Best Inverter Generators for Home Backup

Run it outside, every time

These rules come from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and they apply to every generator on this page:

• Never indoors. The CPSC says never to use a generator inside a home, garage, crawlspace, shed or similar area, even with fans running or doors and windows open. CO can build up quickly and linger for hours after the generator shuts off.
• 20 feet from the house. NFPA says to run portable generators outdoors at least 20 feet from all doors, windows and vent openings, measured from the generator to the building, with the exhaust pointed away. It also says never to use one in an attached garage, even with the door open.
• CO alarms inside. The CPSC recommends battery-operated or plug-in CO alarms with battery backup, certified to UL 2034, IAS 6-96 or CSA 6.19.01, with batteries tested monthly. WEN’s manuals say its CO Watchdog “is not a substitute for an indoor CO alarm.”
• No backfeeding. The CPSC says never to power house wiring by plugging a generator into a wall outlet. NFPA says a qualified electrician should install a properly rated transfer switch to the National Electrical Code.
• Cords and fuel. Use heavy-duty outdoor cords whose wattage rating exceeds the total load, with no cuts and all three prongs. Turn the generator off and let it cool before refueling, and store fuel outside living areas in labeled safety containers.

If you feel sick, dizzy or weak while a generator is running, the CPSC says to get to fresh air right away.

Quick picks

Specifications are from each maker’s product page and owner’s manual, checked October 9, 2026.

The picks

WEN DF480iX: best for most homes

The WEN DF480iX has the most running watts here short of the 246.9 lb TF1300iX. WEN rates it at 4,000 running and 4,800 starting watts on gasoline, and 3,600 running and 4,320 starting watts on propane. By WEN’s own appliance estimates (see the sizing steps below), a refrigerator-freezer and a sump pump come to 1,600 running watts together, well inside that rating. Check your own appliance labels before you count on it.

WEN lists a 224cc engine, electric start with a recoil starter as backup, and a tool-free propane quick-connector. The 1.9-gallon tank runs up to 7 hours at half load on gasoline, and WEN gives 12 hours at half load on a 20-pound propane tank. The panel has four 120V 5-20R outlets, a TT-30R RV outlet, a 12V DC outlet and two USB ports. WEN rates it at 62 decibels at quarter load, and its manual lists a product weight of 78.5 lb, with built-in wheels and a telescoping handle.

Its fuel shut-off lets the engine use up the fuel in the carburetor before it stops, which WEN says helps limit buildup from stale fuel. It doesn’t have a 240V outlet, so it isn’t the pick for a whole-panel transfer switch.

Westinghouse iGen4000DFc: best with remote start

The Westinghouse iGen4000DFc (Search Amazon for Westinghouse iGen4000DFc ) is the pick if you want remote start. Westinghouse lists remote start with a key fob, push-button electric start and a recoil starter, and it includes the battery, remote and a propane regulator and hose.

Westinghouse rates it at 3,300 running and 4,000 peak watts on gasoline, and 2,970 running and 3,600 peak watts on propane. The 1.69-gallon tank runs up to 7 hours at 25% load. Outlets are a 120V 5-20R duplex, a TT-30R RV outlet and two USB ports, and an LED data center shows run time, remaining fuel, load and voltage. It has automatic CO and low-oil shutdown and a dry weight of 62.8 lb, the lightest of the dual-fuel picks here.

Westinghouse lists it as not transfer-switch ready, with a floating neutral, so plan on running appliances from cords.

WEN TF1300iX: best for powering home circuits

The WEN TF1300iX is the pick when you want an electrician to connect a generator to selected house circuits, including 240V loads. WEN rates it at 10,500 running and 13,000 starting watts on gasoline, 9,000 and 11,250 on propane, and 8,000 and 10,000 on natural gas. WEN says its bonded-neutral 120V/240V design suits transfer switches, and the panel has a 120V/240V 14-50R outlet, a 120V L5-30R twist-lock outlet, a 120V 10-50R outlet, two 5-20R outlets, a 12V DC outlet and USB ports.

WEN’s manual lists a 7.13-gallon tank with up to 7.7 hours at half load on gasoline with Eco-Mode on, and 3 hours at half load on a 20-pound propane tank. It recommends a 20 to 40 lb propane tank. The natural gas hose is sold separately. It weighs 246.9 lb, so plan on rolling it on its wheels to a firm, level spot outside, which WEN’s manual requires.

The manual is specific about home hookups: a qualified electrician must connect it to a transfer switch as a separately derived system, and the transfer switch must switch all conductors except the equipment grounding conductor. Tell your electrician the model before they choose the switch.

WEN 56280iX: best compact pick for essentials

The WEN 56280iX suits a smaller outage plan: a refrigerator, a few lights, a modem and phone charging. WEN rates it at 2,250 running and 2,800 starting watts on gasoline. Its 1.58-gallon tank runs up to 9 hours at half load, and WEN lists 60 dBA at no load.

It has two 120V 5-20R outlets, a 12V DC outlet and two USB ports, plus the CO Watchdog and a fuel shut-off. It starts with a recoil cord only. WEN says it can be paired with a second WEN inverter generator through a parallel kit (sold separately) if you need more power later.

How to size an inverter generator for home backup

WEN’s owner’s manuals give a simple method:

1. Find each appliance’s watts on its label or in its manual. Watts equal volts times amps.
2. Add the running watts of everything you plan to run together. That total must not exceed the generator’s running watts.
3. Add the single largest extra starting wattage to that total. The result must not exceed the generator’s starting watts.

WEN’s chart gives these estimates, while warning that every appliance is different and the label comes first:

The TF1300iX manual also recommends keeping the load at or below 90% of rated output for steady voltage.

How to choose

• Decide how power reaches the house. Cords to individual appliances work with any pick here. To power wired circuits such as a well pump or furnace, you need a transfer switch installed by an electrician, and a generator with a matching outlet. Of these picks, only the TF1300iX has 120V/240V outlets that WEN describes as transfer-switch ready.
• Pick your fuel. Three of the four picks run on propane as well as gasoline, and the TF1300iX adds natural gas. The gas vs propane generator comparison covers storage and cold-weather trade-offs.
• Check run-time terms. WEN quotes run time at half load and Westinghouse at 25% load, so the hours aren’t directly comparable.
• Check noise terms too. WEN lists the DF480iX at quarter load and the 56280iX at no load, and Westinghouse doesn’t state a load for its 52 dBA figure.
• Plan where it will sit. Each needs a spot outside at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, and a heavy unit like the TF1300iX needs a clear path to get there.

Which inverter generator to buy

For most homes, buy the WEN DF480iX and run a refrigerator, sump pump and lights from heavy-duty outdoor cords. Choose the Westinghouse iGen4000DFc if remote start matters more than the extra running watts. If you want to power house circuits, talk to an electrician first and choose the WEN TF1300iX. The WEN 56280iX covers essentials when storage space is tight. Before the first outage, read the generator starting checklist and the transfer switch vs generator inlet comparison , and see the review of Westinghouse’s compact CO-sensor inverter for a smaller option.

Sources checked

• CPSC: Portable Generator Hazards
• NFPA: Generator Safety tip sheet
• WEN: DF480iX product page
• WEN: DF480iX owner’s manual
• Westinghouse: iGen4000DFc product page
• WEN: TF1300iX product page
• WEN: TF1300iX owner’s manual
• WEN: 56280iX product page
• WEN: 56280iX owner’s manual