The Best Portable Generators

Best Portable Generators for Home Use

When it comes to home use, reliability, capacity and power are key metrics for portable generators. You need a unit capable of handling essential appliances such as refrigerators, computers, sump pumps and heating systems during a power outage. If you want a generator that can handle true home backup, look for a model that offers a high-wattage output and a large capacity to handle power-hungry appliances for longer outages. 

You’ll also want a model that’s designed with home backup in mind, meaning it’s equipped with a variety of output plugs to handle all your various appliances. Our top pick in this category is the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station which is one of the few portable battery power stations built with home backup in mind. It comes with the ability to recharge the unit with 240 volts of power as well as output for electric vehicles and heavy-duty appliances like dryers.

The EcoFlow DELTA Pro is also expandable with additional batteries to give you greater capacity for longer outages and hungrier appliances. With the sold-separately Transfer Switch (you’ll want professional installation), it can also integrate directly into your home’s electrical panel to power lights and other system functions that are difficult to power with traditional battery generators.

If you’re looking for something simpler for home backup power to just power key devices and appliances, the Patriot Power Generator 1800 is an affordable model with 1800-watt (W) continuous power and surge coverage above 3000W to handle most devices and appliances such as fridges and freezers.

Best Portable Generators for Outdoor Activities

For camping, the best portable generator should be lightweight, compact and quiet, ensuring it won’t disturb your peace and quiet, not to mention your sleep. Power needs for car camping are usually more modest than at home so you can get a more affordable model since you won’t need the peak wattage required by appliances such as dryers and microwaves.

For camping, we love the Jackery Solar Generator 1000, which comes paired with two 100W solar panels for recharging your generator away from plug-in power sources. The peak wattage is enough for most appliances, but at only 34 pounds, it is compact and lightweight.

When powering an RV, camper, or adventure van, you may have higher power appliances for cooking, air conditioning and heating, making your needs similar to what you’d want at home. The biggest difference is maintaining easy portability, so look for high-capacity, high-wattage models that aren’t too heavy or at least have wheels for easier transport.

For RV power, we like the BLUETTI AC200MAX Portable Power Station which comes with a 30A RV plug, plenty of capacity (2,048 watt hours (Wh)), and 2,200W of power with surge coverage up to 4,800W.

Best Portable Solar Generators

Battery generators open up the possibility of harnessing the power of the sun to recharge your generator, which makes it even more portable since you can recharge far, far away from the grid if needed. Solar panels also provide a power source at home in the event of an outage.

Here again, we like the affordable and compact Jackery Solar Generator 1000 which comes bundled with two 100W solar panels and is easy to take on the road. If you want a solar-equipped generator but want more power and capacity, the Patriot Power Generator 2000X has a bigger battery and higher wattage output and comes with a 100W solar panel and roll cart for easier transport.

Best Generators for Sensitive Electronics

A popular home use for battery generators is as a UPS backup or Uninterruptible Power Supply designed to keep things such as computers and hard drives running even in a blackout or power surge. Losing power to these devices can be catastrophic, so you don’t have time to recognize an outage and plug devices into a generator.

Luckily there are battery generators built with this function in mind. Our favorite is the PECRON E1500LFP Expandable Portable Power Station, which allows you to keep devices connected to the generator using grid power unless the power goes out. In the event of an outage, the devices immediately switch to battery power, avoiding shutoffs.

FAQs

What is the best solar-powered portable generator?

Based on our research, our top solar-powered generator is the Jackery Solar Generator 1000, which comes bundled with two 100W solar panels and weighs only 34 pounds, making it easy to take on the road or to move around a house to power different devices or appliances as needed.

What is the best portable generator for RVs?

Our top pick for RVs, campers and adventure vans is the BLUETTI AC200MAX Portable Power Station, which comes with a 30A RV plug, 2,048Wh capacity, and 2,200W of power with surge coverage up to 4,800W. 

Are portable generators quiet?

Unlike gas generators, most portable generators today use batteries and are very quiet, emitting only the noise created by their cooling fans. The low noise level makes them ideal for camping in nature, hunting and keeping quiet in your neighborhood. They’re also emission-free, so they can be kept indoors and inside an RV unlike gas generators, which emit dangerous fumes and must be kept outside at all times.