What Is The Best Generator For Apartment?

According to some estimates, nearly 39 million Americans live in apartments. A power outage is common because of a fault or for any other reason. 

Usually, it lasts for a few days to a few weeks if it occurs due to bad weather. Most apartment buildings have backup generators. What should they do if it isn’t available?

One solution that comes to mind is a portable generator, but not all generators are suitable for apartments. Let’s talk about which generator to choose for an apartment and which one to avoid. 

List Of Best Generators For Apartment — Editor’s Top Choices

FAQS:

Is it possible to use a gas or propane generator in an apartment?

Generators powered by gas, propane, or any other combustible fuel shouldn’t be used. Gas generators emit harmful gases that are dangerous in enclosed spaces, especially carbon monoxide which is lethal to all living organisms. 

There are some portable gas powered inverter generators that can be used in apartments with carbon monoxide sensors that stop the generator automatically when it senses the level of CO is too high. 

However, these generators are not recommended for apartments.

If I have a balcony in my apartment, can I use a gas generator?

If you are not violating the rules of the building in which you live, you can use them. As long as you don’t cause problems for your neighbours, these generators produce sound. There is also the risk of fire.

Which is the best generator for an apartment?

Batteries-powered portable power stations are the best generators for apartments. They don’t emit any kind of emission, don’t produce any sound, and can’t cause any problems. 

They are very light and small, so they take up very little space, so they are highly recommended for apartments.

What size generator do I need for my apartment?

The answer to this question depends on what kind of appliances you intend to use with the generators. We divided this article into categories of generators according to apartment size and hope that this will help answer the question above. 

Large Size Apartments

Jackery’s Explorer 1000 power station is rated the best generator for apartments. Large apartments can easily rely on its 2000 surge watts, 1000 running watts, and 1002Wh to meet the essential power needs.

It can power CPAP, a full-size refrigerator, a TV, a heater, kitchen appliances, laptops, phones, and many small devices in apartments. 

There is a weight of 22 pounds, strong carrying handles, and it is compact enough to fit easily in an apartment and requires little space for placement.

On the panel there are three 110V AC outlets, two USB-C ports, one USB-A quick charge port, one simple USB-A port, and a display that shows the battery status, input and output wattage. 

You can charge the device using a wall outlet, a 12V car outlet, or a solar panel. It takes 5.5 hours to reach 80% on a wall outlet, 11.5 hours on a car outlet, and 6.5 hours on a solar panel.

Protection layers include overcurrent protection, short-current protection, overcharging protection, overvoltage protection, and thermal protection. 

Phone	100 Charges	Lamp Light	17 Hours
Drone	17 Charges	TV	7.5 Hours
Laptop	8 Charges	Mini Fridge	9 Hours
Camera	9 hours	Coffee Maker	50 Mins

The EcoFlow Delta is ranked second as the best generator for apartments. It comes with a 1260Wh lithium-ion battery, gives 3300 surge watts, and 1800 running watts, so it can handle the essential equipment of an apartment of large size. 

In apartments, it can power a full-size refrigerator, microwave, dryer, laptops, TV, entertainment system, kitchen appliances, and many small appliances.  

The weight of 30 pounds, solid handles, and compact design make it easy to store and place almost anywhere in an apartment since it takes up very little space. 

There are six 100-120V AC house outlets on the panel, two USB type-C ports, two simple USB-A ports, two fast-charging USB-A ports, one 12V DC outlet, and a display that shows the battery status and input/output wattage. 

This power station uses the X-stream technology to provide 10 times faster charging than other power stations on the market. 

One hour is sufficient to charge it from 0 to 80 percent, and two hours is sufficient to charge it completely. The device can be charged by a wall outlet, car outlet, or 10-65V solar panel. 

During charging, the Overload Protection Switch will automatically trip if the input current continuously exceeds 20A.

The fan will start to spin if the battery temperature is higher than 45°C or lower than -20°C. Once the battery temperature has returned to normal, the power station will automatically restart.

Freezer 1500W	10-20 Hours	Hair Dryer 1600W	0.6-3.3 Hours
Coffee Maker 600W	50-60 Cups	Frying Pan 1500W	0.7-1.5 Hours
Toaster 680W	0.6 to 1.2 Hours

The Sungzu 1000W is ranked number three as the best generator for apartments. It features 2000 peak watts, 1000 running watts, and 1010Wh lithium ion battery power, making it capable of running the essential items in large apartments. 

In apartments, it can be used with a smartphone, laptop, camera, television, fan, cpap, fridge, and kitchen appliances. 

As it weighs 25.4 pounds, has a luggage style handle, and is compact, you can easily store it in the apartments. 

