Power

Battery storage, light and backup for an outage

Most households do not need a generator. They need enough stored electricity to keep the fridge cold, the phones charged, the router alive and the lights on — quietly and indoors.

Think in watt-hours rather than watts: a modern fridge draws roughly 1 kWh a day, a modem and router about 0.1 kWh, and lighting under 0.2 kWh. A 1 kWh battery covers a fridge-led day; a 0.5 kWh battery covers the essentials for most households.

Plan for the hours you cannot see

One light per person, battery or rechargeable — never candles.
Spare batteries matched to the devices you actually keep.
A radio that runs without a charger, since phone networks overload first.
If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, backup power is essential, not optional — and the charging plan should be written down.

Fuel generators must never run inside a home, garage or attached shed, and should only ever be connected to your wiring by a licensed electrician. Lithium power stations are safe indoors but should not be charged or stored where they can get wet.

Power we would buy

Portable Power Stations

Essential

Best for essentials

Jackery Explorer 500 v2 Portable Power Station

Jackery · Explorer 500 v2

A 512 Wh LiFePO4 power station light enough for one person to carry between rooms. Covers the router, lights, phones and a laptop through a typical outage.

Capacity: 512 Wh
Battery: LiFePO4, 6,000 cycles (manufacturer figure)
AC output: 500 W continuous / 1,000 W surge

Light enough for one person to carry room to room
Long-life LiFePO4 chemistry
500 W output will not run a full-size fridge or high-draw appliances

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

Portable Power Stations

Recommended

Best for keeping a fridge running

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station

EcoFlow · DELTA 3 Plus

About 1 kWh of LiFePO4 storage with the output to handle a fridge compressor at start-up, and room to expand with extra batteries.

Capacity: 1,024 Wh
Battery: LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%
AC output: 1,800 W continuous / 3,600 W surge

Surge headroom for a fridge compressor
Expandable as your plan grows
Heaviest of our three picks at 12.5 kg

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Full spec sheet

Portable Power Stations

Optional / Upgrade

Best with solar

Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 with 400 W Solar Panel

Anker SOLIX · C1000 Gen 2 + 400 W panel

A 1,024 Wh LiFePO4 power station bundled with a 400 W folding solar panel, so stored power can be topped up daily in a longer outage.

Capacity: 1,024 Wh
Battery: LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%
AC output: 2,000 W continuous / 3,000 W peak

Solar panel included, ready for multi-day outages
Lightest 1 kWh-class unit in our picks
Solar output drops sharply in short, overcast winter days

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

Generators must only run outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents. Never run one in a home, garage or attached shed. Connection to home wiring requires a licensed electrician and a proper transfer switch.

Aceup Energy 4000W Portable Gas Inverter Generator

Optional / Upgrade

Best for long outages with outdoor space

Aceup Energy 4000W Portable Gas Inverter Generator

A higher-output 4000W inverter generator for running more of the home at once — fridge, freezer, lights and a well pump in sequence. Quiet enough for residential use.

Type: Gas inverter generator
Peak watts: 4000W
Engine: 149cc 4-stroke

Enough power for multiple appliances
Quiet for residential use
Gasoline only

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

maXpeedingrods 3500W Portable Inverter Generator (MXR3500)

Optional / Upgrade

Best for long outages with outdoor space

maXpeedingrods 3500W Portable Inverter Generator (MXR3500)

A popular, well-reviewed mid-size inverter generator that balances output, weight and price. RV-ready with a CO sensor for safer indoor-adjacent use.

Type: Gas inverter generator
Peak watts: 3500W
Running watts: 3000W

Strong value for the wattage
CO sensor adds real safety
Gasoline only — shortest shelf-life fuel

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Full spec sheet

maXpeedingrods 4000W Dual Fuel Inverter Generator (MXR4000GT)

Optional / Upgrade

Best for long outages with outdoor space

maXpeedingrods 4000W Dual Fuel Inverter Generator (MXR4000GT)

A premium dual-fuel (gasoline + propane) inverter generator with Bluetooth app control and electric start. Propane stores indefinitely and burns cleaner — ideal for long-term preparedness.

Type: Dual-fuel gas inverter generator
Peak watts: 4000W
Fuel: Gasoline or propane

Propane stores indefinitely — no stale fuel worries
Dual-fuel redundancy if one fuel runs out
Most expensive in the lineup

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

PowerSmart 2500W Portable Inverter Generator

Optional / Upgrade

Best for long outages with outdoor space

PowerSmart 2500W Portable Inverter Generator

Lightweight, quiet gas inverter generator for essential home backup and camping. A budget-friendly entry point that runs fridges, lights and small electronics during an outage.

Type: Gas inverter generator
Peak watts: 2500W
Running watts: 1900W

Most affordable generator in the lineup
Clean power for electronics
Won't run a whole home or well pump

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

Side by side

How these compare

Product	Best for	Capacity	Battery	AC output	Weight	Where
Jackery Explorer 500 v2 Portable Power Station Jackery · Explorer 500 v2	Essentials: router, lights, phones and a laptop	512 Wh	LiFePO4, 6,000 cycles (manufacturer figure)	500 W continuous / 1,000 W surge	14 lb (about 6.4 kg)	Amazon
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station EcoFlow · DELTA 3 Plus	Keeping a fridge running through a day-long outage	1,024 Wh	LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%	1,800 W continuous / 3,600 W surge	12.5 kg (27.6 lb)	Amazon
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 with 400 W Solar Panel Anker SOLIX · C1000 Gen 2 + 400 W panel	Long outages where daily solar recharging matters	1,024 Wh	LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%	2,000 W continuous / 3,000 W peak	11.3 kg (24.9 lb), station only	Amazon
Aceup Energy 4000W Portable Gas Inverter Generator	Households needing to run several essentials at once	—	—	—	—	Amazon

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Related guides

Reading before you buy in Power

Comparison · Power

Best Portable Power Stations for Power Outages

For most households a battery beats a generator: quieter, safe indoors and no fuel to store. Here is how to size one, and three products that cover different households.

3 min read · Updated 27 Oct 2026

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