BioLite adds mobile power stations and solar systems to its charging product line

After many years of providing off-net services camp, cooking and pocket charging technology, BioLite has moved further into this category with the latest and more powerful power backup solutions. The company just announced the BaseCharge 600 and BaseCharge 1500 mobile power stations, along with the accompanying SolarPanel 100. As with most products in this category, they’re great for powering entertainment technology, appliances, and workspaces when you’re away from an outlet. They are also useful in the home when power-off.

Both power stations offer an LCD control panel with power indicators, system notifications, temperature alerts, gate activation and battery life status. You can also view cumulative usage over time and reset the counter if needed. They’ll keep a charge for quite a while, but it’s a good idea to top up these every six months, so they’re ready when you need them.

Each device is encased in a hard plastic shell with small rubber feet on the bottom. There are lined areas on each side to help carry these relatively heavy devices. In terms of sturdiness, they’re not exactly built for weight loss. And while they’re great to carry around as off-grid power backup, there’s no IP rating or weather protection to speak of, so you’ll want to keep them out of the rain.

BaseCharge 600

BioLite

The more affordable of the pair of power stations is the BaseCharge 600 ($699). The device has a Li-ion battery capacity of 622 Wh, with three input types: a wall combo input and a solar charger input, plus a port for a USB-C PD input. Charging time ranges from seven hours via the wall charger, three and a half hours with both wall charging and USB-C PD, and six hours using the SolarPanel 100 in the highest sunlight conditions. It weighs 13 pounds and measures 12.2 x 7.9 x 7.9 inches.

There are ten outputs:

• 2 – 110V AC (600W up to 1,000W spike)

• 1 – Wireless charging for Qi and related devices on the leading platform (10W)

• 2 – DC 12V (120W) barrel port

• 1 – 12V car port (aka cigarette lighter port – 120W)

• 2 – USB-A (5V)

• 1 – USB-C (5V)

• 1 – USB-C PD (5V / 100W)

BaseCharge 1500

BioLite

The larger, heavier, and more powerful model is the BaseCharge 1500 ($1,699). It has a Li-ion battery capacity of 1521 Wh and three inputs like the 600 model. Charging times range from 13.5 hours using the wall charger, 8 hours with the wall charger and USB-C PD, and 4 hours when there is peak sunlight if you have four SolarPanel 100 units. This larger device weighs 26.5 pounds and measures 14.4 x 12.2 x 8.2 inches.

There are a total of 12 outputs on this device:

• 3 – 110V AC (1,200W surge up to 2,400W)

• 1 – Wireless charging for Qi and related devices on the leading platform (10W)

• 2 – DC 12V (120W) barrel port

• 1 – 12V car port (aka cigarette lighter port – 120W)

• 2 – USB-A (5V)

• 2 – USB-C (5V)

• 1 – USB-C PD (5V / 100W)

SolarPanel 100

BioLite

If you want to turn your portable power station into a solar generator, get the new SolarPanel 100 ($400). This is a one-time foldable device, with four panels providing 100 watts of power in peak sunny conditions. You can also pretend you’re Astronaut Mark Watney and daisy chain up to four SolarPanel 100s for a quadruple capacity.

These panels are IPX4 rated so are relatively durable and resistant to water, such as intermittent light rain. There’s no built-in battery, but you can charge two devices directly from the panel as it soaks up the sun through two USB-A ports and one USB-C PD.

All panels fold into a 20.1 x 14.3 x 1.5-inch rectangle, with a built-in handle so you can carry all 9.5 pounds of panels. The back of the device, which is the only exposed surface when folded, is a gray cloth-like material. There is also a zippered pocket for cables.

When extended, there’s a surface that spans 20.1 x 57.5 inches and a shallow depth of about an inch, plus two relatively low legs when fully extended. The same “optimal solar system” you’ll find on previous BioLite solar panels, includes a small target and a concave white area so you can track the sun’s angle by its shadow.

Customers can sign up for the waitlist starting today on The company’s web site, with pre-orders opening September 7 for all three new products. They are expected to hit retail stores including Amazon and REI in October 2022.