Our answer
An upright freezer needs margin for compressor startup, door-related cold loss, and any defrost event that occurs while it is on backup power.
What an upright freezer actually draws
Size changes the answer. This table groups every upright freezer in the current ENERGY STAR dataset by cubic foot, so the comparison follows the choice you make in a store rather than a single category average.
| Cubic foot | Typical draw | Range across models | Models | On a 1,024Wh station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 14 cubic feet | 45 W | 28.2 to 59.7 W | 236 | 18 hours |
| 14 to 18 cubic feet | 50 W | 34.8 to 67.1 W | 117 | 16 hours |
| 18 cubic feet and over | 56 W | 48.4 to 74.1 W | 144 | 15 hours |
These are averages across the compressor cycle, derived from certified annual energy use. The appliance draws more than this while the compressor runs and almost nothing between cycles, so use the average for daily energy and the startup figure for whether a station can run it at all. Figures are the median and full range across the ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Freezers (upright), retrieved 2026-09-21. Certified models skew efficient, so an older appliance may draw more than the range shown.
What an outage actually looks like with this load
An upright freezer loses cold air readily when its door opens, so browsing for food has an immediate energy cost. Frost-free models may also run fans and a defrost system that change the load beyond normal compressor cycling. Shelves make items accessible, but that convenience works against cold retention during an outage. Keep an inventory outside the cabinet, take out everything needed in one visit, and use a thermometer to decide whether continued battery power is preserving safe conditions.
The mistake people make sizing it
The sizing mistake is assuming the freezer behaves like a similarly sized chest model. Cabinet orientation, door use, fan operation, and frost-free defrost behavior can produce a different energy pattern. Measure this freezer rather than borrowing a figure from another design. The measurement should span normal cycling and should not be discarded merely because a defrost event makes one period look unusually demanding.
What each current record does with this load
A runtime appears only after the electrical fit clears. The comparison checks voltage, continuous output, and startup demand before it calculates stored-energy runtime. If a station fails a gate, the table leaves runtime out instead of presenting a number you cannot use.
| Power station | Capacity | Continuous output | Estimated runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal Zero Yeti 300 | 296.96 Wh | 350 W | Not a match |
| Goal Zero Yeti 700 | 677.37 Wh | 600 W | 12 hours |
| BLUETTI AC70 | 768 Wh | 1,000 W | 14 hours |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | 1,024 Wh | 2,000 W | 18 hours |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500 | 1,505.28 Wh | 2,000 W | 27 hours |
| Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 | 2,048 Wh | 2,400 W | 36 hours |
| Anker SOLIX F3000 | 3,072 Wh | 3,600 W | 54 hours |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 | 3,840 Wh | 6,000 W | 68 hours |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | 5,040 Wh | 7,200 W | 89 hours |
A station showing no runtime failed voltage, continuous output, or startup demand. An unverified figure means one requirement could not be checked against published evidence.
Before you rely on this
These limits are not caveats added at the end. They decide whether this appliance belongs on a portable battery at all.
- A full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours unopened. Backup power extends that window but does not remove the need to check the temperature.
What moves this number most
Frost-free upright freezers run a periodic defrost heater that draws several hundred watts for a short period. If that cycle lands inside your outage it changes the daily total.
How to measure your own
Read the nameplate or data label for voltage and rated amps or watts, then run the appliance through a normal cycle on a plug-in energy meter for 24 hours. Use the measured watt-hours in the calculator instead of the default on this page.
Put the measured figure into the runtime calculator rather than relying on a default. When this load shares a battery with others, the outage load planner sizes the whole set together.
Questions that change the decision
Why is an upright freezer sensitive to door openings?
Opening the vertical door lets dense cold air spill out and warmer room air enter. The compressor must later remove that added heat, and frost can form from incoming moisture. During an outage, decide what you need before opening the door and remove it promptly. An external inventory prevents searching through shelves while the cabinet is open.
What does frost-free operation change?
A frost-free model may periodically add a defrost heater and circulate air with fans. That creates a load pattern that a quick compressor-only reading will miss. It also means one day can differ from another depending on when the defrost sequence occurs. A longer energy measurement is more useful, and the station still needs headroom for the compressor to restart afterward.
May I use the refrigerator estimate for my upright freezer?
A refrigerator estimate is not a sound substitute. The appliances share a compressor-cycle pattern, but their cabinet temperatures, door losses, controls, and defrost behavior differ. Use the freezer data label and a meter reading from the actual unit. If the measurement period was unusually cool or the door was never opened, add a conservative margin for less favorable outage conditions.
Continue through this cluster
Use the next page that answers your unresolved constraint
Evidence used on this page
Important fields are tied to a specific source. Manufacturer claims, government guidance, calculations, and planning assumptions remain separate.
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Freezers (upright)
ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency
Certified-product dataset. 497 models supplied the published draw figures on this page. Certified models skew efficient, so an older appliance may draw more than the range shown.
government data
- Certified residential freezers
ENERGY STAR
Annual energy use for chest and upright freezers by capacity. Used to derive average draw, not startup behaviour.
government data
- Food safety during a power outage
FoodSafety.gov
Supports the four-hour closed-refrigerator and 48-hour full-freezer guidance.
government guidance
- Calculation and compatibility methodology
Power Station Station
Defines the capacity, efficiency, reserve, duty-cycle, voltage, continuous-output, and startup checks applied across the site. Planning defaults are visible on every page that uses them.
planning assumption