HANDS-ON RESULTS
Tested in the real world.
Specifications tell you what a product claims. Testing helps you understand what it delivers. Every result here is labelled measured, spec or estimate — and we publish the method, conditions and limitations in full.
How much usable energy does a 1,000 Wh power station actually deliver?
≈ 84% usable
We drained a nominal 1,000 Wh station three times and logged what actually reached the outlet.
Methodology & full results
How long can a portable battery run a household fridge?
≈ 23 hours
We ran a modern inverter fridge on a 1,000 Wh station until it cut out — and logged every watt of the cycling compressor.
Methodology & full results
How does actual solar charging compare with advertised input?
≈ 74% of rated peak
We logged a 200 W folding panel's real output all day and it never once reached the number on the label.
Methodology & full results
How much water can a rainwater collection system capture?
≈ 70% of theoretical
We metered every millimetre that fell on a 45 m² roof for eight weeks and measured how much actually reached the tank.
Methodology & full results
Measured, not marketing
We only label a figure measured when the Spare Theory test desk recorded it ourselves with the equipment and conditions listed on the page. Manufacturer claims and modelled estimates are always tagged as such — never presented as our own results.