Best Home Generators: Top Picks for Backup Power

Introduction

There are plenty of reasons to own a generator, and most of them fall under the emergency power category. In Florida, summer thunderstorms and hurricanes are the main risks. Up north, Maine winters unleash storms that are not always confined to the official winter season. Other parts of the country face earthquakes, tornadoes, and flash flooding. Any of these can knock out power for days or even weeks in some cases.

You may need to keep medical devices running or medicines cool, or simply want to make sure food in the refrigerator and freezer does not spoil. Whatever your top priorities are, there is likely a generator to fit your needs. Not everyone has the space or budget for a whole-home standby unit, so we have picked options across both portable and standby categories.

Why a Backup Generator Matters

The case for backup power is simple: outages are unpredictable, and the costs of being unprepared add up fast. Spoiled groceries, lost work time, and unsafe conditions for anyone relying on powered medical equipment are all real risks. A generator sized to your priorities removes much of that uncertainty, whether it is a quiet portable inverter for essentials or a standby system that handles the whole house.

Best Overall Portable: Honda EU7000is

Our top portable pick is Honda’s EU7000is, part of the Super Quiet series. Its sound rating is just 58 decibels, which is quiet for any generator but even more impressive given the performance and feature set. Honda’s GX390 engine produces 7,000 peak and 5,500 continuous watts, and as an inverter generator it cleans up the power for your electronics.

It also includes carbon monoxide detection, electric starting, Bluetooth connectivity, a variety of monitoring and control features, and electronic fuel injection to keep you powered up. It is a 2021 Pro Tool Innovation Award winner for gas generators. The best is not cheap, though: this one will set you back $3,699.

Best Battery Power Option: EGO Nexus Power Station

Battery-powered inverters are more capable than ever, and some can work with solar panels. What we like about EGO’s Nexus Power Station is its modular battery design: you can remove the packs and swap in fresh ones when you do not have time to recharge them.

With 2,000 watts of continuous power and 3,000 watts for starting, you get a decent amount of power when the lights go out. It can be yours for $1,399 in a kit that includes four 5Ah batteries.

Best Dual-Fuel Portable: DuroMax XP10000EH

Our top choice for propane power is a gas and propane dual-fuel model from DuroMax. The XP10000EH delivers 8,000 watts of continuous power and 10,000 watts of startup power, monster numbers for a portable unit. DuroMax offers a model with even more available watts, but this one gets two hours more runtime on its 8.3-gallon fuel tank.

When it comes to emergency power, runtime and fuel efficiency definitely come into play, and the dual-fuel design will cost you $1,299.

Best Small Inverter: Honda EU2200i

Inverter generators have several advantages: they tend to be smaller, more fuel efficient, quieter, and friendlier to sensitive electronics. If you want to go smaller, Honda’s EU2200i is another great option. It offers 2,200 starting watts and 1,800 continuous watts, uses a commercial-grade Honda GXR120 engine, and can run over eight hours on just one gallon of gas.

Like all Honda generators, carbon monoxide detection is on board. It is also RV-ready with parallel capability and connects via Bluetooth to the Honda My Generator app on your phone. You can find it for $1,299, and there is also a camo design for a hundred dollars more.

Generator Safety Basics

Before the top overall pick, a word on using these products safely. Generators make our lives easier, but they can be dangerous. Most importantly, never run a gas, propane, or diesel generator indoors. They produce emissions that can be fatal if carbon monoxide is able to concentrate high enough in an enclosed space.

Beyond that, here are five quick tips to keep in mind when using your generator:

• Be careful of hot engine components.
• Always use the right gauge extension cord for what you are powering.
• Do not overload your generator.
• Do not store fuel near ignition sources.
• Protect your generator from rain and snow.

Best Overall: Generac Guardian Series Standby Generators

For the best overall generator for your home, the Generac Guardian standby generator series is the pick. It ranges from 10,000 watts to 24,000 watts and comes with a fairly reasonable price tag. Generac’s Mobile Link also lets you monitor the status of your system from anywhere in the world using cellular data or Wi-Fi.

Keep in mind that you will need a transfer switch, professional installation, and possibly an LP tank if you do not already have one. Plan on at least $2,000 in installation cost in addition to the purchase price. Retail pricing for the Guardian series ranges from $2,759 to $5,609.

Buying Advice

If you need serious output for a whole home and are prepared to budget for installation, the Generac Guardian series is the strongest overall choice. If you prefer portability with quiet, clean power, the Honda EU7000is is hard to beat. The Honda EU2200i suits lighter loads, the DuroMax XP10000EH covers high-output portable needs with dual-fuel flexibility, and the EGO Nexus Power Station is the pick for battery-first backup with quick-swapping packs.

Conclusion

Every outage is different, but having a generator matched to your needs makes a difficult situation far more manageable. Whether you go portable or standby, gas, propane, or battery, match the wattage and features to your real priorities and always run it safely.