Rated power is what it holds; maximum power is what it shows
The best inverter generators for 2026
A generator makes its own electricity from fuel, and it is the only machine on this site that has to be used outdoors — every maker prints that instruction, and the reason is carbon monoxide. The output is published twice: rated power, which it sustains, and maximum power, which it reaches briefly; the second is the number on the box and the first is the one that runs a load. An inverter generator differs from a plain alternator by rectifying and re-synthesising its output, which gives a clean waveform that laptops and modern appliances tolerate, and lets the engine slow down when the load is small — which is where the quiet and the fuel economy come from. Runtime is published at a stated load, usually a quarter or a half, and reading it without that percentage overstates it. Noise is published in decibels at a stated distance, and the distance is part of the figure — seven metres and one metre are not comparable. Then weight, because these are carried; the outlets, including whether a 12 V or USB output exists; and the emissions class, which decides where the machine may legally be sold and used. We compare rated and maximum output, waveform, tank and runtime at a stated load, noise at a stated distance, weight, outlets and emissions class.
