It is also clear that some job sites and construction works depend on power for some of their operations and will find a portable power generator useful.

If you want a portable power generator and the best on the market, you should consider some key points to help you decide which to go for. Perhaps you need to narrow down to some specifics - what do you want a portable generator for?

Everybody knows how valuable a portable power generator is when there is a power cut or after a storm. Do you go through frequent power cuts in your neighborhood?  Considering an alternative source as a backup to power your important appliances will seem right.

You probably have made an excellent choice to go for a portable power generator in the first place. This is because a portable power generator brings a good measure of convenience and design features that are user-friendly.

The first attraction is the compact design and its minimalist nature. You have no worry about space requirements for this type of power generators.

A nice feature also is its mobility. They are attached with grab or carrying handles that some might be mistaken for a suitcase. Even more, when you have wheels attached for mobility, conveniently pulling it around becomes an easy task you’ll find comfortable.

What makes the best portable power generator can be determined by a factor or more depending on your application needs. If you’re looking to power a few home appliances, go outdoors for camping, picnics, and recreation, a 1000 watt capacity or under should do for the best portable generator to serve the purpose. And you might want to consider Yamaha EF1000iS or Honda EU1000i as some of the best portable power generators in this category.

If you’re thinking of something in the midrange as a tailgater, camper or for some of your high-powered home appliances, you should go for something higher in the range of 1000 to 2000 watts. This may not be enough to run all your home appliances, and you have to be selective, whether to run a well pump, furnace fan or sump pumps. For the best portable generator in this category, WEN 56180 and Yamaha EF2000iS are rated among the very best in the market.

The 2000 to 3000 watt range portable power generators or higher gives you room to bring in more of your appliances. A combination of lights, bench grinders, and air compressors can fall in place here based on the high power output of this category. Champion Power Equipment 75531i falls in the range or if you hope to go higher to the 3000 watts and above, DuroStart DS4000S is one of the best portable power generators that can be relied upon.

Besides, whenever I want to buy a power generator in the best category, I look at a collection of features to help me buy right. Not one single feature is enough to pick the very best portable generator out there in the market. You should consider the following to help your buying decision:

If you can find a portable generator that runs as low as 60 decibels, you should just be fine with this noise level. 70 decibels appears to be on the average in most designs. If you’re the easy going type, a more quiet design like the Yamaha EF2000iS with a 51.5-decibel rating is a great quality you’ll enjoy using for your power needs. Many inverter generators can reach this feat because they draw their power from mostly fixed DC source like car batteries making them have lower noise levels compared to propane or gasoline-fueled generators.

Low fuel consumption saves you money from frequently refueling a power generator. A good portable generator should work with this principle. Today’s designs are built on innovation and implementation of new technologies which makes the difference in this area. Some major brands that apply the latest technology with quality materials offer good fuel efficiency in their design. Some of the best portable generators in the market come with an economy switch to keep the power in a low state to save more fuel and extend the runtime a little longer.

A good quality portable generator should come with a measure of safety features. Safety features such as low-fuel shutdown are installed to protect the generator’s engine from damage. This happens when there is low fuel in the tank. The installed sensor detects and shuts down the generator. Over-Voltage protection is yet another safety measure implemented on some modern designs on the market. Circuit breakers are found in some designs for protection. Rubber outlet-covers also do the same against shock and other safety needs on the portable generator.

A fuel tank that can hold a few gallons of fuel should be sufficient for many average homes. A five-gallon fuel tank with the generator running full capacity will do for about 7 hours of non-stop power depending on the power output of the generator.

Consider this feature as the most important one for the best portable generator, and you won’t be wrong. High-quality power output should be the basis why you want a portable generator in the first place. Not all portable generators can provide this. However, a few ones in the market offer a great deal with a high power supply. 

There are many other features you’ll find handy whenever you’re looking for the best portable generator to buy. You’ll find most of it in the product description before you buy. Some others to consider are outlets, weight, frequency issues, and voltage.

The number of outlets provides you with options on your connectivity. These are in various voltage capacities. A lightweight design is considered a major asset in a portable generator design. The lighter it is, the better it becomes easy to move around. Good voltage supply and reliable frequency are others that make a portable power generator count as the best design to serve power needs during an outage.

You have it all to choose from all directions depending on what you are more concerned about.