When it comes to finding a reliable power source for household appliances, an inverter generator is the shiniest contender. They’re ultra-quiet, safe for vulnerable electronics, and more fuel-efficient.
Here are the most powerful inverter generators you can buy in 2024:
- Best For Consistent Performance: Briggs & Stratton Q6500
- Best For Emergency Backup: Champion Power Equipment 100519
- Parallel Capable: Pulsar Products G450RN
- Fuel-Efficient: Westinghouse iGen4500
- Best For RVs: Champion Power Equipment 200986
- Dual Fuel: A-iPower SUA4000Ied
| 6 Most Powerful Inverter Generators | ||
|---|---|---|
Best For Consistent Performance | Briggs & Stratton Q6500 | |
Best For Emergency Backup | Champion Power Equipment 100519 | |
Parallel Capable | Pulsar Products G450RN | |
Fuel-Efficient | Westinghouse iGen4500 | |
Best For RVs | Champion Power Equipment 200986 | |
Dual Fuel | A-iPower SUA4000Ied | |
Best For Consistent Performance: Briggs & Stratton Q6500
- The most powerful and consistent performer – feature a 306cc integrated engine
- 60% quieter than similar picks out there - QuietPower Series Inverter Technology & enclosure design
- Safe - CO Guard carbon monoxide shutdown technology
- Expensive
- Heavy
Off all the inverter generators in the 6500W ranges we tested, the Briggs & Stratton Q6500 is the lightest, quietest, and most compact option whilst giving a consistent performance.
It can power seven different home appliances simultaneously and the highly efficient 306cc integrated engine allows for a constant run in up to 14 hours (at ¼ load). Running vulnerable electronics isn’t a big issue with this generator due to its pure power output.
For extra safety, the unit is capable of automatically shutting off once detecting a concentration of the deadly carbon monoxide.
Aside from two wheels - as other picks here do have, it comes with a suitcase-style telescoping for ease of pulling it around.
| Briggs & Stratton Q6500 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Peak Watts/Running Watts | 6500W/5000W |
Noise Level | 59 dB |
Max Runtime | Up to 14 hours at 25% Load |
Highlight Features | feature a 306cc integrated engine QuietPower Series Inverter Technology & enclosure design CO Guard carbon monoxide shutdown technology |
The Briggs & Stratton Q6500 is both the longest-runtime and most powerful inverter generator in the market that also operates ultra-quietly and is lightweight. That’s also why our team unanimously voted it as the most consistent performer this year.
Best For Emergency Backup: Champion Power Equipment 100519
- Relatively powerful and consistent in performance - a 4-stroke 301cc OHV engine and a 4.2-gallon fuel tank
- Extra convenience – feature intelligauge, more outlets & a remote start-and-stop
- Lighter and quieter than other Champion’s inverter generators - advanced open-frame inverter design
- Not feature any hour meter
If our top pick is out of stock, the Champion Power Equipment 100519 is an also-great alternative.
The perfect combination of a 4-stroke 301cc OHV engine and a 4.2-gallon fuel tank allows it to run constantly in up to 12.5 hours at economy mode, which is a lot longer than other 5000W generators. It also features various outlets that can power 9 different devices at a time.
Another distinguishing feature making the Champion 100519 a worthy investment over the manufacturer’s other versions is its advanced open-frame inverter design, which is 20% lighter and 50% quieter.
Besides, the included remote start-and-stop is an excellent bonus.
| Champion Power Equipment 100519 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Peak Watts/Running Watts | 6250W/5000W |
Noise Level | 69 dba |
Max Runtime | 12.5 hours run time on gasoline |
Highlight Features | a 4-stroke 301cc OHV engine and a 4.2-gallon fuel tank feature intelligauge, more outlets & a remote start-and-stop advanced open-frame inverter design |
Compact yet powerful, easy to start, and long-lasting, the Champion Power Equipment 100519 is our solid pick for emergency power backup.
Parallel Capable: Pulsar Products G450RN
- Economical yet high-quality
- Reliable - CARB-compliant design
- Able to deliver higher power output with longer runtime – parallel capability
- A bit hard to change the oil
- Run roughly at no or little load
Though the Pulsar Products G450RN doesn’t have any distinguishing feature to impress us, it is surprisingly a great performer at its price.
