5 Best Portable Emergency Generators

Discover the best portable emergency generators so you can avoid trouble when the electric grid goes down.

1. Champion 200977 – Best portable emergency generator (4250 peak watts, dual fuel, inverter)
2. Honda EU2200i – Best small portable emergency generator (2200 peak watts, inverter)
3. Champion 201067 – Best portable emergency generator for home (9000 peak watts, inverter)
4. WEN DF475T – Budget-friendly non-inverter option (4750 peak watts, dual fuel)
5. Champion 201169 – Best portable natural gas emergency generator (8125 peak watts, tri fuel, non-inverter)

There are a few large models too but for this list of portable emergency generators, I kept the options more medium-sized.

If you want bigger options, the list of the best portable home backup generators is better.

*Compared to similar generators and sometimes based on customer input

1. Champion 200977 – Best portable emergency generator

Our top pick for the best portable emergency generator is the Champion 200977 thanks to the combination of solid features, good power level, reliability, and reasonable price.

With 4250 peak watts, the Champion 200977 is big enough to power a refrigerator, freezer, and a few other small devices.

At the same time, it is still small and light enough to be compact and easy to carry around.

With the clean low THD power, you should also not worry about damaging your sensitive electronics with the Champion 200977 4250.

Additionally, the Champion 200977 4250 is a dual fuel generator which means it can run on both propane and gasoline.

Propane has the advantage that it typically stores longer than gasoline.

In turn, staying prepared for emergencies requires less maintenance and attention with dual fuel generators like the Champion 200977 4250.

Even if you do decide to use gasoline, the 22 hour run time at 25% load and accompanying fuel efficiency will keep you going for a nice amount of time.

That means the Champion 200977 4250 is not just reliable but makes it so you have time to take care of other things during the emergency.

2. Honda EU2200i – Best small portable emergency generator

The Champion 200977 offers a margin of safety but after doing your research, you may conclude that a smaller portable emergency generator like the Honda EU2200i is strong enough.

This generator has a reputation for impressive durability and reliability.

These are definitely things you want when you have a refrigerator full of food but no power grid to rely on.

You do want to keep in mind that this quality of the Honda EU2200i comes at a hefty price.

Additionally, the somewhat shorter run time of 8.1 hours at 25% load may not be enough to run a refrigerator throughout the entire night.

On the flip side, the Honda EU2200i is also very positive in other areas that improve your experience.

For example, the noise levels of 48 to 57 dBA at 25% to 100% load are some of the quietest on the market.

On top of that, the Honda EU2200i can connect to the Honda My Generator app through BlueTooth.

Through this app, you can track the performance of and even stop the Honda EU2200i from the comfort of your house.

In short, if you want a mobile and compact portable emergency generator and don’t need as much power, the Honda EU2200i could be worth the investment.

3. Champion 201067 – Best portable emergency generator for home

The previous options are mobile but you may not value this detail as much and just want a good home backup inverter generator that offers a lot of clean power.

In that case, the Champion 201067 and its 9000 starting watts, 7250 running watts, and 50 amp outlet could be the right choice.

These amounts should be enough to run certain bigger appliances and tools like reasonably-sized central AC systems.

One thing to keep in mind is that the run time of the Champion 201067 is on the shorter side compared to many other portable emergency generators with 10.5 hours at 25% load.

With this many watts, the run time is still a good achievement.

At the same time, it may not be enough to power the biggest devices in your house throughout your sleep.

Especially considering the noise levels of 72 dBA.

That being said, if the run time is good enough for you, the Champion 201067 is definitely one of the best large inverter generators available.

Some of the details that are the reason for this include the convenience of the electric start, extra safety of the GFCI outlets and CO sensor, and the budget-friendly price at this power level.

4. WEN DF475T – Budget-friendly non-inverter

I tend to focus on inverter generators since you don’t want to find out during emergencies that one of your devices can not deal with high THD power.

At the same time, there are still tools like well pumps and sump pumps that can function with non-inverter portable generators like the WEN DF475T (watt needs aside).

One of the main benefits of non-inverter portable emergency generators like the WEN DF475T is that they are more budget-friendly.

On the other hand, besides the high THD power that is not suited for sensitive electronics, you want to keep in mind that non-inverter generators tend to be louder.

The WEN DF475T may have a few cases of challenging starts and shipping bolts that are challenging to remove.

However, this portable generator is still relatively reliable overall.

Additionally, the WEN DF475T comes with a dual fuel feature which offers the mentioned benefits of running on propane.

If you do decide to use gasoline, the good run time of 11 hours at 50% load makes it so you don’t have to do refueling sessions that often.

So overall, the WEN DF475T is not the best portable emergency generator for everyone but could potentially fit your needs.

5. Champion 201169 – Best portable natural gas emergency generator

Propane and gasoline are helpful fuel sources but for your location and situation, being able to use natural gas could be a valuable feature during emergencies.

In that case, the Champion 201169 could be the right portable tri fuel generator if you don’t mind the high THD power or have your own way to “clean” this up.

There are also the Champion 201176 inverter tri fuel generator for clean power and the Champion 100416 if you want to get more power from natural gas.

Alternatives aside, the Champion 201169 stands out from other tri fuel generators in the reliability the positive customer reviews imply.

Additionally, the Champion 201169 is relatively budget-friendly. Especially considering the ability to run this portable emergency generator on natural gas.

Two things to note besides the high THD power are a few very exceptional cases where customers got a suboptimal first model and the somewhat louder decibel rating.

That being said, these things tend to get resolved by support and are somewhat standard at this power level.

If the benefits of being able to create power from natural gas during emergencies outweigh the downsides, the Champion 201169 could be a good investment.

How to choose a portable emergency generator?

Choose a portable emergency generator by thinking about what you want in these features:

• Reliability
• Portability
• Ease of use
• Run time
• Fuel efficiency
• Outlets
• Noise levels
• User reviews
• Anecdotal reviews from experts
• Price
• Brand trustability and reputation
• The performance categories below

Reliability and portability are two of the main important points when choosing portable emergency generators.

Additionally, being able to run on both propane and gasoline gets bonus points too.

Quickly being able to set up the generator quickly in case of of an emergency is valuable too.

Related posts:

• 5 Best Inverter Generators For Power Outages
• Data Study Reveals 10 States With The Most & Least Reliable Power Grids
• 6 Best Hurricane Generators For Reliable Power

What is the best portable emergency generator?

The best portable emergency generator is typically the Champion 200977 thanks to its reliability, long run time, dual fuel feature, and reasonable price.