Mastering On-the-Go Charging: In-Depth Review of the Portable, High-Capacity Ugreen PowerRoam nPower Unit (2200)!

Key Takeaways

• The Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 is surprisingly mobile because of a detachable trolley for easy transport.
• The PowerRoam has plenty of outlets in total (16), including USB-C and USB-A ports.
• While it has a bit of a learning curve with its buttons, the PowerRoam can efficiently power big appliances.

A portable power station is fast becoming a household necessity. On a basic level, they’re just big batteries that you can charge up and use when needed. In practice, you can use them to bring power to an area of your home with few outlets, they can bail you out during a power outage, and you can use them to power a plethora of outdoor activities. The Ugreen’s PowerRoam 2200 comes with a high-end price tag, but it may actually provide enough value to justify its cost.

UGreen Power Roam 2200 Power Station

8/ 10

$1499 $1999 Save $500

The Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 charges to 100% in 1.5 hours with PowerZip technology and itsU-Turbo technology supports high-wattage appliances up to 3500W with 16 ports.

Brand

UGREEN

Dimensions

‎‎21.2”L x 9.8”W x 11.4”H

Weight

56 pounds

AC Output ports

6

DC Output ports

2

USB Ports

6

Expandable

Up to 12KWh

Lights

Yes

Battery Capacity

2200W

Battery Lifecycle

3000+ cycles

Pros

• The trolley makes it surprisingly mobile
• Can power a large appliance for several days
• Charges very quickly

Cons

• Comes with a bit of a learning curve
• The app can be a pain

Expand

$1499 at Ugreen

Surprisingly Mobile

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

The first thing you’ll notice with any portable power station is its size and weight. Some lifting will be involved in getting it out of the box and set up. More lifting may be involved when taking the power station to and from a storage space. This one weighs a tad over 56 pounds, which most healthy adults under the age of 60 should be able to manage over a short distance.

Over longer distances, Ugreen has a bit of an ace up its sleeve. The PowerRoam ships with a detachable plastic trolley. It has wheels! At first, I didn’t hold out much hope for the trolley, believing the weight would cause it problems and difficult terrain would probably break it. But it survived the limited stress tests I put it through with no noticeable damage. The power station itself was secure, and using the four-wheeled trolley made moving it over firm flat ground a breeze. It struggled a little on rougher terrain, like smashed-up asphalt. As a result, I did need to take on a bit of the weight while moving it on rocky ground. But it can still make it over a moderately challenging surface.

The limit seems to be something like a hiking trail. Soft mud, vastly uneven ground, and tree roots would definitely lead to disaster for you and the PowerRoam’s trolley. Staircases, steps, and other obstacles will also require you to heft the thing up and carry it conventionally. But the trolley is a major plus in most circumstances and I wish all power stations came with one.

It’s Got Plenty of Outlets

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

A power station you can’t really plug anything into would be pretty useless. Luckily, the PowerRoam is far from that. The six AC power ports alone are enough to let you push toward the device’s 2,400-watt maximum output. But you may not actually need them at all.

If you want to charge a phone or a laptop, then there are four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports on the front of the PowerRoam. Those USB-C ports include one with a 140W output, should you need all the power USB-C can offer, along with a 100-watt port and two 45-watt ports. Both USB-A ports are 22.5 Watts. With these ports alone, it’s possible to run at least two laptops while also charging multiple small devices.

Add in a 12V car outlet, two DC outlets, and an RV/Anderson Port and you have 12 possible ways to pull power from the station. Add in the adapters that could potentially be plugged into these ports and you really do have a unit that can power pretty much anything within its generous wattage range.

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There’s a Little Bit of a Learning Curve

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

Most power stations are simple objects. Charge the box then plug things into the box to power them. The PowerRoam 2200 is a little bit more complex than that. There are a few little quirks, probably designed to make the power station more controllable, that instead make it difficult and slightly confusing at first. The main culprit here are the small buttons responsible for controlling power to most outlets. The AC and DC outlets require you to find a hard-to-see button near them, or they won’t work. First-time power station owners may be scratching their heads. The USB ports work without having to press anything.

While the ability to quickly shut off all AC ports at once, without cutting power to things like USB ports, may be handy in some circumstances, I struggle to see what those exact circumstances are. It would be easier and less confusing to just yank out a power wire or two when you’re done with it. Especially since the AC on button is right in the middle of the outlet bank. So if you have something plugged into the middle outlets, it’s easy to obscure that section’s on/off button or otherwise make it difficult to reach.

