Best Indoor Generators for Emergency (Review 2020)

When there is a natural disaster such as a flood or hurricane, there are usually high chances of losing your electric power. A blackout is also possible in a social crisis when regular maintenance of utility power plants are in trouble. This can sometimes take days or weeks to be restored, which is extremely frustrating.

Your home is usually left at inconvecience, because it means no air conditioning in summer and no heat in winter for some time. And one of the worst senarios is that you are in the middle of an urgent project when a blackout hits, and your laptop battery is dying.

An indoor generator comes in handy particularly for people who live in apartment buildings and are required to keep a low noise level because it doesn’t make as much noise as gas-powered generators.

So, before we dive into review of the best indoor generators, let’s see if you are facing with some of the most possible causes that result in power outage. However, you can hit this short-cut and jump to our review in a blink, or click the following links to buy if short on time.

1. Jackery Explorer 240 Portable Power Station – Best Overall

2. FlashFish G300 Portable Power Station – Best Price

3. Aeiusny Portable 500W Solar Generator – Best High Powered

4. Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station – Alternative to Aeiusny 500W

5. SUAOKI S270 Portable Power Station – Best Lightweight Generator

Possible Causes of Power Outages

Power outages can occur for a wide variety of reasons, and they can last anywhere from a few seconds to hours to days. The following are some of the most common causes of power outages that would necessitate an indoor generator to act as an emergency power provider.

Human errors

One of the most common human mistakes is overload. When you overload your power line, there are chances it shall get overwhelmed and lead to power outages. This often happens when you are unaware of the capacity of your electricity supply.

Faulty equipment

Although your power provider regularly maintains all of their equipment, there are chances of problems occurring, through no fault of their own. This is because machines sometimes fail, but this is the “best cause” for a power outage, as they can repair it immediately and restore power.

Accidents

We have all seen them – car accidents where a power pole gets hit causing severe power failure in the area. If the transformers and power lines are hit, it may take some time for repairs to be done.

Planned interruptions

Sometimes the electric company may plan to update some of its systems, which means that they may require to put the power out in some areas as they work. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.

Storms

Storms will knock out your power, but not because of the lightning as most people think. In fact, lightning strikes do not affect your power because there are plenty of protections put in place to prevent this.

The main culprit of a power outage when there is a storm is trees. Storms bring in high winds and ice, which can knock down branches or even whole trees, and if these fall on distribution lines, it can cause a severe power outage.

Winds

Strong winds can cause severe power failure. Again, what the wind shall do is to knock out trees that, in effect, knock out the power lines causing the power failure. This is one of the worst causes and can lead to prolonged power outages.

Animals

Now, storms and strong winds are the leading causes of power outages, but animals also play their part. There are usually more than a thousand outages each year as a result of animal interference. One of the animals that cause the most damage to electrical lines is squirrels.

Squirrels love to find insulation around power lines, especially during winter, while looking for some warmth, which can cause power-related severe problems.

5 Best Indoor Generators Reviews

All generators on our list are portable devices, and are rechargeable with solar panel. However, their matching solar panels are sold seperately.  

We should also let you know that generators on this list supplies different power. As a rule, larger generators output higher power and therefore support more devices. The good news is it’s not a big difference though. 

1. Jackery Explorer 240 Portable Power Station – Best Overall

This indoor generator is indeed worth your consideration, especially for a camper or for those emergencies. It has excellent storage capacity and power inverter. You can use it to run the essential appliances in your home during an emergency.

It comes with multiple charging options and a standard AC socket. It is one of the top sellers in the market today, and here are some reasons why you should consider buying it;

Powerful solar station

With its 200W power ability, it is an excellent solution for your power needs, especially in an emergency. It also comes with a solar-chargable built-in 16.8Ah, 14.4V lithium-ion battery, which means you do not need a gasoline, or fuel when using it. 

Perfect for camping

If you have been looking for the best power generator for your camping trips, look no further. This Jackery machine is the best. Its mid-variant series also comes in handy. When it comes to weight, this generator is not the lightest on our list with its 6.6 lbs body. However, we believe most people could carry it along very easily. 

It is also specially designed for charging your laptops, drones, and mini-coolers, all the stuff you would need on a camping trip.

Please note that the generator doesn’t support electric devices that have a rating of more than 200W. Kindly check all of the electronics you have, and ensure they do not go above this so that you can ensure the safety of use.

It is equipped with 2x USB-A ports, 1x AC outlet (110V, 200W, and 400W peak**), and 1 DC carport. This is not too much, but definitely enough to power your outdoor adventures and stay-home emergencies for awhile with zero worries. 

Quiet operation

Not only does the generator operate quietly, but it is also eco-friendly and very clean. This is perfect for people who need to keep noise levels low when working, especially in apartment buildings. 

Price

Their entire line of explorer series is easily available online, and their prices are reasonable. When compared to other companies, they offer some of the best features at the best price.

2. FlashFish G300 Portable Power Station – Best Price

This generator provides a high amount of power that is similar to traditional gasoline generators but without the excessive noise, gas emissions, maintenance, and weight. Comparing with Jakery 240, FF G300 features more outputs (3x USB ports, 2x DC outputs,  and 2x 110 AC outputs) and higher power.

