Goldenmate 1000VA/800W 8-Outlet UPS review

It's 2026 and the power grid in Arkansas where I live is arguably under more strain than ever. My local power company tells us annually that we need to be sure to watch our consumption. On top of that, power outages from rampant severe thunderstorms and tornados pose a threat through much of the year. When that's not a worry, we're probably on edge about pending ice storms or overbearing heat waves. To my point, some extra battery backup for my home office or my gaming rig is always a good idea. Enter Goldenmate and their 1000VA/800W UPS. 

Unboxing the unit was easy-peasy. It came wrapped in plastic, packed into a cardboard box with a 3.9 ft modular power cable. The unit is essentially a matte white metal box with a wall-plug and 8 outlets on the back. The front-facing panel has a single button with a digital display just above it. The unit itself stands 9.84" tall, is 4.13" wide, and measures 13" from tip to tail. The unit weighs in at 12.35 lbs, which feels hefty but could be considered downright portable compared to other UPS units. 

Much to my chagrin, there was no operator's manual packed into the box, but how complicated could a battery with surge protection be, right? As it turns out, it's pretty simple, but there are a few key factors you need to be aware of. First, the button on the front of the unit is multi-purpose. Holding it for 3 seconds turns the UPS on. Holding it for 5 seconds will turn it off. Should the unit start making noise (which happens when power dies and the battery backup activates), it can be muted with a single short tap. 

The front-facing digital panel gives you everything you need to see at a glance. On the left, it shows the amount of power the UPS is drawing from being plugged into the wall, both in VA (Volt-Ampere) and in watts. The right side of the display shows how much power is being drawn from the UPS. In the middle of the display is a battery that reflects the relative state of charge being held. I appreciate the amount of information they display, but from a consumer standpoint, it feels like a more intelligent readout to show me how much battery time is left at the current draw would've been more applicable. The layman is going to have to do math to figure it out (or ballpark it based on past experience). 

The rear panel has 8 accessible outlets oriented in two rows of 4 situated to face outward. Each outlet is a surge protected and battery-backed NEMA 5-15P outlet (North American standard 3-prong outlet with a grounded, 2-pole, 3-wire connector). The orientation feels pertinent since any large power bricks will be able to overhang outward instead of covering up the outlet it shares a row with. 

The battery housed inside the Goldenmate UPS is a LiFePO4 lithium battery. LiFePO4 batteries, which stands for Lithium (Li), Iron (Fe), Phosphate (PO4), are known for being high performance rechargeable batteries with superior safety, thermal stability, and long lifespans. Per Goldenmate's documentation, their LiFePO4 batteries have a 10 year lifetime (though they only offer a 5-year warranty) capable of over 5000 deep cycles. 

There are some particular points of note worth discussing about Goldenmate's LiFePO4 batteries. First, unlike other batteries, they won't leak acid or put off toxic fumes. They're much safer from a fire risk standpoint than older batteries, too. Goldenmate's batteries include a BMS (battery management system) that will track the temperature, voltage, and current, taking steps to intervene to prevent overcharging and keeping the cells balanced. They also charge 3-5x faster than standard lead batteries and weigh about half what their ancestors weigh. 

To really see what the Goldenmate 1000VA/800W UPS was capable of, I put it through a couple localized tests. First, I plugged in two monitors and my computer tower to the unit. I fired up Avowed on my RTX 2080 and pulled the UPS's plug from the wall. At ~435 Watts of power draw, I was able to enjoy about 28 minutes of Avowed before the UPS was drained. This is right in line with Goldenmate's reported 30 minutes at 400 W. 

Second, I fully charged the UPS, then just plugged in my Motorola Surfboard cable modem and ROG STRIX router. This feels like a more real-to-life test for me, since I work from home and a solid battery backup solution means I won't have to pack up shop and find a seat at a nearby coffee shop to finish my work day. To my delight, after 2.5 hours at a meager 20 Watts of pull, barely a dent was made in the battery's reserve. I now know that, should the power fail during my workday (which has happened numerous times in the last few years), I'll have a few hours to continue being productive without the need to disrupt my workday. At that point, I could run on my work laptop's battery as long as possible before needing to pull power from the UPS or consider relocation. In that amount of time, hopefully the power company could have us back up and running. It's a real, practical, valuable test, and a way I think anyone who works from home could benefit. 

The Goldenmate 1000VA/800W 8-outlet UPS feels like an excellent option for anyone looking to provide some battery backup to their home or office. Every outlet has the added benefit of surge protection, and knowing the LiFePO4 batteries are much safer, less toxic, and more efficient than other varieties feels like a major selling point. Heck, you could probably even take this camping for some minor home comforts, like phone charging on the go. Though it may be a little on the expensive end, Goldenmate's offering feels like a great deal of peace of mind and power with minimal effort—always a good thing.