Best inverter generators for home backup
For most homes we'd pick the Champion 201319: it has enough starting watts for a fridge, a freezer and the small essentials, runs on gasoline or propane, and shuts itself off if it senses carbon monoxide. The Honda EU2200i is the quiet, light choice for smaller loads, the Honda EU7000iS is the one with 240 V for house circuits, and the Westinghouse iGen2800DFc costs the least.
Published , by Alex Rowan
We haven't tested these units ourselves. The picks come from the makers' spec sheets and manuals, and every price shows the store and the day we checked it. Links to the makers' and other stores pay us nothing. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, so we may get a commission when you buy through an Amazon link. You pay the same price.How we work.
Our picks
Best for most homes
Champion 201319
$999Norwall price, Oct 27, 2026
- Power
- 3,500 W running, 4,500 W starting
- On propane
- 3,150 W running
- At 1/4 load
- 14 hours on 2.25 gal
- Noise
- 61 dB(A), 23 ft, load not stated
- Weight
- 103.6 lb
- CO shut-off
- Yes
Its 4,500 starting watts cover the runtime calculator's essentials list, which peaks at 3,776 W when the fridge compressor kicks on with everything else running. It runs on gasoline or propane, and Champion rates it at 14 hours on its 2.25 gal tank at a quarter load, or 21 hours on propane. Its CO Shield system shuts the engine off if carbon monoxide builds up around it.
At about 100 lb it has wheels, but it's about twice the weight of the small Hondas. Champion gives 61 dB(A) at 23 ft without saying at what load, and it doesn't publish fuel use at heavier loads. It sells through retailers, so the price shown is Norwall's.
Best for light loads and quiet nights
Honda EU2200i
$1,199Maker's list price, Oct 26, 2026
- Power
- 1,800 W running, 2,200 W starting
- At 1/4 load
- 8.1 hours on 0.95 gal
- Noise
- 48 dB(A), 1/4 load
- Weight
- 47.4 lb
- Fuel
- Gasoline
- CO shut-off
- Yes
Honda rates it at 48 dB(A) at a quarter load, the lowest published figure here, and it weighs 47.4 lb. Honda lists an ENERGY STAR fridge or freezer among the things it can run, and at a quarter load it goes 8.1 hours on under a gallon.
At 2,200 starting watts it can't start a fridge with a freezer and everything else already on, so it suits a short list of loads, or charging a power station during the day. Two can run in parallel with Honda's kit.
Best for 240 V and house circuits
Honda EU7000iS
$4,899Maker's list price, Oct 27, 2026
- Power
- 5,500 W running, 7,000 W starting
- Voltage
- 120 V and 240 V
- At 1/4 load
- 16 hours on 5.1 gal
- Noise
- 52 dB(A), 1/4 load
- Weight
- 263.2 lb
- Start
- Electric or recoil
It's the only inverter here with 240 V. A 30 A, 125/250 V locking outlet feeds a transfer switch or interlock kit, so it can run house circuits, including a 240 V well pump if the pump's starting draw fits. Honda rates it at 16 hours on a 5.1 gal tank at a quarter load.
It costs about $4,899 and weighs 263.2 lb, so it stays where it's parked. For whole-house backup at that budget, astandby generator is worth pricing too.
Best on a tight budget
Westinghouse iGen2800DFc
$599Westinghouse price, Oct 27, 2026, listed as out of stock
- Power
- 2,200 W running, 2,800 W starting
- On propane
- 1,980 W running
- At 1/4 load
- 12 hours on 1.1 gal
- Noise
- 52 dB(A), lowest level, distance not stated
- Weight
- 45 lb
- CO shut-off
- Yes
The cheapest generator here has the same running watts as the Honda EU2200i, more starting watts, and takes propane as well as gasoline. Westinghouse rates it at 12 hours on 1.1 gal at a quarter load.
Like the Honda, it can't start a fridge with the full essentials list running. Westinghouse doesn't give the distance for its 52 dB(A) figure, so it can't be set against Honda's numbers. If you need to start the fridge with everything on, the iGen4000DFc covers the essentials peak for $260 more.
The Honda EU3200i is in the table but not a pick. It's light for its output and Honda rates it at 58 dB(A) at full load, but it costs 2.8 times as much as the Champion and its 3,200 starting watts fall short of the essentials peak.
The Westinghouse iGen5000DFc is the step up: 400 more running watts and a bigger tank for $400 more. Its own store listed it as out of stock on October 27, 2026, while Amazon had it in stock that day.
