Honda EU1000i

The smallest Honda, light enough to carry to a campsite in one hand. At 28.7 lbs it is the generator owners reach for to keep phones, a CPAP, a laptop, LED lights and a small fan going, and it is quiet enough at light load (42 dB) that neighbors in a campground rarely notice it. The ceiling is the catch: 900 watts running means a coffee maker or a microwave is about all it will run at once, and a large or older refrigerator can stall it on compressor start. Owners who bought it for outage use tend to say it covered a router, lights and phone charging well, then wished they had bought the EU2200i. The tank is under a gallon, so expect a refill roughly every three hours at full load. Two units can be paralleled for 2,000 watts with Honda's cable, though most people at that point would have been better served by one larger model. It carries a high price per watt, and owners accept that for the reliability.

900 W running, 1,000 W surge·28.7 lbs, 42-50 dB·Two units parallel to 2,000 W