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The EcoFlow River 3 is the most recent entry-level moveable energy station from EcoFlow’s River sequence. It gives a compact design, quick charging, and app integration using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The River 3 is a perfect travel-friendly energy answer for campers, digital nomads, emergency backup wants, and energy on the go.
In contrast to a few of the best portable power stations I’ve examined, the EcoFlow River 3 gives superior GaN know-how and a compact kind with an built-in deal with, customary IEC cable charging, and all the output ports on the entrance of the unit for ease of use. A digital display additionally reveals key info that pairs superbly with the companion app.
EcoFlow River 3: Value and Availability
The EcoFlow River 3 has a base value of $239 (presently discounted to $179 at time of overview) and is accessible in a few bundle choices. You may seize simply the ability station or the River 3 with a 45W Photo voltaic panel for $219. Whereas yow will discover the EcoFlow River 3 on the EcoFlow web site, you too can discover it at main retailers like Walmart, BestBuy, Amazon, Dwelling Depot, and extra.
EcoFlow River 3: Unboxing & first impressions
The EcoFlow River 3 isn’t my first EcoFlow Energy station. I’ve reviewed fairly a bit from EcoFlow through the years. I simply reviewed one among my all-time favourite energy stations from EcoFlow, the Delta 3 Plus. Nevertheless, what’s unimaginable concerning the River line-up is the portability, light-weight design, and charging speeds.
Even at first unboxing, I used to be shocked at how gentle this energy station is, particularly whereas it nonetheless has 245Wh and a strong port providing. The River 3 is 10 x 8.3 x 4.4 inches and slightly below 8 lbs. With its snug built-in deal with and nice form, this energy station is straightforward to maneuver round and work with. It is really easy and cozy to hold round; my 5-year-old son helped me with a few of my testing and shifting it round. Additional, River 3 can be IP54-rated mud and water resistant; it has a fire-retardant casing and a drop resistance of as much as 1.5 meters.
Within the field are the River 3 Moveable Energy Station, an AC energy cable, a automotive charger cable, and the consumer information. I opted for the fundamental unit with out the photo voltaic panel bundle, although you possibly can add these shortly.
EcoFlow River 3: Design & construct high quality
Specs
Capability: 245Wh
Battery: LiFePO4 (LFP), 3000+ cycles to 80%
Output:
AC: 300W (600W X-Enhance)
USB: 2 x USB-A (12W), 1 x USB-C (100W)
DC: 12V Automobile Port (126W max)
Charging Choices:
AC (320W): 0-100% in 60 minutes
Photo voltaic (110W): 3 hours in full solar
Automobile (100W): 2.8 hours full cost
UPS Mode: <20ms swap time
As talked about, the EcoFlow River 3 is extremely compact and moveable, particularly in comparison with equally rated and spec’d energy stations. EcoFlow boasts that this unit is 30% smaller than the business common and has put nice concentrate on making certain that that is very straightforward to hold round, a lot in order that they constructed an easy-carry deal with.
To see how compact this unit is, I examined some spots the place I may put it. It suits within the again tray on the rear of my Jeep Cherokee, it suits within the backside of a typical backpack, it suits within the cupboard of my space for storing, it could actually match within the space for storing in a ship, in a provider on a four-wheeler, and even in a transportable tech cart like I presently have mine — however extra on this later.
On the entrance of the River 3 is an LED show, two AC shops (one three-prong, one two-prong), a USB-C with 100W PD charging, two USB-A ports, and a DC automotive port. The 2 power-in ports are on the fitting aspect.
EcoFlow River 3: In use
As I discussed, I’ve tried this energy station out with just a few use circumstances. Whereas this has been nice in lots of areas, the use case that I’ve come to depend on this energy station for is in a transportable work cart that I make the most of a number of days every week. One of many many roles I fill in my week is as Techniques Director at a big church. On this position, I want a plethora of drugs when I’m on-site, and when I’m on-site, I may be in any variety of locations all through the campus. So, to unravel this challenge, I constructed a cart with all of the cables, gear, adapters, and supplies I might have for any mission. The final lacking piece was a technique to energy it, permitting me to cost my on a regular basis carry gear in my backpack (I match fairly a bit in my Nomatic Backpack) whereas working all through the constructing, all whereas additionally with the ability to energy any variety of computer systems or different know-how that I’ll must plug in at any given time. I solved all of those points with the EcoFlow River 3.
The 100W USB-C energy output has been implausible for charging any of my gear (particularly since 90% of what I carry every day is all USB-C to start out with). I’ve linked two energy strips to the 2 AC ports, granting a ton of ports for once I want to have the ability to plug no matter gear I must cost. Plus, since there may be then an inside battery with the River 3, I can run this setup without having to plug in on a regular basis, after which when the battery will get low, I can plug it in shortly and watch it recharge ridiculously quick, even when there’s a load on the battery (after all, if I’m placing a ton of pressure on the battery with a ton of drugs, it might take a bit of longer to recharge). Up to now, I’ve observed that the battery inside the River 3 will final for round three recharges for my MacBook Professional whereas additionally pushing a transportable show from Sotsu (overview coming quickly).
Whereas I do not make the most of photo voltaic or automotive enter, I may see grabbing this energy station in a second of want if we had an influence outage or if I had been going tenting merely due to how moveable and cozy it’s to make use of this energy station. I am additionally conscious that my use case for this energy station is exclusive, however I hope it reveals simply how versatile it’s.
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Unbelievable design |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Ease of use |
Straightforward to make use of |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Practicality |
Sensible for many |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Value |
Cheap value |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
EcoFlow River 3: Remaining verdict
The EcoFlow River 3 is an ultra-portable energy station for light-duty use with quick charging, UPS assist, and a compact design, making it an ideal alternative for journey, backing up a smaller system at house, emergency preparedness, or powering a transportable workstation. It will not run high-wattage home equipment, nor will it cost a Tesla or maintain my home powered for hours. Nevertheless, its effectivity, reliability, and portability make it an influence station price preserving and stand out in its class.