The device has two AC 110V 9.1A units combined, two DC 12V 8A units combined, four USB 3A ports, and an OLED screen for viewing charging / discharging status and battery status. 

Solar panels or a wall socket can be used to charge the device. The full charge takes 6-7 hours from a wall socket, 14 from 100W solar, and 7 from 200W solar on a typical sunny day. 

A BMS (Battery Management System) protects the battery from overcharge, overvoltage, overheat, overdischarge, and short circuit.

Furthermore, it has an intelligent cooling system that controls the temperature of the battery in case of high temperatures, as well as fuse protection. 

Phone	100 Charges	Camera	9 hours
Drone	17 Charges	TV	7.5 Hours
Laptop	8 Charges	Mini Fridge	9 Hours

In our ranking of the best generators for apartments, BLUETTI EB150 placed fourth. It provides 1000 running watts and does not support surge watts. It has a 1500Wh lithium ion battery that can handle the essential items.

In apartments, it is easy to power a fridge, dryer, microwave oven, laptops, phones, small electronic appliances, and kitchen appliances, but their combined power must not exceed 1000W.

The body is made of metal, while the handles, front, and back are plastic. It comes in two colors, black and blue. 

There are two 110V AC ports of 1000W each, four USB ports of 3A maximum current, and one DC 12V 9A car port. There are three buttons: power on/off, AC power, and DC power. 

A display also shows the battery level, input power (during charging), and AC and DC output power. 

Two types of charging are available: wall sockets and solar panels. This generator can be fully charged from a wall outlet in 10 hours. 

Further, it supports solar panels up to 500 watts and uses MPPT technology for maximum panel efficiency. At full brightness, a 500-watt panel can take almost eight hours to fully charge.  

Also, it operates at a little bit more than 1000W, but it shuts down to prevent battery damage. 

CPAP 60W	34 Hours	Electric Drill 900W	2.6 Hours
Microwaves Oven 600W	2.9 Hours	Blender 300W	6.5 Hours
Laptop 60W	34 Charges	Router 70W	29 Hours
Phone 25W	255 Charges	Light 10W	204 Hours

Mid Size Apartments

The Jackery Explorer was rated as the best generator for apartments in the category of mid size generators. This unit offers 1000 starting watts, 500 running watts, and a 518Wh lithium ion battery that can manage the essential item in a midsize apartment. 

You can use it to power a mini fridge, fans, lights, phones, laptops, and many other gadgets in your apartment, but the total power output must not exceed 500 watts.

There are solid carrying handles on this product, and it has a compact design that makes storage convenient and easy in apartments.

The device has one 110V AC plug, one 12 DC Car plug, two 5.5mm DC ports, and three USB-A ports with 5V 2.4A. 

It can be charged in three different ways: through a wall socket, a car outlet, and using a solar panel. Solar panels take about 7.5 hours to charge, while the wall takes 5.5 hours to charge, and the car outlet takes 5.5 hours to charge. 

The battery has a BMS (Battery Management System) that protects against overcurrent, short-current, over discharge, overcharge, over-voltage and thermal damage.

Phone	53 Charges	Fan	30 Hours
Drone	9 Charges	Mini Fridge	9 Hours
Laptop	4.5Charges	TV	7.5 Hours
Light	38 Hours	Projector	4.5 Hours

In the category of mid-size generators, the OKPRO 555Wh ranked second as the best generator for apartments. There are 1000 peak watts, 500 running watts, and 555Wh lithium ion battery that can handle the essential items in a midsize apartment. 

You can use it to power drones, a phone, a mini-fridge, fans, lights, laptops, and kitchen appliances in mid-sized apartments. 

The ten-pound weight, solid handles, and compact design make it easy to store in apartments. 

It has two 110V AC house outlets, two USB type-C ports, one 18W and the other 60W, two USB-A ports with quick charge 3.0, a cigarette lighter port, and a 12V DC port. 

The display shows the battery status, input wattage, and output wattage. The flashlight has three modes: steady, strobe, and sos. 

It can be charged by a wall socket that takes 5-8 hours to charge, by a car outlet that takes 7-8 hours to charge, or by a solar panel that is compatible. 

A battery management system (BMS) provides short circuit protection, overcurrent protection, overload protection, overvoltage protection, and overheating protection.

Phone	53 Charges	Fan	30 Hours
Drone	9 Charges	Light	38 Hours
Laptop	4.5Charges	TV	7.5 Hours

Goal Zero Yeti 500X ranked at third place as the best generator for apartments with medium power requirements. 

