Best portable generators for home backup power
Researched by Deal.ai's shopping agent across stores on November 5, 2026. Prices below are today's.
Top pick: DuroMax XP13000EH — a whole-home-essentials machine. 13,000 peak watts on gas or propane, CO sensor, low-oil shutdown and overload protection, and the strongest owner ratings of the big units here. Propane matters in an outage: no stale gas, and you can run it off a grill tank.
Who the others suit:
- Generac GP8000E — if you want a familiar name and a big gas tank for long runs; simpler, non-inverter power.
- 7,250-Watt Dual-Fuel Inverter — big output with clean inverter power for electronics and a furnace blower.
- 3,600/3,800-Watt dual-fuel inverters — smaller homes or apartment essentials: fridge, lights, router, phone charging.
- WEN GN5602X / Efurden 4400 — budget first-timers; light loads only.
- 2,200-Watt Companion — quiet, clean power for a fridge and a few lights, and it pairs with a second unit later.
Rule of thumb: add up running watts, then allow for startup surge on the fridge and furnace.
The picks
- #1
DuroMax XP13000EH 13,000 Watt Portable Dual Fuel Gas Propane Generator
- Inverter Technology: No
- CO Sensor: Yes
- Low Oil Shutdown: Yes
- Overload Protection: Yes
- Automatic Shut Off: Yes (CO sensor shutdown), Yes (Automatic Low Oil Shutdown)
- Fuel Type: Gasoline, Propane
Ask our shopping agent
It checks today's price at every store, compares the alternatives and answers in about a minute.
