Best Inverter Generators – Reviews & Buying Guide 2023

WEN 56200i is the best inverter generator out there.

Experts love it for its flawless performance and excellent quality to price ratio.

In our opinion, there is no other generator offering the same performance in its price range.

This excellent generator costs only the fraction of the price of the original Honda or Yamaha.

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It is remarkably quiet and very lightweight. You won’t have any problems carrying it around.

The fuel tank has got a total capacity of 1 gallon.

Fuel efficiency is one of its strongest points. In can run for around 6 hours on a full fuel tank at 50% load. That is quite an impressive result, given its small size and weight.

It comes equipped with a 5V USB port – ideal for charging phones and tablets.

While 1600 running watts is not going to blow anyone’s mind, this is more than enough if you plan to take it to the campsite.

A lot of people used it as an emergency supply during the hurricane Irma and were happy with its performance.

It is certainly not a comprehensive home backup solution, but it’s still strong enough to power your fridge and a few lights.

It does have an excellent economy mode that further helps in optimizing its fuel consumption.

Just like most of the modern inverter generators, it comes with an automatic low oil shutdown mechanism.

The plastic finishings used for the control panel and the frame might make this generator look and feel a bit cheap.

It is perfectly understandable given the generator’s low price tag.

These minor shortcomings do not have any negative impact on the performance of the generator.

Overall, if you are looking for a reliable and affordable inverter generator – you can’t go wrong with this unit.

You can find more information about WEN 56200i in this detailed review.

While conventional dual fuel generators are nothing new, so far, there are not many portable inverter generators that can operate both on gas and propane.

The 3400-watt portable inverter generator manufactured by Champion Power Equipment is one of the few.

It is by far one of the best portable generators for RV.

With its dedicated 30 amp RV outlet, this portable generator is ready to be connected to your RV straight from the box.

It is powerful enough to run the most demanding appliances such as the larger air conditioners rated at 15,000 BTU.

Thanks to the dual-fuel technology, it can run for extended periods and save you a nice sum of money if you decide to stick to propane, which is a cheaper fuel than gas.

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Note that the generator’s wattage is slightly lower when running on propane. However, the difference is so small that as long as you don’t try to continually run in on full load (which is never a recommended thing to do), you won’t notice a difference.

You will be able to run this portable generator for around 14 hours on one single tank of propane and 11.5 hours on a full tank of gas. Note that these figures are for 25% load. If you plan to run an RV air conditioner for extended periods, your fuel consumption will be much higher.

The only thing I miss in this generator is a remote start. It would be a lovely addition to this already good portable inverter generator.

On a positive note, it is a very quiet portable generator for its size. It produces much less noise than conventional generators.

One last important thing to mention about it is that it comes with the parallel capability.

That means you can get two identical units to double their total power output. In such a case, you would have a full power solution capable of providing electricity for nearly all appliances in your RV. It could also be a reliable home backup power source in case of emergencies.

Read more in this article about Champion 3400 Watt Dual Fuel Inverter Generator.

Westinghouse is an American manufacturer who never goes on compromises when it comes to the quality of their generators. As for their inverter generators, there are two models currently being on offer – WH2200iXLT and iGen2200.

The iGen2200 inverter generator is the younger model. It comes in different color schemes, the most interesting one being the camo style – perfect for outdoor use.

It is one of the quietest inverter generators I have come across so far. It produces only 52 decibels at a 25% load.

That makes it an attractive power source for campers.

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You can run it for nearly 12 hours on a single 1.2-gallon gas tank. However, this depends on the load. It will undoubtedly consume more gas if you continuously run it at close to the full capacity.

Inverter generators are generally ideal for powering sensitive portable electronics like mobile phones.

IGen2200 acknowledges that fact by providing 2 x 5V USB ports, which you can use to charge your cameras, smartphones, or anything else you need.

A 20A circuit breaker is a great feature that ensures that the generator won’t be damaged if you accidentally try to run it above the maximum load.

It is an excellent portable inverter generator selling for twice as cheap as Honda EU2200i.

As of now, it’s one of the best inverter generators on the market.

The name Yamaha is the synonym of quality when it comes to portable electronics. Their portable generators are no exception.

Yamaha EF2000iSv2 is one of the best inverter generators money can buy. If for whatever reason, you don’t like Honda EU2200i (for instance, the design), then you should opt for this one.

I have written more about how these two generators compare in this detailed article about Yamaha EF2000iSv2. Make sure to check it out if you want to learn more about Yamaha!

It is a very slick, hi-tech inverter generator offering all-important qualities you would expect from a top-notch inverter.

It is remarkably quiet, producing only 51.5 decibels at a quarter load. That is comparable to two people having an ordinary conversation.

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The generator becomes louder as you plug in more energy-demanding devices into it. It is still quiet enough to make it campground-friendly (I’d still recommend to run it only during the so-called “non-quiet” hours designated by federal camping grounds).

It is remarkably fuel-efficient. One refueling of the gas tank is enough to make it run for more than 10 hours at 1/2 load.

The auto decompression system makes startup very easy and ready to use within seconds.

The dual coll alternator stator is a quite innovative solution that helps alternate the speed of the engine depending on the current demand. Thanks to this handy feature, you won’t waste too much gas in the idle state.

The Champion 75537i is a bit more potent than most of the other inverter generators on the market. Its 3100 starting watts make it an exciting choice for those who have slightly higher power needs.

It has a 30 AMP RV-ready outlet, making it one of the best choices for RV.

You could easily power an AC and an RV refrigerator with this inverter.

Higher wattage comes with a larger engine. That makes this inverter slightly less portable than smaller units.