The generator has a capacity of 300W, which can be used to power your drones, fans, tablets, TVs, laptops, in-car appliances, and even drills. It can meet all of your electrical needs when traveling, to camp, and in your home.

Likewise, FF G300 also has an LCD, which shows the amount of energy remaining, AC output, DC output, discharge status, and amount of charge. You can check the battery status visually and keep track of when it needs to be charged again. And, its battery is rechargeable by three modes: mains (wall sockets), solar panel, and car lighter adapter.

FF G300 also comes with a sturdy handle, and it’s actually lighter than Jakery 240 and weighs only 4.07 pounds. This is very easy to store in your car when you need to move around with it, or place on any indoor table surface when you stay at home.  

3. Aeiusny Portable 500W Solar Generator – Best High Powered

This is one of the best and most effective solar generators for home use. It is equipped with a powerful battery that is adaptable to the outdoors as well as indoors. Thanks to its output capacity of 500W.

It is a lightweight and compact unit that is easily rechargeable from a wall socket, or through a solar panel, or even through your car’s DC output. 

It has a versatile load capacity and comes with 4x DC outlets, 3x AC outlets, 4x USB ports, and 1x AC input. This makes it ideal for transporting from one place to another, and it also supports various loads. 

You can use it to charge most of your devices such as your smartphones, mini-refrigerator, CPAP machine, and other small home appliances such as laptops for up to 8 hours. When there is an emergency, this can work great as a backup battery.

With its weight of a bit more than 7 lbs,  this gadget is not the lightest one on our list, but most people can carry it around without much effort.

It also has a one-year warranty, which covers free repairs and replacement of any damaged parts. 

4. Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station – Aeiusny 500W Alternative

This is a good alternative to Aeiusny 500W if you don’t like the latter.  

Jackery 500 outputs 518W (peak 1000W) power, a narrow squeak over Aeiusny 500. Other differences include:

5. SUAOKI S270 Portable Power Station – Best Lightweight Generator

Suaoki 270 is ideal for both outdoors and indoor power solutions. Especially if you care much about the weight of a generator.  

However, with its petite body comes its limited energy capacity of 100W (peak 150W).  Unlike some other high power models, Suaoki 270 may be your choice if you need it only to drive electric devices of low power consumption, such as your smartphone and laptop. 

The generator is very quiet in its operations and has multiple ports that can help save your devices at home for hours. It is convenient for outdoor activities, as well. To be specific: 4x DC ports, 4x USB ports and 2x AC outputs.

Its battery charging provides three options; the first includes an AC 110 V wall socket that takes 7-8 hours, the second is a solar panel kit, which you shall be required to purchase separately, and can be charged under the sun, and the third is a 12V/24V car lighter socket.

It is a safe and reliable generator that passed the UL certification, making it absolutely safe and reliable. Its battery management system enables temperature control, voltage, and plenty of other advanced safeguards that are not harmful to your digital devices.

Its built-in LED flashlights come with two different models for an emergency case, such as power outage as a result of a hurricane. They’re bright enough to flood over 30 feet away, and the indicator lights will show you the residual battery capacity.

Household and Office Appliance Energy Use

Indoor generators are great at providing a power source in case of an emergency, and they also help in powering up your other household appliances. It is, however, essential to know the energy consumption of each device, so you can be sure that the generator you purchased is powerful enough to cover your needs.

Here’s a list of some of the most common appliances and their energy needs; Watts can usually be found on the appliance nameplate.

Gas-powered Generators vs. Indoor Generators

If you have a backyard, you can consider a gas-powered generator instead of the indoor one. It provides higher power output, but it is much louder. Here are some points in comparison to the two different types of generators;

Technically, indoor generators come in handy during prolonged period of power outage, as they’re rechargeable with solar panel. But, the fact that it takes hours to fully charge is also irritating if you are in urgent need of power. 

Cost

Gas-powered generators tend to be more expensive compared to the smaller indoor generators. This is mostly due to their installation nature and size. Gas-powered generators also have a higher power output and can support huge buildings.

Noise reduction

Indoor generators have excellent noise control solutions and use the building structures and materials to further reduce the noise levels. In contrast, gas-powered generators tend to make plenty of noise.

Installation process

Gas-powered generators take time to install and configure, while indoor generators are very easy and quick to install.

Safety

While both of these generators are safe to use, the indoor ones are kept in the house or nearby, while the gas-powered tend to be kept far from the buildings in which they are providing power. This is much safer than having it indoors.

Power capacity

Indoor generators are designed to power a small space such as your house or a bunch of low power devices, which means they do not have a high energy ability. In contrast, the gas-powered is designed for large power buildings, so their energy capacity is very high.

Final Words

In times of emergencies, having an indoor generator can save you a great deal of trouble. The fact that they can also be used to power up your laptops, phones, and even power your TV means they are a must-have appliance in all homes.

Even if you have not experienced an emergency situation yet, it really doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Currently, with the world being unpredictable with the current pandemic, take some time to find out what you really need to push you through the hard times.

All in all, keep safe, exercise high hygienic practices, and stay at home. If anything happens, you can stay safe with an indoor generator.

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