3 Gadgets That Help Your Smart Home Devices Stay Alive During A Power Outage

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Smart home devices can be pretty convenient, offering flexible control, remote management, and even power savings. More importantly, not all smart home upgrades need much elbow grease. Some are easy enough for beginners, while others can be done over a weekend. However, without a whole-home power backup solution, an outage can leave most, if not all, of your smart home gadgets inoperable. Fortunately, gadgets can help in these situations, keeping at least some crucial smart home products running. These include battery backup products that can power your router or modem, as well as other smart home devices.

However, it can be tricky to find the most useful gadgets for different smart home devices. Your smart home has so much going on, and figuring out where to start can be tough. So we have handpicked some of the best options to help you get started. We selected these gadgets based on buyer reviews and, when available, expert feedback.

Because many smart home devices rely on Wi-Fi, your Wi-Fi router and internet modem are two devices you need to keep running during an outage. APC is a reputable brand that offers a nifty UPS that can help with both. Known as the APC BE600M1, this UPS has a built-in 600 VA battery that can deliver up to 330 watts to connected devices.

APC says it can run for 29 minutes at 100 watts. However, since most routers and modems typically consume between 5 and 20 W, you'd average around 20 W, which would extend backup time fivefold to about 2.5 hours. While that should be enough in many situations, you can consider APC's larger battery UPS models, such as the APC BR1500MS2, which claim 73 minutes at 100 W (or 6 hours at 20 W).

You can also use the UPS to power any smart home hub for devices that use local protocols instead of Wi-Fi, such as Z-Wave and Zigbee, or a smart speaker. However, keep in mind that the more devices you add to a UPS, the less backup it will provide during an outage. The APC BE600M1 UPS costs $84, and Amazon shoppers have given it an average rating of 4.5 out of 5. Buyers are generally happy, with many saying it keeps their network up during outages and is "perfect for home routers." That said, a small number of buyers report receiving defective units that didn't work, or that their units died after months.

A small UPS can power your Wi-Fi router, but it's not ideal for more power-hungry devices. That is where a portable power station comes in. Bluetti's Elite 300 is a reasonably priced, well-rated option that packs enough power to run many crucial smart home devices. It has a built-in 3,014.4 watt-hour battery, which can deliver 2,400 watts of running power. This makes it a good option for powering your smart speaker, smart display, smart home hub, PoE switch, NVR systems, and more.

It houses four AC outlets, two USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports, including one that supports 140 W charging. More importantly, it can handle fast charging and multiple charging modes. You can charge it from 0% to 100% on AC power in just two hours. Another highlight of the Bluetti portable power station is its compact design, and the company claims it's the smallest 3 kWh option on the market. It also has built-in handles for carrying it around; however, it has no wheels. Moreover, its LFP battery is rated for over 6,000 cycles, which the company says makes it good for 17 years.

It lists at $1,599; however, it's often discounted and can be found for as low as $1,000. Experts at PC Mag, Reviewed, and Tech Radar have given the Bluetti Elite 300 favorable feedback. Experts say it has an excellent port selection, rugged build, good app control, and seamless UPS performance; however, they point out that it's very heavy and the fans can be loud. It has also earned a solid 4.7 out of 5 rating from Amazon shoppers, who appreciate its size and battery capacity. That said, some buyers report issues with customer support.

While you can optionally connect your Echo Dot smart speaker to a UPS or portable power station, a dedicated battery base offers a smoother, more integrated solution. Mission Cables, a brand best known for its Made for Amazon accessories, offers a dedicated battery base for the Echo Dot. It can keep your smart speaker running for up to five hours during an outage. Sadly, it's only compatible with the fourth and fifth generations of the Echo Dot. However, the company also offers similar gadgets for the Echo (4th generation), Echo Pop, and Apple HomePod Mini.

It's easy to install and designed to match the Echo Dot aesthetic, so it doesn't look out of place. It's also reasonably priced at $40, and if you time your purchase right, you might get it at a discount. Amazon shoppers are pretty happy with it, giving it an average buyer rating of 4.5 out of 5. Buyers find it valuable during power outages and like its seamless functionality. However, some buyers worry it can lose its connection to the Echo Dot if moved, affecting the Echo Dot's Wi-Fi connectivity. Some buyers also reported that their units died within weeks or months.

Even with a complete home power backup solution, it's still hard to keep all your smart home devices running during a power outage. However, many plug-in devices can run during a power loss with the right backup solution. Moreover, your battery-powered gadgets will continue running. So, when choosing gadgets that can keep your smart home devices running during an outage, we focused on products that offer battery backup to power one or more smart home products. We refined our selection by considering buyer reviews and, when available, expert feedback. As a result, all our recommendations carry an average buyer rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon.