Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 power station review

Ugreen was founded over a decade ago and has since sold its high-quality, innovative products in over 100 countries. They sell power stations, a range of chargers, quick charging cables, power banks and more.

The Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 Power Station is Ugreen's latest model. We have reviewed the UK version here, but you will receive the appropriate model depending on your region (the AC plug sockets will be different from the three-pin UK plug version you will see in our photos).

A power station is a portable means of powering up multiple devices at once, or using as a backup in your home should you have a power outage. We feature the very best in our best power banks buying guide.

For skywatchers, you can power up the best star trackers, charge your headlamps, keep your GoTo telescopes charged for long skywatching sessions, set up imaging stations and so on, even little heaters to keep you warm if you wish. Power stations can also be invaluable for festival-goers or off-grid camping or motorhome trips. We've spent several weeks with this power station; read on for our thoughts.

Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 power station review

Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 power station: Design

• Compact and portable
• Excellent build quality
• Discrete design

First and foremost, this is a very refined-looking power station; it will appeal to those who like discrete, minimalist, but practical products. It looks less intimidating and imposing than the much larger Zendure SuperBase Pro we reviewed just a few weeks ago. The edges are nicely rounded off to make it feel modern and sleek.

The handle is integrated into the body of the power station, eliminating the risk of it coming loose over time; it feels secure in the hand when carrying. The only downside is that you can't store hard things on top of it in a cupboard or trunk (with a fold-down handle, you could). There are four rubber feet on the bottom to protect the unit's base and work surfaces if you're using it for UPS (Unlimited Power Supply) purposes.

Most of the output ports are on the front panel, with the AC ports on the right-hand side and the input ports on the left. There are four buttons on the front, one to activate the light, one to turn the device on and off, one to activate the DC ports, and one to turn on IoT (Internet of Things) function. 

The LED indicators next to the buttons (e.g. to see if IoT is on) are tiny but not crucial. There's no need to read the instructions to get up and running quickly, but you will want to download the Ugreen app to unlock all its functionality.

Unlike the Zendure SuperBase Pro, there aren't wheels on this power station, but it is almost half the weight, so we don't think wheels are necessary. At a festival or when traveling as an astronomy group, it won't take up too much room if you have a long way to transport it to your base camp.

The LCD screen can show 16 different pieces of information. The main figure to take note of is in the large number in the middle — the remaining battery percentage, though next to this, are the current input and output levels and the remaining charge and discharge times respectively. This obviously changes depending on what you're charging and if you're using solar it will constantly adjust depending on how sunny it is. The screen is pretty hard to see in bright sunlight, but most screens are.  

Small symbols represent which functions are in operation at any given time. The same information can also be seen on the app, so you don't need to physically look at the device or even be in the same room to see what's happening.

The flashlight is handy for adding some light to your camping area/tent, and you can cycle between low, high, flash and SOS modes with one button.

One thing we would like to have seen is the use of recycled plastics for at least the external material, like on the Zendure SuperBase Pro. For a company with 'green' in its title, we hope to see them incorporating more environmentally friendly materials in future products.

Ugreeen PowerRoam 1200 power station: Performance

• Fast to charge
• LiFePO4 batteries
• Quiet fans

This power station is incredibly fast to power. On paper, it recharges to 80% in 50 minutes using AC charging, but we found it was much quicker than this during our tests. The batteries are LiFePO4 which have a longer life span and a more efficient discharge than other lithium-ion battery designs. They also weigh a lot less, which helps to keep this power station reasonably lightweight.

We tested charging it using two 200-watt Ugreen solar panels, and again, it's impressively quick to charge — depending on how sunny it is. When it's dull and overcast, we've found it takes in around 54 watts on average, changing as clouds pass over. On a bright day in full sun with the solar panels in the optimum position, we've seen it tip over 400 watts, more than what it's rated to do, and perfect for the summer festival season — especially if the weather is anything like it was this time in 2022.

When plugged into the mains, it accepts around 1030 watts; this is when it takes less than an hour to charge fully. It is satisfying watching the numbers going up so quickly. Ideal if you need a portable power source for a last-minute adventure.

One thing we were pleasantly surprised about was the quiet operation. You can only really hear the fans whirring when there's a lot of power being input or output at once (e.g. when boiling a kettle). It's barely noticeable when not under any real strain, so it would be okay to charge your headlamps, star trackers, GoTo telescopes overnight in your tent or van without causing a disturbance to your sleep.

Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 power station: Functionality

• Great App
• Very quick to charge
• 0% Battery Emergency mode

The Ugreen App is pretty impressive. Once up and running, you can see current power input and output levels and the estimated remaining recharge and discharge time. We had no problem getting the power station to communicate with the app on the first attempt.

You can manage all of the device's functionality from within the app — turning the individual power outlets on and off, adjusting the screen's brightness, turning on audio tones, turning on a child safety lock, quiet mode, putting it on standby and so on.

You also use the app to make sure your device has the most recent firmware installed. The data on the app reflects the data displayed on the power station almost instantaneously. You will notice the % change on the power station, then within half a second, the app updates to reflect the LCD screen. We found the Ugreen app more reliable and stable than the Zendure app.

One nifty point to mention is the 0% Battery Emergency Mode. Even when displaying 0%, the PowerRoam still provides up to seven hours of light and will have enough 'juice' left to ensure you have time to charge your phone for emergency use, you won't be left without comms in the dark.

The Ugreen PowerRoam is equipped with Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). If the power in your house goes off, the power station will kick in — your essential household electronics can continue to be used.

Should you buy the Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 power station?

We think this power station is great and we will continue to use it in the coming months for outdoor adventures and off-grid overnight stays. We prefer it to the much larger (generally higher capacity models) as it is very easy to transport and store. We think it's a happy medium of size vs capacity, and it's so quick to charge using mains or solar we're not too concerned about 'missing out' on the capacity found in bigger models.

We would also like to comment on the customer service from Ugreen. We always try and talk to the service department to ensure they are helpful when needed, and we can honestly say we're pleased with all the communication we've received from them.

If the Ugreen PowerRoam 1200 power station isn't for you:

We've mentioned it a few times throughout this review as we've recently put it through its paces — the Zendure SuperBase Pro (1500W/2000W). It is one of the quickest charging power stations and has an impressive 13 output ports. It also has a telescopic handle and chunky wheels, which are necessary as it weighs a whopping 21 kilograms. Despite the weight, the handles and wheels are useful for putting other items of gear on top of it and dragging it along all at once, so weight isn't too much of a problem. It's a great choice for festivals, backup power at home, or off-grid living as long as you have a decent amount of space to store it.

If you're looking for the best small and pocketable power banks, you can find our favorites in our best power banks guide. As we liked this power station so much, we also reviewed the Ugreen 25000mAh power bank to see if deserved a place in our best power banks guide.

There's also the SuperTank Pro, another Zendure product — it has the largest mAh capacity you can take with you as hand luggage on a flight. You can charge four devices simultaneously via USB-C or using an adaptor (included) for USB-A legacy devices. Like a power station, the LCD screen shows you exactly what power is entering or leaving the device at any given time.