Thank you for this review! I was figuring out what power station was more bang for my buck. Your reviews are one of the best and most comprehensive I've seen yet. Definitely subscribing!
If you have the River Max what do you think of it? Or if you’ve found a better alternative I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments! Timestamps: 0:00 Intro* 0:51 Overview*. Inside the box. 1:21 Design, build, weight 1:38 576Wh capacity, in real terms 2:07 Front of the unit overview 2:44 Charging ports - AC and DC input overview 2:58 AC outlets overview, powering 1800W devices, removable base 3:26 Charging*. Mains charging at 500W. Charging test results 4:03 Charging times compared to Jackery Explorer 500 and Bluetti AC50S 4:27 DC charging - via cars 12V output 4:40 Solar charging up to 200W 5:05 EcoFlow 160W solar panel unboxing, overview, weight, dimensions, setup 5:31 Compared to the Jackery SolarSaga 100, Bluetti SP120 5:47 Initial test results - winter, UK, with little sun! 6:11 Charging with other solar panels at up to 200W 6:29 Performance*. LCD panel overview 7:14 LED torch 7:39 USB ports inc 100W USB power delivery. Testing USB ports 8:20 12V DC car output overview and testing 8:40 Using car output as power supply for Hota D6+ LiPo charger 8:59 DC5521 12V 3A outputs overview and testing with LED light strip 9:36 AC outlets intro, confirming pure sine wave output 9:58 AC sockets thoughtfully arranged - even for most larger plugs 10:21 600W limit of AC outlets discussion, intro X-Boost to power devices up to 1800W 10:48 Explanation of X-Boost technology, example of how it works with 1600W hairdryer 12:00 Limitations of X-Boost, exercise caution 12:30 AC sockets consume power even with nothing plugged in - remember to turn on off when not in use 12:48 UPS or uninterruptible power supply feature and demonstration 13:45 Testing quoted 576Wh capacity and compared to Jackery and EcoFlow 14:28 Noise levels of power station - testing, hear how it sounds 14:43 Temperature of power station under load 14:53 Removing / replacing additional battery (convert River, or from River to River Max). 500 cycles limits of batteries 16:04 Daisy chaining power stations 16:14 The smartphone app*. Initial setup - WiFi connection and linking River Max a to app. Internet vs direct connection (called outdoor mode in manual) 17:14 App intro 17:27 Turning X-Boost on and off 17:39 Configuring ambient light 17:50 Settings walkthrough: configure beeps, slow AC charging etc and download firmware 18:58 Conclusions* *Main sections
Great review, Just bought one of these and wanted to learn more about it. So far I only dislike how flimsy the door flap is to the power stations charging ports. One knock, and I feel it will be broken off.
Hi and thanks for the review - like that seriousness and "no-fuss-no-hey-guys"-atitude. I'm evaluating powerstations for our overland-rv, the only thing that keeps me off the Ecolflow Rivers is their handle on top - in my planned setup, this handle would take valuable space... other than that, it would be a buy for the River Pro...
Many thanks - glad you like the style of the video! It's a good point - I quite like the design of the Allpowers 500W I recently looked out just for that reason.
Thank you for the Technology Man videos on these power units. Your attention to technical detail, user perspective, and product comparatives are top tier. For the consuming market this information is vital for making informed decisions per end-user usage scenario(s). I'm in between the EB55 and River Max now, with adding the Solarsaga 100W for my passive generator. According to your videos the additional cost for the 120w Bluetti panels doesn't match up to the Solarsaga's ease of use and sturdiness. Have you done the comparison solar panel (Bluetti 120w, Solarsaga 100w, Ecoflow 160w) video yet with the paired 500w storage units? The Ecoflow 160w panel looks flimsy upon set up versus the Solarsaga 100w, but that additional 60w of charging capacity looks interesting.
No problem glad the videos help and thanks for your kind comments. The SolarSaga is the easiest panel to use - but has the 7.9mm plug so you'll need an adapter for lots of power stations. I haven't done a full comparison of all my panels - but hope to soon!
Just got one of these instead of a jackery as I heard it out performs the jackery on most things.. after seeing the RGB light setting I was sold lol XD Will be using this station in my electric van to be able to be completed off grid and allowing me to run my laptop (200w) without having to go to a Costa or bringing my laptop into work and charging it there. I will be purchasing 2 100w 12v solar panels and connected them together with an adapter but will update this comment on how well they work once I've given them a go. Thanks for the review, liked the video and sent to friends.
Comprehensive review however care should be taken with the UPS mode, as after a recent conversation with support regarding their recommendations on maintaining battery health if used as a UPS for a router and a home automation hub - Their response and I quote :- "Our power station can be an emergency power source (EPS). As long as the power station is plugged into AC power, it would be forced to be ON. If it is kept on this status for a long time, like weeks or months, there might be damage to the battery inside the power station. To prolong the battery life, it is recommended to use the power station as an EPS only for temporary emergencies, such as a pre-noticed or foreseen blackout." Seems UPS is a possible but not a recommended configuration to protect unplanned outages which is how I would expect to use a UPS.
