Best Inverter Generator – 7 Top Models Reviewed

What Exactly is an Inverter Generator?

Power that comes directly from the generator is “dirty,” with fluctuations in output that can harm electronics. Inverter generators use an inverter to turn this power into a pure wave form, gradually switching from positive to negative power 60 times every second. That means the electricity from these generators is identical to the power you get from your home outlets. While standard generators can burn out electronic circuits, inverter generators are safe to use with all electronics.

The ability to power any device is great to have in almost every use case. Worried about power outages? You can use these generators for backup power and safely keep your TV and computer running, so you can keep track of the weather. Using cordless tools? An inverter keeps your battery charging station from burning out. Boondocking with your RV? You can power everything in your rig with these generators. Tailgating? You can run your blender and your sound system from the same power source.

Inverter generators tend to be upscale offerings, so they come with features you don’t normally find on standard models. Every generator on this list is CARB compliant, and even the budget models have some form of sound deadening. Even if you don’t care about powering electronics, there are plenty of reasons to give our top inverter generators a look.

1. Champion Power Equipment 100900 2000-Watt Dual Fuel Inverter Generator

This small enclosed generator combines low noise power with the flexibility of running on gasoline or propane. If you don’t mind lugging around an LPG tank now and then, this is a great choice for a tailgating or camping generator.

Most power from the 100900 is delivered via a pair of household outlets, while a 12 volt automotive outlet lets you connect low voltage devices. Champion also throws in a USB adapter for the 12 volt port with 2.1 amp and 1 amp Type A sockets. Connect two generators with a parallel kit, and you’ll also have use of a 14-50R outlet, and either a L5-30R or TT-30R outlet, depending on which kit you choose. You can connect this generator to any other Champion inverter generator.

Using the 1.1 gallon gas tank, this generator will run for 11.5 hours at 50% load. Connect a 20 lb. propane tank, and it will run for 34 hours. The 100900 comes with a hose and regulator, so it’s ready to use with LPG. A single dial lets you choose the fuel type, set the choke, and shut off the engine when you’re done.

This generator makes 53 dB of noise at 50% load, measured from 23 feet away, which makes it one of the quietest models in this segment.

The 100900 measures 17.3 x 11.5 x 17.7 inches, and weighs 39 lbs. That’s light for this segment, and about the same as a full 20 lb. LPG tank. It comes with a 3 year warranty for residential users, and a 270 day warranty for commercial users.

2. Generac GP2500i Inverter Generator

Do you need just a little more power than you can get from a 2,000 watt inverter generator? The GP2500i isn’t any larger than these generators, but it has an extra 500 watts of surge power. This makes it a good choice, if you like to use high draw devices like coffee makers and blenders when you’re tailgating.

Most power from the GP2500i is accessed from a pair of household 120 volt outlets. There are also a pair of USB Type A sockets for mobile device charging. One supports 2.1 amp fast charging, while the other is limited to 1 amp. This generator also has a V-shaped 12 volt battery charging outlet. This outlet is being eliminated from generators, due to its similarity to Australia’s AC outlets. You can buy battery charging cables for this socket, but you won’t be able to use devices designed for automotive 12 volt sockets. If you pair two of these generators with a parallel kit, you will also have L5-30R and TT-30R sockets for RV shore power. All outlets have rubber covers to protect them from dirt and moisture.

The one gallon gas tank will keep this generator running for 4 1/2 hours at 50% load. Generac doesn’t publish noise measurements, but you can expect this unit to be in line with similar enclosed generators. Noise levels should be between 53-60 dB, depending on the current load.

The GP2500i measures 9.84 x 4.33 x 8.27 inches, and it weighs 56 lbs. That’s about average for this segment, despite the increased output. Generac covers this generator with a three year residential warranty, and a one year commercial warranty.

3. Champion Power Equipment 200988 4500-Watt Dual Fuel RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator

This fully enclosed generator is quiet and powerful, but it’s not that heavy, considering its power output. Add in the ability to run on either gas or propane, and you have a great choice for small to medium-sized RVs.

The 200988 comes with a TT-30R outlet for RV shore power, a pair of household outlets for direct power, and a 12 volt automotive outlet for low power devices. This generator also comes with a 12 volt to USB adapter with 2.1 amp and 1 amp USB Type A sockets. Champion offers a parallel kit to connect two generators together. This kit has a 14-50R and L5-30R outlets. Unlike other manufacturers, Champion designed this kit so it will work with most of their inverter generators. That means you can pair the 200988 with over half a dozen models with outputs ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 watts.

The 200988’s 2.3 gallon gas tank will keep the engine running for 14 hours at 25% load. Connect a 20 lb. propane tank using the included hose and regulator, and you can expect a run time of 21 hours under the same load. The front panel has Champion’s Intelligauge digital display. This shows the session and total run time, as well as voltage and frequency. There’s also an LED gauge showing the electrical load. This generator makes 61 dB of noise at quarter load on either fuel type.

The 200988 measures 23.2 x 17.7 x 20.1 inches, and it weighs 97 lbs. It comes with built-in wheels and a folding handle. This generator has a 3 year warranty for residential users, while commercial use is covered for 270 days.

4. WEN 56380i Super Quiet 3800-Watt Portable Inverter Generator

Many people looking for quiet, electronics-safe RV shore power will use a pair of 2,000 watt generators with a parallel connection. However, with the 56380i, you can get the same amount of power from a single enclosed generator, while keeping noise to a minimum. Pair two of these generator together, and you can get the power of an open frame generator with power that’s safe for your electronics.

