging (i.e., simultaneous recharging and discharging) you’re basically good as long as you have a way to replenish its battery. This can be useful if you are recharging through a small solar panel during a relatively sunny day after a black out so you can supply the gecko tank for longer.
4 Easy Ways for Recharging
Jackery’s Explorer 1000 model can be recharged in four ways: 1) solar panel, 2) wall socket, 3) car port, and 4) electric generator.
This unit will likely get fully charged in more or less 17 hours (of full sun) using only one 100W solar panel. Making use of two 100W solar panels simultaneously connected, you could finish completely recharging the unit at the reduced time of 8 hours only.
The Explorer 1000 power station can also be fully charged in 11 to 14 hours using a car’s cigar lighter outlet, then 5 to 7 hours when plugged into an ordinary wall outlet.
Easy to Carry
Despite being relatively powerful and long-lasting, the Jackery Explorer 1000 portable power station is rather lightweight – only weighing in at about 22.04 lbs (10 kg). Carrying it around the house and outdoors when traveling is fairly effortless.
This model is highly compact as well, with dimensions of only 13.1 x 9.2 x 11.1 in (33.3 x 23.3 x 28.3 cm) considering its capacity.
Simple Design
The Jackery Explorer 1000 comes in a simple black and orange casing. It has a permanently fixed handle on the top and the body itself is smooth and rounded out for safer transport.
For information display, this unit has a simple LCD screen which shows accurate data for charge (input in W), discharge (output in W), and battery life status (out of 100%).
One port cover is also part of the design, but only the car port has a built-in cover against moisture and dust. Hopefully, the company releases updated models with port covers for all ports on the unit. Other users have expressed a resounding agreement on this point with us.
Features To Check Out
In order to avoid discharging, this high-capacity power bank from Jackery has a power-saving mode which makes the unit shut down automatically if the power output is lower than 10W for 12 hours straight. This should not be a problem in a gecko tank as the devices in it generally consume more than 10W.
Aside from that, the Explorer 1000 also has a built-in battery management system (BMS) that improves battery performance and extends its life.
There are air vents on either side of the unit, as well as an internal cooling fan (quiet) that will start running once the power station reaches a working or charging temperature of 104°F (40°C), to prevent it from overheating.
Good Customer Service
The company’s customer service team readily offers repair or replacement for Jackery products that do not operate as advertised as long as damage or fault was not due to user misuse, carelessness, and the like.
Scroll through their product reviews on Amazon and the company website – this has happened many times already. Fortunately, however, we didn’t experience such issues while trying out the Explorer 1000.
Bluetti – Best Bonus Features
This unit from Bluetti has also scored a place for itself in our list of top 3 power banks for leopard geckos. Possessing a higher power capacity than the first, it is perfect for pet parents with numerous scaly family members!
| Best Bonus Features |
| Bluetti AC200P 2000Wh/2000W Portable Power Station |
| https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MZJW9Y5 |
| This heavy-duty portable battery power station is perfect for keepers taking care of more than one leopard gecko. |
What You Get
You will receive the Bluetti AC200P in a carefully padded cardboard box along with the following standard accessories:
- 1 user manual
- 1 customer service (warranty) card for 2 years
- 1 certificate of qualification
- 1 draw-string bag for storing extensions and cords
- 1 AC charger (power brick and cable)
- 1 PV solar charging cable
- 1 car charger cable
- 1 XT90 to aviation input plug cable
However, you would need to buy a couple of other accessories to be able to use the Bluetti AC200P unit to its fullest. These separately sold add-ons include an aviation output plug cable, a lead-acid battery charging cable, and a 120W foldable solar panel.
Different power station and solar panel bundles are also up on offer in their online store and company website.
Powerful Battery Capacity
The hefty AC200P power station has a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery with a total electrical energy storage capacity of 2000Wh.
What’s more, is that it also supports pass-through charging. This means that it can be charged and be used at the same time!
Besides providing enough power for your leopard gecko’s complex bioactive set-up (with lights, heaters, water features, and etc.), you can also keep yourself more than comfortable. You can use your air conditioning unit, fridge, heater, and a lot more!
In the rare event that this is too much power for you and your soft-scaled baby’s needs, they also have other units such as the Bluetti EB150 (1500Wh) and the AC50S (500Wh) models.
Ports for Days
The Bluetti AC200P easily beats the Jackery Explorer 1000 in terms of the total number of ports.
A single AC200P unit has 17 ports in total (2 inlets and 15 outlets) comprised of the following:
- 1 PV or car inlet
- 1 AC charger/adapter inlet
- 1 cigar lighter outlet (12V / 10A)
- 2 DC outlets (12V / 3A)
- 1 DC outlet (12V / 25A)
- 1 fast charging PD 60W USB-C outlet (5V / 3A, 9V / 3A, 12V / 3A, 20V / 3A)
- 4 USB-A outlet (5V / 3A)
- 6 pure sine wave AC outlets (110VAC)
Got 6 separate enclosures with lighting and heating elements connected into dedicated thermostats? No problem! This Bluetti has a total of 6 AC outlets ensure your leopard geckos’ safety and comfort – most if not all reptile devices need to be plugged into this port type.
5 Recharging Methods and Dual Charging
Buetti’s 2000Wh portable power station unit can be charged in 5 ways:
- AC charger (500 W)
- Car charger (12V, 24V)
- Solar panel(s) (35-150V / max 700W, max 12A)
- Generator (gasoline, propane, diesel)
- Lead-acid battery (max 8.2A）
Regardless of your recharging approach of choice, the unit will generally be fully charged in 4.5 to 18 hours.
This battery power bank also permits dual charging. This means that the Bluetti AC200P power station can be recharged through both inlets at the same time. For example, you can use a solar panel system and AC charger concurrently.