Thanks for the comment - useful information. Personally I'd only ever use this as a temporary UPS - for example I used it recently when we had storms and we kept losing power. I just plugged it into the router, switches etc and everything we needed to keep going - 6 of us at home needing to work! I have a proper UPS for the computer - and that's what I'd recommend for anything longer term. They are much cheaper too! And if connected to a PC they can gracefully shut down the computer too, something the EcoFlow can't do. I still think the UPS feature is very handy.
Thankyou for your reviews but as a non techy who is considering buying a power station I would grateful for a straight recommendation lol I live in the UK and there is a possibility of blackouts but also want a unit for occasional camping in my microcamper to run maybe a compressor fridge and possibly a small heater or electric blanket. My budget is not huge, I have been considering the EcoFlow River Max/Pro, All Powers 606, Jackery 500 and also been looking at the the EcoFlow River 2's - as it will only be used occasionally I'm unsure whether it's worth the expense of the LifePo4s or whether that would be an advantage. I'm looking for the best for my circumstances and as it's winter in UK at moment I'm not really in a rush to get solar panels 😄 but a package deal would be considered ready for the summer 😄 TIA
Just wondering why you have chosen the river flow max, jackery and bluetti to do videos on? Are these the best in range? I’m Looking at buying a portable power station to use in a camper van and your videos have been very informative thank you. I’m wondering if I should shortlist anything else for the van!
I just ordered one on sale for $150. I see that it allows up to 25 volt input for solar panels. Would using two 12 volt batteries in series to make a 24 volt battery be a good way to recharge faster. That would probably be too high a voltage. I often have power outages. If the pair of deep cycle batteries will keep up with the power I require that would be great. Cheers!
That's not something I specifically tried - but fully charged they'll be just over 25V so maybe not. Something you might just have to try. Let us know the result!
I'm thinking of buying the EcoFlow. But wouldn't it be possible to put the sun blanket stuck on the roof of the van?...It would be a nice solution for me...THANKS...😉
The EcoFlow panels aren't intended for permanent installation - they have no weatherproof rating. But you could have them on the roof temporarily when you're parked.
Thanks! 600W is the maximum with the RIver Max - so your coffee maker is just over. If it only peaks to 700W for a short time it might be ok. Check the display on your Pro and see what peak output it shows or try an energy monitoring plug. You do have the X-Boost mode but I'd be reluctant to use that for a coffee machine.
Hello, A nice clear review. Can you explain what a cycle is? Is it each time the unit is completely discharged or whenever it is charged? I'm interested in this unit for daily use at home but the battery type not being Lipo4 is a concern but if never letting the it get below 20% means I'll get a long life I'll seriously consider buying one. I have a Lipo4 and a Lithium-ion PPS, as neither ever gets below 20% before being recharged I hope I'm extending their lives, mainly the Li-ion. Thanks for any clarification.
You can get them for a lot cheaper if you know what your doing and when to buy. I just got a Ecoflow river pro for $489 shipping free.. ..not too bad at all
Thanks for the great video! I'm considering the EcoFlow River Max and wondering what other portable, well priced solar panels you would recommend to go with it. We are trying to travel fairly lightly and not sure what would be a good match or how to start looking. Thanks!
No problem I'm glad the video helped! It's not the most powerful but my current favourite is the Jackery Solar Saga 100. It's very slim, easy to carry and takes seconds to setup.
@@TheTechnologyMan Thanks for the quick response, I really appreciate it! We are actually (Americans) in Italy and it seems like the Jackery items are a bit difficult to get here. We actually had originally planned on getting the Jackery, but now I actually think the EcoFlow River Max looks like the best option for us! So I haven't actually educated myself about the portable solar panels....is the connection provided on the EcoFlow typical and I should just do an amazon search for what I can get in Italy or are there better tips for what I should look for? Thanks again and hope you don't mind the "beginner" questions.
The EcoFlow has an XT60 input but has MC4 to XT60 adapter. Most panels should work fine - if you get one with MC4 connectors you won't need anything else.
Thank you for the review! In your video you mention the option to connect with a cheaper renogy solar panel. Do i need an adapter or something else to connect to the ecoflow power station? Thank you
@@TheTechnologyMan Thank you for the reply. I have used my Jackery 500 to charge my vehicle fridge while charging it with solar but I learned afterwards that Jackery doesn't recommend it and that it can damage or reduce the capacity more rapidly.
It may shorten the battery life - but that will be the same with any charger. That's where LiFePo4 batteries would be preferable. Personally I'd use it how you want - and maybe give it a monthly charge discharge to maintain the battery.
I've not tested the EB55 but its main advantage is the LiFePo4 batteries which have a longer life. You just need a big enough enough invertor to power the devices you want to plug in - which you can check with a cheap energy monitoring plug.
I still have the 160W panel - can't remember the maximum I've got off it but definitely over 100W! It's not my favourite panel - it's awkward to set up.
