Dealectric

Best home battery backup system

Updated 2026-11-07 · Pick: Apex 300: $1,424.05 through this link, discount applied in BLUETTI's cart (tested on this model 2026-11-13); bluettipower.com without the link $1,499, checked 2026-11-13: https://dealectric.com/go/bluetti-apex-300

Short answer. The best home battery backup system for most houses is the BLUETTI Apex 300 ($1,499 on bluettipower.com, $1,424.05 through this link: https://dealectric.com/go/bluetti-apex-300): 2,764.8 Wh, 3,840 W, 120 V and 240 V from one unit, and a 20 W idle draw, the lowest independently measured in this class (Anker rates its new S5000 at 8.8 W, not yet tested by a reviewer). Idle drain is the concern that decides a backup battery, because the battery sits waiting for months. The Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus measured 112 W idle before its June 2025 firmware update, enough to empty its own 3,840 Wh in about 34 hours with nothing plugged in; the Apex 300 at 20 W holds a charge for about six days. Add a B300K battery for 5,529.6 Wh at $2,599 (2026-11-07), and the Home Integration Kit ($699 single, $799 parallel) wires it to a sub-panel.

If you need a true whole-house battery in a box, the honest overall winner is the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra: 6,144 Wh and 7,200 W, enough for a 3-ton central air unit, but it was $4,199 and sold out at EcoFlow on 2026-11-07. Among brands we link, the Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus ($2,599.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-f3800-plus) wins that segment: 6,000 W at 120/240 V, a maker-sold sub-panel kit ($1,799.99) and an optional $2,000 electrician install. For a permanent wall-mounted system, the Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh, 11.5 kW, 10-year warranty) is the benchmark; it is sold only through installers and needs no solar.

Whole house battery backup without solar is fine: every unit here recharges from a wall outlet or a gas generator. What you lose without solar is the ability to recharge during a multi-day outage, so size for the longest outage you expect or keep a small generator to recharge from.

Where to buy

Published 2026-11-07 · prices checked 2026-11-05 to 2026-11-10.

ModelCapacityAC output120/240 VIdle drawWeightPriceCode
Apex 300
Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/bluetti-apex-300		2,764.8 Wh (to 58 kWh)3,840 WBoth, one unit20 W measured83.8 lb$1,499$1,424.05 through this link, discount applied in BLUETTI's cart; tested on this model 2026-11-13.
F3800 Plus
Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-f3800-plus		3,840 Wh (to 53.8 kWh)6,000 WBoth, one unit112 W measured pre-update136.7 lb$2,599.99No discount code applies.
SOLIX S5000
Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/anker-solix-s5000		5,024 Wh4,500 WBoth, one unit8.8 W (Anker's figure)Wheeled$2,599.99No discount code applies.
HELIOS 3600
Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/growatt-helios-3600		3,686 Wh (to 36 kWh)3,600 W240 V needs 2 units + $139 hubNot measuredWheeled$1,198.98No discount code applies.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra6,144 Wh (to 90 kWh)7,200 WBoth, one unitNot measuredAbout 187 lb, splits in two—Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison.
Tesla Powerwall 313.5 kWh (to 4 units + 3 expansions)11.5 kWBoth, wired inGrid-poweredWall-mounted, installer only—Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison.

Rows marked with a code and buy link are products Dealectric lists: the price was verified on the brand's own US store on 2026-11-07 and the code is tested daily in that brand's cart; the date shown is its last pass (last check 2026-11-13). The other rows (EcoFlow, Tesla) are included so the comparison is complete; their figures and prices were read from the makers' own US pages on 2026-11-07 and are not re-checked daily. The buy links are affiliate links: they open the brand's official US store at no cost to the shopper, and the commission pays for the testing; see the disclosure.

What owners complain about

Idle drain comes up more than anything else. A home backup battery spends 99% of its life waiting, so a unit that burns 100 W just being switched on is half empty when the lights go out. The F3800 Plus measured 112 W idle; Anker's June 2025 firmware says it cuts that by half, and an owner reported the unit still ran empty in just over two days left idle. The Apex 300 measured 18 to 20 W in three separate tests.

Random AC shutoff is the Apex 300's own forum thread. Several owners saw AC output switch off when the stack hit 100% charge, mostly with an older B300 battery attached, and some logged a battery overvoltage error. Later firmware (DSP V2174.12 and newer BMS builds) stopped it for most posters, but not all. Update the firmware the day it arrives and test a full charge before you rely on it.

Support and add-ons. BLUETTI has no phone line; tickets take 24 to 48 hours. The Apex 300 has no USB or 12 V ports, so the Hub D1 ($299) is a near-mandatory extra. Anker's weak spots are the 25 A outlet labelled 30 A, proprietary solar plugs and 240 V output that drops when you charge from a 120 V outlet.

Weight. The Apex 300 is 83.8 lb with no wheels; the F3800 Plus is 136.7 lb on wheels; the DELTA Pro Ultra is about 187 lb and splits into two 93 lb halves. Plan where it lives before it arrives.

Which one by need

Not recommended

Any 120 V-only station for a 240 V well pump. It cannot start the motor, no matter the watt rating. Check the pump's nameplate first.

OSCAL PowerMax 6000 is the cheapest 6,000 W, 120/240 V unit we track ($1,659.99 on 2026-11-07), but the only retail review found calls it less than perfect as a UPS and no independent idle or noise test exists. Wait for data.

Powerwall without solar to save money. At average US rates the payback runs 15 to 20 years or more. Buy it for outages, not for the bill.

Sources

Published 2026-11-07; figures for other brands read on 2026-11-07; our prices verified 2026-11-07. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.