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The Shortlist
Honda EU2200i Portable Inverter Generator
Light, quiet, and reliable. This is a crowd favorite. If 2200 watts of power is sufficient for your needs, this is for you.
Generac 8251 GP2500i Portable Invertor Generator
A competitor to the Honda EU2200i. This has a slightly higher starting and running watts and is less expensive. The downside is that it is not as quiet as the Honda
Honda EU3000i Portable Inverter Generator
Another Honda on the shortlist. This one has a little more power than the 2200 watts version. The trade off is that this version is a little heavier and a little noisier.
Champion 200988 - 3500/4500W Dual Fuel Inverter Generator
This is a higher power generator, and is RV ready. It has the versatility of running on either gasoline or propane. For its power output, it is relatively quiet.
Westinghouse iGen4500 Dual Fuel Inverter Generator
Another dual fuel and RV ready inverter generator to deliver your power needs.
Read More about Shortlisted Generators
There is nothing more regenerating than getting into nature and getting away from it all. But, in those moments, in the great outdoors, it can be nice to have a few of your favorite things that rely on power. For you, it might be a cup of coffee or a piece of toast, maybe its a cold drink, or perhaps you need your phone to take photos or keep in touch with the world. Whatever your particular creature comfort is, you’ll need a power source to provide it for you. The shortlist below offers options with varying amounts of power, to meet your particular demands.
Reliable, Quiet & Lightweight Power - Small Power Needs
Time and time again, Honda Portable Generators are on the short list for the best generator to buy. Why? They are reliable and quiet and they do what they say they will do. If this generator offers the power you need and is within your price range, it is almost a no-brainer decision.
The EU2200i unit has 2200 watts of power output (enough to operate 2 to 4 appliances) and operates at between 48 to 57 DB (i.e. the same noise level as someone speaking at a normal volume). Compared to other generators with its power output, it is very quiet. It is lightweight at 47 pounds (21 kg), making it very portable. The inverter technology means you will get stable and clean power so you can power your sensitive electronic devices.
It will run for approx 3.2 to 8.1 hours on a single 0.95 gallon tank of unleaded gasoline, depending on how many appliances you are running. It has a recoil start (i.e. cord pull start).
Note: This is NOT RV ready (that is, it doesn’t have an outlet that will let you plug it straight into an RV). But, it is bluetooth enabled!!
It has a carbon monoxide detection system and will shut the system down if detected CO levels become dangerously high. Note: This is an outside only generator!!
Note: There are a few different variants of the EU2200i generator so make sure you buy the right one. The EU2200i variants have replaced the EU2000i variants (which are outgoing models); they have 10% extra power.
The TAG in the model number means that it can be sold in all of the US, including California, because it is CARB-compliant (i.e. compliant with the emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board). TAN in the model number means it can be sold everywhere in the US except California.
Lightweight Power - A Cheaper Power Alternative
The Generac GP2500i is a great lightweight option at a lower price point.
The Generac GP2500i has 2200 running watts of power and 2500 starting watts of power output (enough to operate 2 to 4 appliances). It has no official noise rating but has not been flagged as being particularly noisy in any reviews, so you can expect this operates at about the volume of a normal conversation.
It is lightweight at 48 pounds (22 kg), making it very portable. The inverter technology means you will get stable and clean power so you can power your sensitive electronic devices.
It will run for approx 8 hours on a single 1 gallon tank of unleaded gasoline at 25% load. It has a recoil start (i.e. cord pull start).
Note: This is NOT RV ready (that is, it doesn’t have an outlet that will let you plug it straight into an RV).
It DOES have a carbon monoxide detection system and will shut the system down if detected CO levels become dangerously high. Note: This is an outside only generator!!
Reliable, Quiet & Lightweight Power - Medium Power Needs
Offering very similar benefits as the Honda EU2200i portable generator, this is your pick if you need something with a little more power output. Again, it offers quiet, reliable, and clean power.
The EU3000is has 3000 watts of starting power and 2800 watts of running power (enough to operate 4 to 6 appliances). It’s noise level is between 50 to 57DB, which is very similar to the EU2200i (which is about the noise level of someone speaking a normal volume). At 131 pounds (or 59kg), it is still portable, but much heavier than the EU2200i. The inverter technology means you will get stable and clean power so you can power your sensitive electronic devices.
It will run for approx 6.9 to 19.6 hours on a single 3.4 gallon tank of unleaded gasoline, depending on how many appliances you are running. It has both an electric and a recoil start (i.e. cord pull start).
Technically, this generator is not RV ready because it does not have an outlet that you can plug directly into your RV. However, it is close to RV ready because all you need to do is buy an adapter to allow one of the outlets to plug into an TT-30R outlet.
It has a carbon monoxide detection system and will shut the system down if detected CO levels become dangerously high. Note: This is an outside only generator!!
Reliable, Quiet & Efficient Power
Another really well known and trusted brand that offers quiet, reliable, and clean power.
The Champion 200988 is a dual fuel generator which can operate on gasoline or propane (LPG). Champion 200988 has 4500 watts of starting power and 3500 watts of running power (enough to operate roughly 3 to 9 appliances at the same time. depending on how much power each one requires) when using gasoline. Alternatively, when operating on propane, it has 4500 watts of starting power and 3250 watts of running power (enough to operate roughly 3 to 9 appliances at the same time, depending on how much power each one requires).
It’s noise level is rated at 61 DB (which is slightly noisier than someone speaking a normal volume). At 103 pounds (or 47 kg), it’s lightweight for the power it offers, but still not something you want to be moving constantly. It benefits from the inbuilt wheels to help you move it around. The inverter technology means you will get stable and clean power so you can power your sensitive electronic devices.
It will run for up to 14 hours on a 2.3 gallon tank of gasoline, depending on how many appliances you are running. It will run for up to 21 hours on a 20 pound (10 kg) propane tank.
It has both an electric and a recoil start (i.e. cord pull start).
Note: This is RV ready (that is, it has an RV Ready TT-30R 30A outlet that will let you plug it straight into an RV).
Note: This model DOES NOT have a carbon monoxide detection system and so will NOT shut the system down if detected CO levels become dangerously high. Note: This is an outside only generator!!
Comes with a 3 year warranty.
Extremely Quiet & Clean Power
The second Westinghouse generator on our list is also extremely popular. The difference between this generator and the WGen3600DFc is that this generator is an inverter generator.
The iGen4500DF is also a dual fuel generator which can operate on gasoline or propane (LPG). The iGen4500DF has 4500 watts of starting power and 3700 watts of running power (enough to operate roughly 3 to 9 appliances at the same time. depending on how much power each one requires) when using gasoline. Alternatively, when operating on propane, it has 4050 watts of starting power and 3330 watts of running power (enough to operate roughly 3 to 9 appliances at the same time. depending on how much power each one requires).
It’s noise level is around 52 DB, which is less than the level of a normal conversation (so this is a quiet unit). At 104.7 pounds (or 48 kg), again it is pushing the limits of portability, but it also has wheels to help. It is one of the lightest units on the list, but one of the most powerfui.
This has a convenient push button start, which can be started remotely with a key fob.
It will run for 18 hours on a full 3.4 gallon tank of gasoline at 25% capacity. It will run for 22 hours on a 20 pound (10 kg) propane tank, when operating at 25% of its capacity.
Note: This is also RV ready (that is, it has an RV Ready TT-30R 30A outlet that will let you plug it straight into an RV).
Note: It does not have a carbon monoxide detection system and so will NOT shut the system down if detected CO levels become dangerously high. Note: This is an outside only generator!!
Comes with a 3 year warranty.
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