Hi there I love the videos, I got the river max and have a gosun solar table 120 that I was hoping to charge it with would you know what adaptor I'd need to do that ?
Thanks very glad you like the videos! The EcoFlow has XT-60 - sorry I'm not sure what your solar panel has - but you should be able to get an adapter from that to XT-60.
With our chunky UK plus we only get two sockets on the River Max. But yes the the Jackery could do with another socket - I tend to use it with a 2-4 gang extension cable most of the time.
Great video. Ditto Naviss below, have bought and used one for a month now. Ran a car fridge 24/7 for 4 days on a recent camping trip in above average temperature. Eagerly await delivery of 160w pv pack. One question - does recharging often on the car battery in any way damage (or shorten the life of) the car's alternator when its already powering other standard equipment in the car?
Great I'm glad you liked the video and it's working well for you! When you say charging via the alternator - are you charging via the car's 12V car outlet? That should be fine as long as the car is running.
Forgive me I’m useless with all this tech talk but everything sounds amazing but the thing that stumped me - am I right in saying I need to buy a whole new unit after 500 cycles? A cycling being from full charge to flat?
The 500 cycles - is complete charge discharge cycles. And that's only to 80% of original battery life. So it won't stop working the battery life will just have deteriorated.
Hi, I could do with some help working out how long something will run for. I have a Traeger Smoker BBQ apparently it uses 35-40w on start up for 5-10 minutes. then 13w after that Can anyone help to know how long this would run the Traeger for?
You you can just divide the power requirements of the device in Watts into the capacity in Wh to get a rough idea of how long it'll run for. Allow for around 80% efficiency. So if you your smoker uses say on average a total of around 20W - you'll get around 500Wh/20W * 0.8 = 20 hours roughly.
Thank you for your reviews… there all excellent… on the river and charge cycles… at 500 up to 80% …. If I charge it from 10% to 90% how many cycles would I get… I looking to buy a charge bank that would charge my 500w electric bike battery, an electric blank, and oil filled radiator along with my mobile devices… so could you advise me if these are all possible and because I want to use it every day what’s the optimum % charge cycle that will make the Charing bank last passed 500 cycles
Thank you! The 500 cycles is only an estimate but even 10% to 90% is most of a full charge cycle so I'd imagine you'd still get some degradation after 500 cycles or so. You'll need to check the oil filled radiator - I'd imagine that will be over the capabilities of the River Max's inverter.
That's a big panel! The solar input is rated as 200W or 12A at 10-25V. So that's be your limitation. If the panel has the correct voltage you should be able to get the max 200W off your panel.
Would you please explain the 800 cycles? Does it mean you have 800 recharging times only ? And that means your unit would be dead after 2 year and a half? Or it means something different?
That's full charge discharge cycles. So unless you're doing that every day it should last longer than 800 days. And even then that's only down to 80% of the original capacity so it's not like it becomes unusable.
Hello. I am in process of ordering a river pro, but panel position cannot be just one or two metres away (as supplied cable with bundled panel). Is there a limitation / significant power loss if i use a 5m cable (purchased separately or made up specially) ?
great review, i only got one question. If the intergrated battery dies and you would put a new additional battery in. Will the powerstation still work with the additional battery?
It depends how bad the internal battery gets. If its capacity just decreases the add on battery will help. If it dies completely you'd need to get it back to EcoFlow.
The battery type is the only thing that is a shame about EcoFlow's power stations, it's a shame they use NMC instead of LFP, it's especially a problem since the battery isn't replaceable. The Bluetti EB70S has everything I need except for a good screen. Put the battery of a Bluetti into the EcoFlow or the screen of the EcoFlow onto the Bluetti and it's perfect.
They both use the similar battery technology so doubt you'd really get twice the battery lifespan from the AC50S - I'd just choose between the two on price and features you need.
@@TheTechnologyMan thank you. You don't have any idea were I can get a lead to connect my jackery panel to the ecoflo do you? That's all that stopping me getting one. Dale
I stuggled to find a ready made cable to made one up myself. But if you're not comfortabe doing that you might find it easier to find a Jackery (7.9mm) to MC4 cable and then plug this into the supplied Ecoflow mc4 to XT 60 connector.
@@daleharlow6006 Sorry I did try and find a link but came up with something that cost £65! If you use any of my links in the descripition they're affiliate links (even if you don't purchase that item, it works with anything else you purchase) - thank you!
Hi i have a new river max international version and im using it every night from 100% to 0% it last only for about 6to8 hours using a 44watts electric fan do you think its good enough? Im not satisfied please help
Is the EcoFlow showing 44W? If so that sounds on the low side. I'd get a cheap energy monitoring plug and check your battery's capacity. Even at 80% efficiency you should be able to get (576 Wh x 0.8) / 44W = 10.5 h run time if the fan really does draw a constant 44W.
