Inverter generators
The short answer
Planning for outages? Honda
Camping or tailgating? Champion
On power it's a coin flip: Honda rates the EU2200i at 1,800W running, Champion rates the 2500 at 1,850W. The other stuff decides it.
Best for outages
Best for camping and tailgating
Before you buy: Champion's own page says the 2500 is not recommended for emergency home backup. And the Honda's "2200" is its peak; Honda rates it at 1,800W running.
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Counted from the chart below: rows where one number is clearly better. It's a tally, not an overall rating. The Honda's edges here, home backup and the phone app, aren't numbers, so they don't show up in it.
Bold means one number is clearly better. Blank means it's a tie, it's close, the makers measured it differently, or the sources disagree. I only compare run times at the same load when it's fair, since 1/4 load on a bigger generator is more watts.
| EU2200i | Champion 2500 | Clearer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting watts (gasoline) | 2,200W (Honda "max") | 2,500W | Champion 2500 |
| Running watts (gasoline) | 1,800W (Honda "rated") | 1,850W | |
| Fuel | Gasoline | Gasoline | |
| Gas tank | 0.95 gal | 1.05 gal | |
| Run time at 1/4 load (gasoline) | 8.1 hr at 1/4 load | 11.5 hr at 1/4 load | Champion 2500 |
| Run time at full rated load | 3.2 hr at rated load | Not published at this load | |
| Noise (maker figure) | 48 dB(A) at 1/4 load; 57 dB(A) at rated load | 53 dBA from 23 ft (load not stated) | |
| Weight | 47.4 lb (dry) | 39.7 lb | Champion 2500 |
| Starting method | Recoil | Recoil | |
| Outlets | One 20A 125V duplex | One 120V 20A duplex (5-20R), one 12V DC, parallel ports | |
| CO shutoff | Yes (CO-MINDER) | Yes (CO Shield) | |
| Parallel capable | Yes, with an optional cable (up to 4,400W with a second EU2200i) | Yes, with an optional kit | |
| Phone app | Yes (Honda My Generator, Bluetooth) | Not listed | |
| Warranty | 3 years residential; 12 months commercial | 3 years limited | |
| Engine | Honda GXR120, 121cc | 80cc | |
| Note | Not for sale in California (49-state model) | Champion's page says this unit is not recommended for emergency home backup |
Common things people plug in during an outage or at camp, checked against each generator's own gasoline ratings from the chart above: EU2200i 1,800W running and 2,200W starting, Champion 2500 1,850W running and 2,500W starting. I used the top of each range, so a smaller appliance may do better.
| Load | Running watts | Starting watts | EU2200i | Champion 2500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-size refrigerator | 150–400W | 800–1,200W | Yes | Yes |
| Freezer (chest or upright) | 100–500W | 500–1,000W | Yes | Yes |
| Sump pump, 1/3 HP | 500–800W | 1,000–1,600W | Yes | Yes |
| Sump pump, 1/2 HP | 800–1,050W | 1,300–2,150W | Tight | One at a time |
| Gas furnace blower (1/2 HP fan) | 300–800W | 800–1,600W | Yes | Yes |
| Window AC, 5,000 BTU | 450–600W | 900–1,200W | Yes | Yes |
| Window AC, 10,000 BTU | 900–1,200W | 1,800–2,400W | Tight | Tight |
| RV rooftop AC, 13,500 BTU | 1,500–2,000W | 2,800–3,500W | No | No |
| CPAP (with heated humidifier) | 60–120W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Microwave | 600–1,200W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Coffee maker† | 600–1,200W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Space heater (1,500W setting) | 750–1,500W | No extra | One at a time | One at a time |
| Well pump, 1 HP | 1,000–2,000W | 2,000–4,000W | No | No |
| Circular saw, 7-1/4 in. | 1,200–1,800W | 2,400–3,600W | No | No |
| TV (32-55 in.) + router/modem | 90–420W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Phone/laptop charging | 20–100W | No extra | Yes | Yes |
| Electric water heater | 3,000–4,500W | No extra | No | No |
Add up the running watts. Then take the one item with the biggest starting surge and add its starting watts to everything else's running watts. Both totals have to fit.
