Portable Power Inverter: 12 Best Options for Car & Camping

A flat phone or warm beer can ruin a road-trip faster than Auckland traffic. The fix is a portable power inverter – a small box that turns your car’s 12-volt DC into the same 230/240-volt AC you get at home, so you can run a laptop, fridge or drill wherever you park up. Choose the right unit and you’ll keep gear humming without flattening the battery or blowing fuses; choose poorly and you’ll be left hunting for a powered campsite.

Below we break down the key specs—continuous wattage, surge headroom, pure versus modified sine waveform, and built-in safety cut-outs—before ranking a dozen inverters that have proved their worth to Kiwi drivers, campers and boaties. From cup-holder 150 W chargers to beefy 2 kW rigs that can run a microwave, each pick includes real-world use cases, pros and cons, and buying tips you can put to work today. Grab your appliance checklist and let’s find the model that fits your next adventure.

1. Action Outdoors – Wide Range of 12 V→230 V Pure & Modified Sine Inverters

Action Outdoors isn’t just stocking a token portable power inverter or two; their Grey Lynn shelves hold everything from palm-sized 150 W dash units to 3 000 W beasts ready for a permanent berth in your motorhome. Because the range is under one roof (and on one website), you can compare price, waveform and plug layout side-by-side instead of bouncing between retailers. Even better, the Auckland-based crew know their amps from their elbows and will happily translate spec-sheet gobbledegook into plain advice.

Overview & Why It Tops Our List

Local availability matters when you fry a fuse the night before a Coromandel mission. Action Outdoors carries spare fuses, cable kits and remote panels in-store, so you’re not waiting on overseas shipping. Their buying team cherry-picks reputable brands—Enerdrive, Projecta, VoltX—covering every common wattage bracket (150 W, 300 W, 600 W, 1 000 W, 2 000 W, 3 000 W). That breadth and after-sales support earned them the prime spot.

Stand-out Features Across the Range

• Pure sine models for laptops, medical gear and modern TVs
• Budget-friendly modified sine units for kettles, battery chargers, power tools
• Dual NZ-compatible 240 V sockets plus USB-A and 60 W USB-C on many models
• Low-voltage shut-down, over-temp and reverse-polarity alarms baked in
• Optional hard-wire kits and flush-mount remotes for tidy RV installs

Ideal Use Cases

Caravanners running a CPAP machine, photographers charging camera batteries from a ute, tradies needing 240 V on remote sites, or boaties topping up an electric reel—there’s a matching inverter on the shelf.

Pros & Cons Summary

Pros

• One-stop Kiwi shop with live stock levels
• NZ plug compliance—no adapters required
• Knowledgeable staff and spare parts on hand

Cons

• Premium pure sine models cost notably more
• Popular sizes (300 W-600 W) can sell out before long weekends

Expert Tip for Buyers

Walk in with the watt rating of every appliance you intend to power, add them together, then multiply by 1.5–2. That surge buffer lets the inverter start inductive loads—think fridge compressors—without tripping. The team can then match cable gauge and fuse size so your new rig runs cool and safe.

2. Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro Portable Power Station (1 000 W Pure Sine)

If you’d prefer an all-in-one box that combines a lithium battery with a rock-solid portable power inverter, Jackery’s 1000 Pro is the benchmark. The orange suitcase houses a 1 002 Wh pack and a pure-sine inverter able to deliver 1 000 W continuously or 2 000 W for start-up surges—enough headroom for most campsite luxuries without the noise or fumes of a generator.

Quick Specs at a Glance

• Battery capacity: 1 002 Wh (21.6 V, 46.4 Ah Li-ion)
• AC output: 1 000 W continuous / 2 000 W surge
• Outlets: 2 × NZ 230 V AC, 2 × USB-C 100 W, 2 × USB-A, 1 × 12 V car socket
• Weight: 11.5 kg; dimensions: 340 × 262 × 255 mm
• Screen: real-time watt-in/watt-out and battery-% LCD

What Can It Run?

