The last time a Dabbsson unit made its way into The Solar Lab for testing, we were far from impressed. The Dabbsson DSB2100 Pro may have had a few small signs of promise, but it mostly just left us thinking, “nice try… maybe next time.” Well, next time has arrived in the form of the Dabbsson 600L Power Station.
Lightweight, compact, and available for under $300, the Dabbsson DBS2300 600L is pitched as an entry-level power station that won’t leave buyers feeling like they cut too many corners, but does it deliver?
Let’s give Dabbsson a second chance and find out if this unit is an affordable hit or just another flop.
Before we jump into how this little unit performed, let’s quickly look at what it’s supposed to bring to the table:
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At just 17.5 pounds, it’s light enough that just about anyone can pick it up with one hand. The built-in handle is also really sturdy, which makes carrying it around even easier.
We have to say that the housing feels surprisingly premium for such an affordable power station. It’s compact, durable, and comes equipped with rubber feet on the bottom that prevent sliding on desks and tables.
We also liked the front-mounted LED light, which doubles as a makeshift flashlight during outages, or if you decide to take it camping. Small touches like a cover on the 12V plug and protruding buttons are design features we wouldn’t normally expect from a budget unit from a relatively unknown brand.
Overall, it looks and feels more polished than many power stations in this price range, and even some that cost significantly more. The price competes with units like the EcoFlow River 3 and Anker C300, but it has a bigger battery and higher output rating.
Still, those are just the specs on paper, so let’s see how it actually performed.
Here’s where the Dabbsson 600L really impressed us. Despite its budget-friendly price, it posted solid efficiency numbers. Our testing showed 85% efficiency, which is on par with far more expensive units from brands like EcoFlow and Anker.
We also ran an idle consumption test, meaning we left the AC inverter on with nothing plugged into any of the output ports. After leaving it sitting with a fully charged battery until it ran out of juice, we calculated that it used just 14 watts per hour.
In other words, it could sit powered on for a full two days straight before draining the battery down to 0%. For perspective, some of the larger and more premium units have double the idle consumption.
As for real-world use, the output ports all worked perfectly, the solar input was reliable, and AC charging finished in just 1 hour 45 minutes, which is exactly what Dabbsson advertises on their website. For a sub-$300 unit, we were pretty impressed.
The display screen is simple but effective. It shows input and output rates, remaining battery percentage, and estimated runtime based on the loads you’re running. It’s also fairly bright and easy to read head-on, even outdoors.
The Dabbsson app also deserves a mention. For a budget-friendly product, it’s surprisingly polished, offering controls for outlets, the built-in light, and battery monitoring. There’s even a time management and scheduled on/off feature, which is a surprising amount of customization for such a small and affordable power station.
Both the app and the screen are a cut above what we expected for this category and makes the unit more convenient to manage than what you usually get when you pick up a power station for under $500.
One of the biggest surprises with the Dabbsson 600L was just how much it offers for the price, but here are some of the more specific things that stood out to us:
At 85% efficiency and just a 14W/hour idle rate, this unit punches above its weight. It means you won’t waste battery life just by keeping the inverter on, which is a big deal if you’re running it as backup power for sensitive electronics.
The battery capacity is also impressive for such a low-cost unit. The fact you get a nice array of output ports and three different ways to charge the unit is also impressive.
Topping up from empty in under two hours is excellent for a budget model. Whether you’re charging it at home before a camping trip or topping up before a storm in anticipation of an outage, you won’t be waiting all day.
Plus, the flexibility of being able to charge it with solar or in your car with the 12V DC input is really nice.
The lightweight design, sturdy housing, and thoughtful extras (like rubber feet, a protective port cover, and solid-feeling buttons) make it a practical and reliable option for everyday use.
Even including a built-in light is a huge plus and something we think a lot of people will use on a regular basis. If you watch our videos, you’ll know a built-in light gets Robbie’s engine revving.
Basically, we were just impressed by the fact that this felt like a high-quality unit. We’ve tested a whole pile of junk from these types of lesser-known brands, and we’re happy to report that Dabbsson seems to be distancing itself from those companies and their constant cost cutting approaches to power station design.
Since it seems to be available at a near-constant sale price of just $284, it’s hard to find another power station in this size and class that performs this well.
It feels like Dabbsson finally hit the balance between affordability and quality. It’s still what we would class as an entry-level power station, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.
While it was definitely an improvement over the first Dabbsson power station we looked at, no power station is perfect. As expected, the 600L has a few quirks worth pointing out:
We ran it here at The Solar Lab for about a week. While some of us didn’t notice, a couple people reported hearing a faint high-pitched sound when the inverter was running.
Again, not everyone could hear it, but for those sensitive to that frequency, it could get annoying over time, especially if you’re going to set it up in a tent or on your desk while you work.
During charging, the fans occasionally ramped up and down at random intervals, even when the charge rate was steady. It’s not a performance issue, but just like that high-frequency noise a few of us picked up on, it can be distracting in a quiet room.
This is more wishful thinking than a flaw, but given its compact, desk-friendly design, having a wireless charging pad on top of the unit for fast-charging phones or a pair of AirPods would have made it even more versatile.
That said, adding this feature might have driven the cost up, and a huge part of the appeal of going with the Dabbsson 600L is its low price.
After running it through a bunch of tests and about two weeks of real-world use, the Dabbsson 600L turned out to be a pleasant surprise. After a less-than-stellar first impression, this little powerhouse proved that Dabbsson is making efforts to step up their game.
For under $300, you’re getting a compact, efficient, and well-built unit with fast charging, low idle drain, and enough ports to cover most small-scale needs. It has some minor quirks, like the fan noise and the occasional high-pitched sound you get with the inverter, but nothing we’d say is anywhere near a dealbreaker.
If you’re looking for an affordable entry-level power station for camping, home backup, or even a few extra desk-side plugs, the Dabbsson 600L is one of the best deals in its class right now.
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