CleanTechnica Tested: The UGREEN PowerRoam 1200 Solar Generator

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UGREEN is a new player in the solar generator space and is rushing the scene with its brand new PowerRoam 1200 Power Station to lead the charge. Supporting the base unit, UGREEN is also introducing its own 200 watt folding solar panels that transforms the power station into a full blown solar generator. They sent us a PowerRoam 1200 and a few of their 200W folding solar panels for us to run through the paces and we gladly obliged.

Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

Right out of the gate, it's worth mentioning that the UGREEN Power room 1200 only has a storage capacity of one kilowatt hour or 1024 watt hours. The 1200 in the name refers to the maximum AC output capability. That's a bit confusing as most power stations use the storage capacity as the naming standard and not the AC power output capability.

Charge

Recharging the UGREEN PowerRoam 1200 can be done from a standard AC wall outlet, DC from solar panels, and DC from a standard automotive 12v outlet. Recharging from a wall is straightforward. Just plug it in and the unit starts to pull down up to 1800 watts of power at a time. It can recharge from zero to 80% in 50 minutes with a full charge coming in it just over an hour based on the charging curve it's currently using.

Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

The PowerRoam 1200 can also be recharged with a pair of solar panels for up to 400 watts of charging. To accomplish this, the panels must be connected in series, not in parallel. If they are connected in parallel, the output will be much lower. For folks on the go, the unit can also be recharged from a 12 volt automotive outlet. It can pull down just under 100 watts from this, recharging in a full day on the road or trickle charging enough power to keep constant draw appliances like refrigerators running.

Use

The UGREEN PowerRoam 1200 lets you pull power out from three grounded AC connections and three non-grounded AC connections on the right hand side of the unit. It also hosts a pair of 12 volt DC barrel connector and one 12 volt automotive outlet on the front as well as a handful of USB ports.

Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

To make it easier to see you when you’re out camping or otherwise adventuring with the power room, green included a light at the front of the unit. It's a handy edition that we love to see on more power stations as they’re typically being used where no power and thus lighting infrastructure exists.

With its ability to push out 1,200 watts of continuous AC power and a peak output of a staggering 3,000 watts, we were eager to see what the unit could actually handle. To test its ability to push out power for longer durations, we ran a 500-1,200 watt heat gun off it for a few hours off and on and it happily kept up.

Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

Connecting it up to our cadre of kitchen appliances cranked all the way up, the UGREEN PowerRoam 1200 happily chugged along and kept them all running at a stated power draw of 1,200 watts. We see this number range anywhere from 1,000-1,500 watts depending on the unit so this is well within the standard range. It's impressive to see such a lightweight unit handling such a heavy load without even kicking on the fans or shutting down.

Overall

With its light weight and comfortable, easy to grasp handle up top, the UGREEN PowerRoam 1200 is well suited to portable applications like camping, sports functions, picnics and the like. It's one kilowatt hour of storage capacity and 1200 watts of AC output capability are more than enough for most casual applications, though they’re not quite enough to support a full home during a grid outage. It could also be used as a primary power source for lighter duty portable living situations.

With its lower storage capacity the UGREEN PowerRoam 1200 also boasts a lower price point that sure to be attractive to many prospective buyers. At just $999 dollars MSRP and with a $200 off promotion already running on Amazon, it is priced to sell. For more information about the UGREEN PowerRoam 1200, head over to the official UGREEN website or Amazon. You can also get an additional 5% off through June 18th using code 05UG1200 on Amazon.

Disclaimer: UGREEN provided the power station and solar panels to the author for the purposes of this review.

I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. As an activist investor, Kyle owns long term holdings in Tesla, Lightning eMotors, Arcimoto, and SolarEdge.

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