Car power inverters are a handy thing to have while you are out on the road. These devices can help to power all of your most important devices.
You’re not limited to only using them in cars either – they are usually compatible with vans, RVs and cars.
You can use them to power up your laptop or your phone, and so much more.
There are a lot of fantastic car power inverters on the market for you to take advantage of. The Only question is, which one will be the best for you when there is so much to choose from out there?
Thankfully, we’re here to help. Here are our picks for the best car power inverters.
We’ve also written a handy buyer’s guide to help you to narrow down your decision
OUR TOP PICK
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EDITORS CHOICE
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PowerBright Pure Sine Power Inverter
BEST VALUE
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Krieger 1100 Watt 12V Power Inverter
OUR TOP PICK
Bestek 300W Power Inverter
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Bestek are a big name in the car power inverter game – that’s why they’re on this list twist!
The Bestek 300W Power Inverter is a fantastic choice if you are looking for a practical car power inverter for your vehicle.
The inverter isn’t super bulky, which means it takes up relatively little space in your car. This is certainly a welcome thing, especially if you’re going camping and already have a cramped car.
You may not anticipate this, but despite the slightly smaller size of this power inverter, it has 2 USB ports in total, ideal for charging your cell phone when you’re on the move.
It’s made out of durable aluminum, and weighs fairly little. The inverter has 110V AC, and it is even able to charge much bigger devices like laptops.
It’s fairly simple to set up the inverter – just connect it to your cigarette lighter and away you go! It comes with great safety features too, designed to ensure that the temperature of the device is well regulated at all times.
It even has a small fan to further control the temperature. It can be a little bit difficult to access the safety fuse, however!
Pros
- Durable
- Can charge 2 different devices at once
- Compact
Cons
- It can be difficult to access the safety fuse
EDITORS CHOICE
PowerBright Pure Sine Power Inverter
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This durable car power inverter is ideal for road trips, staying in an RV and more.
It consists of anodized aluminum which helps to regulate heat, and it can work for numerous hours at a time without any problems. It’s ideal for powering up smaller devices and any other appliances like phones.
The inverter comes with two power outlets positioned on the front, and these workwith devices you can charge via USB, or with a converter.
There’s also a power button so you don’t need to unplug your device to stop it from charging. The inverter produces 600W of power.
You can even use this inverter to charge batteries – you can charge 8 cell laptop batteries and DSLR camera batteries without much trouble.
It’s perfectly affordable too, so if you want to charge your essential devices when you’re on the move, this is the perfect way to do so.
Pros
- Ideal for beginners
- Compact
- Easy to use
Cons
- The battery cables aren’t particularly strong
BEST VALUE
Krieger 1100 Watt 12V Power Inverter
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If you are looking for a durable power inverter, you should certainly try the Krieger 1100 Watt 12V Power Inverter. This inverter can be used to power a number of devices!
One of the coolest things about this particular car power inverter is that it actually comes with an LCD screen. These screens make it a lot easier to see your key data, such as temperature, high and low voltage and battery level.
If you have never used a power inverter before this is a particularly useful feature. The device has an output of 1100 watts, and can actually reach up to 2220W at its peak performance.
The inverter comes with 2 different USB ports, in addition to 2 power outlets which allows you to charge multiple devices at one time.
The device is somewhat portable, though certainly not the most lightweight option out there. It also comes with a remote control, allowing you to operate it from a distance.
Pros
- LCD display gives you key data for optimal use
- Comes with a remote control
- High and low voltage warnings
Cons
- It’s not the lightest option out there
RUNNER UP
Bestek 2000W Power Inverter
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If you are looking for a truly beegy car power inverter, then the Bestek 2000W Power Inverter is one of the most powerful options out there.
You can use this to power even some of the most demanding devices out there, thanks to the 2000 W power capacity.
The inverter comes with 3 North American power outlets, which is significantly more than some other options on the market. You can power up to 3 devices at once!
The inverter even comes with battery connecting cables, which are ideal if you want to plug the inverter right into your car or RV’s battery.
It also comes with all of the safety features that you need. For instance, if the device is at risk of overloading, there will be an audio alert.
It even has a soft start function that helps to make sure that all of your devices stay safe.
The inverter is pretty durable, thanks to the aluminum construction. It even stays fairly cool when it is running, which is in part thanks to the fan that it is equipped with.
It doesn’t have any USB ports however, which isn’t ideal if you wish to charge your smartphone/
Pros
- Soft start function
- 18 month warranty
- Great performance
Cons
- Doesn’t come with USB ports
RUNNER UP
Potek 500W Power Inverter
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When you are out on the road, the last thing you want is another thing adding to the weight of your car.
That’s why the Potek 500W Power Inverter is such a great choice, as it’s compact and takes up fairly little storage space.
With this inverter you can power your portable devices such as smartphones and tablets in no time at all.
The inverter comes with 2 power plugs and 2 USB ports in total that are positioned right on the front of the inverter. You can use these to charge multiple devices at one time.
The only thing you need to do to set it up is connect the power inverter into the cigarette lighter of the vehicle.
The inverter even comes with a digital display, which will show you all of the key statistics that you need to know when operating the inverter.
The inverter has a few handy safety features too, including a signal to tell you when the inverter is running on low voltage.
It also has an auto off function, high voltage alerts, and overheating and overloading protection systems. It isn’t the best choice if you need to power larger devices, however.