@@TheTechnologyMan yes boss its showing 42 to 44 watts every 5 minutes 1% deduct but if you compute it still not right it below runtime than the computation
@@TheTechnologyMan yes boss i contacted the seller where i bought it and they contacted ecoflow and they said they need a video etc. Calibrate to soc 80% but still the same waiting for the feedback from the seller
I just got the River Pro and my capacity test was worse than yours. 497 watts out of 720 claimed, 68% which is horrible. Most of the price is based on capacity and this way over stated. I believe there is some sort of parasitic draw on these. It took about 900 watts to fully charge the unit but my wattmeter was still reading around 6-9 watts after it was 100% and the Ecoflow was reading zeros on input/output.
That does seem a fair bit off. Do you have another energy meter you can try - I've found them very variable! Also make sure you leave it plugged in charging for a couple of hours even after it says it's full to make sure it's at full capacity. I'd also send EcoFlow an email. Good luck.
I found support ok - they usually get back to me in 1-2 days. Would always prefer it was quicker than that and not sure how they deal with returns etc. But so far so good.
Yes it's safe to use inside. In fact it's not weather proof so you need to be careful using it outdoors. This runs off Lithium batteries - no carbon monoxide concerns.
The Eco flow has two massive problems. Firstly it has no Bluetooth capability. Secondly you cannot install the app unless the unit has an active internet connection. Think about how stupid that is. This means if you're in a location where the internet fails you cannot actually install the app in your device even if your local network is still operating!
You can connect to it directly over WiFi (so when you're away from your home network). I show this in the video. When you get the option to choose your wireless network, tap on “Use without Internet” below the Connect icon.
It's a review of the EcoFlow River Max - that's what's in the thumbnail and main title of the video. I do try and draw comparisons to other similar units I have where I can. I could do a straight comparison video of similar units - but this video alone is over 20 minutes long so you then wouldn't get all the information you might want for this unit. I do have reviews of the other units I discuss.
I do not know about the others but the Ecoflow is a crap. Forget this product - the worst battery product I ever met. I am just returning my second one after the changing. The first one has a lot of problems and I was not able to even use it. The second one went wrong after a few hours so I have to return it. Looks like a good quality product but using it the worst I ever saw. Do not buy any Ecoflow battery only if you want a misery.
Thank you for this review! I was figuring out what power station was more bang for my buck. Your reviews are one of the best and most comprehensive I've seen yet. Definitely subscribing!
That's great I'm really glad you liked my videos! And thanks for the support!
If you have the River Max what do you think of it? Or if you’ve found a better alternative I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments!
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro*
0:51 Overview*. Inside the box.
1:21 Design, build, weight
1:38 576Wh capacity, in real terms
2:07 Front of the unit overview
2:44 Charging ports - AC and DC input overview
2:58 AC outlets overview, powering 1800W devices, removable base
3:26 Charging*. Mains charging at 500W. Charging test results
4:03 Charging times compared to Jackery Explorer 500 and Bluetti AC50S
4:27 DC charging - via cars 12V output
4:40 Solar charging up to 200W
5:05 EcoFlow 160W solar panel unboxing, overview, weight, dimensions, setup
5:31 Compared to the Jackery SolarSaga 100, Bluetti SP120
5:47 Initial test results - winter, UK, with little sun!
6:11 Charging with other solar panels at up to 200W
6:29 Performance*. LCD panel overview
7:14 LED torch
7:39 USB ports inc 100W USB power delivery. Testing USB ports
8:20 12V DC car output overview and testing
8:40 Using car output as power supply for Hota D6+ LiPo charger
8:59 DC5521 12V 3A outputs overview and testing with LED light strip
9:36 AC outlets intro, confirming pure sine wave output
9:58 AC sockets thoughtfully arranged - even for most larger plugs
10:21 600W limit of AC outlets discussion, intro X-Boost to power devices up to 1800W
10:48 Explanation of X-Boost technology, example of how it works with 1600W hairdryer
12:00 Limitations of X-Boost, exercise caution
12:30 AC sockets consume power even with nothing plugged in - remember to turn on off when not in use
12:48 UPS or uninterruptible power supply feature and demonstration
13:45 Testing quoted 576Wh capacity and compared to Jackery and EcoFlow
14:28 Noise levels of power station - testing, hear how it sounds
14:43 Temperature of power station under load
14:53 Removing / replacing additional battery (convert River, or from River to River Max). 500 cycles limits of batteries
16:04 Daisy chaining power stations
16:14 The smartphone app*. Initial setup - WiFi connection and linking River Max a to app. Internet vs direct connection (called outdoor mode in manual)
17:14 App intro
17:27 Turning X-Boost on and off
17:39 Configuring ambient light
17:50 Settings walkthrough: configure beeps, slow AC charging etc and download firmware
18:58 Conclusions*
*Main sections
This review is amazing. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
Very glad you liked it and thanks for leaving a comment!
@@TheTechnologyMan I bought the Ecoflow River, thanks to your review. It just arrived today.
Great review, Just bought one of these and wanted to learn more about it. So far I only dislike how flimsy the door flap is to the power stations charging ports. One knock, and I feel it will be broken off.
