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Less spoiled food, more peace of mind. 8000 watt generator
Melanie Fincher is an editor for Southern Living and has five years of experience writing product reviews and lifestyle content. Previously, she was associate editor at Real Simple, where she covered the best in everything from home appliances to outdoor furniture.
Southerners are no strangers to severe weather, which is why a home generator can be a worthwhile investment. “Southerners can experience severe storms, hurricanes, and heat waves, which can lead to extended power outages,” Keith Pinkerton says. “Having a standby generator helps ensure the operation of HVAC systems, refrigerators, and other essential items.”
Keith Pinkerton is the owner of Mr. Electric of Huntsville, Alabama, a Neighborly company.
Standby generators, or whole-house generators, are permanent units that must be installed by a professional, while portable generators will need to be connected to your home’s transfer switch and usually run on gas. Which type you choose is going to depend on your home’s power needs.
“Portable generators that are 5,000–7,000 watts can power lights, refrigerators, and small appliances like coffee makers and hair dryers,” explains Pinkerton. "Whole-home generators, which can power HVAC systems, water heaters, and other electrical equipment simultaneously, relieving the need to power only one appliance at a time, are generally between 18,000 and 26,000 watts.”
We surveyed our staff and tested generators at home to determine the best for a variety of needs, evaluating each unit in terms of its performance, maintenance, noise level, and value.
Powerful unit with relatively compact footprint
Produces a reasonable amount of noise
A Birmingham-based staff member described this whole-house generator as a “lifesaver” during frequent storms and has relied on it for three years and counting. Although the longest they ran it during an outage was about an hour, it was able to manage a central HVAC system, water heater, microwave, lights, standard-size refrigerator, stove, hair dryer, coffee maker, laptop and phone charging, TV, and a smaller refrigerator. It packs an impressive 26,000 watts of power into a relatively compact unit that produces a reasonable amount of noise while running.
The generator has a 200-amp automatic transfer that allows you to turn on your backup power with the flip of a switch. Plus, it comes with Mobile Link Remote Monitoring (free with every Guardian Series Home standby generator), so you can monitor its status from anywhere.
It also has an aluminum enclosure with a powder-coated finish, so it’s corrosion-resistant to withstand whatever storm comes your way. Just keep in mind that as a standby unit, this generator will require professional installation and regular servicing.
Wattage: 26,000 | Size: 25 x 29 x 48 inches | Weight: 518 pounds | Fuel Source: Natural gas or liquid propane | Warranty: Five-year limited
Provides enough power for essential appliances
Portable enough for RVs and camping
Held up to years of use
Louder than we would prefer
You might expect to run into some issues with a generator at this price point (less than $500), but our Austin-based staff member has relied on this portable unit for backup power for over three years without any issue.
Its longest run time during an outage was about 24 hours, and it was able to manage a microwave, standard-size refrigerator, coffee maker, laptop and phone charging, TV, multiple space heaters, and a deep freezer.
Not only will this generator provide backup power for your home in the event of an emergency, but its portable construction makes it great for bringing along on weekend camping trips. At 103 pounds, it’s relatively lightweight, and a separate wheel kit is available for less than $50 to make transporting the generator easier. And RV enthusiasts will be happy to know that this generator provides enough power to start and run a 15,000 Btu RV air conditioner.
Like many portable generators, Champion’s has a manual recoil start, but it comes Cold Start Technology that makes it easier to start in cold temperatures—solving a common problem of gas-powered generators. Its Intelligauge feature also makes it easy to monitor voltage, frequency, and operating hours. Safety features include push-to-reset circuit breakers, a low-oil shutoff sensor, and “Volt Guard,” a built-in surge protection that prevents overloads.
In the event of an emergency, noise level might not be your primary concern, but we do want to add that this generator produced more noise than expected. And it only runs on gas, so you’ll need to have some on hand in order to use it.
Wattage: 3,500 | Size: 18.3 x 19.9 x 23.2 inches | Weight: 103.4 pounds | Fuel Source: Gas | Warranty: Three-year limited
Battery-operated with solar panel option
Solar panels increase unit cost
If you want to avoid purchasing fuel, a battery- or solar-powered generator is a great option for powering a handful of essential appliances and devices. The Delta 2 Max gives you the option for both—charge it with a wall outlet, car outlet, or solar panel (can be purchased as an add-on).