Pros
- Can power multiple devices at once
- LCD Display included
- Compact
Cons
- Not ideal for larger devices
Best Car Power Inverters Buying Guide
What is a Car Power Inverter?
You may be wondering what exactly is a car power inverter. Well, picture inside of your home – you will have a range of different power outlets designed to run things such as your household appliances and luxury items.
All of these different items need to get their power from somewhere, so they are plugged into your normal outlet in your home.
The devices that are powered by your home’s electricity will run off something that is known as an alternating current or AC for short. The current will move continuously in various directions throughout the electrical lines in your home.
Electricity doesn’t quite work the same way in your car as it does in your house. Instead, you have something called a direct current, or DC for short. This is created by the alternator in your car and the current is stored inside of the battery.
Unfortunately this sort of current doesn’t provide a very high voltage, which makes it difficult for you to run a lot of larger devices with it.
A power inverter is the answer to your prayers in this situation. The device will convert your DC electricity into AC electricity, much like you would find at home. You can then use the power to run all of your key items, such as your laptop, TVs and more.
Things to Consider
There are a lot of things that you should think about before buying your car power inverters.
After all, there are a lot of options to choose from, but not every one of them is going to work well for your particular circumstances.
So, if you are having trouble deciding which car power inverter is going to be the best choice for you, here are a few things to keep in mind as you make your decision.
Power and Wattage
The first thing you need to consider is what exactly you are planning on using the unit for.
For instance, is it going to be used to power up your refrigerator in your RV? Are you going to use it to entertain yourself, or to keep your cell phone connected to the rest of the human race while you are out on a camping trip?
Asking yourself these questions is very important for helping you to choose the right option for you. Certain kinds of power converters just aren’t going to be practical for running multiple large devices at a time, such as your laptop and your fridge.
Think about the number of devices you are going to use, then add up the total wattage of these devices. This will help to ensure you aren’t making a wild guess and underestimating the amount of power that you’ll need to get your devices up and running.
One of the main things to consider in a power inverter is the maximum watt power that the inverter has. Generally, the vast majority of power inverters are more powerful than what you actually need for your car, especially if you’re only charging your phone.
If you are looking to power up multiple devices at once, then you should think about a generator with about 2000W.
Amount of Charging Ports
Power inverters are getting more and more charging ports as time goes on.
Not every car power inverter provides a massive amount of power, however. There are some power inverters that only have around 2 or 3 outlets in total. Some of them might come with USB ports too.
It’s really handy to have a range of different ports, especially with the number of different gadgets in the world increasing as time goes on.
It’s also important to think about where the ports are positioned. Some users just can’t plug in all of their most important gadgets because the power ports aren’t positioned in logical places, so they are limited in the amount of ports they can use.
Most different power inverters come with two AC outputs as standard. Some even have cigarette lighter ports which will let you charge as many as 5 devices at one time, if you are so inclined!
Price
As a whole, car power inverters are fairly well priced so you don’t need to worry about spending a fortune on a particular model.
With that being said, if you get a cheaper model, you are likely to get a less efficient product. The price of the product often reflects the power of the inverter, so this is something that you should keep in mind.
You should try to budget based on your particular desires and needs, rather than just buying the cheapest option on the market.
Ease of Set Up
You don’t want to be spending hours on setting up your car power inverters – you want it to be easy to do and take relatively little time!
For this reason it’s important to look for a model that is easy to set up. There are some products that will just plug into the cigarette lighter or your auxiliary point in your car, and these are certainly the models that are easiest to use.
On the other hand, if your inverter can supple larger amounts of wattage then it will have to be connected right into the battery of your car. You will need to make sure that the cable connections in the inverter can clamp or hook over the battery terminals in an easy way.
Build Quality
When you are buying your car power inverters, you need to check the body and the cables of the product.
Are they sturdy?
If the product is at all weak or flimsy then it simply isn’t going to last as long.
This is especially true if your inverter is in your car getting bashed about. You should think about getting a car that has a metal body, such as aluminum alloy.
Cooling Fans
Cooling fans are ideal as they help to minimize the amount of internal heat generated, and this helps to prevent the unit from overheating.
It doesn’t take a very long time for car power inverters to heat up, and if the inverter heats up too fast it may end up triggering the built in thermal overload, which is best avoided if possible!
Warranty
As with any electrical product, you want to know that you’re covered in the event that something goes wrong down the line.
The kind of warranty will largely depend on the product, but usually warranties last for around 18 months. This is pretty decent, and is even better if you are using the inverter on a regular basis.
There are some warranties on the market that even last as long as 3 years. The longer the warranty is, the more peace of mind you get.
Safety Elements
Car power inverters have a pretty high power output, so you need to prioritize your safety above all.
You should be looking at least for fuses, low battery shut off features and overheating protection.
Remote Control
Some car power inverters can actually be controlled via a remote. This means they are much easier to use, and they are very convenient for when the inverter is set up on the car’s battery.
Not all power inverters come with automatic shutoff switches, so a remote control is handy as you can easily turn off the inverter’s power from some distance away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ways can I connect the car power inverter to my vehicle?
There are two main ways that you can connect your power inverter to your vehicle – using your cigarette lighter or directly to the battery.
Connecting the inverter to the lighter is the easiest way to use the inverter, but this way won’t allow you to power things that have higher wattage.
It’s a little more difficult to connect the car power inverter to the battery, but it will allow you power things with higher wattage.
You should ideally be looking for a product that will allow you to use the inverter in both of these ways.