Expect roughly 4–5 hours on a 200 W Engel fridge, 8–10 laptop charges, or a 1 000 W pod-coffee machine for a quick brew. Sensitive photo gear and CPAP machines stay happy thanks to the low (<3 %) total harmonic distortion.

Portability & Re-charging

A chunky top handle and sub-12 kg mass mean one-hand carries from boot to picnic table. Re-fuel via:

1. 240 V wall plug – 0–100 % in ≈1.8 h
2. Vehicle 12 V – ≈12 h while driving
3. Two 200 W SolarSaga panels – full in good sun within 1.7 h

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Whisper-quiet fan profile and no petrol smell
• Smartphone app for SOC, watts and firmware updates
• Lithium battery rated for 1 000+ cycles to 80 %

Cons

• Up-front cost higher than stand-alone inverter + AGM battery
• Integrated pack means weight grows with capacity

Usage Tip

Activate “Silent Charging” in the Jackery app at night—fan speed drops and fellow campers will only hear the kiwi calls, not your power station.

3. Renogy 1 000 W 12 V Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Renogy built its name on solar charge controllers, and the same engineering DNA shows up in this mid-sized portable power inverter. Sitting in the sweet spot between lightweight car units and bulky 2 kW rigs, the Renogy 1 000 W delivers household-grade AC with the efficiency and reliability you need for regular off-grid use.

Key Features

• Tough anodised aluminium chassis for corrosion resistance
• 2 × NZ 230 V AC sockets plus a hard-wire block for permanent installs
• Wired remote on a 5 m lead lets you tuck the inverter in a cupboard and switch it from the galley
• Smart cooling fan triggers only when internal temps hit 45 °C, keeping idle draw to ≈ 0.9 A

Performance Notes

Pure sine output stays below <2 % THD, so laptops, LED TVs and medical devices run glitch-free. A healthy 2 000 W surge rating protects against compressor kick-starts or power-tool spin-ups.

Ideal For

Campervans, ute canopy builds, small bach solar systems, and tradies who want a trustworthy 240 V feed without lugging a generator.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Renogy warranty and NZ service centre
• Quiet operation even at half load
• Remote switch included (many brands charge extra)

Cons

• No USB or USB-C ports on the chassis
• Requires proper ring-lugs, 200 A fuse and DC breaker—DIY novices may need an auto-sparky

Pro Tip

Keep battery cables short—≤ 1 m—and use 35 mm² fine-strand copper to limit voltage drop to <3 % when pulling the full 1 kW. Your fridge and laptop chargers will thank you with longer run-times.

4. Victron Phoenix 375 W Compact Inverter

If you prize efficiency and rock-solid electronics over raw grunt, the Dutch-designed Victron Phoenix 375 W deserves a hard look. About the size of a paperback and tipping the scales at 1.6 kg, this pure-sine portable power inverter sips just 5 W at idle yet punches out 230 V AC clean enough for medical gear. Victron’s reputation in the marine and RV solar scene means you’re buying engineering that’s been torture-tested on rolling yachts and dusty outback utes.

Where It Excels

• ≈ 90 % conversion efficiency keeps battery drain low
• ECO mode throttles output when load falls below 15 W
• Built-in VE.Direct port lets you add a Bluetooth dongle for VictronConnect stats (voltage, watts, alarms)
• Fully conformal-coated PCB resists salt spray and humidity

Ideal Use Cases

Charging laptops and mirrorless-camera batteries, running a 32-inch TV on rainy caravan nights, or keeping a modem and monitor alive during Auckland power cuts.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• App-based monitoring and firmware updates
• Whisper-quiet—fan rarely engages under 250 W
  Cons
• Single AC socket limits simultaneous devices
• Higher dollars per watt than mass-market brands

Installation Tip

Pair the Phoenix with a Victron SmartShunt; the phone app then displays state-of-charge alongside inverter metrics, so you know exactly when to shut things down before the battery hits 50 %.

5. Bluetti AC180P Power Station (1 800 W Pure Sine)

Sliding up the scale from fixed in-vehicle inverters, Bluetti’s AC180P packages a 1 440 Wh LiFePO₄ battery and a beefy pure-sine wave inverter into one rugged brief-case. If you want a grab-and-go solution that works as a portable power inverter, deep-cycle battery and solar charger in one tidy cube, this unit is hard to beat.

