Some of the best generator brands are Westinghouse, Champion, Honda, WEN, and Predator.
After reviewing a lot of generators, my understanding of the current market of portable models has become very in-depth.
With the strong and weak points of these brands, it can become easier for you to find the right model for your situation.
1. Westinghouse
Westinghouse gets the top spot for the best generator brand because they offer some of the top models in a variety of important categories and do this at a reasonable price.
Westinghouse generators especially stand out in the small and medium gasoline-only inverter generators.
Their dual fuel version of the Westinghouse iGen4500 is another generator that shows up in many of our top picks lists.
Additionally, Westinghouse is also strong in some of the largest portable generator categories.
Strong categories:
- Small/medium inverter generators
- Big non-inverter portable generators
- Dual fuel generators
2. Champion
You can see Champion aka Champion Power Equipment as a generator brand that focuses on quality and reliability.
This sometimes comes at a slightly higher price but with an investment like a portable generator, this can definitely still be worth it.
Especially in underserved categories like inverter generators above 5000 peak watts.
Due to the reliability, Champion is a common option in top pick lists similar to the best portable generators for home backup power.
This generator brand also stands out in the many categories they offer good options in.
For example, according to my research, Champion is the only brand that offers a portable tri fuel inverter generator.
Strong categories:
- Purposes where reliability matters
- Large inverter generators
- Tri fuel generators
3. Honda Generators
If you are familiar with portable generators, you may be surprised by the third place of the high-quality Honda brand.
It is true that you want a reliable, durable, and quiet generator. However, at some point, price differences become too much.
For a few of the best Honda generators, you don’t even seem to get that much extra reliability compared to certain other top options.
That being said, the Honda EU2200i does still get a spot in many top pick lists as the most reliable and longest-lasting pick.
Additionally, models like the Honda EU7000iS stand out as very quiet generators for their power levels.
In short, if you don’t mind investing more in reliability and quiet noise levels, you could consider Honda generators.
On the flip side, many people will prefer one of the other good generator brands.
Strong categories:
- Purposes where reliability matters and the Honda EU2200i is strong enough
- Purposes where you want quiet noise levels
Related: Predator Vs Honda Generators: What Do You Need?
4. WEN Generators
WEN is somewhat hard to rank on this list of generator brands because different individual models can vary a lot in performance.
On the one hand, you have impressive models like the WEN 56380i 3800 which is on many best inverter generator lists thanks to its high quality and budget-friendly price.
On the flip side, there are also a few more questionable WEN generators where customers seem to deal with an above-average rate of technical issues.
One thing these WEN generators do have in common is that they are generally budget-friendly.
At the same time, you will still likely prefer going for WEN generators that are more proven thanks to a lot of positive customer reviews.
Strong categories:
- Budget-friendly generators
5. Predator
Predator generators from Harbor Freight have somewhat of a reputation as budget-friendly machines that are not the most durable.
That being said, in some categories, there are more budget-friendly options and less durable options too.
In simpler words, in some categories like 3500 watt generators and large inverter generators, Predator does decently well.
At the same time, my memories tell me that this generator brand is often not the absolute number one pick in the relevant category.
Unless you are interested in a more short-term portable generator for something like a few RV or camping trips.
Strong categories:
- Purposes where you can use the Predator 3500 or Predator 9500 and don’t need too much reliability
6. Powerhorse generators
Powerhorse is another generator brand that focuses on above-average quality.
However, they generally do this in a relatively pricey way.
To a higher extent than Champion which puts Powerhorse somewhat lower on the list.
That being said, in certain categories where there are not that many good alternatives, Powerhorse generators are worth considering.
For example, if you want a quiet inverter generator with around 7000 to 8000 peak watts, the Powerhorse 7500i is one of the top options out there.
At the same time, it is worth noting that you should be able to find better generator brands in many other categories too.
Strong categories:
- Quiet inverter generators around 7000 to 8000 peak watts
7. Firman
When it comes to Firman generators, how good they are depends a lot on the specific models and categories.
That being said, even in the categories where they do relatively well, I’m typically able to find even better alternatives to Firman generators.
Their features tend to be good (electric start, remote start, reasonable noise levels, etc.) however, their overall reliability is often average and their price is often above-average.
So while Firman still deserves a spot on the list of the best generator brands, I would not describe them as one of the top options either.
Strong categories:
- Dual fuel inverter generators at certain power levels
- Certain power levels of tri fuel generators
8. DuroMax & DuroStar
DuroMax and the sub-brand DuroStar tend to focus on bigger portable home backup generators.
These are often non-inverters so you would need your own way to “clean up” the power to run sensitive electronics with these models.
That aside, while there are a few exceptional categories due to lacking competition, DuroMax tends to be a relatively average brand.
Their features tend to be nice but the reliability often looks average and the prices are often above average.
One of these exceptions is the DuroMax XP9000iH which is one of the few large dual fuel inverter generators.
That being said, even in this category, I have been favoring the Champion 201175 8500 more recently due to the suboptimal reliability of the DuroMax XP9000iH.
Strong categories:
- Large portable non-inverter generators
- Large dual fuel inverter generators thanks to the DuroMax XP9000iH
9. Generac
Generac is a relatively well-known company when it comes to generators. They offer many standby and commercial generator solutions.
That being said, when it comes to portable generators, their products tend to be somewhat average with an above-average price.
In simpler words, while there are still many happy Generac customers, you will likely often prefer one of the alternatives of other brands on this list.
Strong categories:
- Certain power levels of small inverter generators
10. Pulsar Generators
It is hard to say general things about the Pulsar generator brand because individual models can vary a lot.
For example, there are dual fuel generators like the Pulsar PG2200BiS and the Pulsar G12KBN that are reasonably good overall.
On the other hand, there are also a reasonable amount of Pulsar generators where customers have to deal with above-average rates of technical issues.
So besides in a few specific categories, you will likely find that you can get better value for your investment with other generator brands.
Strong categories:
- Certain power levels of dual fuel generators
11. Generator Brands That Did Not Make The List
You may have certain generator brands in mind that did not appear on the list yet.
To make sure you know that I considered these but found that they were not good enough, you can find a quick list of alternatives below.
- Cummins
- Winco Generators
- Yamaha Generators
- A-iPower Generators
- Ryobi
- ECHO
- GENMAX
- DeWalt
- Briggs & Stratton
- Sportsman
- Powermate
- Rainier
- Ford
There are not necessarily all generator brands to avoid but overall, they tend to be less great than the options above.
