I always keep these 3 devices plugged into my power station - here's why

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Power stations are typically used as clutch devices: When the power goes out, or you're going camping, you roll out your power station and connect the devices you want to keep running to it.

However, this approach exposes you to potential issues, such as discovering your power station wasn't fully charged, not knowing where the cables are, or losing Wi-Fi or access to other devices.

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As a smart home tech reviewer, I get a lot of power stations to test, so I've gotten creative about their uses. The larger power stations are integrated into my whole-home backup system, while the smaller ones are often used as UPSs for devices that support my home's daily functioning.

Here are the three types of devices I always keep connected to a power station.

In 2026, the first device I put on a UPS was my internet modem and router. As a kid, we had a UPS on each desktop computer at home to avoid a hard shutdown when the power inevitably went out in my third-world country.