Headline Specs

• LiFePO₄ chemistry rated for > 3 500 charge cycles to 80 %
• 1 800 W continuous / 2 700 W “Power-Lifting” surge mode
• Outputs: 2 × NZ 230 V AC, 1 × 100 W USB-C PD, 4 × USB-A, 1 × 12 V car, 1 × 15 W wireless pad
• Re-charge: 0–80 % from mains in ≈ 45 min (1 440 W input), 500 W solar MPPT, 12 V vehicle input
• Weight: 17 kg; integrated carry handles and rubber feet

Runtime Examples

• 700 W portable fridge/freezer – ~2 h continuous
• 60 W laptop – ≈ 20 full charges
• 1 400 W hair-dryer – 10 min burst in Power-Lifting for quick dry-off after a surf

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Super-fast AC recharge for late-notice trips
• Built-in UPS switches to battery within 20 ms during black-outs
• Smartphone app (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi) for SOC, load and firmware

Cons

• At 17 kg it’s luggable, not lightweight
• Cooling fan noticeable above 1 kW draw

Usage Tip

Power-Lifting is brilliant for resistive loads like kettles, but disable it when running sensitive audio gear to keep total harmonic distortion at its lowest.

6. RYOBI 300 W 40 V Inverter Power Source

Already running a shed full of Ryobi 40 V lawn tools? This clip-on inverter lets those same lithium packs moonlight as a campsite generator, sparing you from buying a separate 12 V battery and cables. Snap it onto any 40 V battery, tap the power button and you’ve got household AC plus USB charging on the picnic table.

Key Selling Points

• 300 W pure-sine* AC outlet (NZ socket)
• 2 × 2.4 A USB-A ports, integrated LED work-light
• Weighs just 740 g (without battery) and rides easily in a day-pack
• Battery-level LEDs mirror the tool platform for no-guess run-time

*Ryobi rates it “pure” but oscilloscope tests show slight step approximation—fine for laptops, avoid audiophile gear.

Typical Loads

• 42-inch LED TV (≈ 95 W) for the rugby finals
• Nutri-Bullet blender on smoothie duty (220 W)
• Drone or camera chargers while the crew breaks for lunch

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Uses batteries you already own
• No messy wiring or fuses
• Built-in light doubles as tent lantern

Cons

• Limited capacity: a 6 Ah pack gives ≈ 270 Wh
• Fanless passive cooling; unit throttles if enclosed in hot ute tray

Tip

Pack two fully-charged 6 Ah batteries; hot-swap them to keep the TV or blender running without waiting for a recharge.

7. Projecta Intelli-Wave 600 W Pure Sine Inverter (Repco NZ)

Sitting midway between glove-box mini units and fixed RV systems, the Aussie-designed Intelli-Wave 600 W is a tidy option for motorists who want mains power without wiring drama. Its pure-sine output keeps laptops, TVs and medical devices safe, while a bright LCD lets you eyeball battery volts and current draw before you drain the crank battery. Pick one up from almost any Repco in Aotearoa and you’re powered for long-weekend roadies the same day.

Feature Highlights

• Back-lit LCD cycles battery voltage, AC watts and fault codes
• Selectable ECO mode drops idle draw to ≈ 0.3 A when load < 10 W
• Thermo-controlled fan prevents heat soak on summer beach missions
• Internal RFI filtering minimises interference with UHF and VHF radios

Car-Ready Advantages

• Cigarette-lighter lead handles up to 150 W for true plug-and-play jobs
• Heavy-duty battery clamps and 6 AWG cables supplied for the full 600 W
• Mounting flanges and detachable faceplate suit semi-permanent van installs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• NZS/RCM safety approvals, two-year warranty
• User-friendly screen and mode buttons; no phone app required

Cons

• Cooling fan cycles often above ~300 W—audible in quiet camps
• At 1.9 kg it’s heavier than some rivals in the same watt bracket

Tip

Use the accessory-plug lead only for loads under 120 W (think laptop plus phone chargers). Higher draws can pop the vehicle’s 15 A fuse—switch to the clamp leads for anything thirstier.