Thanks - strangely most of the doors are like this on the power stations I've tested. On the Anker I just tested it's the same!
Many thanks Tech Man for the review as well as for taking precious time to respond to almost every comment. You're awsome🙌👏👍💐🙏
Thank you J J - I try!
Hi and thanks for the review - like that seriousness and "no-fuss-no-hey-guys"-atitude. I'm evaluating powerstations for our overland-rv, the only thing that keeps me off the Ecolflow Rivers is their handle on top - in my planned setup, this handle would take valuable space... other than that, it would be a buy for the River Pro...
Many thanks - glad you like the style of the video! It's a good point - I quite like the design of the Allpowers 500W I recently looked out just for that reason.
I would pick the River Max over those power stations on any day. The quick charging really is something.
I agree the quick charging is hard to beat!
Can you change it with USB C ?
Thank you for the Technology Man videos on these power units. Your attention to technical detail, user perspective, and product comparatives are top tier. For the consuming market this information is vital for making informed decisions per end-user usage scenario(s). I'm in between the EB55 and River Max now, with adding the Solarsaga 100W for my passive generator. According to your videos the additional cost for the 120w Bluetti panels doesn't match up to the Solarsaga's ease of use and sturdiness. Have you done the comparison solar panel (Bluetti 120w, Solarsaga 100w, Ecoflow 160w) video yet with the paired 500w storage units? The Ecoflow 160w panel looks flimsy upon set up versus the Solarsaga 100w, but that additional 60w of charging capacity looks interesting.
No problem glad the videos help and thanks for your kind comments. The SolarSaga is the easiest panel to use - but has the 7.9mm plug so you'll need an adapter for lots of power stations. I haven't done a full comparison of all my panels - but hope to soon!
What an excellent and detailed review. You have covered all of the questions I have had on this device.
Great - glad the video helped!
Excellent video. Thorough and to the point. Answered a lot of questions for me!
Brilliant glad it was helpful!
Just got one of these instead of a jackery as I heard it out performs the jackery on most things.. after seeing the RGB light setting I was sold lol XD
Will be using this station in my electric van to be able to be completed off grid and allowing me to run my laptop (200w) without having to go to a Costa or bringing my laptop into work and charging it there.
I will be purchasing 2 100w 12v solar panels and connected them together with an adapter but will update this comment on how well they work once I've given them a go.
Thanks for the review, liked the video and sent to friends.
Great glad the video helped - and I hope it works out for you! Yes please let us know how you get on.
Comprehensive review however care should be taken with the UPS mode, as after a recent conversation with support regarding their recommendations on maintaining battery health if used as a UPS for a router and a home automation hub - Their response and I quote :-
"Our power station can be an emergency power source (EPS). As long as the power station is plugged into AC power, it would be forced to be ON. If it is kept on this status for a long time, like weeks or months, there might be damage to the battery inside the power station. To prolong the battery life, it is recommended to use the power station as an EPS only for temporary emergencies, such as a pre-noticed or foreseen blackout."
Seems UPS is a possible but not a recommended configuration to protect unplanned outages which is how I would expect to use a UPS.
Thanks for the comment - useful information. Personally I'd only ever use this as a temporary UPS - for example I used it recently when we had storms and we kept losing power. I just plugged it into the router, switches etc and everything we needed to keep going - 6 of us at home needing to work! I have a proper UPS for the computer - and that's what I'd recommend for anything longer term. They are much cheaper too! And if connected to a PC they can gracefully shut down the computer too, something the EcoFlow can't do. I still think the UPS feature is very handy.
After seeing your very useful comment, I just emailed Ecoflow asking if the same is true for the newer units (e.g. River 2 Max). To be continued...
I would love to see a review of the Bluetti EB70S. Note there is an EB 70, and an EB 70 "S". The S has an improved inverter.
The EB70S does look pretty good would be interesting to take a look - thanks for the suggestion!
Thankyou for your reviews but as a non techy who is considering buying a power station I would grateful for a straight recommendation lol I live in the UK and there is a possibility of blackouts but also want a unit for occasional camping in my microcamper to run maybe a compressor fridge and possibly a small heater or electric blanket. My budget is not huge, I have been considering the EcoFlow River Max/Pro, All Powers 606, Jackery 500 and also been looking at the the EcoFlow River 2's - as it will only be used occasionally I'm unsure whether it's worth the expense of the LifePo4s or whether that would be an advantage. I'm looking for the best for my circumstances and as it's winter in UK at moment I'm not really in a rush to get solar panels 😄 but a package deal would be considered ready for the summer 😄 TIA
Hi - just got the River Max 2 so if you're not in a rush I'd wait for that review - looks pretty good so far! LiFePo4 battery and USB-C charging :).
Well done on a well-presented and comprehensive review...
Thanks I'm glad you liked the video and I hope it helped!
Your really a good teacher
Thank you very much!
