POPDEER S500: A little power horse

The Popdeer S500 offers a storage capacity of 518 Wh and 500W of output power. It is the smallest solar generator in size with these power parameters that I have tested so far. It is almost twice as small as the 300W power station I reviewed last month. Priced around $200, this is a relatively simple unit, but it’s still incredibly useful, featuring all the ports you could ask for from a portable power station. Let’s take a closer look!

Despite its compact size, the POPDEER S500 power station incorporates a 500W pure-sine AC inverter with a 1000W peek, 65 PD USB charger, camp\SOS light, and three charging modes. This tiny cube is ideal whether you have a short power outage at home or are camping in the mountains and want to be connected and powered.

Inside the unit is a 21.6V/24000mAh (equivalent to 3.6V/144000mAh) LiION battery pack that provides a total of 518.4Wh storage capacity. You can expect to run a mini fridge for about 7 hours or to charge your smartphone 50 times.

POPDEER S500 power station review

Disclosure: I received this 518Wh|500W power station in a product review collaboration with Banggood. Product specs and quality may vary according to the manufacturer’s reliability, so I cannot guarantee that you will get a unit that performs the same as seen in my review.

I had never heard about the “POPDEER” brand before, but based on the quality of the packaging and the product itself, I’m convinced that a quality-oriented company is behind them.

POPDEER packs its 500W power station in two recycled cardboard boxes. For extra protection during shipping, the inner box has a foam padding. In addition to the AC/DC adapter, the solar generator kit includes a car and solar panel charging cables. The box also includes a shoulder strap, but no attachment points for this purpose are found on the power station.

At a glance

I have no complaints about this POPDEER S500 power station’s build quality, even if it’s entirely made of plastic. I like the black, charcoal, and silver color scheme, making it look like a premium product. It has a foldable handle on the top, with a silicon insertion for easy and comfortable manipulation. The unit has a cubic form factor and measures 19 x 17 x 16 cm (7.48 x 6.69 x 6.29 inches). Without the external charging adapter, it weighs about 4kg, which is an outstanding power/weight ratio.

On the front panel is a nice LCD screen with a green backlight and four groups of inputs\outputs. Each output section has its own control button, and when it is activated, a green LED in the center of the button will be turned ON. The LCD provides tons of information while being simple and easy to understand.

On the left is a 65W PD Type-C port, a QC 18W USB-A, and two standard 5V/2.4A USB ports. In the center of the unit is a standard Schuko 220V outlet. On the right, the 12V DC-out section has a standard car lighter socket and two DC5521, totaling 10 Ampere. The power station can be charged through the DC7909 in the right-bottom corner. It can accept from 12V to 36V without exceeding 5A.

It has air vents on both sides and an internal cooling fan that starts when the power station is heavily used. It is worth mentioning that there is no fan operation when using the unit to provide energy on USB only, so when you are charging your phone overnight, it is entirely silent. On the right side are two bright LEDs with three work modes: always ON, Slow Flash, and Fast Flash. This is perfect if you’re walking around late at night or working something outside and your flashlight dies down.

Pricing and Availability

The portable 500W power station can be purchased with 39% off for 230 euros from Banggood. You can get an additional discount using the “BG27710” coupon code. This price includes free EU shipping, an AC/DC adapter, and a PV charging cable.

POPDEER S500: Run time

The POPDEER 500W|518Wh power station is intended to be used with various devices, including tech gear, cordless tools, and camping appliances. These days, most of the daily use gadgets are powered and charged via a USB port. Laptops, cameras, drones, and gimbals can all be powered or charged with this power station. It has a total of four USB ports to cover all your gear. The car cigarette lighter socket allows the use of camping fridges or 12V water boilers.

The table below shows some expected runtimes according to power usage. During use, the LCD screen permanently shows the input\output power and charging level (in percentage).

I used the POPDEER S500 during my last flight session, and it was perfect for charging two  (mine and my friend’s) LIPO batteries. It provided 60W via the Type-C port to my SkyRC B6neo field charger.

Note that all three output sections (AC, DC, and USB) can provide energy at the same time. So you could be powering an AC fan while at the same time powering a portable DC refrigerator and charging your phone or iPad.

To test the maximum load capacity on the AC socket, I used a hair dryer with up to 2000W heating capacity. At 371W, the station worked well without getting too hot. Then I switched to 600W, and seeing that it could take even more, I switched to 975W -after about twenty seconds, the station shut down the AC port as overload protection with an E11 error message. To test its limits, I switched to 1850W, and to my surprise, it worked for 10 seconds before it stopped. On paper, it can take 1000Watt peeks, but it looks like it can handle almost double. It is important to know that the “powerlifting” mode is primarily for resistive devices (heaters).

PopDeer S500: How to charge it?

The unit arrived with a state of charge equal to 53%. Before using it, I fully charged the unit to 100% using the included 19V/3.42A (65W) AC adapter. As the screen shows 62W charging power, the advertised 4-hour charging time is hard to believe. When you charge from in your car, from a cigarette lighter socket (12V/24V), the charge time is also four hours.

Outdoor, I tested it with a 120W foldable solar panel. According to how sunny it was, the screen showed 70-94W input power. As it accepts up to 36V/5A, you can use a 150-180W PV panel for a much faster charging time.

The external power adapter makes the S500 power station lighter and more compact, but it comes with the disadvantage that it cannot be used as an online UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

PopDeer S500: Takeaways

• [Stable performance and strong compatibility] Built-in high-quality lithium battery, long service life, and reusable. High capacity of 518.4Wh / 500W, AC 220V-240V / 500W, DC 12V-36V, 12V car lighter and 3 USB ports, 1 Type-C port, compatible with most electrical devices.
• [Ideal power supply outdoors]: Enjoy your leisure time anywhere
  • On the road: Never worry about digital devices like your camera, notebook, and drone running out of power.
  • Motorhomes (RCs): Without additional setup, you can power your mini fridge, coffee machine, fan, or cooker.
  • Parties: Mixer, projector, and TV to extend your playing time.
  • Outdoor activities: Supports charging the e-bike, kayak battery, and other camping equipment.
• [Compact, lightweight, and multi-charging options]: Size: approx. 19 x 17 x 16 cm. / 7.48 x 6.69 x 6.29 inches. Weight: approx. 4 kg. Made of PC + ABS materials, wear-resistant and durable. Built-in LED light (supports SOS) and LCD display. You can charge the portable power station anytime and anywhere with the charger brick, solar panel, and lighter.
• [Quiet and environmentally friendly]: Compared to conventional generators, the portable power station is quieter and environmentally friendly. Lithium batteries are green energy sources, easy to recycle, and do not pollute the environment. This effectively reduces carbon emissions. The charging efficiency is 15%-20% higher than usual, so it can save energy effectively.
• [Durable Build]: Designed to withstand rugged outdoor conditions, ensuring long-lasting reliability.