If you sleep with a CPAP machine, a power outage or a tent campsite is a medical problem, not an inconvenience. The good news: CPAPs sip power compared to almost anything else you’d plug in, so the right battery is smaller and cheaper than people expect.
How we picked: verified manufacturer specs, owner reports from CPAP and camping communities, and runtime math we show below. We have not bench-tested every unit here yet — where that matters, we say so. This is buying guidance, not medical advice; talk to your equipment provider about your specific machine’s power needs. How we work.
The short version
| Pick | Unit | Capacity | Nights per charge* | Why it wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | EcoFlow River 2 Max | 512Wh | 2–4 | Light (13 lbs), fast recharge, right size |
| Best budget | Jackery Explorer 500 | 518Wh | 2–4 | Often discounted, dead simple |
| Best for a full week | Anker Solix C1000 | 1,056Wh | 5–8 | Week-long trips, recharges in under an hour |
| Best for humidifier users | Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | 1,070Wh | 3–5 (humidifier on) | Extra headroom for heated humidification |
*Nights = 8 hours of sleep, humidifier off unless noted. Math below.
CPAP runtime math (do this once, buy with confidence)
Step 1: find your machine’s draw. Look at the power supply label or manual. Most machines (ResMed AirSense/AirMini, Philips DreamStation, etc.) draw 30–60W with therapy running and the humidifier off. Heated humidifier and heated hose can push it to 60–90W.
Step 2: apply the formula.
Nights = (Battery Wh × 0.85) ÷ (machine watts × hours of sleep)
The 0.85 is inverter loss — the battery’s DC has to be converted to AC, and that conversion costs ~15%. Example: a 512Wh unit, a 40W machine, 8 hours a night → (512 × 0.85) ÷ (40 × 8) ≈ 1.4 nights with AC power… but see the DC trick below, which nearly doubles this.
Step 3: add a safety margin. Batteries age, cold nights reduce capacity, and pressure settings vary. Buy 25–50% more than the math says.
The two tricks that double your runtime
1. Turn off the heated humidifier. It’s the single biggest lever. Humidification roughly doubles power draw. For camping, most users run the machine dry for a few nights without issue — but follow your provider’s guidance, not ours, on what’s comfortable for you.
2. Use the DC cable, not the AC outlet. Most CPAP manufacturers sell a 12V DC car adapter (ResMed and Philips both do). Plugging the machine into the power station’s 12V car socket skips the AC inverter entirely, cutting that ~15% loss and the machine’s own AC-to-DC conversion loss. Owners routinely report 20–30% longer runtime this way. A 512Wh station that barely clears one humidified night on AC can stretch past three nights on DC with the humidifier off.
Our picks, in detail
Best overall: EcoFlow River 2 Max
512Wh, 13 lbs, LiFePO4 battery, and recharges from a wall outlet in about an hour. For a weekend camping trip it’s the right size: two to four nights depending on settings, light enough to carry to a tent, and small enough to live in a closet at home as outage insurance. The River 2 Max also has a UPS-style mode, so at home it can sit between the wall and your CPAP and switch over automatically during an outage.
Best budget: Jackery Explorer 500
The Explorer 500 is an older design (no LiFePO4, slower charging), but it’s frequently on sale well below newer units, and 518Wh is the same useful capacity. If budget is the constraint and your trips are short, it does the job. If you camp monthly, spend up for the River 2 Max’s longer-lived battery.
Best for a full week off-grid: Anker Solix C1000
1,056Wh doubles your margin: five to eight nights humidifier-free, or two to four with the humidifier on. It recharges extremely fast, so a midday top-up from a car or solar panel keeps a week-long trip going indefinitely. Overkill for a weekend, right-size for backcountry weeks or storm season.
Best for humidifier users: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
If your provider says the heated humidifier stays on, buy capacity instead of compromising: the 1000 v2’s 1,070Wh covers three to five nights at 60–90W draw. It’s also the one we’d point at for home outage duty — pair it with the DC trick at home and a single charge covers a long outage weekend.
For flying: power stations don’t work
Anything over 100Wh (some airlines allow 160Wh with approval) can’t go in airline baggage, so every unit above is car-camping and home-backup only. For air travel you need a dedicated sub-100Wh CPAP travel battery — a different product category that your CPAP supplier stocks.
FAQ
(Quick answers at the top of this page. Your machine’s manual and your equipment provider are the authority on your setup — ask us about the battery side.)
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a CPAP use?
Most CPAP machines draw 30–60W without the heated humidifier, and 60–90W with it on high. Heated tubing adds more. Turning the humidifier off is the single biggest way to extend battery runtime.
How long will a 500Wh power station run a CPAP?
Roughly two to three nights: 500Wh × 0.85 inverter efficiency ÷ 40W average draw ≈ 10 hours per charge cycle, so about 10–12 hours per night of use for 2–3 nights. With the humidifier on high, expect one night.
Can I fly with a power station for my CPAP?
No — power stations (300Wh+) far exceed the FAA's 100Wh lithium battery limit for carry-ons. For flying, use a purpose-built CPAP travel battery under 100Wh instead, and check your airline's medical device policy.
Do I need a pure sine wave inverter for a CPAP?
Yes, but every power station we recommend has one built in. The caution applies to cheap modified-sine-wave inverters, which can damage CPAP motors over time.