Best Portable Generators

Digital Trends's Nick Mokey concluded: 'If you're buying for the long haul, there's no better option than the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max,' and Bob Vila scored it 9.4/10 for adaptability. It runs with zero emissions, is safe indoors, charges to 80% in 1.1 hours, and its LFP battery is rated for 10 years of daily use. The right pick for short multi-hour outages and for indoor backup where gas generators can't go.

The Yamaha EF2200iS is a 79cc gasoline inverter generator rated at 2,200 peak and 1,800 running watts, weighing 55.2 pounds. Bob Vila named it its best inverter pick, measuring 71 dB at 5 feet and praising its tri-handle carry and fuel economy; Field & Stream, whose writer has used one for years, picked it as its best portable model; and RV Daily ran a caravan air-conditioner from it without trouble. Its limits are output and the RV outlet, which only gives full 30-amp service when two units are paralleled. It suits campers, caravanners and tailgaters who want quiet, clean power; anyone needing to back up major home circuits should look at a larger generator.

At 39 lbs, 51 dBA at quarter load and roughly $429 street price, the WEN 56235i is the ultra-portable budget pick. Its sine-wave power is cleaner than even the Honda EU2200i's (under 1.2% THD vs under 3%), and it runs 10.5 hours at 25% load on a single tank. A 2-year warranty and a lighter-duty engine are what you accept for paying a third of Honda's price.

Bob Vila's whole-home backup recommendation went to the DuroMax XP12000EH, a heavy-duty conventional generator. Its 9,500 running watts handle a central AC, refrigerator, well pump and lighting at the same time, and the dual-fuel design lets you switch to propane when gas stations run out during a storm. It's loud, and it isn't safe for sensitive electronics without a surge protector, but $1,399 is strong value.