Anker 535 PowerHouse review: Is this power station the workhorse its name suggests?
The Anker portable generator houses nine ports, allowing multiple devices to charge and power at once.
I recently made the move from New York City to Florida and one of the biggest things I’ve had to adjust to is the weather, especially those big rainstorms and hurricanes — which means there are likely days where I may experience power outages and am going to want a backup supply of power.
For some background, I am a fairly technologically savvy person — my home office consists of my laptop and a monitor which I was able to successfully hook up without many issues. I have also had my fair share of experience using portable chargers and power banks. However, I admittedly have never used a power station as large as the Anker 535 PowerHouse.
I recently got my hands on one and wanted to see if it lived up to the 4.6-star Amazon rating I saw when I wrote this and its $500 price tag. To test the product, I fully recharged it and tested the AC, USB-C, and USB-A ports to charge my iPhone, MacBook Air, Nintendo Switch, and Bluetooth headphones. I also tested to see if it could be used to power the lamp placed by my desk.
The verdict? The Anker 535 PowerHouse did effectively charge and power up multiple of my devices simultaneously. At $500, I can say that it is worth the investment for somebody who needs to be prepared for inclement weather (like myself living in Florida) or spends lots of time in remote areas and may not have access to outlets such as campers or those on a road trip. However, for a person looking to charge their phone or power devices regularly, it is a bit pricey and heavy for day-to-day use. (Though we have seen the power station's price dip below $350.)
The Anker PowerHouse is easy to use even for beginners
When I opened the box, I immediately saw the user manual which was filled with helpful diagrams showing how to recharge the power device and the various ports (four AC, one USB-C, and three USB-A ports). I was able to easily unwrap the car port charger and power adapter and plug it in for charging.
I also liked that it came with a light. Although I did not need to use it, I still tried turning it on and off which could be easily done with the push of a button.
However, it is important to note that any Lightning or other cables that may be required to charge a laptop, phone, etc. are not included with the Anker 535 PowerHouse. Although I wish they were included (considering the $500 price tag), I luckily had them at my apartment, so I could get right to testing without having to order any additional cables.
How long does the Anker 535 PowerHouse battery take to charge?
Since it was my first time using the device, the instruction manual advised that I fully charge it first. The box advertised that the device could be fully recharged using the in-box adapter in four-and-a-half hours and I wanted to see if I would experience that quick charge time. When I initially plugged in the power adapter charger to the outlet in my apartment, the device was already at 27 percent (I had assumed it would be at zero percent considering the instructions read to fully charge it before use). It took three-and-a-half hours to reach 100 percent (from 27 percent) which I thought was in line with the box’s claim and extremely quick considering the battery’s capacity of 512Wh.
The Anker 535 PowerHouse can charge and power up multiple devices fairly quickly
To test the portable generator’s charging capabilities, I charged my MacBook Air, iPhone, Bluetooth headphones, and Nintendo Switch simultaneously.
It took two hours and 20 minutes for my phone to charge from zero percent to 100 percent.
It took two hours and 10 minutes for my laptop to charge from zero percent to 100 percent.
It took two hours and 50 minutes for the Nintendo Switch to charge.
Considering all of the devices were charging at the same time, I thought that under three hours to fully charge all three devices was fast.
I found it helpful that the LCD display showed how many Watts of power were being used as the devices were being charged as well as the remaining battery hours. This makes it easier for one to prepare.
I tested the AC port by plugging in the lamp by my desk and it turned on easily with no issues.
Even with all of the charging that was being done, the battery only lowered to 74 percent, which was impressive considering it was charging four devices for three and a half hours.
The Anker 535 PowerHouse was unable to accept three-prong AC power cords
I wanted to fully power my home office using the Anker 535 PowerHouse, but unfortunately, I was unable to plug in my monitor as it was equipped with a three-prong AC power cord. The machine is only able to accept two-prong AC power cords. This was slightly disappointing and is something to make a note of in case you want to use this power station to connect an appliance that is equipped with a three-pronged cord.
However, I was able to plug in some of the electronics in my office, including my lamp.
Is the Anker 535 PowerHouse worth it?
Do I think the Anker 535 PowerHouse is worth the value? I think it depends on who you’re asking or what one plans on using it for. As someone who lives in Florida, I think the Anker 535 PowerHouse is definitely worth the price, especially during hurricane season. Although it can efficiently charge and power multiple devices at once with its nine ports, the battery is fairly heavy and would be kind of a pain to transport.
If you're solely looking to use the Anker 535 PowerHouse for day-to-day use to charge your phones, laptops, etc., then it is not worth the price as there are other smaller, more portable, and cheaper chargers on the market. However, if you’re looking to use it while camping to power multiple appliances including lamps, mini coolers, or the like, then I would say it is worth the $500 investment — or $330 investment if you can snag it on sale.
