Backup power, ranked by what actually works.

1. 1

   Portable power station

   
   • Silent, indoor-safe, runs phones, lights, a CPAP
   • Size it to your fridge if that matters
   • Recharge from wall, car or solar
2. 2

   Folding solar panel

   
   • Pairs with the power station for days-long outages
   • Full sun only, expect a slow charge
   • Set it out in the morning, not at noon
3. 3

   Battery banks

   
   • One per person, kept charged
   • Enough for several phone fills
   • The cheapest insurance on this list
4. 4

   Car as a charger

   
   • A USB port and a cheap inverter run small things
   • Engine running, outdoors, never in a garage
   • Watch the gas gauge
5. 5

   Jump pack

   
   • Starts the car and charges a phone
   • Lives in the trunk year round
   • Charge it every few months
6. 6

   Gas generator

   
   • The most power, and the most ways to get hurt
   • Outdoors only, twenty feet from windows
   • Stored fuel goes stale, use a stabilizer
7. 7

   Rechargeable lanterns

   
   • Days of light on one charge
   • Some double as a phone bank
   • Hang one in the bathroom
8. 8

   Solar yard lights

   
   • Pull them inside at night for free room light
   • Not bright, but endless
   • Great for a hallway or kids' room
9. 9

   Hand-crank radio

   
   • News and a little phone charge
   • Cranking for a phone is slow, use it for the radio
   • Keep it where you can find it in the dark
10. 10

    Power tool batteries

    
    • USB adapters turn them into big banks
    • Already charged if you own the tools
    • Brand-specific adapter, check the fit
11. 11

    Bike dynamo

    
    • Real but tiny, a trickle for a phone
    • A novelty unless you ride anyway
    • Put the money in a power bank instead
12. 12

    The toys

    
    • Potatoes, lemons and coins light an LED, nothing more
    • Pulling cells from old laptops is a fire risk for amateurs
    • Skip anything that needs a workbench to help you

Buy the power station before the generator. Skip the potato.