One EXP96PRO APEX or Two EXP48PRO APEX Batteries? How to Choose

If there's any chance you'll fly, get two EXP48PRO APEX batteries. They're the only way to take that much EXP PRO capacity on a plane, because the EXP96PRO APEX can't fly in carry-on or checked bags. If you'll never fly and you'd rather manage one unit, the EXP96PRO APEX is the simpler choice. It has two DC ports, one charger and an IP65 rating, and it costs less.

The two setups hold the same total energy: 307.2 watt-hours. They also weigh about the same in total. So you're not deciding how much power you want. You're deciding what shape it comes in, and that comes down to how you travel.

The two setups side by side

Both are LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) batteries. Both run most major CPAP and BiPAP machines with the right DC cord, and the cord is matched to your CPAP model, not to the battery. Both have an LCD that shows battery percentage and output voltage.

Runtime figures are estimates. Your actual nights depend on your pressure and mode, your machine, whether the humidifier and heated hose are on, mask leak, battery age and temperature. Our CPAP battery runtime guide walks through each of those.

If you'll fly even once, choose two EXP48PRO APEX batteries

Air travel is the deciding factor, so start there.

The FAA sorts spare lithium-ion batteries by watt-hours. Batteries between 100 and 160 Wh can go in carry-on bags only. Each passenger can bring up to two, and the airline has to approve them. Anything over 160 Wh is forbidden for passengers entirely. Spare lithium batteries are never allowed in checked bags. There's no special exception for CPAP batteries that raises those limits.

Here's how the two setups line up against those rules:

• EXP48PRO APEX: 153.6 Wh, under the 160 Wh threshold. Up to two in your carry-on.
• EXP96PRO APEX: 307.2 Wh, nearly double the limit. It can't go in carry-on or checked bags.

So two EXP48PRO APEX batteries give you the full 307.2 Wh in the cabin, and that's the most EXP PRO capacity one person can take on a plane. If you're flying to family for Thanksgiving and then spending a few nights at a cabin, the same pair covers both parts of the trip.

Before you go:

1. Check with your airline. Airlines can set stricter rules than the FAA, and batteries in the 100–160 Wh range need airline approval. Ask ahead of time instead of at the gate. Final acceptance rests with TSA and the airline.
2. Protect the terminals. Keep each battery in its original retail packaging or a protective pouch, or tape over exposed terminals, so nothing can short them.
3. Keep both batteries in the cabin. If a gate agent asks to check your carry-on, take the batteries out first.
4. Charge them before you leave. You'll arrive with both ready, and your first night won't depend on finding an outlet.

For more detail, see how the EXP48PRO APEX meets airline battery rules and what happens if your CPAP battery is questioned at the airport.

Traveling with a partner who also uses CPAP? The two-battery limit is per person, so each of you can carry your own pair, again with airline approval.

If you never fly, one EXP96PRO APEX is simpler

For road trips, RV travel, car camping and home backup, the EXP96PRO APEX usually makes more sense. Here's what you get with the single unit.

It costs less. The EXP96PRO APEX bundle is $549. Two EXP48PRO APEX bundles are $798. That's $249 more for the same total capacity.

Two DC output ports. The EXP96PRO APEX can run two CPAP or BiPAP machines at the same time. For a couple who both use CPAP and share a tent or camper, one battery on the floor between the beds covers both of you. Each person still needs the DC cord that matches their own machine.

One charger and one battery to track. You have one charge level on one screen. Nothing to connect, and no second battery to forget in the car.

More output options. The EXP96PRO APEX offers 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 24V output, plus a USB-A port and two USB-C ports.

IP65 rated and UL 2743 and ANSI certified. IP65 means it's dust-tight and resists low-pressure water jets. That's useful at a dusty campsite or when rain blows into the awning. It isn't waterproof, though, so don't submerge it.

Home backup. Like the EXP48PRO APEX, it can charge and power your CPAP at the same time, and it switches to battery power automatically if the power goes out. More on that in our guide to keeping your CPAP running during a home power outage.

If flying isn't in your plans, the EXP96PRO APEX gives you the same capacity for less money and less to manage. See the EXP96PRO APEX bundle.

What two batteries do besides fly

Flying is the main reason to choose the pair, but splitting 307.2 Wh into two pieces helps on the ground too.

You carry 3.25 lb at a time. The total weight is the same, but you can leave one battery in the car and take one down the trail to a walk-in site, or keep one at the bedside and one in your bag.