Heavyweight With Modern Design
Coming at around 60.6 lbs (27.5 kg) and 16.5 x 11 x 15.2 in (41.9 x 27.9 x 38.6 cm), the 2000Wh power station from Bluetti is undoubtedly heavy and it does take up a considerable amount of space whether or not it is in use, not a problem if it stays (as it should) in the closet or garage for a long time.
The Bluetti AC200P portable power station model also has fixed curved handles on either side of the unit for easier handling.
We love the smart LCD touchscreen which can inform us of not only charging and discharging, but also allows users to manually set the output voltage, charging mode, check for temperature, and many other data. This is useful to understand how many hours more the battery can charge the gecko tank
Another thing the Reptile Hero team really liked about this unit from Bluetti is that all ports have protective covers. This is a feature we wish becomes an industry standard.
We can uncover the few outlets we need to plug in all our leopard geckos’ lighting, heating, cooling, and even misting devices, knowing full well that not a single speck of dust or droplet of water can compromise the unit.
Premium Features To Be Aware Of [Problems!]
You also have the option of enabling or disabling the Bluetti ECO or power-saving mode to avoid wasting 50% of the total electrical power stored. Despite this sounding like a piece of good news, this function is something you should activate if you are supplying only your gecko tank! This unit will shut down if the output to your gecko tank is constantly below 50W for 4 hours straight.
An AC200P unit’s cooling system is triggered once the internal operating temperature reaches 113°F (45°C). The fan inside is relatively silent, so it won’t disturb you.
Last but not least – aside from the 15 outlets already mentioned earlier in the article, this portable battery station also has two 15W wireless charging pads on top of the unit. So in the odd event where all 15 output ports are already occupied by other appliances and devices, you can still charge your phone right on top of either wireless charging stations.
Rockpals – Best Short-Term Solution
Not every keeper can easily shell out money to meet their leopard gecko’s needs, this is especially true when it comes to picking the right power station. However, Rockpals has a product that is both affordable and has sufficient battery capacity!
| Best Short-Term Solution |
| Rockpals 500W/520WH Portable Power Station |
| https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F1Z752B |
| This handy little battery-powered outlet is the absolute best option for beginner leopard gecko pet parents. |
Inclusions
Just as the two other products we have discussed earlier on, this little thing also comes with the necessary accessories you will need. Everything is secured with cushioning before being packaged so the product can be safely sent over to you.
The Rockpals 500W/520Wh portable power station unit will include the following in the box:
- 1 user manual
- 1 AC adapter
- 1 car charger
Although it isn’t shipped with a warranty card like the rest, the company does provide a 2-year warranty for this product. Make sure to check everything upon delivery so you can immediately get in touch with their customer service team if necessary.
Rockpals also offers separate foldable solar panels to use in conjunction with the unit.
Sufficient Battery Capacity in a Small Unit
It’s true when people say some of the best things come in small packages. Rockpals proves this with their compact and lightweight power station.
This battery-powered outlet from Rockpals, in particular, is equipped with high-quality lithium-ion with a total electrical energy storage capacity of 520Wh.
A big plus is that this powerhouse of a power bank only weighs about 14.33 lbs (6.5 kg) and measures 12.05 x 7.87 x 6.93 in (30.6 x 19.9 x 17.6 cm). You won’t break a sweat from carrying this around even for a prolonged period over a great distance – well unless it’s incredibly hot where you are.
Besides all that, this portable battery power station has a flat, sharp-angled folding handle with anti-slip padding for a comfortable grip.
Several Ports and Clever Design
You might think that a power station this small would be lacking in ports, but you would definitely be wrong. One Rockpals 500W/520 unit is fitted out with a grand total of 13 ports – 2 inlets and 11 outlets.
All types and number of each port are as follows:
- 2 DC inlets
- 4 DC outlets (9-12.6V / 10A)
- 1 quick charge 3.0 USB-C outlet (5-9V / 2A)
- 1 quick charge 3.0 USB-A outlet (5-9V / 2A)
- 2 regular USB-A outlets (5V / 3.1A)
- 1 car outlet (12V / 10A)
- 2 pure sine wave AC outlets (110VAC)
Even though this unit only has 2 AC outlets, the design makes up for the number. Each AC outlet is placed on opposite sides of the body’s forepart, so you won’t have to sacrifice one port to pack in any device’s bulky plug.
It has an LED information display screen that shows you exactly which port type is in use (charge and discharge) and battery life status. However, we do think that the absence of numerical data puts this at a disadvantage compared to the earlier two products.
4 Ways of Efficient Recharging
The Rockpals 500W/520Wh power station model can be fully charged in 8 to 10 hours on average through 4 methods:
- AC wall charger (15V, 6A)
- Car charger (12V)
- Solar panel(s) (13-22V / max 6A)
- Generator (gasoline, propane, diesel)
Using either the AC or car charger, a full charge can be completed in as short as 6-7 hours. Also, this handy unit is built to facilitate pass-through charging, has a built-in BMS, and is equipped with a cooling system that kicks of when operating temperatures reach 104°F (40°C).
Give us a shout!
We are a small team so we were only able to test out and review a few models. If you have other recommendations, just send them to us here. We would love to try it out if we can.
To reiterate, Reptile Hero’s top 3 best battery-powered outlets for leopard geckos are:
Conclusion
The perfect portable battery power station for your leopard gecko must have 1) sufficient battery capacity, 2) several different port types, 3) various replenishing methods which allow quick full charging, 4) a decent size for easy transport, 5) ergonomic overall product design, and 6) top-end extra features.
Considering everything, the best power bank for your leopard gecko is this Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station which could give you enough power for several hours or a whole day or so on a single full charge (depending on your consumption). Your baby won’t have to experience freezing or overheating to death!