Should I buy a generator or portable power station?

Buy a portable power station if you want quiet, indoor-safe backup for phones, laptops, CPAPs, and other small electronics, or if you live in an apartment or camp often.

Buy a generator if you need to run heavy loads like central AC, sump pumps, well pumps, or larger kitchen appliances during longer outages, and you have a safe outdoor spot to use it.

Rule of thumb:

• Power station: silent, no exhaust, better for indoor use, but limited by battery size
• Generator: more power, longer runtime with fuel, usually lower cost per watt, but loud and must stay outdoors

Before buying, add up the running watts and starting watts of everything you want to run at once.