8. Ridge Ryder 150 W Cup-Holder Inverter (Supercheap Auto)

Small, cheap and dead-easy to stash, the Ridge Ryder 150 W is the quintessential glove-box portable power inverter. Plug the 12 V lead into your car’s accessory socket, drop the aluminium body into the cup holder and you instantly gain a household socket plus USB charging—without cables sliding all over the console. Supercheap Auto keeps them on shelves nationwide, so grabbing a replacement fuse or another unit for a second vehicle is painless.

Why It’s Popular

• Cylindrical shape fits most NZ/AU cup holders and stays upright on corrugations
• 1 × 230 V AC outlet (modified sine) up to 150 W, 2 × 2.4 A USB-A ports
• Auto low-voltage, overload and over-temperature shut-downs prevent flat batteries and meltdowns

Ideal Uses

Road-trippers topping up a laptop, photographers charging camera batteries between shoots, or parents powering a Nintendo Switch so kids stay busy from Taupō to Tauranga.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Sub-600 g; no mounting required
• Swivel head keeps plugs level in tilted cup holders

Cons

• Modified sine waveform—skip for audiophile gear
• 150 W ceiling rules out kettles, hair-dryers and induction cookers

Road-Trip Tip

Pair the inverter with a high-output QC3.0 car charger in a second socket; that frees the Ridge Ryder’s USB ports for passengers and leaves the full 150 W AC channel clear for your laptop or camera charger.

9. Self-Contained.co.nz 150 W “Drinks-Can” Pure Sine Inverter

Looking for something smaller than a smartphone but still packing a true pure-sine portable power inverter? This stubby aluminium cylinder from Self-Contained.co.nz is literally the size of a Coke can, slips into any cup holder, and plugs straight into your 12 V socket. Its 150 W continuous output is modest, yet the waveform is clean enough for sensitive electronics—handy when you’re editing footage in the van or running LED fairy lights at a beach wedding.

Stand-out Traits

• Pure sine wave at <3 % THD despite fan-free passive cooling
• USB-C PD 30 W plus 18 W QC USB-A alongside the 230 V outlet
• Anodised heat-sink body keeps temps in check without whirring fans

Car & Van Applications

Quick-charge a DSLR battery, keep a Bluetooth speaker playing, run a 35 W projector for movie night, or power a CPAP (with engine idling).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Quiet operation—no fan noise
• Weighs just 310 g, easy to stash in glove box

Cons

• Single AC socket limits multitasking
• Cigarette-plug fuse restricts continuous draw to ≈120 W

Tip

If you’re edging close to the 150 W ceiling, leave the engine running or wire a dedicated 15 A socket to avoid voltage sag and blown fuses.

10. Enerdrive ePOWER 2 000 W Pure Sine Inverter (Available via Mr Positive)

Need a portable power inverter that will happily boil the jug and run the microwave while your mate’s charger tops up a drill battery? The Australian-engineered Enerdrive ePOWER 2 000 W is built for exactly that scenario. Rugged enough for ute trays and launch engine rooms, yet refined enough for a caravan pantry, it serves up rock-steady 230 V with a monster 4 000 W surge rating.

Heavy-Duty Specs

• Continuous output: 2 000 W @ 230 V AC, 50 Hz
• Surge: 4 000 W (5 s) for motor start-ups
• Input voltage: 10.5–15.5 V DC with low-voltage shut-down
• Outlets: 2 × NZ 3-pin sockets + hard-wire terminal block
• Efficiency: ≈ 90 % at half load
• Weight/size: 5.8 kg; 420 × 220 × 110 mm
• Remote: RJ45 panel with on/off & fault LEDs included

What Will It Run?

