Fanttik EVO 300 Portable Power Station review: A nearly flawless small power station

With the summer coming into full swing, it means that there's a good chance that many of us will be spending more time outside — and away from the electrical grid. However, that doesn't mean we're going to forgo all of our gadgets and other modern power-reliant items in the process. This is why having a portable power station or solar generator like the Fanttik EVO 300 can really help out.

The EVO 300 is a device capable of up to 300W of power through its variety of common ports. While 300W is a substantial amount of output, it will not run your AC or margarita machine. But it will run nearly any portable electronic device like your phone or laptop, along with some smaller appliances like a fan or a small personal blender (which can still help with your margarita situation). So let's talk about how the Fanttik EVO 300 fared in my testing to see if it's worth your money.

Fanttik EVO 300: Price and availability

The EVO 300 is the first power station from Fanttik, and it launched in February 2022 for $360. The unit is available in a single color option of gray and yellow. At the time of this review, the EVO 300 is available through Amazon and Fanttik's website for $300. 

Fanttik EVO 300: What's good

I have been using the Fanttik EVO 300 for about four months. It has traveled with me on a beach camping trip in Texas, powered devices during a power outage at my home, and on several other occasions where I needed power but either didn't have access to it or didn't want to bother with dragging out extension cords. No matter the situation, this power station has always impressed me.

Much like the Jackery Explorer 300, the EVO 300 has a 300W output. It can surge up to 600W for a short period before Fanttik's Smartsheild protection chip shuts down the unit. The solar generator comes in at less than ten inches in any three dimensions and weighs in at a respectable 8.8 pounds. While those specs are all significantly more than any of the best power portable power banks, the EVO 300 can outperform those devices.

It's hard to miss the massive display when looking at the front of the Fanttik EVO 300, aside from the various power ports. The LCD panel spans nearly the entire length of the device and takes up more than the top third of the unit. Fanttik does a great job of utilizing the display to show helpful information such as output and input rate, battery remaining both as a percentage and graphically, as well as an estimated time until the power station is fully charged or depleted.

Fanttik has made the EVO 300 quite easy to operate. There are three buttons under the display — DC ON/OFF, Display, and AC ON/OFF, from left to right when looking at the power station. The DC button controls the power state of the 12V car socket, the two USB-A and two USB-C ports, and the two DC5521 barrel ports. The Display button turns on the display, with the AC button controlling the two 110V outlets.  

The ends of the EVO 300 have a yellow mesh behind the gray plastic that acts as cooling vents for the unit and allows the internal fans to move air should things heat up. The bottom has two large yellow rubbery pads to help keep the solar generator from sliding around. But my favorite feature, aside from reliable pure-sine-wave power, is around the back.

When looking at the back of the device, you'll find a button to turn on the excellent LED area light to one of three settings — low, high, and flashing. This light is a must-have for power stations like the EVO 300. Because units like this are so portable, the chances that you'll be using them in times when lighting isn't great means the light can be super helpful. To the right of the light are the two input options — a barrel port for the wall adapter and an Anderson Port for solar charging. 

Speaking of charging, another great feature is the variety of ways that it can be recharged. Using the included wall adapter, the unit can refill at up to 90W and up to 80W with the included car adapter. Fanttik offers a very nice 100W solar panel that pairs nicely with the power station. But the EVO 300 can handle up to 120W of solar power. Perhaps the easiest way to recharge the power station is with the 60W USB-C PD port. 

While using the two-way USB-C PD port won't be the fastest method, it very well might be the easiest. Since nowadays, there are so many excellent USB-C PD chargers on the market. With these chargers and cables powering all sorts of devices, from phones to laptops, there's a good chance you'll have one handy. Plus, it's far less bulky compared to the wall adapter.

Because the lithium-ion battery inside the EVO 300 is so big, it can take a while to recharge. Maxing out the solar, the fastest standalone way to refill the unit, it can go from 0-100 in about 3.5 hours and 4 hours when using the wall adapter. But if you really want to speed up the process, you can use multiple charging methods simultaneously. Say you use a USB-C PD charger and the wall adapter. You'll be able to get to 100% in about 2.5 hours.

Another nice feature of the Fanttik EVO 300 is that it's rated IP65 dust and water-resistant. This means if you happen to be out camping and a pop-up rain shower comes in or you accidentally leave the unit outside overnight on a table and wake to find it covered in dew, it'll be just fine. Protection like that removes a potential worry about taking your power station with you on outdoor adventures. 

