A power outage kills your entire smart home in an instant. WiFi router goes down, so every camera, doorbell, lock, and sensor loses connectivity. Your smart home hub stops processing automations. Security cameras stop recording — exactly when you'd want them most.
A battery backup (UPS) keeps your critical smart home infrastructure running during outages. The good news: smart home equipment draws very little power. A router, hub, and a couple of devices run on 30-50 watts total. Even a modest UPS can keep these running for 4-8 hours.
Quick answer
- Best for most homes: APC Back-UPS BE600M1 — affordable, reliable, powers router + hub for 4-6 hours
- Best for larger setups: CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD — sine wave output, powers router + hub + NAS for 8+ hours
- Best portable option: EcoFlow River 2 — 256Wh battery, USB-C, powers smart home gear for 12+ hours
- Ring-specific: Ring Alarm Backup Battery — purpose-built for Ring Alarm Pro base station
APC Back-UPS BE600M1 — Best for Most Homes
The APC BE600M1 is the most practical UPS for smart home backup. It provides 600VA/330W of battery power across 5 battery-backed outlets (plus 2 surge-only outlets). For a typical smart home setup — WiFi router (15W), smart home hub (5W), and a powered camera hub (10W) — this provides approximately 4-6 hours of runtime.
The unit includes a USB charging port on the front for topping off your phone during outages. It's compact enough to sit behind a media console or in a closet next to your networking equipment. Automatic voltage regulation (AVR) protects your equipment from brownouts and voltage fluctuations.
At $50-70, this is the most cost-effective way to keep your smart home running during power outages. For most homes, this is all you need. Check current prices on Amazon.
CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD — Best for Larger Setups
If you're also backing up a NAS (for security camera recordings), a modem, and multiple smart home hubs, the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD provides more capacity. At 1500VA/1000W with pure sine wave output, it handles sensitive electronics safely and runs low-power smart home gear for 8-12 hours.
The LCD screen shows real-time load, battery level, and estimated runtime. Pure sine wave output is important if you're powering devices with switching power supplies (most modern electronics), as the cheaper simulated sine wave from budget UPS models can cause buzzing or compatibility issues.
The unit is larger and heavier than the APC model. It's designed for a network closet or media center where it can sit on the floor. At $150-200, it's a bigger investment but provides significantly more runtime and capacity. Check current prices on Amazon.
EcoFlow River 2 — Best Portable Option
The EcoFlow River 2 is a portable power station with a 256Wh LiFePO4 battery. It's not a traditional UPS (no automatic switchover), but it provides the longest runtime for smart home gear — 12+ hours powering a router and hub.
The River 2 has 2 AC outlets, 2 USB-A ports, and a USB-C port. It charges from a wall outlet in about an hour or from a solar panel for off-grid applications. The LiFePO4 battery chemistry lasts 3,000+ charge cycles, compared to 300-500 cycles for traditional UPS lead-acid batteries.
Use cases beyond power outages: take it camping and still monitor your smart home, use it in a workshop, or position it in a detached building as a permanent power source for a camera and WiFi extender.
The main limitation: it doesn't switch automatically like a UPS. You need to manually plug devices in during an outage, or keep devices plugged into it permanently (which works but means the River 2 is always charging). Check current prices on Amazon.
Ring Alarm Backup Battery — Ring-Specific Solution
The Ring Alarm Backup Battery is designed specifically for the Ring Alarm Pro base station. It attaches directly to the base station and provides up to 24 hours of backup power for the alarm system and its built-in eero WiFi router.
This is purpose-built: it only powers the Ring Alarm Pro, not other devices. But if your primary concern is keeping your Ring security system online during outages, this is the cleanest solution. The battery charges automatically when plugged in and the Ring app shows battery level.
At $50-70, it's a targeted investment for Ring households. It doesn't replace a general UPS for your other networking equipment. Check current prices on Amazon.
What to Plug Into Your UPS
Prioritize equipment in this order:
- WiFi router/mesh node — everything depends on WiFi. If this dies, all your smart devices go offline.
- Smart home hub — SmartThings, Hue Bridge, Arlo HomeBase, etc. Without the hub, sensors and automations stop working.
- Security system base station — Ring Alarm, SimpliSafe base, etc. Keeps security monitoring active.
- Modem — if separate from your router, the modem needs power too.
- NAS or camera storage — if you have local camera recording, keep the storage device alive.
Do NOT plug high-wattage devices into the UPS battery outlets. Monitors, TVs, space heaters, and printers will drain the battery in minutes. Use the surge-only outlets for those.
For WiFi reliability, see our best mesh WiFi guide. For keeping your smart home hub connected, check our best smart home hub guide.
FAQ
How long will a UPS run my router? A typical WiFi router draws 10-20W. On the APC BE600M1 (330W capacity), a router alone runs for approximately 6-8 hours. Add a smart hub (5-10W) and you're looking at 4-6 hours.
Do I need a pure sine wave UPS? For routers and smart home hubs, simulated sine wave (cheaper UPS models) works fine. If you're also powering a NAS or any device with an active PFC power supply, pure sine wave (like the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD) is safer.
Will my security cameras work during a power outage? Wired cameras lose power during an outage (unless on a UPS). Battery cameras continue recording locally but can't upload or send alerts without WiFi. Keep your router on a UPS so battery cameras can still communicate.
How often should I replace UPS batteries? Traditional lead-acid UPS batteries last 3-5 years. The UPS will alert you when the battery needs replacement. LiFePO4 batteries (EcoFlow) last 10+ years under normal use.