Running: 400 + 800 + 75 + 20 = 1,295W (EU2200i 72% of 1,800W · Champion 2500 70% of 1,850W)
Biggest start: furnace blower starting 1,600 + everything else running 400 + 75 + 20 = 2,095W (EU2200i 95% of 2,200W · Champion 2500 84% of 2,500W)
EU2200i TightChampion 2500 Yes
Running: 400 + 1,200 = 1,600W (EU2200i 89% of 1,800W · Champion 2500 86% of 1,850W)
Biggest start: fridge starting 1,200 + everything else running 1,200 = 2,400W (EU2200i 109% of 2,200W · Champion 2500 96% of 2,500W)
EU2200i TightChampion 2500 Tight
Running: 600 + 120 + 200 + 100 = 1,020W (EU2200i 57% of 1,800W · Champion 2500 55% of 1,850W)
Biggest start: 5,000 BTU AC starting 1,200 + everything else running 120 + 200 + 100 = 1,620W (EU2200i 74% of 2,200W · Champion 2500 65% of 2,500W)
EU2200i YesChampion 2500 Yes
These are typical figures. Check the label on your own appliance. It lists watts, or amps you can multiply by 120 to get watts.
Motors need starting watts. Fridges, freezers, pumps, furnace blowers and air conditioners pull a short surge each time they kick on, well above their running watts (see the Starting column). Heaters, coffee makers and chargers don't.
Running several loads adds up. If two motors start in the same second, both surges stack. Honda's own advice is to start the big ones one at a time.
RV air conditioners: a 13,500 BTU unit needs more starting watts than either generator has. A soft starter added to the AC is often what decides it. Micro-Air, which makes the EasyStart, says it cuts startup current by up to 75%. Even then, leave the fridge and other big loads off.
Outlets: Neither generator lists a 240V outlet in the chart above, so anything that needs 240V is out. Check your appliance's label.
Water heaters: If your water heater runs on 240V, neither unit can power it, since neither lists a 240V outlet. On watts alone it would be "No" on both.
Home backup: Champion's page says the Champion 2500 isn't recommended for emergency home backup.
Load watts: Champion Power Equipment, Generator Wattage Chart. Champion makes the 2500, but the chart covers appliances, not generators. †Coffee maker: 600W for a 4-cup maker from Honda's wattage guide, and 1,200W from Generac's wattage worksheet. Microwave: the wattage on the box is usually cooking power. Honda's guide lists a 1,000W microwave at 1,500W from the outlet, which is "One at a time" on both. None of these charts list an 8,000 BTU window AC, so it falls between the 5,000 and 10,000 BTU rows. Start-up advice: Honda. Soft starter: Micro-Air.
One thing before the details: both burn gasoline, so both put out carbon monoxide. Keep them outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, with the exhaust pointed away from the house. A CO shutoff is a backup. It does not make a garage, a shed or a porch safe.
Both are small, enclosed inverters you carry by one handle. Don't read much into the names. "2200" is Honda's peak number. What matters for an evening of running things is running watts, and these two are within 50 of each other.
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if you need more than one duplex or a 12V socket, or you live in California. Honda says this model isn't sold there.
if you're hoping it will keep a fridge and a furnace going through a winter outage. Champion says it's not recommended for emergency home backup. Buy a bigger unit for that.
These points come from owners posting on Reddit, owner forums and retailer reviews, not from my own testing. A point is listed only when at least three separate owners of this exact model said it. Individual units vary.
Sources: Reddit 1, Reddit 2, Reddit 3, Reddit 4, GeneratorBible user reviews, Reddit 5, Forest River Forums, Reddit 6, Amazon reviews
Sources: Amazon reviews
Only at peak. Honda lists 2,200W max and 1,800W rated, and rated is what it holds for hours. The Amazon spec table says 2,200 running watts, but that isn't Honda's number.
I can't call it. Honda gives 48 dB(A) at 1/4 load and 57 dB(A) at rated load. Champion gives 53 dBA from 23 feet and doesn't say what load. Those aren't the same test.
Yes. Honda's is CO-MINDER and Champion's is CO Shield. Both stop the engine when CO builds up near the unit. Neither makes it okay to run one indoors or in a garage.
Both can run in parallel. Honda pairs two EU2200i units with an optional cable, and Champion uses an optional kit with a second 2500.
Where the sources disagree on a spec:
Specs are from Honda and Champion, checked October 8, 2026. Any line marked "Amazon listing" is not a maker figure.
By Mike E. · Last checked October 8, 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs. Lines marked "Amazon listing" are from Amazon, not the maker.