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What Size Power Station Do You Need for a CPAP?

Guide type
Question
Last reviewed
Sources
11 cited
Tested by us
No. How we research

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Short answer

By our estimate, about 1 kWh should cover one 8-hour night. ResMed gives a typical power use of 56.1 W for the AirSense 11 and 53 W for the AirSense 10 1,2, without saying whether the humidifier is on. Over an 8-hour night, with about 10 to 20 W the station uses on its own, that is roughly 500 to 600 Wh: a 1,024 Wh station gives about 1.4 to 1.6 nights. Turning the humidifier off makes it last longer 3, and a DC connection may help. Check with your doctor and supplier, and test a full night first.

Your outage load
56W · CPAP (ResMed AirSense 11, typical)≈23 hon 2,048 Wh
Station sizeRuntime for this load
1,024 Wh≈ 11 h
2,048 Wh≈ 23 h

How we calculate: capacity × 85 % usable4,5 ÷ (56 W load1 + 20 W the inverter uses on its own, our assumption: the maker does not publish it). Why these figures

How much power your CPAP uses per night

In a power failure, a CPAP used for sleep apnea stops unless something else powers it. To size that backup against power loss, start from the machine’s own figures. ResMed’s user guides give these:

  • AirSense 11: 56.1 W typical, 73.2 W peak; 65 W power supply 1.
  • AirSense 10: 53 W typical, 104 W peak; 90 W power supply 2.

The guides do not say whether the humidifier and heated tube are on. Both use a lot: CPAPhero says heated humidification can cut a battery’s runtime by up to two thirds 8, and ResMed recommends turning the humidifier off when running on a battery 2,3.

Over an 8-hour night at 56 W, the CPAP alone uses about 450 Wh. Your own machine, pressure and settings change that number.

How many nights by station size

The station also uses power on its own, all night. For a small load like a CPAP, that matters more than for a fridge.

Station (battery) Own use Per 8-h night Nights
BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 (1,024 Wh) about 10 W 6 ≈ 528 Wh ≈ 1.6
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 (1,024 Wh 9) 20 W, assumed ≈ 608 Wh ≈ 1.4
Any 2,048 Wh station 20 W, assumed ≈ 608 Wh ≈ 2.9

How we got these: capacity × 85 % usable 4,5 ÷ ((56 W + the station’s own use) × 8 hours). Small loads can do worse than 85 %: Outdoor Life measured 40 to 77 % at a 34 W draw 5. For a small load these may be optimistic; test a full night.

We do not list EcoFlow or Jackery stations here: EcoFlow says the DELTA 3 Plus is not intended for life-sustaining medical equipment, naming hospital-grade CPAP 10, and Jackery says its stations are not recommended for medical devices 7. Neither the Anker user guide nor the BLUETTI manual we read mentions CPAP or medical use 6,9.

Low-load auto-off: the setting to check

A CPAP draws little power, and some stations switch off on their own when the load is small. Check this before you sleep on battery:

  • BLUETTI Elite 100 V2: ECO mode is off by default. If you turn it on, it cuts the output below a threshold you set (AC 10 to 40 W) after 1 to 4 hours 6: leave it off for a CPAP.
  • BLUETTI Elite 200 V2: ECO mode is on by default, and BLUETTI says to disable it for devices under 60 W 11.
  • Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2: the default standby time is 12 hours, adjustable in the Anker app; the AC outlets also turn the station off if no plug is detected for more than 15 minutes 9. Set the longest standby time.

DC or AC: which output to use

  • AC: plug the CPAP’s own power supply into the station’s AC outlet. Simple, and it works with any machine.
  • DC: ResMed’s user guides list a DC/DC converter as an accessory for the AirSense 10 and AirSense 11 1,2. Both stations above have a 12 V, 10 A car outlet 6,9; ask your supplier whether the converter suits it before relying on it. Running on DC skips the station’s AC inverter, which may save energy.

Ask your equipment supplier which DC cable fits your machine. For dedicated CPAP batteries, flying rules and what to do if the power fails at night, see CPAP battery backup. Our method is on the how we research page.

Questions

How long will a power station run a CPAP?

Divide the station's usable energy by what the CPAP and the station use per hour. With ResMed's typical 56.1 W for the AirSense 11 1 and about 20 W for the station, a 1,024 Wh station lasts about 11 hours, a 2,048 Wh station about 23 hours. With the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2, which uses about 10 W on its own 6, about 13 hours.

How long will a 300W power station run a CPAP machine?

300 W is its output; what matters is its watt-hours. A station with 300 Wh, at about 76 W for the CPAP and the station together, lasts roughly 3.4 hours: not a full night. Look at the Wh on the label.

Can I use a Jackery power station for a CPAP?

Jackery itself says its portable power stations are not recommended for use with medical devices 7. We follow the maker's position and do not recommend them for a CPAP.

Can I use a BLUETTI power station for a CPAP?

The Elite 100 V2 manual does not mention CPAP or medical use, so ask your equipment supplier first. It uses about 10 W on its own, and its ECO mode is off by default 6.

Bottom line

By our estimate, a 1 kWh station should cover one 8-hour night with a typical CPAP, but not two (about 1.4 to 1.6 nights). Turn the humidifier off, use DC if your machine allows it, check the station's auto-off settings, and test it before an outage.

Related guides

What we checked, and what we didn't

Checked
  • CPAP power figures in ResMed's user guides
  • Idle draw, ECO and standby settings, and 12 V outputs in each station's manual
  • Each station maker's own wording on medical use
Not checked
  • CPAP power without the humidifier: ResMed's detailed figures could not be read.
  • How long any station lasts with your machine and settings. We have not tested any CPAP or station.
  • Idle draw of the Anker C1000 Gen 2: not published, so we assume 20 W.

Sources

  1. AirSense 11 user guide, technical specifications (copy hosted by NIH StrokeNet) · ResMed
  2. AirSense 10 user guide (copy hosted by NIH StrokeNet) · ResMed
  3. Battery recommendation: do we need to turn off humidification for Air series products? · ResMed (Asia-Pacific knowledge base)
  4. Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 review: measured 910 Wh of 1,070 Wh (July 23, 2026) · OutdoorGearLab
  5. The Best Portable Power Stations, Tested and Reviewed: output at 34 W and 380 W loads (updated May 5, 2025) · Outdoor Life
  6. BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 user manual · BLUETTI
  7. Can I use this power station with medical devices, life-support equipment, business-critical systems, or other essential equipment? (updated October 16, 2026) · Jackery (help article)
  8. Freedom 160 user manual (rev04) · CPAPhero
  9. Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 user guide (US, V2, July 2025) · Anker SOLIX
  10. EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus user manual (US) · EcoFlow
  11. BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 user manual · BLUETTI

Revision history

2026-11-10First version.