Fanttik EVO 300: What's not good

Overall, the Fanttik EVO 300 is a great, compact power station. However, it's not perfect. In fact, one of its stand-out features is also one of my most disliked. The display on the front of the unit is big and offers helpful information, but it is nearly impossible to read if viewing it in even moderately bright light.

Is this a deal-breaker for the EVO 300? No, but it is annoying that if I'm outside using the device and I want to check the battery state, I have to shade the display enable to see what it says. Another thing that is less than ideal is that the plastic that covers the LCD panel is very glossy. This, in turn, leads to more readability issues for the screen when in sunny areas. Again, not a significant problem, but worth noting.

My next concern is that I've been unsuccessful in finding out the battery's cycle life. While it isn't too much of a worry, as someone who's trying to help provide you with as much info as possible, the thought persists. The chances are that it will be similar to other power stations using lithium-ion cells, and that's 500 charging cycles from 0-80%. I have reached out to Fanttik for clarification but haven't heard back at the time of publication. Should they respond, I will update this review. 

Finally, this last issue will likely show up on every power station review I do until it's no longer a thing, like micro-USB for charging modern gadgets: the external power inverter. As I previously mentioned in regards to recharging the EVO 300, the wall adapter uses a cable that plugs into a hefty brick to recharge the power station — and I don't like it.

The solar generator will be bigger and heavier when it is designed to power larger appliances, like the EcoFlow Delta Pro. Thus portability takes a bit of a backseat to functionality. So, it makes sense that EcoFlow can build its inverter into the unit. I understand why Fanttik and other brands keep the adapter outside of the unit — to keep the power station as compact and portable as possible. For the EVO 300, I'll continue to lug it around, or I'll just use one of the best 60W USB-C chargers and save some space.

Fanttik EVO 300: Competition

First in the arena to compete against the Fanttik EVO 300 is the Jackery Explorer 300 that I mentioned earlier. This power station is very compact — besting the EVO 300 in every dimension and weighing a pound less. While the Explorer 300 is smaller and lighter than Fanttik's option, it offers the same output and many of the same features.

The Explorer 300 can output the same 300W pure-sine-wave power as the EVO 300, offers nearly the same number of ports, there's only one USB-C PD port, and it also doesn't have the DC5521 ports or an Anderson Port. However, it can charge up using multiple methods, which can also be combined to speed up the process. However, the display on the Explorer 300 is tiny and lacks some of the info that the EVO 300 has. The Jackery also is missing that helpful LED area light.

The other excellent power station worth considering is the Anker Powerhouse II 400. The 400 isn't an indication of output, as this device has the same 300W of power as the EVO 300. Along with the power rating, the device brings a large display like Fanttik's unit, but it doesn't have the visibility issue in bright environments. Anker also decided to include not one, but two LED light options on the Powerhouse II 400. On the end of the unit is a bright white LED flashlight, and on the back is a warm area light. 

As for ports, Anker only put one AC outlet and one USB-C port. But there are three USB-A ports for charging devices. You'll also get a 12V car socket, but no Anderson Port or DC5521 plugs. When it comes to size, the EVO 300 sits right in between the Jackery and Anker options; with the Powerhouse II 400 being larger in every dimension, and weighs two pounds more than the EVO 300.

Fanttik EVO 300: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You want a compact power station that offers some weather resistance.
• You want a power station that you can recharge quickly with various methods.
• You want a power station that can double as an area light.

You shouldn't buy this if: 

• You want the lightest 300W power station.
• You don't want to have to shade the display to view it in bright environments.
• Your portable power requirements are over 300W.

Fanttik has a pretty solid product in the EVO 300. Taking the unit outside without worrying about dust or a sprinkle of water ruining the device is great. The added area light is wonderful for times when the power is out or for any other reason you require some light. While the EVO 300 isn't overly heavy, it isn't the lightest option out there. The 300W is a good output level, but if you plan on powering a toaster or hair dryer, you may need to consider a larger power station. 

Fanttik EVO 300: Very little to not like

The Fanttik EVO 300 has joined my standard outdoor power devices thanks to the flexibility in both input and output options. Adding in the fact that it's IP65 water and dust resistant, comes with a built-in area light, and doesn't take up too much space, makes this a great portable power device. Though I wish the display performed better in bright environments, and the included wall charging adapter wasn't so bulky, these are both issues that I'm willing to contend with when compared to all the positives the Fanttik EVO 300 has going for it.