Best Solar Generator for Home Backup 2026: EcoFlow, Jackery, and Bluetti Compared

There is an EcoFlow DELTA 2 in my garage. I bought it after the third power cut in two years: the first two were annoying, but the third one happened in January, lasted 14 hours, and took out the heating controls, the router, and our chest freezer full of homegrown food.

That last bit concentrated the mind.

I am not preparing for some extended off-grid scenario. I want power for the essentials: fridge, a couple of lamps, phone charging, heating controls, laptop, for long enough to stop a power cut from becoming a crisis. The DELTA 2 does that. It will run my fridge for about 20 hours or charge every phone and laptop in the house several times over. When the cut ends, I charge it back up and put it back in the garage.

This guide is about that problem: practical home backup power for families who are not trying to live off-grid, just trying to not be caught out.

*Top pick for most families:* {{product:ecoflow-delta-2}}

*Affiliate disclosure: I earn a small commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.*

Quick Picks

Detailed Comparison: Specs at a Glance

A Note on the "Solar Generator" Label

These products are mostly marketed as solar generators, which is a bit misleading. What they actually are is battery-powered inverters (large lithium battery packs that can power AC appliances) that happen to have a solar input port so you can recharge them from solar panels. They work perfectly well without any solar panels at all; you just charge them from the wall and keep them ready.

The solar panel compatibility is useful for extended outages or genuine off-grid use, but for most people buying one of these for home backup, the solar aspect is optional. Worth knowing before you assume you need to buy panels too.

What Can a Solar Generator Actually Run?

This is where people go wrong. They buy a 1kWh power station and then plug in an electric kettle (2000W) and wonder why the battery is dead in 20 minutes.

The rule: power output (measured in watts) determines what you can plug in at once. Battery capacity (measured in watt-hours) determines how long it runs.

The EcoFlow DELTA 2 has a 1024Wh battery and a 1800W inverter output. That means it can run anything drawing up to 1800W continuously, but the runtime depends on the load.

A rough guide to what 1kWh will run:

The takeaway: a 1kWh station handles lights, comms, and cold storage comfortably for a typical 12-24 hour outage. It will not replace your mains electricity. A kettle or hair dryer will drain it in minutes. This is backup power for essentials, not a substitute for the grid.

Kate's Top Picks

EcoFlow DELTA 2: my recommendation for most families

1024Wh, 1800W output, LiFePO4 battery rated for 3000 cycles. This is the one in my garage.

The capacity is well-matched to the problem: enough to run a fridge overnight, charge everything in the house multiple times, and keep the lights on without rationing, while the 1800W output limit means it handles nearly every normal home appliance except high-draw items like kettles and electric showers.

EcoFlow's X-Stream fast charging fills it from empty in about 1.5 hours from the wall. That matters for a backup device: if you have warning of a storm, you can top it up quickly. Solar recharging via a 220W panel takes 4-6 hours in good UK sunlight (longer in cloud, obviously).

The expandability is worth knowing about: you can add an EcoFlow DELTA 2 extra battery to take total capacity from 1kWh to 2kWh. I have not done this but it makes sense for families with bigger cold storage or medical equipment.

Weight is 12kg, which is manageable. It has a proper handle. I can move it from garage to kitchen without drama.

Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro: the trusted alternative

Jackery has been in this market longer than EcoFlow and has a large, experienced user community. The Explorer 1000 Pro is their 1kWh-class machine: 1002Wh, 1000W continuous output (2000W surge)—lower than the DELTA 2 (1000W vs 1800W), which matters for some appliances. It will not run a standard microwave (typically 1200W). But for lights, laptop, phone charging, and fridge: no problem.

The standout spec is charge speed: the 1000 Pro can go from empty to full in 1.8 hours via AC, using its 800W input (very fast). Its battery is NMC chemistry (not LFP), which is slightly less cycle-stable than the DELTA 2's LiFePO4 but still well within practical range for a backup device that gets maybe 20-30 discharge cycles per year.

Build quality feels solid. Jackery's app ecosystem and customer support have a good reputation. If you are not in a hurry and want to buy from the company that has been doing this longest, this is a solid choice.

Bluetti AC200MAX: for households that need serious capacity

The AC200MAX is a step up in every dimension: 2048Wh, 2200W output, expandable to over 8kWh with additional battery packs. This is the serious home backup station.