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It Can Power Big Appliances, and Keep Them Powered

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

The Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 is capable of pumping out 2,400 watts of power in total. That’s enough to keep two or three significant appliances going at the same time. So you can run a fridge, microwave, and Keurig should you need to, though the combined power draw of all three will drain the battery somewhat quickly.

However, if you use the PowerRoam strategically and sensibly, it will last a long time. During the testing period, I plugged a decently-sized fridge into the power station. Your exact results will vary depending on the exact appliance, its settings, and other factors, but the fridge kept cooling its contents for 50 hours. A TV can also run for a couple of days on the device.

Power-intensive items like hotplates, kettles, microwaves, space heaters, and power tools will drain the battery in a couple of hours, though it is possible to use those appliances in short bursts and ration that time out. In terms of where it sits on the power station spectrum, it has almost double the capacity of the frankly excellent Anker 757 Powerhouse while being similar in price (while on “sale” anyway) and weighing around 10 pounds more. The dimensions of the 757 are noticeably smaller though.

There’s also the option to use the PowerRoam as an uninterruptible power source. You can even buy some expansion units, stack them up, and boost the device’s capacity to 12 KWh, which is around what the average American home uses in half a day. While that may not sound like enough, remember that you’re likely to ration power in an emergency and will probably only use a fraction of your usual power consumption. If you are using this as an uninterruptible power supply, it will fire up within 20 milliseconds of your power going out. That means whatever is plugged into it is unlikely to switch off when the grid goes down.

Recharging is Fast

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

If you want backup power for an apartment or any other small living space, simply keeping the Ugreen PowerRoam or whatever else you’re using at around 80% charge is the smartest thing you can do. It avoids damaging the battery and it will pack enough juice to see you through most outages or other emergencies.

However, if you’re a disorganized mess like me, your portable power station will remain in a cupboard with a minimal amount of charge in something until you eventually (never) get around to top it up. This leads to situations where a storm is rolling in and you’re desperately trying to cram power into said power station, along with every other device in the house.

The good news is, the PowerRoam 2200 is one of those borderline idiot-proof power stations, thanks in part to its fast charging system. You can get to the magic 80% mark in under an hour, and 100% takes around 90 minutes. So even the well-prepared around you can top up your battery with that potentially vital bit of extra juice when you start to hear thunder.

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It’s Solar-Capable

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

Up to six 200W panels can be connected to the unit and Ugreen claims that these will recharge the device in 2.5 hours. In my experience, the 2.5-hour claim may be a little optimistic. Solar panels can be temperamental, and claims can be based on said panels being outside at noon on a cloudless day in Arizona or something. Mileage will vary depending on things like your location, the weather, and how well you set the panels up.

While I can’t give a solid opinion on how well Ugreen’s panels work with this power station (I didn’t get a chance to test these), it’s still good that it’s been included.

There’s an App, but it’s Not Perfect

The app, available for iPhone and Android , is both the PowerRoam 2200’s party piece and one of its worst features. It allows you to monitor and control the power station without needing to go near it and poke buttons. It is also optional, if you would like to stick to the button poking, you’re free to do so.

So what’s bad about it? You need to make an account, connect your phone to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, then press the “IOT” button on the power bank and wait for it to connect. Wi-Fi is the more tempting choice, as it adds in remote control capabilities. However, it didn’t work for me. The connection faltered and despite several attempts, I couldn’t get it going. Bluetooth is similar, though it only allows local control of the station.

When the app is working, you can use it to select power modes, monitor what’s going on with your PowerRoam, and lock access to the device if children are hovering around it. There’s also a diagnostic mode you can run if your power station is having issues.

Should You Buy the Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 Power Station?

Dave McQuilling / How-To Geek

As far as power stations go, the $1,999 Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 (often on sale) is in the upper-mid tier. It’s not a high-end piece with some cutting-edge tech like solid-state batteries crammed in there—those go for twice that. Nor is it a high-capacity dedicated home power backup as those can go for up to 10 times that price. It’s priced in the upper-mid range for portable power stations, and it’s an excellent product for this price range.

You get a superb amount of capacity, lightning-fast charging, and enough output to power everything bar the stove and washing machine. It’s also possible to move this over large distances without herniating your spine, which is a plus. Add in the five-year guarantee, ten-year estimated lifespan, and over 3,000 charging cycles and you have a solid long-term power backup option.

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UGreen Power Roam 2200 Power Station

8/ 10

$1499 $1999 Save $500

The Ugreen PowerRoam 2200 charges to 100% in 1.5 hours with PowerZip technology and itsU-Turbo technology supports high-wattage appliances up to 3500W with 16 ports.

$1499 at Ugreen