Are you looking to buy an off-grid solar generator? Needless to say, solar is the most reliable way to power up your appliances on the go. Well, if you are heading into a place where you have access to sufficient sunlight, solar is certainly the most lovely green energy source. Of course, for a camper or hiker, a solar generator is the finest way to get portable power right everywhere. Likewise, a solar generator is an essential part of a survival kit for a prepper.
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Best Off-grid Solar Generator
Here we make a comparison of the three top-rated and popular portable solar generators out there. They are Goal Zero’s Yeti 1250, Inergy Kodiak generator and Renogy Lycan Powerbox. As you see, all the machines are highly powerful, heavy-duty models with an output over 1000W. That means they are quite good for powering up multiple devices on a camping trip or an emergency situation.
Goal Zero Yeti 1250, the flagship of the old non-lithium Yeti line, is definitely one of the top-sellers of the kind on the market. Certainly, Yeti 1250 has been out there for a long time and, as a result, has grabbed a large number of takers. The other two powerhouses are, in fact, relatively new on the shelves. Inergy realized its much-touted Kodiak solar generator through a crowdfunding campaign around one year back. Meanwhile, Renogy launched Lycan Powerbox solar generator a while ago.
We have picked the Kodiak and Renogy machines for this off-grid solar generator face-off simply because they share many common things when compared to Goal Zero’s flagship. Actually, we have all the three on our list of the top ten heavy duty solar generators for the last year. Therefore, we think it is high time we should check out what things make each model unique and special. So, you will get a clear insight into all models, thus letting you find the best off-grid solar generator easily.
Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator
We would like to begin with Goal Zero’s Yeti 1250. As said above, it is the top-end model of the USA maker’s old series of Yeti lead-acid. However, it is still one of the best selling solar generators on the market. Being an old model, it packs up a heavy lead-acid battery but is rather cheaper compared to the new Yeti 1400 or most of its lithium competitors today. Use the link below to buy a unit of Yeti 1250 with the compatible solar charger, and stay with us for more details of the machine.
Check Price and Buy @ Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator Kit
Design-wise, you get the boxy machine with a built-in cart that has strong wheels and a collapsible handle. So it is quite easy for moving. You can just pull out the carrying handle and drag it smoothly even on tough terrains. Well, you have every component of the solar generator inside the solid case. Notably, it includes a 1200W pure sine wave inverter that could peak up to 1500 watts. The battery is a 100Ah 12V lead-acid unit that is capable to deliver an output of 1250 watt-hours.
Don’t worry about the output ports to power up a variety of your electronics. The Yeti 1250 off-grid solar generator integrates all popular output outlets. First off, you get it with three units of 110V AC sockets, three 12V carports, three USB ports, and one 12V power pole port to offer versatile power to run a battery of your devices and appliances. What’s more, you can chain the device with other 12V batteries to attain longer runtimes.
Compatible Solar Charger
As you know, Yeti is primarily a power station with a solar charging facility. To call it an ideal solar generator is factually a misnomer as long as it doesn’t integrate a solar panel. Other than the solar option, you can charge it from a wall socket or car charger as well. Anyway, Goal Zero recommends its own solar chargers for Yeti although it is compatible with third-party panels. Goal Zero’s brand-new Boulder 100 Briefcase looks to be one of the best solar chargers for Yeti 1250.
What is lovely with Boulder 100 Briefcase is surely its folding suitcase-style design. So, you can fold it down after use and store in a small room in your RV or camp tent. Meanwhile, the powerful 100-watt solar panel is quite enough to charge a Yeti 1250 in some hours. On the market, you have got many suitcase-style folding solar chargers from other makers. You can try out any model, but Goal Zero’s Boulder series is indeed the best of the best, for sure.
Inergy Kodiak Solar Generator
The next off-grid solar generator we have on the table is from Inergy. This is an entirely different generator in terms of design and portability. As you see in the photo, Kodiak is a rectangle-shaped machine with a very lightweight profile. Thanks to the included lithium-ion battery, it weighs just a fraction of Yeti 1250. Also, it is rich with more output ports so you can connect multiple devices to it at the same time. Use the link below to check its price and other details on Amazon. 
Its creator has been claiming it as the “pinnacle of portable solar generators”, thanks to its handy design and brilliant performance. Fine, the highly durable powerhouse packs a 1500W pure sine wave inverter with a 1.1kWh lithium battery capacity. That is how Kodiak is a serious challenger to the Yeti 1250 off-grid solar generator.