All seven side by side
| Model | Running | Starting | Starts the essentials | Price | Fuel | At 1/4 load | Gas per hour at 1/4 load | Noise | 240 V | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion 201319 (opens in a new tab) | 3,500 W | 4,500 W | Yes | $999 Norwall price, Oct 27, 2026 | Gasoline or propane | 14 hours on 2.25 gal | 69¢ | 61 dB(A), 23 ft, load not stated | No | 103.6 lb |
| Honda EU2200i (opens in a new tab) | 1,800 W | 2,200 W | No | $1,199 Maker's list price, Oct 26, 2026 | Gasoline | 8.1 hours on 0.95 gal | 50¢ | 48 dB(A), 1/4 load | No | 47.4 lb |
| Honda EU7000iS (opens in a new tab) | 5,500 W | 7,000 W | Yes | $4,899 Maker's list price, Oct 27, 2026 | Gasoline | 16 hours on 5.1 gal | $1.37 | 52 dB(A), 1/4 load | Yes | 263.2 lb |
| Westinghouse iGen2800DFc (opens in a new tab) | 2,200 W | 2,800 W | No | $599 Westinghouse price, Oct 27, 2026, listed as out of stock | Gasoline or propane | 12 hours on 1.1 gal | 39¢ | 52 dB(A), lowest level, distance not stated | No | 45 lb |
| Honda EU3200i (opens in a new tab) | 2,600 W | 3,200 W | No | $2,799 Maker's list price, Oct 27, 2026 | Gasoline | 8.6 hours on 1.2 gal | 60¢ | 54 dB(A), 1/4 load | No | 59.1 lb |
| Westinghouse iGen4000DFc (opens in a new tab) | 3,300 W | 4,000 W | Yes | $859 Westinghouse price, Oct 27, 2026, listed as out of stock | Gasoline or propane | Not published | Not published | Not published | No | 62.8 lb |
| Westinghouse iGen5000DFc EFI (opens in a new tab) | 3,900 W | 5,000 W | Yes | $1,399 Westinghouse price, Oct 27, 2026, listed as out of stock | Gasoline or propane | 12 hours on 3.17 gal | $1.13 | 61 dB(A), lowest level, distance not stated | No | 111 lb |
"Starts the essentials" compares starting watts with the 3,776 W peak of the runtime calculator's starting list: 1,576 W running plus a fridge's 2,200 W startup surge, from generator sizing charts. Hours at 1/4 load are the makers' figures; gas per hour divides the tank by them and prices it at the EIA's US average of $4.28 a gallon (week of Oct 19, 2026). Honda measures noise at set loads without giving the distance, Westinghouse gives only its lowest level, and Champion gives one figure at 23 ft, so the brands' numbers don't compare directly. The quietest generators page sorts out what each figure means.
How to choose an inverter generator
What "inverter" buys you
An inverter generator turns the engine's output into AC electronically and lets the engine slow down when the load is light. Honda calls this Eco Throttle; Westinghouse says variable engine speed. The result is less noise and less fuel at the light loads a home runs most of the night. Westinghouse lists under 3% total harmonic distortion on its iGen models, which it says is safe for laptops, TVs and phones.
A conventional open-frame generator gives more watts for the money. The Westinghouse WGen9500DFc in our cost comparison makes 9,500 running watts for $1,399 at the Westinghouse store, but Westinghouse puts its quietest level at 74 dB(A). The inverter vs conventional comparison sets the two kinds side by side.
Size it to what starts, not just what runs
Motors draw several times their running power for a moment when they start. Add up everything that runs at once, then add the single biggest startup surge, and compare that with the starting watts. The runtime calculator does the sum, and the appliance wattage pages list running and starting watts with sources.
Dual fuel
Propane gives you a second fuel when gas stations are closed after a storm, but a dual-fuel generator makes less power on it. The iGen2800DFc's running output drops from 2,200 W on gasoline to 1,980 W on propane. The dual fuel vs gas comparison covers what the propane option costs and how each fuel stores.
What it costs to run
Light loads are cheap. The EU2200i at a quarter load burns about 0.12 gal an hour, roughly 51¢ at the national average gas price for the week of Oct 19, 2026. Oil changes are due every 100 hours or six months on the Honda, per its manual.
Connecting it to the house safely
Run extension cords rated for the load to each appliance, or have an electrician install a transfer switch or interlock kit and an inlet box outside. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet: it sends power back onto the utility lines, which can kill a line worker. The backfeeding guide covers the options, and the rain guide covers storms.
All of these have a carbon monoxide sensor that shuts the engine off. That doesn't make a generator safe indoors or in a garage, and you still need CO alarms inside the house.