At this capacity you can run a fridge and chest freezer simultaneously for an extended outage, power medical equipment (CPAP, nebuliser), and maintain heating controls, lighting, and comms for multiple days.

The trade-offs: it weighs 28kg, which means it stays in one place. At around £1,500-£2,000, it is a proper financial commitment. And you need to actually need 2kWh+ of capacity to justify it, for most families, a 1kWh station handles a typical 12-24 hour outage with capacity to spare.

If you have a health-dependent household member, a large amount of refrigerated food, or regular extended outages, the investment is worth making. Otherwise, the DELTA 2 is probably enough.

EcoFlow RIVER 2: budget entry point

256Wh, 600W output. This is the smallest practically useful backup station for home use.

At 256Wh you will not run a fridge for long, but you will charge every phone in the house many times over, run LED lighting for days, and keep a router running for 24+ hours. For a family whose main outage concern is comms and lighting rather than cold storage, this does the job at under £200.

The 1-hour fast charge from wall is genuinely impressive for the price. Weight is 3.5kg: it is properly portable, which also makes it useful for camping, car trips, and taking to elderly relatives.

The limitation is real: if your fridge is full of food you cannot afford to lose, 256Wh will not protect it. But as a first step into backup power, or as a supplemental unit for specific needs, the RIVER 2 punches well above its price.

Goal Zero Yeti 1000X: premium US option

983Wh, 1500W output. Goal Zero is the established US brand in this category, popular with outdoor enthusiasts and reliability-focused buyers who are willing to pay more for build quality and customer service.

The Yeti 1000X is notably heavier (16.8kg) and charges more slowly than EcoFlow and Jackery equivalents. Goal Zero's advantage is their ecosystem: the Yeti integrates with their Boulder solar panels and their "Link" home backup adaptor, which lets you connect specific circuits in your house directly rather than running extension leads to appliances.

For straightforward home backup use, the EcoFlow DELTA 2 or Jackery 1000 Pro are better value. If you are already in the Goal Zero ecosystem, or you want the Link home integration, the Yeti 1000X makes sense.

Solar Generator vs Gas Generator: Why I Chose Battery

I thought about a petrol generator. Most of our neighbours have them. Here is why I went the other way.

A petrol generator cannot run indoors. That is not a preference: it is a safety rule, because petrol generators produce carbon monoxide. In a winter power cut, this means running a long extension lead from outside, which means leaving a door or window open, which largely defeats the purpose when it is 3°C outside.

A petrol generator also requires you to store petrol safely, which has its own considerations, and petrol goes stale after about a month without a fuel stabiliser additive.

The noise matters too. Our neighbours' generator at 2am in a power cut has woken the whole street. The DELTA 2 is completely silent. Our kids slept through the last outage without knowing anything had happened.

The limitations of battery are real: you cannot keep a 3kW fan heater running through a winter night, and in a genuine multi-day outage without solar panels, you will eventually run out of charge. But for the 12-24 hour outages that represent most real-world events, battery wins on convenience, safety, and noise every time.

What to Look For: 5 Buying Factors

1. Capacity (Wh) and what it will actually run

Work out your priority appliances and their wattage before buying. A 1kWh station with your fridge (80W average) running gives you 12+ hours of fridge time. Add in lighting and phone charging and you still have plenty for a typical overnight outage.

2. Recharge speed and methods

AC wall charging speed varies significantly: the Jackery 1000 Pro fills in 1.8 hours, the Goal Zero Yeti 1000X takes 9 hours with the included charger (2 hours with the optional 600W add-on). For a device that lives on standby, charge speed only matters when you need to top up quickly before a storm, but it matters then.

3. Output wattage

The inverter output determines what you can plug in. 1000W covers most home uses. 1800W covers nearly everything except kettles and showers. Check the wattage of any appliance you specifically want to run before buying.

4. Weight and portability

Weight varies significantly: the 1kWh-class stations (DELTA 2, Jackery 1000 Pro) weigh 12-14kg (movable, but not casual), the RIVER 2 comes in at 3.5kg (genuinely portable), and the Bluetti AC200MAX weighs 28kg (stays where you put it).

