Many small inverters (450 watts or less) come with a cigarette lighter converter and may be connected into the lighter socket in your car (although you will not be able to draw more than 150 to 200 watts from the cigarette lighter socket). The compact devices also have cables that may be directly fastened to a battery. If you wish to use an inverter with your cigarette lighter, look for one that is 450 watts or less. Larger inverters (above 500 watts) must be hard-wired to the battery. The cable size will be mentioned in the Product Manual and will be determined by the distance between the battery and the inverter. Always utilize an overcurrent safety mechanism, such as a fuse or circuit breaker, when connecting the inverter to the battery, and use the thickest wire available in the shortest length possible.