The brand new EcoFlow River 3 is without doubt one of the finest entry-level transportable battery I’ve examined

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The EcoFlow River 3 is a brand new compact transportable battery obtainable 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 simple 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 sequence of transportable batteries, they are much much less highly effective than options and finest suited to smaller duties or shorter use occasions.

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 at the moment are obtainable 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 sequence is a gaggle of transportable batteries prioritizing portability and comfort, making for light-weight models that may go nearly 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 nearly 200-lb Delta Professional Extremely battery.  

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I’ve examined Delta and River transportable batteries and completely loved testing the most recent River 3, which has change into my favourite transportable battery. The River 3 would not evaluate on to the Delta sequence; 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 put 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 all over the place chances are you’ll want further energy with little compromise. For Pete’s sake, this battery is lighter than my third baby was at beginning. 

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 vitality that can be utilized from the battery below regular working circumstances. This typically differs from the marketed capability resulting from voltage cutoffs, security margins, and working circumstances, like temperature.

Throughout my checks, the River 3 had a median usable capability of 205Wh, about 84% of the marketed 245Wh. The warmer the battery received, the decrease this proportion fell, which is to be anticipated. In optimum circumstances, this quantity may go as much as 87%, although by no means greater. That is ok for my private use of a conveyable battery, which is fairly informal, because the worst it’s going to 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 know-how, however quiet sufficient to make use of in my workplace with out distractions. It may well run with out a 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 score, which implies it might 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 achieve 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 may cost it in your automobile throughout a street journey and have it absolutely charged in below three hours, able to maintain your small gadgets charged for the size of a tenting journey. It has a photo voltaic enter of 110W, so it might cost as much as 100% in about three hours with photo voltaic panels and direct daylight, although your mileage could fluctuate.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The EcoFlow River 3 is a good entry-level transportable battery if you happen to’re in search of a compact energy supply to cost smartphones, tablets, and laptops or maintain 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 value for all the 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 change into extraordinarily connected to the Anker Solix C300 DC, a competitor of the EcoFlow River 3 with a 288Wh capability.