5. Expandability

EcoFlow and Bluetti both have modular battery systems where you can add external battery packs. If you think you might want more capacity in a year or two, expandability future-proofs the investment.

EcoFlow vs Jackery vs Bluetti: Kate's Direct Comparison

For most UK and US families buying their first home backup station:

EcoFlow DELTA 2 is the best combination of capacity, output power, charge speed, and price. The 1800W output limit and LFP battery chemistry give it the edge over Jackery's 1000W output and NMC chemistry at a similar price.

Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro is the right choice if you want a larger, more established user community and you do not need the full 1800W output. Jackery has more long-term owner reviews because they have been selling these longer.

Bluetti AC200MAX is right if you need 2kWh+ capacity, you have specific high-draw appliances (medical equipment, NAS drives, networking infrastructure), or you are planning a serious off-grid or extended outage setup.

## What to Avoid

Petrol generators for indoor use. People buy them for power cuts and run them in garages with the door cracked. Carbon monoxide poisoning happens every winter: including in people's homes. If you go petrol, it has to run outside with a long extension lead.

Power stations with NMC-only batteries in long-term standby roles. LiFePO4 chemistry handles staying at high charge states (the natural state for a backup device) significantly better than NMC. EcoFlow DELTA 2 and Bluetti AC200MAX use LFP. Jackery uses NMC: fine for the use case, but LFP is the more durable choice for a device that sits at 80-100% charge for months.

Ultra-cheap units under £100 / $100. The BMS (battery management system) is what prevents a lithium battery from overcharging, overheating, and failing. It is the first thing that gets cut in cheap production. Do not put a £50 power bank in a home backup role.

Oversizing for your actual load. A 2kWh station is worth the cost if you have a full chest freezer and medical equipment. For a 12-24 hour outage with a fridge, lights, and phone charging, 1kWh is enough and costs roughly half as much. Work out your actual wattage requirements before buying.

Solar Panels: What to Add and When

You do not need solar panels for home backup use. Charge from the wall, keep it topped up, done.

Solar panels become valuable if you want the station usable for extended outages (several days), if you want off-grid capability for camping or remote use, or if you live somewhere with frequent or prolonged power interruptions.

EcoFlow's 220W portable solar panel is the matching panel for the DELTA 2 and will recharge it in 4-6 hours of good sunlight. In the UK, treat that as a best case: cloud and seasonal variation mean you should plan for longer.

One 220W panel is enough for most people. Two panels (440W total) bring that recharge time down to 2-3 hours in good conditions, which matters if you are managing a multi-day outage.

Related Guides

If you are still deciding between backup power options, the backup power guide covers the full comparison between solar generators, petrol generators, and home battery systems with a wattage calculator.

For the broader picture of what to do during a power cut, including food safety windows and heating alternatives, see what to do in a power outage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a solar generator run a refrigerator?

Yes, but check your fridge's wattage. Most modern fridges draw 80-150W on average (with compressor cycling). A 1kWh station will run a typical fridge for 8-20 hours. The compressor start surge can reach 3-4x the running wattage, so check that the station's surge rating covers it: the EcoFlow DELTA 2's 2200W surge covers most domestic fridges.

How long does a solar generator last?

The LiFePO4 batteries in EcoFlow DELTA 2 and Bluetti AC200MAX are rated for 3000+ charge cycles before reaching 80% capacity. At one full discharge per week, that is nearly 60 years. For a backup device doing maybe 20-30 cycles per year, the battery should outlast your interest in replacing it.

Can I use a solar generator indoors?

Yes: this is one of the main advantages over petrol generators. Battery-based solar generators produce no fumes, no CO, and no noise. They are completely safe to use in living spaces.

What is the difference between a solar generator and a UPS?

A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) switches to backup power with no gap when the mains drops out. Most solar generators have a small switchover delay (the DELTA 2 is rated at 30ms, which most electronics tolerate). For computers and sensitive equipment requiring zero interruption, a dedicated UPS is better. For fridges, lights, and general home use, the DELTA 2's switchover time is fine.

Do I need to keep it fully charged?

LiFePO4 batteries (used in EcoFlow and Bluetti) can be stored at any charge state without significant damage. For practical readiness, keep it at 80-100%. Top it up after any use and after any power cut, so it is ready for the next one.