A CPAP machine without humidifier uses 30 watts running, 60 watts surge, with 100% duty cycle while you sleep.
Quick Answer Box:
- Running Watts: 30W
- Starting / Surge Watts: 60W
- Running Amps: 0.25A @ 120V
- Duty Cycle: 100% – runs constant through the night
- Daily kWh for 8 hours sleep: 0.24 kWh
If you use a heated humidifier, add 30W. A CPAP with heated humidifier uses 60W running and is covered on the cpap-with-humidifier page.
How Much Does It Cost to Run a CPAP Machine?
Formula: Watts x hours / 1000 x $/kWh = cost
CPAP is used 8 hours per night, not 24 hours.
At $0.15/kWh for 8 hours per night:
| Usage | kWh per Day | Cost per Day @ $0.15 | Cost per Month @ $0.15 | Cost per Month @ $0.30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 hrs/night | 0.24 kWh | $0.036 | $1.08 | $2.16 |
| 8 hrs/night with humidifier 60W | 0.48 kWh | $0.072 | $2.16 | $4.32 |
At California $0.45/kWh, 8 hours without humidifier costs $3.24 per month. Running costs are low, but battery capacity matters for a full night.
Can a Portable Power Station Run a CPAP Machine?
Yes. A CPAP without humidifier needs 30W continuous and 60W surge. All 22 stations below pass both.
Runtime is at 30W with 85% inverter efficiency:
Small – 1 night without humidifier:
- MARBERO Portable Power Station 88Wh – 88wh, 80w – 2.5hrs – not enough for full night
- Azocek DC 18V to AC 110V Portable Power Station – 220wh, 220w – 6.2hrs – short night
- Jackery Explorer 300 – 293wh, 300w – 8.3hrs – one full night
- BLUETTI AC50B – 448wh, 700w – 12.7hrs
- EcoFlow River 3 Plus Extra Battery EB600 – 572wh, 600w – 16.2hrs
Medium – 2-3 nights, best for camping:
- BLUETTI AC70 – 768wh, 1000w – 21.8hrs
- Anker SOLIX C1000 – 1056wh, 1800w – 29.9hrs
- Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 – 1056wh, 2000w – 29.9hrs
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus – 1536wh, 1800w – 43.5hrs
- Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 – 2042wh, 2200w – 57.9hrs
- BLUETTI AC200L – 2048wh, 2400w – 58hrs
- EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max – 2048wh, 2400w – 58hrs
- BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 – 2073.6wh, 2200w – 58.8hrs
- Dabbsson 2150Wh Portable Power Station – 2150wh, 2400w – 60.9hrs
Large – Home backup or with humidifier:
- OUPES Exodus 2400 – 2232wh, 2400w – 63.2hrs
- BLUETTI Elite 300 – 3014wh, 2400w – 85.4hrs
- Anker SOLIX F3000 – 3072wh, 3600w – 87hrs
- EcoFlow DELTA Pro – 3600wh, 3600w – 102hrs
- PowerSmart 4800W Portable Inverter Generator – 13034wh, 3800w – 369.3hrs
- Westinghouse 5000 Peak Watt Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator – 19000wh, 3900w – 538.3hrs
- Westinghouse 12500 Watt Dual Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator – 28000wh, 9500w – 793.3hrs
- Westinghouse 14500 Peak Watt Tri-Fuel Home Backup Portable Generator – 35000wh, 11500w – 991.7hrs
A CPAP with humidifier at 60W cuts all runtimes in half. The Jackery Explorer 300 at 8.3 hours for 30W becomes 4.1 hours for 60W.
What Size Generator Do You Need for a CPAP Machine?
Minimum 80W continuous with 60W surge capability. The smallest that passes is MARBERO Portable Power Station 88Wh at 80W continuous, 120W surge for 2.5 hours.
Recommendation: 300W – 700W pure sine wave for one full 8-hour night without humidifier.
For 8 hours you need at least 282Wh usable. That is 30W x 8 hours / 0.85 = 282Wh. The Jackery Explorer 300 at 293Wh is the minimum that does one full night. For two nights, use BLUETTI AC70 at 768Wh for 21.8 hours.
Do not use modified sine wave for CPAP. The motor in the blower is sensitive to sine wave type.
2 Tips to Save Power on a CPAP Machine Only
1. Turn off heated humidifier and heated hose. A CPAP at 30W uses 30W. With heated humidifier it uses 60W. In the dry winter you need humidity, but in summer turn the humidifier setting to 0 and disconnect the heated hose. On a BLUETTI AC70, runtime jumps from 10.9 hours at 60W to 21.8 hours at 30W – you get two nights instead of one. Use a passive water chamber with no heat if your machine allows it.
2. Use the 12V DC adapter from your CPAP brand, not the AC brick. ResMed and Philips both sell a 12V DC converter cable. Plugging the AC brick into an Anker C1000 converts 12V DC to 120V AC in the station, then back to 12V DC in the brick – you lose 20%. Using the DC cable directly from the station’s DC or car port to the CPAP gives you 29.9 hours to 34 hours on an Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 instead of 29.9 hours. It also stops the station’s cooling fan at night, which is critical for sleep.
FAQ
How long will a CPAP run on Jackery Explorer 300?
8.3 hours at 30W without humidifier, from 293Wh, 300W. That is one 8-hour night with 0.3 hours left. With humidifier at 60W, 4.1 hours – not enough for a full night. Real world about 7.5 hours because Jackery 300 usable is 249Wh after efficiency.
Do I need pure sine wave for a CPAP machine?
Yes. A CPAP blower motor requires pure sine wave. The Azocek DC 18V to AC 110V Portable Power Station at 220W is modified sine wave and will make the motor noisy and may void the medical warranty. All Anker, BLUETTI, EcoFlow, Jackery stations in the list above are pure sine wave except Azocek and MARBERO.