Great stuff Gidon. Good job see your much again sir :)
No way - good to hear from you Tim! Thanks - hope you're well.
Just wondering why you have chosen the river flow max, jackery and bluetti to do videos on? Are these the best in range? I’m Looking at buying a portable power station to use in a camper van and your videos have been very informative thank you. I’m wondering if I should shortlist anything else for the van!
I've tried to look at the main brands. I should be getting the Allpowers 500W unit soon if you want to wait for that review.
Also, I learned a lot thank you
Great thanks!
I just ordered one on sale for $150. I see that it allows up to 25 volt input for solar panels. Would using two 12 volt batteries in series to make a 24 volt battery be a good way to recharge faster. That would probably be too high a voltage. I often have power outages. If the pair of deep cycle batteries will keep up with the power I require that would be great. Cheers!
That's not something I specifically tried - but fully charged they'll be just over 25V so maybe not. Something you might just have to try. Let us know the result!
I'm thinking of buying the EcoFlow. But wouldn't it be possible to put the sun blanket stuck on the roof of the van?...It would be a nice solution for me...THANKS...😉
The EcoFlow panels aren't intended for permanent installation - they have no weatherproof rating. But you could have them on the roof temporarily when you're parked.
Great review. I have the River pro but looking for 2nd unit. My pro runs my 700w coffee maker. Would this unit run my 700w coffee maker please. Thanks
Thanks! 600W is the maximum with the RIver Max - so your coffee maker is just over. If it only peaks to 700W for a short time it might be ok. Check the display on your Pro and see what peak output it shows or try an energy monitoring plug. You do have the X-Boost mode but I'd be reluctant to use that for a coffee machine.
Hello,
A nice clear review. Can you explain what a cycle is? Is it each time the unit is completely discharged or whenever it is charged? I'm interested in this unit for daily use at home but the battery type not being Lipo4 is a concern but if never letting the it get below 20% means I'll get a long life I'll seriously consider buying one. I have a Lipo4 and a Lithium-ion PPS, as neither ever gets below 20% before being recharged I hope I'm extending their lives, mainly the Li-ion.
Thanks for any clarification.
Thanks! A cycle is a full charge - discharge cycle.
Thanks for the comprehensive review. 👍
No problem hope it helped!
You can get them for a lot cheaper if you know what your doing and when to buy. I just got a Ecoflow river pro for $489 shipping free.. ..not too bad at all
Sounds like a great price!
Thanks for the great video! I'm considering the EcoFlow River Max and wondering what other portable, well priced solar panels you would recommend to go with it. We are trying to travel fairly lightly and not sure what would be a good match or how to start looking.
Thanks!
No problem I'm glad the video helped! It's not the most powerful but my current favourite is the Jackery Solar Saga 100. It's very slim, easy to carry and takes seconds to setup.
@@TheTechnologyMan Thanks for the quick response, I really appreciate it! We are actually (Americans) in Italy and it seems like the Jackery items are a bit difficult to get here. We actually had originally planned on getting the Jackery, but now I actually think the EcoFlow River Max looks like the best option for us! So I haven't actually educated myself about the portable solar panels....is the connection provided on the EcoFlow typical and I should just do an amazon search for what I can get in Italy or are there better tips for what I should look for? Thanks again and hope you don't mind the "beginner" questions.
The EcoFlow has an XT60 input but has MC4 to XT60 adapter. Most panels should work fine - if you get one with MC4 connectors you won't need anything else.
@@TheTechnologyMan Brilliant! Thanks again, I appreciate it. :)
Best review of this unit.
Great thank you - glad it helped!
Thank you for the review! In your video you mention the option to connect with a cheaper renogy solar panel. Do i need an adapter or something else to connect to the ecoflow power station? Thank you
No problem! The Ronogy panel should have MC4 connectors - so you can just connect via the included MC4 to XT60 cable.
You mentioned using it as a UPS, will that also work powering a device while accepting solar input? Thanks for the informative video.
I believe the UPS function is on mains. But it supports passthrough charging so you can still run a device while it's charging off solar.
@@TheTechnologyMan Thank you for the reply. I have used my Jackery 500 to charge my vehicle fridge while charging it with solar but I learned afterwards that Jackery doesn't recommend it and that it can damage or reduce the capacity more rapidly.
It may shorten the battery life - but that will be the same with any charger. That's where LiFePo4 batteries would be preferable. Personally I'd use it how you want - and maybe give it a monthly charge discharge to maintain the battery.
How does the EcoFlo River Pro compare to the Bluetti EB55? And why does having a better inverter like the Yeti matter please?
I've not tested the EB55 but its main advantage is the LiFePo4 batteries which have a longer life. You just need a big enough enough invertor to power the devices you want to plug in - which you can check with a cheap energy monitoring plug.
Any update on the 160 watt solar panel? Were you able to get close to the full wattage?
I still have the 160W panel - can't remember the maximum I've got off it but definitely over 100W! It's not my favourite panel - it's awkward to set up.
Which station would you recommend as an alternative to this one with LiFePO₄ battery?