The unit offers the parallel capability for up to 15 hours of runtime at ½ load while the noise level is just around 63 decibels. It also provides the user with remote control, a recoil and an electric push start, and a telescoping handle.
In the market, you hardly find any 3700W inverter generator with all the features listed above that are at that price tag. Not to say that this one is CARB-compliant.
| Pulsar Products G450RN Specifications | |
|---|---|
Peak Watts/Running Watts | 4500W/3700W |
Noise Level | 63 dB |
Max Runtime | up to 15 hours at 50% load |
Highlight Features | CARB-compliant design parallel capability |
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly inverter generator with parallel capability, consider the Pulsar Products G450RN.
Fuel-Efficient: Westinghouse iGen4500
- Fuel-efficient – able to give various engine speeds
- The quietest model in this list – low-tone mufflers, asymmetrical cooling fans, and double-insulated acoustic enclosure
- Offer superior management of the generator’s data - a real-time LED display
- Expensive
Compared to the Pulsar Products G450RN which also delivers 3700 running watts, this model is more expensive.
However, if your budget is on the table or you want a quieter and more fuel-efficient, it is a worthwhile splurge.
It stands out for its capability of modifying the engine speeds to fit the desired power needs at any given time, making the total runtime extended up to 18 hours – 30% to 50% higher than conventional generators.
While all of our picks are muffled, this one boasts asymmetrical cooling fans and a double-insulated acoustic enclosure for ultra-quiet operation – only 52 decibels.
It also comes with a real-time LED display where you can easily manage lifetime hours, volts, load, remaining fuel, and runtime data, which is a huge bonus.
| Westinghouse iGen4500 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Peak Watts/Running Watts | 4500W/3700W |
Noise Level | 52 dBA |
Max Runtime | Up To 18 Hours |
Highlight Features | able to give various engine speeds low-tone mufflers, asymmetrical cooling fans, and double-insulated acoustic enclosure a real-time LED display |
The Westinghouse iGen4500 is capable of giving various engine speeds to meet the desired power needs at any given time, making it the most fuel-efficient pick here.
Best For RVs: Champion Power Equipment 200986
- Ideal for RVs – feature a 120V 30A RV outlet, compact size, parallel capability, and 61-decibel noise level
- Convenient - intelligauge with a power meter
- Credible - the manufacturer’s 3-year warranty
- The 12v socket is junk
The Champion Power Equipment 200986 is a quite lightweight, easy-to-maneuver, and space-saving inverter generator. But don’t let that fool you about its powerful performance.
While offering 3500 running watts, the unit’s power output can be doubled up or even higher thanks to its parallel capability. The advanced inverter technology combined with a moderately large 2.3-gallon fuel tank, meanwhile, allows for 14 hours of runtime at economy mode.
At a highly competitive price point, it surprised us by still featuring intelligauge with a power meter, along with the manufacturer’s 3-year warranty.
It’s also quite enough to not wake you up or disturb your work from a distance of 23 feet.
Last but not least, the added 120V 30A RV outlet makes it the strongest candidate for RVs.
| Champion Power Equipment 200986 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Peak Watts/Running Watts | 4500W/3500W |
Noise Level | 61 dBA |
Max Runtime | 14 hours |
Highlight Features | feature a 120V 30A RV outlet, compact size, parallel capability, and 61-decibel noise level intelligauge with a power meter the manufacturer’s 3-year warranty |
Featuring a 120V 30A RV outlet and powerful performance, the Champion Power Equipment 200986 is a great selection for RVs
Dual Fuel: A-iPower SUA4000Ied
- Versatile and flexible – dual-fuel construction
- One of the quietest inverter generators here - 58 decibels of noise levels
- No parallel capability
- Short runtime
The A-iPower SUA4000Ied is the exclusive option in this list that can be powered by either gasoline or propane whilst remaining pure, safe power output, making it the most flexible and versatile here.
It’s also one of the quietest models out there, with the noise level at just 58 decibels to not annoy your neighbors.
A-iPower describes it to deliver extended runtime due to the “Low idle” technology application but compared to other 3500W inverter generators out there, 7 hours (at 1/2 load) of the runtime of this model is still too short. Besides, it doesn’t have the parallel capability.
