Trust
How we rate products
No brand can pay for a place or a better score. Here's exactly how our rankings work.
In short
We compare products on four things that matter in a power cut, weight them, and give a score out of 10. Unless a review says "we tested this", our scores come from research: manufacturer specs, independent test data where it exists, and patterns in verified owner reviews. We say which in every review.
The four scores
| Score | What it measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | What you get for your money, e.g. price per watt-hour or per phone charge. | 35% |
| Capacity | How much energy (or light, or runtime) it actually stores, and how long it lasts in a real power cut. | 30% |
| Efficiency | How much of the rated capacity you really get out, charging speed, and standby drain. | 20% |
| Portability | Weight, size and how easy it is to use in the dark, or for an older relative. | 15% |
Our rules
- Every review includes a budget pick, and says when you don't need to buy anything.
- We only recommend products sold with UK plugs and UK delivery.
- Safety comes first: we never recommend anything that's unsafe to use indoors.
- Prices change. We show the price when we last checked and update reviews regularly.
- Affiliate commissions never change scores. Our disclosure.
Spotted a mistake?
Email hello@preparedhousehold.co.uk and we'll check and correct it.