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However, while you won’t be able to carry it on in one hand for sure, the folding carry handle and the built-in wheels make it significantly easier to move.

The only problem I see with the wheels is that they’re a bit small and placed very close to the body of the generator. They can get stuck easily on rougher surfaces such as sand or mud.

It is fully CARB compliant making it possible for residents of California to use it there.

The noise levels are overall pretty low at 50% load. However, you need to be aware that this comparatively quiet inverter will become much louder if you decide to plug in more devices.

The generator is also reasonably fuel-efficient. You can run it for up to 8 hours on a single gas tank at 25% load.

If you are curious to learn more about Champion 75537i, you can read our detailed review of Champion 3000 watt generator.

Inverter generators are generally much quieter than conventional generators. And the Generac iQ2000 is among the quietest of them all.

The noise you hear when you place it at an approximate distance of 25 feet away from you would oscillate around 53 decibels. It is quieter than two people having a lively conversation.

Note that this is at 25% load and when using the first out of three available power modes: Economy Mode, Standard, and Turbo.

Depending on which model you choose you’ll get either more available wattage or quieter operation and lower gas consumption.

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This is a quite interesting solution and it’s certainly great that IQ2000 gives you the additional level of control.

On the other hand, inverter generators like Yamaha EF2000is can adjust their work automatically without any effort on the user’s side.

The runtime display is a convenient feature allowing you to see how much running time you have left before needing to refuel.

If you are interested to learn more, you can read the full review of Generac IQ2000 here.

If you are eager to buy a generator from an American manufacturer, you can’t really go wrong with Westinghouse.

They are one of the most reputable electricity companies in the US with more than a hundred years of market presence.

Westinghouse has only recently entered the market of portable generators, releasing some of the best units money can buy, such as WGen7500.

Their inverter generators are also top notch quality. WH2000iXLT is a great example of a portable inverter generator which delivers all major promises to its user.

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It is very quiet and camping friendly.

It has got a very long run time of 13 hours at 50% load, which is longer than most of the inverter generators.

It has a custom-built Westinghouse 79cc OHV engine, which performs pretty well in a variety of settings.

We like the user-friendly design of the control panel. The color-coded touch points make it very simple to operate.

If you want to learn more about this inverter generator, click here to read the more detailed review.

This is another solid inverter generator designed specifically with campers in mind.

It would also perform pretty well at tailgating parties.

This portable inverter generator can operate at 1800 running watts, which is slightly more than some of its competitors have to offer.

It features an 80cc OHV engine which is capable of running for 6 hours at 50% load. That is a quite decent number, however not as good as some other inverter generators currently being on sale.

Since we like to use the inverter generators for powering up mobile electronics, we find it slightly pitiful that Pulsar PG2000iS has got only one USB outlet.

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The built-in oil sensor warns you whenever the oil levels become too low. This helps to prevent the damage to the generator’s engine.

One thing which I find a bit worrying in case of this unit is the short warranty – 1 year is not that long, and we sincerely wished the manufacturer could extend it to at least two years.

On the other hand, Pulsar, albeit not as well-known as Yamaha or Honda, is a trusted company, and you are very unlikely to have any serious issues with this portable inverter generator.

Even though the manufacturer does not advertise it, you could also possibly use it to power your RV 10,000 BTU air conditioner.

It would also work fine for most of the conventional electric tools, such as saws or drills.

Overall it is a cost effective alternative to more popular and pricier portable inverter generators.

EU2000i has basically become the name synonymous with the “best inverter generator“.

A while ago, Honda discontinued the Honda EU2000i and replaced it with the newer upgraded model – EU2200i.

Was that a wise move from the manufacturer’s side? Does EU2200i perform better than its older sibling?

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In fact, as our detailed review of Honda EU2200i proves – it really does!

What has changed was the wattage. It increased from 2000 starting watts to 2200.

What stayed the same is the low noise level, the weight, design, and finally, the price.

So you technically get more stable power for the same price without compromising on other features.

Honda has done an excellent job with this one.

This super quiet inverter generator is compact and small and capable of generating reliable, clean power. You can also use it in conjunction with another inverter to double the power output. (it’s called paralleling)

It is a very quiet and portable inverter very often seen on job sites in the US and worldwide.

Its noise level at 25% load is only 49 decibels – that’s whisper-quiet for a generator!

It comes with the Honda Oil Alerts system that acts as a reliable automatic low oil shutdown mechanism.

This power inverter generator also benefits from Eco-Throttle technology. It adjusts the engine speed and fuel consumption to the current requirements.

You can save a lot of money on fuel in the longer term.

The only thing we miss in Honda EU2200i is the electronic, or even better – the remote start.

A pull start type works just fine, but that would be the one final great addition to what is already probably the best portable inverter generator on the market.

Briggs & Stratton is a very well established brand on the American market. They make the whole range of portable generators popular among domestic consumers.

This portable inverter generator offers 2200 starting and 1700 running watts, which is pretty much an industry standard for inverter generators of this size.

Diving into its specs, we can see that it does not differ much from its competitors in terms of its design, engine, and operation.

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It can run for up to 8 hours at 25% load.

That’s quite standard for the inverters in its wattage range.

The generator could be slightly quieter – 59 decibels at 25% load can already cause a minor nuisance.

On the plus side, it offers the parallel capability – you can connect two of this kind to double your total output.

One serious downside is that it is not CARB compliant. You won’t be legally able to run it in the state of California.

Overall it is certainly not a bad inverter and still makes it to our list of top 10 best portable inverter generators catering for the US market.

However, if I were you I would either spend a bit more and get the Honda EU2200i or, if looking for a slightly cheaper yet still excellent unit – Westinghouse WH2200iXLT.