This generator has a TT-30R outlet for RV connections, a pair of household outlets for direct power, and a 12 volt automotive outlet for low voltage devices. There’s also a pair of USB Type A ports. If you connect two of these generators together with a parallel kit, you’ll also have access to L5-30R and 14-50R sockets. This parallel connection supports any combination of WEN inverter generators making between 1,250 and 4,000 watts.

The digital display on the front panel shows the output voltage, frequency and total run time. It’s flanked by bar gauges that show the current electrical load and the amount of fuel in the gas tank. The 56380i’s 2.2 gallon tank can keep the engine running for 8 1/2 hours under 50% load. Under quarter load, this generator makes 57 dB of noise. It comes with an electric starter with a pull start backup. Shutting off the engine cuts the fuel supply instead of the ignition. This burns off the remaining fuel in the carburetor, which can help keep the fuel jets from clogging with stale fuel.

The 56380i measures 23.2 x 18 x 20.1 inches and weighs 99.2 lbs. WEN guarantees this generator for two years or 500 operating hours of use, if you’re a residential user. Commercial users are covered by a 90 day guarantee with no hour limit.

5. Pulsar Products G450RN, 4500W Portable Inverter Generator

The G450RN is perfectly sized for small RVs. It’s fully enclosed, so it’s quiet, and it has enough power for an air conditioner and a few appliances. This model also has a remote start, so you can turn the generator on and off as needed, without going outside.

The G450RN has a TT-30R outlet for RV shore power, a pair of household 120 volt sockets, a 12 volt automotive socket, and a single USB Type A socket that supports 2.1 amp fast charging. Pulsar also includes a battery charging cable for the 12 volt socket. If you connect a pair of these generators with a parallel kit, you’ll have access to an L5-30R outlet and a shared TT-30R outlet for shore power.

The G450RN’s 3.2 gallon gas tank can keep the engine running for 11 hours at 50% load. It makes 64 dB of noise at half load. This model has an electric start, and a remote that lets you turn the engine on and off up to 80 feet away. Most generators with electric start have a manual choke, so you still have to babysit the engine until it warms up. However, the Pulsar’s engine has an automatic choke, so you don’t need to be nearby during cold starts. There’s also a built-in recoil start, if the battery fails.

This generator measures 27.5 x 23.5 x 21 inches and weighs 102 lbs. It comes with wheels and an extending handle. The G450RN is covered by a one year warranty for residential use. The warranty is invalid if this generator is used for commercial purposes.

6. WEN GN400i RV-Ready 4000-Watt Open Frame Inverter Generator

The GN400i is light and inexpensive, thanks to its open frame design. This is one of the few hybrid generators you’ll find with an inverter. However, this also means it’s noisier than its enclosed competitors. If you don’t mind the noise and lack of features, you can save hundreds of dollars over an equivalent enclosed generator.

The GN400i comes with a TT-30R outlet for RV shore power, as well as a pair of household outlets for delivering power directly to appliances. This generator also has a pair of USB ports. One port supports fast charging, while the other is limited to one amp of output. If you connect two generators together with a parallel connection, you will also have access to L5-30R and 14-50R shore power outlets. You can use this connection with any of WEN’s inverter generators that have a peak output of 4,000 watts or less.

This generator has an 1.85 gallon tank can keep the engine running for up to 7 hours at 50% load. Since this is an open frame generator with limited sound isolation, it’s pretty loud, making 67 dB of noise at 25% load. It also doesn’t have electric start, or a display to measure operating hours or output voltage.

The GN400i measures 19.8 x 13.8 x 18.9 inches, and it weighs 66.1 lbs. There’s no wheels or handle on this generator, and there isn’t a kit available to add these parts. However, that probably isn’t necessary, when you consider this generator weighs only slightly more than a 2,000 watt enclosed generator. WEN guarantees this generator for two years or 500 operating hours of residential use, and 90 days of commercial use.

7. Honda 660270 7,000 Watt Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator

While the EU7000iA is expensive, you’re getting a lot for your money. EFI, a high output, app compatibility and 6 power outlets makes this one of the most flexible inverter generators you can buy.

The EU7000iA is loaded with outlets. The L14-30 socket delivers either 120 or 240 volt power, while the L5-30 socket is 120 volt only. This generator also has four household sockets with GFCI protection, making it safer to power appliances outdoors in moist conditions. Rubber covers protect the outlets from dust and moisture when not in use.

You can connect two EU7000iS generators together using a parallel kit. This kit has a non-NEMA CS6369 outlet, letting you draw the full 14,000 watts from a single connection for whole home backup power.

This generator comes equipped with a GX390 engine and electronic fuel injection. That means there’s no choke, it starts easy in cold weather, it’s fuel efficient, and it’s less sensitive to stale fuel. It also adjusts the fuel mixture automatically as the altitude changes. The engine uses an electric starter.

The 5.1 gallon fuel tank can keep the engine running at 6.4 hours at full sustained load, or 16 hours at ¼ load. The tank has a built-in fuel gauge. The i-Monitor display shows total operation hours, engine RPM, battery voltage, and output wattage. You can also monitor the EU7000iS with the Honda MyGenerator app. Using the generator’s Bluetooth connection, you can check the output and load from up to 75 feet away, and keep track of maintenance. This generator also has Honda’s CO-MINDER CO sensor, which shuts off the engine automatically, if it detects high levels of carbon monoxide.

This generator makes 58 dB of noise at full power, and just 52 dB at ¼ load.

The EU7000iS measures 33.4 x 27.6 x 28.4 inches, and it weighs a hefty 263 lbs. It comes with a 3 year warranty that covers both residential and commercial use.