A solar generator is becoming an essential purchase to any individual in need of a clean, mobile, and dependable source of energy.

The device commonly referred to as a “solar generator” is often actually a portable power station –a large battery–with the ports to accept electricity from solar panels.

As it turns out, though, setting up a portable solar power source as backup power for your home isn’t the same as setting up a portable gas-powered generator.

We tested 20 solar generators to find the most versatile devices that can provide emergency backup power and fuel off-grid activities. Three came out as the best.