You can charge one while you use the other. At a campground with a shared outlet, or on a drive between stops, you can charge one battery while the other runs your CPAP that night. Each EXP48PRO APEX charges in about 2.5 hours on AC or about 4 hours from a car's DC outlet. If you camp away from hookups, our boondocking on CPAP guide covers keeping power topped up.

You have a spare. If one battery gets left behind, you still have the other.

Two people, two machines. Each EXP48PRO APEX has one DC output port. Two batteries can run two machines, one each, but each person only gets one battery's capacity.

You can start with one. You can buy a single EXP48PRO APEX now and add a second before a longer trip. You can't split an EXP96PRO APEX in half later.

Connecting two EXP48PRO APEX batteries

You can use the two batteries one after the other, swapping the cord when the first runs low. Or you can connect them so they work as one larger source.

To connect them, follow the method in the current EXP48PRO APEX manual. Plug the provided DC charge cord into the charge port on one battery and into the 12V/15A main power port on the other. That doubles the available capacity. Connect no more than two batteries, and don't connect them through USB-C. Older guidance described a USB-C method, and it no longer applies.

If you'd rather not connect them, just run one battery a night or two and switch to the other. Either way, the combined runtime is estimated at about 4–6 nights with the humidifier and heated hose off.

Runtime: what actually changes your nights

On paper, the two setups hold the same energy, so expect similar runtime from either one. Your settings and conditions make the bigger difference.

The humidifier and heated hose use the most power. With both on, one EXP96PRO APEX is estimated at roughly one night instead of four to six. If you need several nights away from an outlet, turning them off makes the biggest difference. Here's how to turn off the heated hose and humidifier on common machines. If you have questions about how that affects your therapy, check with your sleep provider or equipment provider.

Cold nights also shorten runtime. So do higher pressures, a leaky mask and an older battery. Plan with some margin, especially on a fall trip where nights drop into the 30s.

Charging on the road and with solar

On AC: the EXP96PRO APEX takes about 5 hours. Each EXP48PRO APEX takes about 2.5 hours, so charging the pair back to back takes about the same total time. With a charger for each, you can charge both at once.

In the car: about 8 hours for the EXP96PRO APEX, or about 4 hours for each EXP48PRO APEX.

On solar: the Summit 60W panel ($139) charges an EXP48PRO APEX in under about 5 hours of good sun, and an EXP96PRO APEX in under about 9. If you're going with the EXP96PRO APEX and plan to rely on solar, the Summit 100W ($219) brings that down to under about 4.5 hours. Our 60W vs. 100W solar comparison helps you choose.

Which setup fits your trip

• Flying home for the holidays: two EXP48PRO APEX batteries. The EXP96PRO APEX can't fly.
• Flying somewhere for a long weekend with outlets at the hotel: one EXP48PRO APEX may be enough. Add a second if you'll be away from power.
• Fall road trip or car camping, no flights planned: EXP96PRO APEX. One unit, lower price.
• Two CPAP users in one tent or camper, not flying: EXP96PRO APEX, using both DC ports.
• Two CPAP users who fly: each of you carries your own EXP48PRO APEX batteries.
• Home outage backup only: EXP96PRO APEX.
• Walk-in camping or backpacking, where you want to split the weight: two EXP48PRO APEX batteries.

If the answer to "Will I ever fly with this?" is "maybe," choose the pair. You can use two EXP48PRO APEX batteries on a road trip, but you can't take an EXP96PRO APEX on a plane.

Shop the EXP48PRO APEX bundle or the EXP96PRO APEX bundle. If you're not sure which DC cord your CPAP needs, give us a call before you order.

FAQ

Do two EXP48PRO APEX batteries equal one EXP96PRO APEX?

In total energy and weight, yes: 307.2 Wh and about 6.5 lb either way. The differences are that the pair can fly and the EXP96PRO APEX can't, and the EXP96PRO APEX has two DC ports in one unit and costs less.

Can I bring two EXP48PRO APEX batteries on a plane?

Yes, in carry-on only. Each is 153.6 Wh, and FAA rules allow up to two spare batteries in the 100–160 Wh range per passenger with airline approval. Check with your airline before you fly. Final acceptance rests with TSA and the airline.

Can I put the EXP96PRO APEX in checked luggage instead?

No. At 307.2 Wh it's over the 160 Wh limit for passengers, and spare lithium batteries aren't allowed in checked bags anyway.

How do I connect two EXP48PRO APEX batteries?

Follow the current manual. Use the provided DC charge cord from the charge port on one battery to the 12V/15A main power port on the other. Connect no more than two, and never through USB-C.

Can one battery run two CPAP machines?

The EXP96PRO APEX can, with its two DC output ports. The EXP48PRO APEX has one DC output port, so it runs one machine.