It comes with 15 outlets in total—six AC, two USB-C, two USB-A 18W, two USB-A 12W, two DC5521 output ports, and one car outlet port. We used it to power a variety of devices, including a pellet smoker, fan, camera charger, TV, air purifier, and a MacBook Pro. We had no issues at all, and it proved itself to be a reliable power source for all of our devices.
At 50 pounds, it’s by far the lightest on our list and can easily fit in the trunk of a car to bring along to camping trips or to the tailgate. It also connects to an app where you can see the remaining charge time on the generator, prioritize solar or AC charging, and more.
We found the fastest way to charge it was using a wall outlet. It took us about an hour and a half to fully charge it. Weather permitting, the solar panel is a good backup charging option that takes under three minutes to set up, although purchasing the solar panels significantly increases the cost of the unit. Overall, this is a versatile option for powering a handful of essential devices during an outage or for on-the-go power while RVing or tailgating.
Wattage: 2,400 | Size: 9.5 x 19.6 x 12 inches | Weight: 51.8 pounds | Fuel Source: Battery, solar | Warranty: Five years
For a whole-house or standby generator, the Generac Guardian 26KW Home Backup Generator 7291 can manage everything you need during an outage. It packs an impressive 26,000 watts into a relatively compact unit, and it has an automatic transfer that allows you to turn on your backup power with the flip of a switch.
When it comes to portable generators, the Champion Power Equipment 3500 Watt Portable Generator is an excellent value that provides more than enough power to manage essential appliances for at least 24 hours in the event of an outage. For a battery- or solar-powered alternative, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max Portable Generator gives you the option to charge using a wall outlet, car outlet, or solar panel.
To come up with this list, we surveyed our staff on the best home generators they’ve used and conducted additional testing to round out our list. Respondents rated whole-house and portable units while considering performance, maintenance, noise level, and value.
Whole-house generators, aka standby generators, are permanent units that must be installed by a professional. These models are typically powered to run an entire house in the event of an outage, and Pinkerton notes that they are usually between 18,000 and 26,000 watts. “To determine the right size for the home, calculate the total wattage of the appliances needing power or consult a professional electrician for a load assessment and installation requirements,” he says.
On the downside, whole-house units are significantly more expensive than their portable counterparts, and the professional installation and servicing will only add to their cost. But for families that experience frequent outages that last more than a day, they can be well worth the cost to for almost indefinite power at the flip of switch.
Portable generators are a budget friendly alternative to standby units. Depending on the wattage, some can power almost as much as a whole-home unit—you'll just need to connect it to your transfer switch each time there’s an outage. They usually run on gas, so keep in mind that you’ll also need to have fuel on hand to power them in the event of an emergency.
Note: “All portable generators need to be at least 20 feet away from the home and should never be operated in the garage or home due to carbon monoxide poisoning causing serious injury and or death to people and pets in the home,” warns Pinkerton.
You’ll also find smaller battery-operated generators should you just want to power a handful of appliances or devices in your home. These units alone will not power your whole home, but they can be great if you want to keep a few high priority items powered on during an outage—think cellphones, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, and other electronics. Plus, you don’t need to have fuel on hand to run them, just be sure they’re charged prior to use.
“Anyone in areas prone to power outages can benefit from a standby generator,” Pinkerton says. “It can also be essential for those who use medical equipment, have home offices, and want peace of mind knowing they’ll have power during an outage.”
Even those who don’t experience regular power outages can benefit from a portable generator to power a few essential devices in the event of an emergency.
“The cost of a home generator will vary based on factors if the generator is a standalone or standby unit, the size, fuel type, and installation requirements, including required electrical work needed to the home,” says Pinkerton.
The generators on our list range from less than $500 for a portable, gas-powered generator to $7,100 for a standby generator. The battery- and solar-powered option on our list, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max, falls somewhere in the middle at $1,900.
“Initial investments may be higher, but generators provide long-term value by keeping refrigerators, water heaters and HVAC systems running, making your life comfortable during a time that would otherwise be stressful,” Pinkerton adds.
portable power station for camping Melanie Fincher is an editor for Southern Living with six years of experience reviewing home products. She lives in Alabama and is no stranger to severe weather and power outages. For this review, we surveyed our staff on the best home generators they’ve used and conducted additional testing to round out our list. Melanie also consulted Keith Pinkerton, the owner of Mr. Electric of Huntsville, Alabama, a Neighborly company, for tips on choosing the right generator for your home.