ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The EcoFlow River 3 is a brand new compact transportable battery accessible from September 10 for $239 (minus one other $70 if you happen to bear in mind to use the coupon).
- It is transportable and light-weight, making it straightforward to hold. It options quick charging, going from 0% to 100% in 55 minutes, and has a 245Wh output capability.
- Since portability is a precedence for the River collection of transportable batteries, they are much much less highly effective than options and greatest suited to smaller duties or shorter use instances.
EcoFlow has introduced the addition of three new transportable batteries to its lineup: the River 3, River 3 Plus, and Delta 3 Plus. Whereas the brand new batteries are actually accessible for buy, I have been testing the EcoFlow River 3 for the previous couple of weeks to see the way it performs, and I could not be happier with it.
The EcoFlow River collection is a gaggle of transportable batteries prioritizing portability and comfort, making for light-weight models that may go virtually wherever. The Delta lineup prioritizes energy, that means that whereas they’re nonetheless technically transportable, EcoFlow Delta batteries are heavier and bulkier than River models, as evidenced by my storage’s virtually 200-lb Delta Professional Extremely battery.
I’ve examined Delta and River transportable batteries and totally loved testing the newest River 3, which has turn into my favourite transportable battery. The River 3 would not examine on to the Delta collection; they’re constructed for various functions. Nonetheless, the River 3 is compact and light-weight sufficient to hold round to cost small gadgets or to position subsequent to a tool someplace removed from an influence supply.
The River 3 is a small, entry-level battery that weighs below 8 lbs. It’s excellent for carrying in every single place you could want additional energy with little compromise. For Pete’s sake, this battery is lighter than my third youngster was at delivery.
All the EcoFlow River 3 transportable battery’s output ports are on the entrance.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
EcoFlow has described the River 3 as having a 245Wh capability. I examined its usable capability, which producers point out must be about 85% of its marketed capability. The usable capability is the quantity of power that can be utilized from the battery below regular working circumstances. This typically differs from the marketed capability on account of voltage cutoffs, security margins, and working circumstances, like temperature.
Throughout my checks, the River 3 had a mean usable capability of 205Wh, about 84% of the marketed 245Wh. The warmer the battery bought, the decrease this share fell, which is to be anticipated. In optimum circumstances, this quantity might go as much as 87%, although by no means greater. That is ok for my private use of a transportable battery, which is fairly informal, because the worst it will see is a tenting journey or a brief energy outage.
The EcoFlow River 3 is highly effective sufficient to supply a 300W output and as much as 600W with X-Increase expertise, however quiet sufficient to make use of in my workplace with out distractions. It might probably run with no fan when the output is below 50W, making it utterly silent in comparison with bigger batteries.
The battery’s ports embrace two AC outputs, two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and one DC carport. EcoFlow says the EcoFlow River 3 has a 20ms switchover, a two-year guarantee, and an IP54 ranking, which implies it will probably face up to mild rain and water splashes.
I examined the fast-charging functionality by draining the battery utterly to 0%, then plugging it in and monitoring how lengthy it took to succeed in sure factors. The EcoFlow River 3 took 18 minutes from full depletion to 50%, 36 minutes from 0% to 75%, and 55 minutes for a full 0% to 100% cost.
Different mediums take longer to cost the River 3. You possibly can cost it in your automobile throughout a street journey and have it totally charged in below three hours, able to hold your small gadgets charged for the size of a tenting journey. It has a photo voltaic enter of 110W, so it will probably cost as much as 100% in about three hours with photo voltaic panels and direct daylight, although your mileage could differ.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The EcoFlow River 3 is a superb entry-level transportable battery if you happen to’re in search of a compact energy supply to cost smartphones, tablets, and laptops or hold the lights on throughout tenting journeys. It is also a sensible choice if you happen to’re in search of a devoted backup battery for sure gadgets, like powering some lights, a TV, or a CPAP machine throughout a brief energy outage. $169 ($239 minus the $70 coupon) is an effective worth for the entire above use instances.
Many transportable batteries could carry out higher for sure circumstances than the River 3. In comparison with River 2, the EcoFlow River 3 is smaller and simpler to hold, utilizing GaN to make it extra environment friendly and compact. My husband, for instance, has turn into extraordinarily connected to the Anker Solix C300 DC, a competitor of the EcoFlow River 3 with a 288Wh capability.