Just looking at the Delta 2 with LiFePO4 battery - but it is a bit more expensive.
Hi there I love the videos, I got the river max and have a gosun solar table 120 that I was hoping to charge it with would you know what adaptor I'd need to do that ?
Thanks very glad you like the videos! The EcoFlow has XT-60 - sorry I'm not sure what your solar panel has - but you should be able to get an adapter from that to XT-60.
@@TheTechnologyMan I found what I need thank you so much for your response 😊
It's quite disappointing that the AC50S has 2 AC outlets while the Jackery sadly only has one. The River Max has three
With our chunky UK plus we only get two sockets on the River Max. But yes the the Jackery could do with another socket - I tend to use it with a 2-4 gang extension cable most of the time.
Great video. Ditto Naviss below, have bought and used one for a month now. Ran a car fridge 24/7 for 4 days on a recent camping trip in above average temperature. Eagerly await delivery of 160w pv pack. One question - does recharging often on the car battery in any way damage (or shorten the life of) the car's alternator when its already powering other standard equipment in the car?
Great I'm glad you liked the video and it's working well for you! When you say charging via the alternator - are you charging via the car's 12V car outlet? That should be fine as long as the car is running.
Forgive me I’m useless with all this tech talk but everything sounds amazing but the thing that stumped me - am I right in saying I need to buy a whole new unit after 500 cycles? A cycling being from full charge to flat?
The 500 cycles - is complete charge discharge cycles. And that's only to 80% of original battery life. So it won't stop working the battery life will just have deteriorated.
Great video.
Thank you!
Have you tried this with a speaker or sound system that is above 600 watts but at lower volumes? Curious how it would handle.
Not specifically but you'd probably get away with it.
Hi, I could do with some help working out how long something will run for. I have a Traeger Smoker BBQ apparently it uses 35-40w on start up for 5-10 minutes. then 13w after that
Can anyone help to know how long this would run the Traeger for?
You you can just divide the power requirements of the device in Watts into the capacity in Wh to get a rough idea of how long it'll run for. Allow for around 80% efficiency. So if you your smoker uses say on average a total of around 20W - you'll get around 500Wh/20W * 0.8 = 20 hours roughly.
@@TheTechnologyMan ok I get it. Thanks so much.
Thank you for your reviews… there all excellent… on the river and charge cycles… at 500 up to 80% …. If I charge it from 10% to 90% how many cycles would I get… I looking to buy a charge bank that would charge my 500w electric bike battery, an electric blank, and oil filled radiator along with my mobile devices… so could you advise me if these are all possible and because I want to use it every day what’s the optimum % charge cycle that will make the Charing bank last passed 500 cycles
Thank you! The 500 cycles is only an estimate but even 10% to 90% is most of a full charge cycle so I'd imagine you'd still get some degradation after 500 cycles or so. You'll need to check the oil filled radiator - I'd imagine that will be over the capabilities of the River Max's inverter.
Hi, thanks for the review.
Can I recharge the unit using a 545w solar panel only?
That's a big panel! The solar input is rated as 200W or 12A at 10-25V. So that's be your limitation. If the panel has the correct voltage you should be able to get the max 200W off your panel.
Would you please explain the 800 cycles?
Does it mean you have 800 recharging times only ? And that means your unit would be dead after 2 year and a half?
Or it means something different?
That's full charge discharge cycles. So unless you're doing that every day it should last longer than 800 days. And even then that's only down to 80% of the original capacity so it's not like it becomes unusable.
Hi, what is the number of times this generator can be recharged?
This power station is based on Lithium Ion cells so around 500 charge / discharge cycles. See 19:46 in the video where I discuss this briefly.
Hello. I am in process of ordering a river pro, but panel position cannot be just one or two metres away (as supplied cable with bundled panel). Is there a limitation / significant power loss if i use a 5m cable (purchased separately or made up specially) ?
Hi - I guess there will be a small voltage loss - but shouldn't be too significant with a decent cable.
great review, i only got one question. If the intergrated battery dies and you would put a new additional battery in. Will the powerstation still work with the additional battery?
Thanks. Unfortuantely not - I asked Ecoflow that question.
@@TheTechnologyMan follow up question. if that’s the case. does the integrated battery could be replaced?
@@cliffocampo5916 It can’t be user replaced but if in warranty EcoFlow would sort you out.
@@cliffocampo5916 Only by EcoFlow (or they'd probably replace the unit more likely).
If the internal battery goes bad will the extra battery continue to work if you buy a new battery.
It depends how bad the internal battery gets. If its capacity just decreases the add on battery will help. If it dies completely you'd need to get it back to EcoFlow.
The battery type is the only thing that is a shame about EcoFlow's power stations, it's a shame they use NMC instead of LFP, it's especially a problem since the battery isn't replaceable.
The Bluetti EB70S has everything I need except for a good screen. Put the battery of a Bluetti into the EcoFlow or the screen of the EcoFlow onto the Bluetti and it's perfect.
