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Guide: CPAP backup power

CPAP on a power station: what you need to know

ResMed's own figures put an AirSense 10 at about 11 W without the humidifier and about 28 W with it at setting 4. A 1,024 Wh power station covers about 7 nights dry, about 3.5 nights with the humidifier on 4.

About 11 W
AirSense 10 at 10 cmH2O, no humidifier, per ResMed
About 28 W
Same machine, humidifier at setting 4

ResMed Battery Guide current draw at 12 V DC; watts are our arithmetic. See source

A laptop, a glowing router and a desk lamp keep working by a rain-streaked window during a nighttime outage.
On this page
  1. Before anything else
  2. What ResMed lists for an AirSense 10 at 10 cmH2O
  3. Estimated nights per charge (8-hour nights)
  4. DC converter or AC outlet
  5. Switchover, if the machine stays plugged in
  6. Other machines
  7. Units for a few nights of CPAP
  8. CPAP questions
  9. Sources

Before anything else

  • This is not medical advice. Your machine, pressure and settings change the numbers. Confirm backup power with your machine's maker and your equipment supplier before you rely on it.
  • The humidifier and heated tube use most of the power: about 11 W dry, about 59 W with a heated tube and humidifier on 8, in ResMed's table1.
  • ResMed strongly recommends a DC-to-DC converter over an inverter when running from a battery1.
  • Plan an 8-hour night at 89 to 472 Wh, depending on settings (our arithmetic from ResMed's figures)1.

What ResMed lists for an AirSense 10 at 10 cmH2O

From ResMed's battery guide, measured at 12 V DC through ResMed's converter. Watts and watt-hours are our arithmetic (amps x 12 V, x 8 hours).

SettingCurrent at 12 V DCWatts8-hour night
SlimLine tubing, no humidifier10.93 A11.2 W89 Wh
Humidifier at 412.30 A27.6 W221 Wh
Humidifier at 813.66 A43.9 W351 Wh
ClimateLineAir tube at 30 C, humidifier at 814.92 A59.0 W472 Wh
SourceResMed Battery GuideRead Oct 7, 2026Our arithmeticRead Oct 7, 2026Our arithmeticRead Oct 7, 2026

Higher pressure draws more: at 20 cmH2O ResMed lists 1.66 A dry and 4.19 A with the humidifier at 4. Otter Tail Power's chart uses 60 W for a CPAP, close to the heated-tube row5.

Estimated nights per charge (8-hour nights)

Our arithmetic: stated Wh x 0.75 / Wh per night. The dry column uses 0.65 because small loads lose a bigger share to the station's own use.

Power stationNo humidifierHumidifier 4Humidifier 8Heated tube + 8
Jackery Explorer 300, 293 Wh72.11.00.60.5
Lion Summit, 665 Wh64.82.31.41.1
Jackery HomePower 1000 Plus v2, 1,024 Wh47.53.52.21.6
Lion Safari, 1,612 Wh811.75.53.42.6
Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus, 2,042.8 Wh314.96.94.43.2
SourceOur arithmeticRead Oct 7, 2026Our arithmeticRead Oct 7, 2026Our arithmeticRead Oct 7, 2026Our arithmeticRead Oct 7, 2026

Nights. ResMed's figures are DC draw through its converter; running the machine's own power supply from an AC outlet adds some loss, which the 0.75 share is meant to cover.

DC converter or AC outlet

ResMed's battery guide strongly recommends powering its machines from a battery through a DC-to-DC converter rather than a DC-to-AC inverter, and its inverter tables do not list the AirSense 101. A power station's AC outlet is an inverter. Ask ResMed or your equipment supplier before you plug the machine into one.

For the AirSense 10 and AirCurve 10, ResMed sells the Air10 DC/DC converter (24 V, 90 W output) for a 12 V or 24 V source, and its own Resmed Power Station II, which it rates at up to 13 hours2. On a power station, the converter would plug into a 12 V car socket: the Explorer 2000 Plus lists one rated 12 V, 10 A3. Check your station's spec sheet for its socket and its amp rating.

ResMed's guide also says that if you cannot recharge every day, you multiply the nightly requirement by the days between charges, and confirm the plan with your battery provider1.

Switchover, if the machine stays plugged in

Some people leave the machine on the power station while the station charges from the wall, so it takes over when the grid drops. Then the switchover time matters. Jackery lists under 10 ms for the HomePower 1000 Plus v2 and a 20 ms EPS for the Explorer 2000 Plus43. The Lion pages we read did not state one68.

Whether your machine rides through that gap depends on the machine. Test it while the grid is up: switch the wall power off at the station's plug and watch whether therapy continues.

Other machines

ResMed's battery guide covers the Air10 series, AirMini, S9 and Stellar devices; it does not list the AirSense 111. For an AirSense 11, a Philips machine or any other model, use the maker's own power figures or ask your equipment supplier. Many utilities also run programs for customers who depend on powered medical equipment; ask yours.

Units for a few nights of CPAP

Each maker's own page has the current price and the full spec sheet.

Good for 1,056 Wh with up to 600 W of solar input

Anker SOLIX C1000

See it on Anker SOLIXOpens Anker SOLIX's site. Not a referral link.

Good for 1,024 Wh with a 10 ms or faster switchover

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic and Plus

DELTA 3 Classic Portable Power Station (1024Wh)
$499 with a 20W charger
DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station
$669
Checked
Oct 7, 2026
See prices on EcoFlowOpens EcoFlow's site. Not a referral link.

Also on EcoFlow's site

CPAP questions

Is this medical advice?

No. These are power figures and arithmetic. Your prescription, pressure and settings are between you and your clinician; ask your machine's maker and your equipment supplier about backup power.

How long will a power station run a CPAP?

Divide the station's usable energy by the Wh your machine uses per night. In ResMed's table an AirSense 10 at 10 cmH2O uses about 89 Wh dry and about 221 Wh with the humidifier at 4 per 8-hour night1, so a 1,024 Wh unit covers about 7.5 or 3.5 nights.

Will a 300 Wh power station last one night?

With the humidifier off, about two nights in our arithmetic; with the humidifier at 4, about one; with the heated tube and humidifier on 8, about half a night.

Can I just turn the humidifier off?

It cuts the draw by more than half in ResMed's figures1. Whether you can sleep without it is a question for your clinician, not a battery question.

AC outlet or car socket?

ResMed strongly recommends a DC-to-DC converter over an inverter1. Its Air10 DC/DC converter runs from a 12 V or 24 V source2. Confirm with ResMed or your supplier which route suits your machine.

Sources

  1. Battery Guide: using stand-alone, deep-cycle batteries (PDF)ResMed, read Oct 7, 2026
  2. Resmed battery and convertersResMed, read Oct 7, 2026
  3. Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power StationJackery, read Oct 7, 2026
  4. HomePower 1000 Plus v2Jackery, read Oct 7, 2026
  5. Appliance energy use chartsOtter Tail Power Company, read Oct 7, 2026
  6. Lion SummitLion Energy, read Oct 5, 2026
  7. Explorer 300 Portable Power StationJackery, read Oct 2, 2026
  8. Lion SafariLion Energy, read Oct 7, 2026

About this page

We may be paid when you buy through links on this page.

We may be paid when you buy through links on this page.

Prices and specifications are each maker's own, as listed on the date shown, and change often during sales. The maker's page is the final word on price, availability and terms.

Runtime figures are estimates from stated capacity, not measurements. OutageReady Guide does not sell power stations and has not tested any product.