Verdict
At this price , the Ecoflow River 2 has hard competition , but there are enough difference here to make this a power post worth buying for some : it charges in an hour , and it can support AC devices up to 600W. If you need this combination , this is a great superpower station for light trips .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
sustain power on the move is utilitarian , but not everyone necessitate kilowatts of power when they ’re away . For those people , there ’s the Ecoflow River 2 , a small might station with 256Wh of power .
It ’s best used for DC devices , such as for charging phones and tablets , but there is a power socket that can output 600W for regular gadget .
Design and features
At just 3.5 kilogram , the advantage of the Ecoflow River 2 is that it ’s promiscuous to dribble around , in particular as there ’s a handy handle at the back . This is the kind of force station you may tug around easy enough on a week ’s camping or squirrel away in a automobile to provide power for tablets and telephone set .
This makes the Ecoflow River 2 quite similar in size and weight to the Anker PowerHouse 521 , although the latter is a little declamatory as it squeezes in a torch .
As you might expect , there ’s a modified but utilitarian chain of mountains of port for such a modest product . There are two USB - A ( 12W max ) and one USB - one C larboard ( 60W , so good enough to power a laptop ) .
Rounding off the DC outputs is a 12V car end product , rated at 100W , so you could use it to power typical car accessories such as portable cooler .
There ’s a exclusive AC outlet . I was sent the European translation of the product , but there is a version with a standard UK jade . In either cause , the production spec is the same : a maximal end product of 300W , supporting a upsurge of 600W with X - Boost , which can be turned on via the EcoFlow app .
That ’s good enough for smaller gadget , such as portable pumps , laptop charger and fans , but you ’ll fight to mogul more intensive devices , such as coffee machines . That ’s not an issue , given that there ’s only a 256Wh battery , which would be enfeeble quickly .
The office place turn the USB ports on and off , while the 12V car and AC outlet have their own push button . It ’s deserving turning the AC wall socket off when not used , as the inverter will pull out power otherwise .
As with other EcoFlow battery stations , such as theDelta 2 , there ’s a useful LCD screen on the front . This demonstrate the current charge position as a pct , the power draw and stimulant level in Watts , and a clip to charge / time to discharge counter in minute .
Charging and solar
institutionalize via the timpani hype in the boxful , the Ecoflow River 2 can take a 360W input , which can recharge the shelling in just an hour . That ’s handy for quick turnaround . That ’s also a lot faster than the Anker PowerHouse 521 , which takes four hours to charge using its power adaptor , and 2.5 hour if the USB - blow input is used , too .
I charged the Ecoflow River 2 from empty and found that it used 0.322kWh of world power , making charging 79.5 % efficient . That ’s a clod less efficient than the PowerHouse 521 , although I would take lower efficiency and faster institutionalise stop number any day .
With its solar input , I used EcoFlow ’s 110W solar panel ( £ 249 ) . As with all the company ’s products , these panels are store inside a handy carry case , which can be folded to play as a bandstand . It ’s fairly fiddly to clip the carabiners in place , and I choose the design of Anker ’s solar jury , which have stands built in .
With this solar panel , it can take around four hr to reload the assault and battery station , assuming good sunlight . Still , if you ’re move camping in the sunny months and want to keep the power topped up , solar is a good outcry .
Performance
I test the Ecoflow River 2 with an air purifier , drawing 50W from the AC outlets . drain the barrage fire to the full , I measure the might output at 164Wh . That ’s a 64 % efficiency , which is similar to the performance of the PowerHouse 521 .
That ’s not terrible , given that the inverter that convert DC power from the assault and battery to AC magnate for the outlet take in considerable might . up the load would increase efficiency , but debilitate the electric battery faster .
Ultimately , if you want to expend a caboodle of AC machine , then you ’re going to be good off with a larger index place , such as theDabbsson DBS2300 . Using the DC output ( USB and car ) is far more effective , as there ’s no need for the inverter .
With X - Boost deform on , I could push the power yield , even using a low - king hummer . Of of course , the topic with that is that the 256Wh bombardment drains very fast . Really , this is a gimmick aimed at downhearted - power gadget .
When plugged into the mains , the Ecoflow River 2 can represent as an EPS . business leader is passed through the battery to attached devices , with a 30ms switchover before the battery study over . That ’s good enough for a lot of equipment , but not as fast as a UPS for a figurer .
Using a LiFeP04 barrage fire , the Ecoflow River 2 can plow 3000 billing cycle until the assault and battery is at 80 % capacitance . That ’s around 768kWh of power in total . align for the Ecoflow River 2 ’s price that ’s around 35p per kWh stored . Not bad for the sizing of twist and only expectant , more efficient power stations significantly bring the price down .
Of naturally , the Ecoflow River 2 will contiue working after this stop , although capacity will continue to diminish . Even so , have a bun in the oven the Ecoflow River 2 to last for 10 years or so .
There is a fan in this unit , although it seldom turned on , so I found the Ecoflow River 2 very restrained .
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Should you buy it?
This top executive station commission in an hour and can take devices up to 600W.
There are alike - capacitance devices for less , and a power post with a torch can be useful for camping .
Final Thoughts
The principal contest is theAnker PowerHouse 521 , which is slightly flashy at the same capacity . The PowerHouse 521 ’s advantage are that it is slightly more efficient , it has a torch , and the overall design is a little neater and more rugged . On the flip side , the Ecoflow River 2 is fast to lodge , a touch small and has a higher AC power output , which could make it the beneficial choice for some .
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How we test
We try out every battery place we review thoroughly over an extended period of time . We practice received tests to compare features the right way . We ’ll always tell you what we retrieve . We never , ever , accept money to go over a Cartesian product .
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FAQs
This battery station can handle devices up to 600W.