Always difficult to find the perfect solution - but both those units are very good and doubt you'd be disappointed with either!
@@TheTechnologyMan Certainly! Both are great, just have individual drawbacks. I'll be thinking on it a lot.
Boss which is best to buy this ecoflow river max with 500+cycle or the bluetti ac50s with 1000+ cycle? Please help thanks
They both use the similar battery technology so doubt you'd really get twice the battery lifespan from the AC50S - I'd just choose between the two on price and features you need.
@@TheTechnologyMan thanks
Thanks for this, did you say after 500 charges it no longer works? Is it not like the others and drops to 80%?
That's it - it will still work fine it's just the battery capacity drops to 80%.
@@TheTechnologyMan thank you.
You don't have any idea were I can get a lead to connect my jackery panel to the ecoflo do you? That's all that stopping me getting one. Dale
I stuggled to find a ready made cable to made one up myself. But if you're not comfortabe doing that you might find it easier to find a Jackery (7.9mm) to MC4 cable and then plug this into the supplied Ecoflow mc4 to XT 60 connector.
@@TheTechnologyMan thank you do you have a li k for purchases
@@daleharlow6006 Sorry I did try and find a link but came up with something that cost £65! If you use any of my links in the descripition they're affiliate links (even if you don't purchase that item, it works with anything else you purchase) - thank you!
Hi i have a new river max international version and im using it every night from 100% to 0% it last only for about 6to8 hours using a 44watts electric fan do you think its good enough? Im not satisfied please help
Is the EcoFlow showing 44W? If so that sounds on the low side. I'd get a cheap energy monitoring plug and check your battery's capacity. Even at 80% efficiency you should be able to get (576 Wh x 0.8) / 44W = 10.5 h run time if the fan really does draw a constant 44W.
@@TheTechnologyMan yes boss its showing 42 to 44 watts every 5 minutes 1% deduct but if you compute it still not right it below runtime than the computation
Probably best to check with EcoFlow then.
@@TheTechnologyMan yes boss i contacted the seller where i bought it and they contacted ecoflow and they said they need a video etc. Calibrate to soc 80% but still the same waiting for the feedback from the seller
I got the river max for $396. Is that a good deal?
Yes that's a great price! It's over £500 here in the UK.
@@TheTechnologyMan In Poland I got EF River Max for 674$, but now is war in Ucraine and prices are growing.
I just got the River Pro and my capacity test was worse than yours. 497 watts out of 720 claimed, 68% which is horrible. Most of the price is based on capacity and this way over stated. I believe there is some sort of parasitic draw on these. It took about 900 watts to fully charge the unit but my wattmeter was still reading around 6-9 watts after it was 100% and the Ecoflow was reading zeros on input/output.
That does seem a fair bit off. Do you have another energy meter you can try - I've found them very variable! Also make sure you leave it plugged in charging for a couple of hours even after it says it's full to make sure it's at full capacity. I'd also send EcoFlow an email. Good luck.
Could I run a PlayStation 5 and a projector off this unit ?
You'd need to check the maximum power of the PS5 and projector - check their AC adapters outputs. My guess is yes - but you'd need to check.
How is eco flows customer support?
I found support ok - they usually get back to me in 1-2 days. Would always prefer it was quicker than that and not sure how they deal with returns etc. But so far so good.
Is it safe to use indoors concerned about carbon monoxide
Yes it's safe to use inside. In fact it's not weather proof so you need to be careful using it outdoors. This runs off Lithium batteries - no carbon monoxide concerns.
How many batteries can you stack on this generator?
With this model it takes just the one additional battery - which is already fitted with this Max version.
Is this ever used without the solar panel?
I use it a lot without the solar panel just around the house.
💯 perfecto
Thank you!
The Eco flow has two massive problems. Firstly it has no Bluetooth capability. Secondly you cannot install the app unless the unit has an active internet connection. Think about how stupid that is. This means if you're in a location where the internet fails you cannot actually install the app in your device even if your local network is still operating!
You can connect to it directly over WiFi (so when you're away from your home network). I show this in the video. When you get the option to choose your wireless network, tap on “Use without Internet” below the Connect icon.
What kind of comparison video is this, all you've done is talk mainly about ONE unit???
It's a review of the EcoFlow River Max - that's what's in the thumbnail and main title of the video. I do try and draw comparisons to other similar units I have where I can. I could do a straight comparison video of similar units - but this video alone is over 20 minutes long so you then wouldn't get all the information you might want for this unit. I do have reviews of the other units I discuss.
I do not know about the others but the Ecoflow is a crap. Forget this product - the worst battery product I ever met. I am just returning my second one after the changing. The first one has a lot of problems and I was not able to even use it. The second one went wrong after a few hours so I have to return it.
Looks like a good quality product but using it the worst I ever saw. Do not buy any Ecoflow battery only if you want a misery.
Disappointing to hear! I hope you get sorted out.
@@TheTechnologyMan yes, returned the second one and the store paid back. Never will try this brand in the future…