Best Generator on Amazon
Both numbers on a generator box mislead, and one of them is not even comparable between brands. The headline wattage is surge — a fraction-of-a-second spike at motor start-up. The figure that limits what you can run all day is the smaller running/rated number. And dB(A) ratings are unusable as published, because sound falls off with distance (double the distance ≈ −6 dB) and brands quote different distances and loads — several here state the distance inconsistently or not at all. Only the Honda EU2200i (~48–57 dB(A) at 7m) and Yamaha EF2000iSv2 state both distance and load range, which is why the Honda is the pick. Best value: Westinghouse iGen2200. Dual fuel: Westinghouse iGen4500DF.
A "52 dB" generator can be louder than a "57 dB" one. Sound intensity obeys the inverse-square law, so a figure measured at 20 feet and one measured at 23 feet describe different things — and quarter-load claims describe a machine that is not working. When a brand omits the distance, the number tells you nothing you can compare. See why decibel ratings don't match and our noise normalization index.
The field, with disclosure quality shown
| Generator | Surge / Running W | Noise claim | Distance & load stated? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda EU2200i | 2200 / 1800 | ~48–57 dB(A) | Yes — 7m, across load | Best certified quiet |
| Yamaha EF2000iSv2 | 2000 / 1600 | ~51.5–61 dB(A) | Yes — 7m, across load | Best certified quiet |
| Westinghouse iGen2200 | 2200 / 1800 | ~52 dB(A) | Distance commonly cited ~20 ft, not always stated | Best value |
| WEN 56235i | 2350 / 1900 | ~51 dB(A) | Quarter load; distance not consistently stated | Budget |
| Generac GP2200i | 2200 / 1700 | ~50–64 dB(A) | Varies widely by source | Budget |
| Westinghouse iGen4500DF | 4500 / 3700 | Mid-to-high 50s | Varies by source | Inverter + dual fuel |
| DuroMax XP12000EH | 12,000 / 9,500 | 70s dB(A) | Varies by source | Whole-panel capable |
The disclosure column is the point. Compare only figures measured the same way — and note that the two machines stating their conditions fully are also the two most expensive.
Size on running watts, not the headline
A generator with 3,500 surge and 3,000 running watts can start a load it cannot then sustain. Surge only matters for motor-driven appliances — refrigerators, freezers, well pumps, sump pumps, air conditioners, furnace blowers, shop tools. Lights, most microwaves, chargers and space heaters are resistive and draw close to their running figure with no meaningful spike.
See running vs starting watts, the startup watt index, and watts to run a refrigerator.
Best quiet portable: Honda EU2200i
One of the very few makers that states BOTH the load condition and the 23 ft test distance for its dB(A) claim, which is why it anchors most third-party noise comparisons.
Best for: Buyers who want the most verifiable noise spec in the category and don't need more than ~1800W continuous Watch out: 1800W continuous is enough for a fridge or a few essentials, not a sump pump AND a fridge together — check the Startup Watt Index before assuming it covers your motor loads, and the premium price reflects the brand more than raw output.
The Yamaha EF2000iSv2 is the other machine here that states its conditions properly — Yamaha states a load-dependent dB(A) range at the same 23 ft distance Honda uses, making it one of the few pairs of competitors that are honestly comparable to each other.
Best value: Westinghouse iGen2200
Competitive rated wattage and runtime at a lower price than Honda/Yamaha, with a published dB(A) figure that is close to (but not identically specified at) the 23 ft industry norm.
Watch out: Because the exact test distance isn't always restated consistently across Westinghouse's own materials and retail listings, treat the 52 dB(A) figure as approximate rather than a like-for-like match to a 23 ft-stated competitor.
Best dual fuel: Westinghouse iGen4500DF
Combines inverter-clean power (safer for electronics) with gasoline/propane flexibility and remote start, in one mid-size unit.
One thing to size around: propane produces lower rated output than gasoline on the same engine — the Champion 3400-Watt Dual Fuel is rated 3400W on gasoline and lower on propane. If propane is what you will actually run, size on that figure. See why propane rating is lower and best dual fuel generator.
Whole-panel: DuroMax XP12000EH
Enough continuous wattage to run a central AC compressor alongside a fridge and other household loads through a transfer switch, which most portable units cannot do.
Before buying at this size, work out what you actually need to run — what size generator for a house, for central air (read the compressor's LRA, do not guess), and for a well pump.
Two things that are not optional
Placement: carbon monoxide is the real hazard, not noise — how far from the house.
Power quality: if you are running electronics, inverter output matters — inverter vs conventional and can a generator damage appliances?
Which should you buy?
Camping / RV, quiet matters: Honda EU2200i — the noise figure you can trust.
Same job, less money: Westinghouse iGen2200.
Want propane flexibility: Westinghouse iGen4500DF.
Backing up a whole panel: DuroMax XP12000EH — size it on LRA, not guesswork.
Whatever you buy: size on running watts, and site it well away from the house.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Honda EU2200i is the best portable inverter generator, and the reason is unusual: it is one of only two here that publishes its noise figure with both the measurement distance and the load range stated, at roughly 48 to 57 dB(A) at 7 metres. The Yamaha EF2000iSv2 is the other. The Westinghouse iGen2200 is the value pick. For dual fuel the Westinghouse iGen4500DF combines inverter-clean output with propane capability, and the DuroMax XP12000EH is the whole-panel option.
Every portable generator has two wattage numbers and the marketing headline is almost always the bigger one. Starting or surge watts is the brief spike a motor draws for a fraction of a second at switch-on. Running or rated watts is the smaller figure, and it is the one that actually limits what you can run all day. A generator with 3,500 surge watts and 3,000 running watts can start a load that it cannot then sustain, which is how people end up with a generator that trips under a full house.
Because a dB(A) rating is only meaningful alongside the distance it was measured at, and brands do not state it consistently. Sound falls off under the inverse-square law — moving twice as far away drops perceived level by about 6 dB — so a figure quoted at 20 feet and one quoted at 23 feet are not the same measurement. Load matters too: several claims here are quarter-load figures. Honda and Yamaha state both distance and load range; some others state neither.
Only motor-driven ones — anything with a compressor or a pump. That means refrigerators, freezers, well pumps, sump pumps, air conditioners, furnace blowers and shop tools. Purely resistive loads such as lights, most microwaves, phone chargers and space heaters draw close to their running wattage with no meaningful spike. So the surge headroom you need depends entirely on what kind of loads you are backing up, not on total wattage.
Do not guess the surge — read the compressor data plate. It lists LRA, or Locked Rotor Amps, the actual current draw at the moment the motor is stalled at power-on. Multiply LRA by voltage and about a 1.2 safety margin to get a realistic starting-watt estimate. Central air is the load most likely to defeat an otherwise adequate generator, and it is the one case where the nameplate figure genuinely tells you what you need.
Propane carries less energy per unit volume delivered to the cylinder than gasoline, so the same engine produces less output running on it. That is why dual-fuel specifications quote a lower rated wattage on propane than on gasoline — the Champion 3400-watt is rated 3400W on gasoline and lower on propane. Propane still has real advantages in storage life and cold-weather handling, but size the generator on the propane figure if that is what you will actually run.