Amazon is offering a $200 discount on the Jackery Explorer 500 power station in a secret deal we don't think will stick ...

The 500W AC power doubles to 1000W with the surge ... For home backup, Bluetti’s AC200L is a powerful solar generator that allows you to stay off-grid while keeping appliances running.

The inverter on a solar generator is rated in output watts (W). A small generator typically has a rating of about 500W, a medium-sized is about 1,200W and a large unit is 2,000W or higher.

From keeping your phone charged to powering your whole home, here are my top picks for power stations and solar generators ...