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0 Landing on my desk at TC HQ recently was one of EcoFlow’s latest portable power stations to soon hit the market, the River 3. The technological successor to the River 2 series. Launching around November time, the River 3 series units are compact in size, especially when compared to the larger Delta series.
Options
There are 2 power units in the latest series; the River 3 and the River 3 Plus. The River 3 Plus can be expanded by a separate stackable battery to form the River 3 Max and the River 3 Plus Max. Through the available expansions, the River 3 series offers varying capacities and differing outputs. Choosing the right unit for you comes down to a couple of questions. How much power do you need? How long you need it for?
For comparison:
- The River 3 has a capacity of 245Wh and an output of 300W.
- The River 3 Plus has 286Wh and an output of 600W.
- The River 3 Max has a whopping 572Wh capacity and also a 600W output.
- The River 3 Max Plus has 858Wh capacity and up to 600W output.
The last 3 also have a handy built-in LED light to help illuminate the area when in use.
Outputs
The River 3 and River 3 Plus each have outputs of 2x USB A, 1x USB C outlets, a 12v car charger outlet and a power socket. Of course this is either UK or EU depending on where you are based. The maximum that can be pulled from the USB C outlet is 100W or 140W if you purchase the extra battery for the River 3 Plus. Overall, the batteries are more suitable for phone charging and running low-demand power items.
EcoFlow has included the X-Boost mode that adds the ability to temporarily double the output of the battery if so required.
The River 3
I received a sample of the River 3 to write my review on. Weighing in at just 3.5kg and measuring 25cm long x 21cm deep x 11cm high. I was surprised that the River 3 was no bigger than a toasty maker.
Within the box I received the AC charging cable, car charging cable and the quick start guide/warranty paperwork. It is worth noting that the power stations can also be charged via a generator or EcoFlow’s portable solar panels.
Connectivity
Using the EcoFlow phone app, connecting to the River 3 was a simple affair. With both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options. From the app, you can monitor the input charge and output as well as set time profiles to control how the power station is used. A lovely easy-to-use graphical display provided real-time information about the power capacity left and how long it would last, based on the current being drawn at that moment in time.
In Action
My first test of the battery involved setting up my son’s recent birthday present, an outdoor play shelter.
With the EcoFlow River 3 I could power some USB fairy lights as well as provide power to his tablet. The setup was so minimalistic, it was perfect for him as it did not take up that much room. The tablet alone was only drawing 8W so there was no issue of running out of power. Especially with 24 hours of supply on the display! When the great British weather became a little cold for him, there was a 400W heater on hand which plugged simply into the 3-pin socket outlet. Using the X-Boost mode this provided the additional power needed to take the chill off of him until the sun came out again.
Live Events
There were some difficulties running power across the stage at a recent gig that I was performing at due to a lack of power outlets. Thankfully I had half-expected this and quickly deployed the EcoFlow River 3. I found that I could run my 500W bass amp, pedal and wireless receiver for just under 4 hours. Plenty of time for our 2 set performance. Disaster averted, much to the awe of my fellow bandmates and stage techs!
Battery Life
The River 3 uses LiFePo4 battery cells to ensure that it gives a safe and consistent discharge. As well as allowing 3000 cycles to 80% capacity! When you think how often you would be using the power station and totally discharging it, this is an enormous amount of cycles. To charge the River 3 units up takes 1 hour and there are numerous features to ensure everything is performed carefully. You can read more about this technology in my previous EcoFlow Delta 2 Max article here.
UPS
While using the River 3 outdoors is useful for powering multiple devices on the fly, it can also be used as a UPS. We are fortunate to have relevantly stable power supplies where we live, however, being ready for unplanned outages is still good to have in place.
I plugged in an extension lead with my fibre box, router, 8 port network switch and raspberry pi so that in the event of a local power failure we could still have internet and more importantly, make phone calls. Due to poor signal in the house, we use Wi-Fi calling, therefore if the router is off it is a struggle to make a call.
One such event ironically happened before the River 3 arrived. One of our plug sockets unexpectedly died and tripped out the power. My wife tried to call me at work, however, it was hard trying to understand what she was saying due to the lack of signal.
With the River 3 installed as a UPS I can have confidence that this will not be the case anymore. With a 20ms response time, (10ms for the River 3 Plus), the changeover is seamless. I was also pleasantly surprised that the 4 devices were only consuming 15W and gave 3 days and 12 hours of power. That’s more than what we would ever expect to need in a brief outage period!
Conclusion
The River 3 is certainly a useful and cost-effective power station to own. While it is more for lighter power usage, its small size, energy storage, and range of outputs ensure great adaptability. I had no issues with connectivity, or switch-over to backup UPS when testing. It is fantastic to use while in the garden or on road trips/adventures in the great outdoors.
For the price of around £200(tbc), this is a good investment in my eyes. Presales begin on 14/11/24.
The EcoFlow River 3 gets the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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Thanks for the great review. Have you been able to determin whether the claimed 2x runtime for devices under 100watts is achieved?. So for example, normally a 40w bulb would be powered for around 6hrs with a 245wh power station, however with the X-Ganpower electronics in the River 3 it would be closer to 12hrs.
Thanks