The New Ecoflow River 3 Power Station Is Out Today, and Amazon Has It for the Same Price as the River 2

The Ecoflow River 3 has a 245Wh battery capacity similar to the River 2, yet it is 30% more compact. Like the River 2, it has two AC outlets, two USB Type-A ports, and one USB Type-C port. The USB Type-C output supports up to 100W of Power Delivery. Although each AC outlet is capable of up to 300W of sustained power output, Ecoflow's X-Boost technology allows it to handle up to 600W of surge power for certain electronics and appliances that require a temporary power boost to start up. Also, thanks to its use GaN technology, it offers extended runtime (Ecoflow claims double) for devices that consume less than 100W. The River 2 can be recharged using traditional AC or up to 110W of solar. If using grid power (AC), the 360W input will fully charge the River 2 from 0% to 100% in only one hour. Although it's typically used as a mobile backup power solution when you have no available grid power, it can also work as an always-on passthrough AC power strip as well. It has an EPS function that will automatically swap to battery power when there is a power outage. The shutoff delay is less than 10ms - faster than the River 2's <30ms delay - which is fast enough for even sensitive electronics like PCs to remain on the entire time.

The 245Whr battery can power your PC or appliances for several minutes or mobile elecronics (including your laptop) for several hours to days. The River 2 uses the newer LiFePO4 cells instead of the traditional NCM sells you find in the original River. LiFePO4 cells have inherently safer chemistry and have a much higher cycle lifespan than NCM cells. They also have lower calendar aging. The only negative of LiFEPO4 is the lower energy density (heavier weight). That said, the River 3 weighs only 7.8 pounds, which is very respectable for a battery capacity of this size.

Standard "UPS" battery backups like APC and CyberPower are cheaper because they use traditional lead acid batteries. As opposed to lithium batteries like LFP and NCM, lead acid batteries are super heavy, have a much shorter lifespan, and are far less efficient. This is the primary reason why your UPS battery backup should be replaced every 3-5 years. An LFP battery will generally retain at least 85% of its charge even after 10 years of service.

The River 2 is a smart battery and thus you can change settings, check on its status, and power on or off outlets remotely, all from your phone. In my personal experience, Ecoflow has good product support.

If you're looking for something pocketable, check out the best portable chargers of 2024.