It gives 500 watts of power, and the 505Wh lithium ion battery can power a smartphone 40 times, a CPAP machine 10 times, a laptop 8 times, and a 5W light for 112 hours. 

At home, it can power lights, modems, kitchen appliances; while camping, it can power GPS devices, drones, and GoPros; for professionals, it can power grills, power tools; and at parties, it can power grills, portable fridges, and music systems. 

It weighs 12.9 pounds, has foldable handles, and has a compact design that makes it ideal for apartments.

There are two 120V AC house outlets, one USB type-C 60W, one USB type-C 18W, two USB-A 2.4A, and one 6mm 12V DC port. A display shows battery status and input/output watts.  

It can be recharged by a wall socket, a 12V outlet in the car, or a solar panel. On the wall outlet and car charger, it takes 4.5 hours to fully charge, while on the solar panel it takes 6 hours.

Phone	40 Charges	Pellet Grill	112 Hours
CPAP	10 Hours	Light 5W	112 Hours
Laptop	8Charges

Small Size Apartments

The Jackery Explorer 240 is ranked number one as the best generator for apartments with small power needs. 

This device has 400 peak watts, 200 running watts, and 240Wh lithium ion batteries that can run small gadgets in apartments, but their cumulative power should not exceed 200 watts. 

It can power phones, laptops, lights, fans, mini coolers, and any gadget rated at under 200 watts.

This device weighs just 6.6 pounds, is very small and compact, and is very easy to store in an apartment.

There’s a 110 AC house outlet, two USB-A ports, a DC cigarette lighter outlet, and a push-button start. There is also a display that shows battery status and input/output wattage.

The station can be charged from 0 to 80% in 3.5 hours using a wall outlet, 5 hours using a car charger, and 5.5 hours using a solar panel. The MPPT technology maximizes solar panel efficiency.

It is equipped with a BMS (Battery Management System), which provides circuit protection, voltage control, temperature control, and other advanced safety features.

Drone 60W	4 Charges	TV 60W	3 Hours
Laptop MacBook Pro 13	3.5 Charges	Light 5W	40 Hours
Fan 15W	15 Hours	IPhone	24 Charges
Camera 10W	11 Charges

The FlashFish 200W came in second place as the best generator for apartments. There are 250 peak watts, 200 running watts, and a 150Wh lithium ion battery that can manage small appliances in an apartment.  

Typically, it is used to power mini coolers, lights, fans, phones, laptops, and any other device with a rating below 200 watts in apartments.

It is lightweight, compact, and weighs 4.07 pounds, which makes it easy to store in apartments. 

The device has two 110V AC house outlets, two DC ports, two USB-A quick charge 3.0 ports, and one USB-A 2.4A 5V port. The battery status can be seen when a light source isn’t available via a special display that indicates charging and discharging.

The device can be charged by a wall socket, a car charger, or a 15-24V solar panel. 

It has short circuit, overcurrent, overcharging, low voltage, and over temperature protection.

DJI Mini 2	6+ Charges	Phone	15+ Charges
Laptop 50W	3 Charges	LED 5W	30+ Hours
Car Fan 30W	5+ Hours	Tablet	5+ Charges
Go Pro	15+ Charges	Car Freezer 30W	5+ hours

The Aimtom SPS-155 is rated as the third best generator for apartments, capable of providing 150 peak watts, 100 rated watts, and a 155Wh lithium ion battery to power the small devices in apartments.

In apartments, it can be used to power gadgets such as cpap machines, phones, laptops, mini fans, and inhalers. 

It can be stored in apartments due to its 3.5 pound weight, solid handles, and compact design.

The device has one 110V AC house outlet and three USB-A ports, as well as three DC 12V ports. A flashlight is included in case of an emergency. 

You can charge it in three ways: with a wall socket (7-8 hours), with a 12V car charger (7-8 hours), and with a 60W solar panel (7-9 hours). It is equipped with an MPPT controller that allows for efficient solar charging.

A cigarette lighter adapter is included in the box, which can be used in DC ports.

Battery Management Systems (BMS) protect you from overcurrent, overvoltage, and overheating, extending battery life and ensuring your safety. Furthermore, it has a built-in cooling fan to prevent overheating during charging.

Drones	2+ Charges	Phone	15+ Charges
Laptop	2+ Charges	Camera	20+ Charges
32″ LCD TV	2+ Hours	Tablet	8+ Charges
Lantern Light	30+ Hours	Mini Fridge	3+ hours

Conclusion 

The above list was compiled after extensive research, and we provided the best generator for the apartment. Our opinion is that the Jackery Explorer is the best option for any apartment since it can also power the refrigerator.