How We Research
Every guide here starts with one question: will this generator work for the person who is shopping for it? That depends on what you plan to run, where you'll put it and how much fuel you want to handle.
Here is how we answer it.
1. We begin with your load
A refrigerator and a few lights need far less than a furnace blower, a sump pump and a window air conditioner running together. A camper adds its own limits.
We check the running and starting watts the maker lists, the outlets and the fuel type. When your plans narrow the choice, we say how to add up your watts first.
2. We compare specs and features
We look at running and starting watts, gas, propane or tri-fuel support, inverter or open-frame design, the noise rating the maker gives, tank size, runtime and the outlets, including 30 amp and 50 amp ones.
Westinghouse, Champion, WEN, DuroMax and others describe their products in their own words. We name the brand for every claim and note the warranty terms the maker lists.
3. We check carbon monoxide features and recalls
Every gas engine makes carbon monoxide, a gas you can't see or smell. We look for a built-in CO shutoff in the maker's specs.
We also check the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall list before we write about a model. We skip any generator with an open recall, and we add a recall note when a brand has a recent one.
4. We read buyer feedback
We read what buyers report after using a generator. We look for patterns, like hard starting, trouble after storage, loud engines, low-oil shutoffs or outlets that don't fit a plug.
One angry review doesn't sink a product. A pattern does.
5. We score each product
Our score weighs specs, features and buyer feedback against what you're shopping for. A generator that's ideal for a campsite may score lower in a guide about backing up a house.
Scores spread out on purpose. A 10 is rare.
6. We keep guides current
Models change, and some leave the store. Brands also sell several generators with near-identical names, so we check each model name and code and link only new units.
When we update a guide, the "Updated on" date at the top changes with it.
What our picks are not
Our picks are research, not lab tests. We don't claim to have run every generator we cover.
Never run a portable generator in a garage, basement, crawl space or any enclosed space, even with the door open. Keep it outdoors and away from doors, windows and vents, and keep working carbon monoxide alarms inside your home.
Connecting a generator to a house takes a licensed electrician and a proper transfer switch. We don't give wiring instructions, and we make no promise about what a generator will power in your home.
When a maker makes a claim, we label it as the maker's claim.