• 1 000 W microwave for camp lunches
• Espresso machine (1 200 W) + grinder simultaneously
• 240 V fridge/freezer (700 W start, 120 W run) 24/7
• Power tools: 1 800 W circular saw or concrete mixer on remote sites

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Pure sine wave keeps sensitive AV gear hum-free
• Twin temperature-controlled fans stay silent under light loads
• Selectable 50/60 Hz for overseas appliances

Cons

• Demands a serious battery bank: at full noise it draws ~170 A
• Pricey compared with 1 kW class units; overkill for phone charging

Installation Tip

Keep DC cable runs short and beefy—nothing slimmer than 0 AWG (50 mm²). Mount a 400 A class-T fuse within 200 mm of the battery to meet NZS 3001 and prevent fireworks if the cable chafes on rough tracks.

11. GT Power 2 000 W Inverter Generator

Sometimes a plain portable power inverter isn’t enough—especially if you’re running high-draw appliances for days away from mains or solar. A petrol inverter generator like the 2 kW model from GT Power fills that gap, giving you grid-quality AC for as long as you keep the tank topped up.

Why Consider a Generator-Inverter Hybrid

Unlike battery-only solutions that empty after a few hours, an inverter generator converts mechanical energy from a quiet four-stroke engine into a stable pure-sine 230 V output. That means you can run air-con, induction cook-tops or a full workshop without draining the vehicle battery. The onboard electronics constantly adjust engine revs to match load, so you get better fuel efficiency and lower noise than old-school “contractor” gennys.

Key Specs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Unlimited runtime with petrol—no need to haul extra batteries
• True sine wave safe for laptops and TV sets
• Parallel capability lets you link a second unit for 4 kW peak

Cons

• 22 kg bulk plus fuel to cart around
• Petrol fumes; banned at some DOC and holiday parks
• Regular servicing (oil, spark plug) required

Tip

Carry a 500 ml squeeze bottle of SAE 10W-30 and run the generator for five minutes each month; the fresh oil circulates and the carburettor stays varnish-free, so it’ll start first pull when you reach that remote Coromandel beach.

12. Dewalt 20 V Battery 220 W Inverter Adapter

Tradespeople already lugging a stack of yellow XR batteries can turn that stash into campsite or blackout insurance with Dewalt’s clip-on inverter. Slide any 18/20 V Max pack onto the base, hit the power button and you’ve got household AC plus high-speed USB without touching the vehicle’s wiring.

Unique Angle

• 220 W modified-sine outlet runs straight from a common tool battery.
• USB-C PD 65 W and USB-A 12 W handle phones, tablets and drone chargers.
• Integrated LED light doubles as a work-bench or tent lantern.
• Weighs just 780 g including a 5 Ah pack—easily belt-mounted.

Best Uses

1. Keeping a laptop and 4G modem alive during a site power cut.
2. Charging camera batteries on remote shoots.
3. Running a low-draw fan or LED projector at the beach.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No extra batteries or cables to buy if you’re in the Dewalt ecosystem.
• Pass-through ventilation means no noisy fan.

Cons

• 220 W cap rules out kettles and grinders.
• Modified sine wave can hum through audio gear.
• Not IP-rated—keep it out of rain and sawdust.

Tip

Opt for 5 Ah or 8 Ah batteries; a 2 Ah pack drains in about 15 minutes at 150 W, while the bigger packs stretch run-time to a usable 45–60 minutes.

Wrapping It Up

Choosing a portable power inverter is really about matching three numbers—continuous wattage, surge rating and waveform—to the appliances you actually use. Add sensible safety features (low-voltage cut-off, thermal shut-down) and you’ll power laptops, fridges or even microwaves without toasting a battery.
The twelve options above cover every scenario we strike on Kiwi roads and campsites: glove-box cup-holders for phone charging, battery-powered work-site adapters, lithium power stations for silent nights, right up to 2 kW pure-sine bruisers and petrol inverter generators for full off-grid living.

Still unsure what size or cable gauge you need? Pop into the Grey Lynn store or browse the full range online—our mates at Action Outdoors will size an inverter to your kit, sort the fuses and have you back chasing snapper or sunsets with dependable 230 V AC on tap. Kia kaha and stay powered out there!