Thanks to its cool carrying handle and handy case, you can take the 20lbs machine right anywhere with no much struggle. Thus, it becomes an awesome pick for both an outdoor enthusiast and a survival prepper as long as it offers maximum power per weight ratio.
Kodiak, as said above, is a real beast in terms of output sockets. Interestingly, it has got seven AC outlets, letting you run multiple appliances at the same time. Meanwhile, it sports four USB ports and two 12V sockets. A small LED display is there to show the real-time data for quick analysis of the machine’s performance. Meanwhile, like any similar products, you can charge Kodiak from a wall socket or car charger apart from a solar panel.
Compatible Solar Charger
Sadly, Inergy sells no exclusive solar charger for the Kodiak solar generator. Earlier it was offering some models. Anyway, that is not a big concern today, because there are many third-party brands that sell cool solar chargers including several ultra-portable and semi-flexible variants. Well, we have Dokio’s 200-watt folding solar panel here for an example. You can also see more similar third-party solar panels for Kodiak here.
If you want a traditional glass or metal panel, you can go for some models from Renogy, HQST, and other brands. Whatever, along with an efficient solar charger, Kodiak will be a great companion of you in an outdoor trip or an emergency situation. The solar panel will be charging it whenever there is the sun in the sky. And you can enjoy access to the unlimited flow of solar energy on the go.
Renogy Lycan Powerbox
It is Renogy’s reply to Goal Zero Yeti and Inergy Kodiak. Renogy, though a key player in portable solar power solutions, has been a bit late to introduce a Yeti rival. This Lycan Powerbox off-grid solar generator is now one of the best of its kind on the market. Lycan has many resemblances with Yeti 1250 as you see in the pic. It comes with a built-in cart that has quality wheels and a collapsible handle exactly like the Yeti flagship.
Check Price and Buy @ Renogy Lycan Powerbox
The 1200W pure sine wave solar generator features a custom lithium-iron-phosphate battery inside. With a weight around 60 lbs, it certainly stands out Yeti 1250. Further, the device features a multi-mode 3W LED light, an LCD readout display, and, above all, an MPPT solar charging technology.
The great thing, however, is that you get it from Renogy, a leading player in the portable solar power market. Renogy sells a large variety of solar panels so it will be easy for you to find a model for your Lycan Powerbox. Yes, we have a list of the best solar panels compatible with Lycan below.
What’s more, the Lycan off-grid solar generator features a wide range of output ports. Clearly, you have it with four universal AC outlets, three 12V DC sockets, four USB ports, one 12V CIG plug, and a power pole port. Overall, you get all the important ports so you can run a variety of devices easily.
By the way, you can charge it from a wall socket or carport apart from the solar panel like all other products in the category. Stay tuned with us to see which solar panels are the most compatible ones with the Renogy’s cool off-grid solar generator.
Compatible Solar Charger
Renogy doesn’t suggest a specific solar charger for Lycan. But you get a variety of compatible solar chargers from the brand for cool prices. First, we have Renogy’s much-popular 100W solar suitcase, which is a foldable solar panel exactly like Goal Zero’s Boulder 100 Briefcase. You can simply place it on the included kickstands and collect around 500 watt-hours of power per day depending on the sunlight. Being a foldable model, you can easily keep it in a small room after the use.
If you don’t want a foldable solar charger, Renogy has other options too. You can buy a single sheet 100W Renogy solar panel or a semi-flexible model to easily fix on various surfaces. Well, a semi-flexible model lets you mount the panel comfortably over uneven surfaces like RV roof, boat deck, camp tent roof, and etc. Renogy also sells more powerful variants of all its solar chargers. So, it will be quite a nice experience to find a cool Renogy solar charger for your off-grid solar generator.
Final Thoughts
Hope you have enjoyed our comparison of the three big solar generators. As you see, it is not easy to find a model from the list as all models feature several common things. However, if you are looking for a light and handy device, we feel Kodiak and Lycan would fit the best for you. Yes, Yeti has got a bulky lead-acid battery inside. Except that, all the machines have nearly the same attributes. Fine, they offer almost the same power, battery capacity, output ports, and charging options.
Anyway, it is up to you to decide on what off-grid solar generator fits your needs. Coming to the price, almost all the models fall in nearly in the same range. Though Yeti 1250 is an old model, it doesn’t come way cheaper compared to the other models. But Yeti comes from a top-brand that is known for award-winning customer service and product quality. Anyway, you have three massive machines in front of you. Make your decision and go for the best model.