However, for the price and decent versatility, it is still a good option for emergency or short-term power outages.
| A-iPower SUA4000Ied Specifications | |
|---|---|
Peak Watts/Running Watts | 4000W/3500W on gasoline 3500W/3200W on propane |
Noise Level | 58 decibels |
Max Runtime | 7 hours at 50% load |
Highlight Features | dual-fuel construction 58 decibels of noise levels |
For those who are seeking a powerful inverter generator with a duel-fuel design, we love the A-iPower SUA4000Ied
How To Choose The Most Powerful Inverter Generator?
Power Output
This feature should be the top priority when looking for the most powerful inverter generator. Its measuring unit is watts (W). Different models come in a wide range of power output, and a basic rule of thumb is that the higher the power output, the more powerful the unit.
However, a powerful inverter generator only becomes useful if it meets your power needs.
A lower-rated model obviously doesn’t provide enough energy to keep all of the needed household appliances going while a higher-rate one is wasteful and more expensive.
Below is a quick guide to help you find out the right one for your needs:
- For powering a welder, a whole house, etc., go for a generator at 4500+ watts
- For job site, emergency home use, RV, or camping, go for a generator at 3000-4500W
- For tailgating or tent camping, go for a generator at 2000-3000W
If your power needs are huge, you’ve got two options: go for a big-size inverter generator or two smaller ones with parallel capability.
The biggest bonus of the second choice is higher flexibility and space-saving.
Parallel Capability
Now, what is parallel capability?
It is an additional benefit of inverter generators that allow for connecting two similar units together using a special kit or cable. The only purpose of this feature is to provide double the energy output.
Noise Levels
The higher the power output of an inverter generator, the noisier.
Whether you intend to use the machine for emergencies, home power backup, RV-ing, or camping, we believe that this feature is always the top priority to consider.
Its measuring unit is decibels (dB or dBA).
At a certain area, the permissible noise level is different. For example, according to CPCB, in a residential zone, the permissible noise level standards at night are 45dB and in the daytime are 55dB.
In the commercial zone, the permissible noise level standards ranging from 55-65dB, and in an industrial zone, are 70-75dB.
Don’t worry, most inverter generators produce around 50-60dB, which is as quiet as the sound of a normal two-person conversation.
Which Brands Make The Most Powerful Inverter Generator?
If you’ve followed our blog for a while, it is easy to realize the three familiar brand names – Briggs and Stratton, Champion Power Equipment, and Westinghouse – always listed in other generator-related posts.
In this one, we want to make some small changes: instead of talking about these big brands one more time, our team would like to introduce to you two new options.
They are young in this industry but pleasantly impress the world with their exceptional products.
A-iPower
Though A-iPower is considered a young brand in this field, they have gained over 30 years of expertise and built a reputation for producing the US’s most reliable portable generators. Their products are in the industry’s best product engineering group.
Pulsar
Pulsar sets its own standards for both portable generator manufacturing and customer service, which significantly helps increase the bar in industry standards. They’re also known for giving products with progressive design and cutting-edge features that are hardly found in other brands.
FAQs
How powerful is an inverter generator?
Most inverter generators’ sizes range from 2000W to 4000W. One exception is the Honda EU7000iS, giving 7000 starting watts and 5500 running watts.
Can an inverter generator power a house?
An inverter generator generally isn’t powerful enough to keep all the household appliances in a house running.
However, it works finely on some essentials or you can take advantage of the parallel capability to connect with another inverter generator (if it is available).
Is an inverter generator better than a regular generator?
In some aspects, an inverter generator is better than a regular one. For example, they are highly fuel-efficient, compact, lightweight, work more quietly and produce safer sine waves to power electronic devices.
Can an inverter generator run a refrigerator?
Yes, it can. Inverter generators can convert DC battery power into 120V AC power. Just make sure that its size should be rated at 5,000 to 7,500 watts
Why are inverter generators so quiet?
Inverter generators are so quiet because they deliver a lower energy output, feature a smaller engine, and use special technology to make clean electricity.
Conclusion
With the help of our years of experience, we have gathered all the information as well as the top picks you will need to choose the most powerful inverter generator for your needs. Hopefully, you liked this post, and thanks for reading!
