When it comes to camping or RVing, it is always useful to have a back up, portable generator to fall back on. They are fairly lightweight and easy to transport, making them fantastic options for when you are on the go.
However, as there are so many generator options to choose from, it can often be difficult to know which option is the best for you. To help you choose, we have reviewed one fantastic portable generator in particular, the EF ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER.
Not only does this generator perform well, but it is not too expensive to purchase either. In this article, we have taken a closer look at this generator, providing you with a full review of it.
We have focused on specifications such as its watts, overall size, and performance, to give you a better idea of its performance.
ECOFLOW Company Background
Before we jump into our review of this generator, let’s take a close look at EcoFlow as a company. They are a fairly new company on the whole, only being founded in 2017.
They were founded by entrepreneurs that had a big interest in portable electronics. Furthermore, they were leading drone developers, and from here have expanded their reach to things such as portable generators.
What is great about EcoFlow’s products is that they focus on trying to provide smart and clean power sources. Their products are durable, well-made, and long-lasting.
Their main aim is to change how people access power, and the power they provide is clean, and quiet, which is particularly useful when camping.
To take a closer look at the statistics, 60% of their products are used for recreational purposes, 57% have been used for emergencies and natural disasters, and 30% have been used for professional purposes.
As you can see, EcoFlow do have a wide variety of customers and overall, they are a good company to consider, especially when you take a closer look at their values.
ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER
We have split up our review of the ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER generator into different specification sections.
Price
To begin with, let’s take a closer look at the cost of this portable generator. While this is not the cheapest portable generator available, it is great value for the money. It is not too expensive to purchase, and is reasonably priced.
Generator Specifications
When looking to purchase a generator, you will want to take a closer look at its general specifications. This will help you to have a better understanding of whether it is a suitable option to consider.
The wattage of this generator is 600. This is reasonable and is not too high, it can be used with no issues, and it is not too powerful on the whole. But, it is still powerful enough to be a good back up generator option.
The generator weighs a total of 17 pounds. Given that many portable generators are very heavy, this is surprisingly lightweight. This makes the transportation process easy, and the carry handle on the top of the generator is useful when travelling too.
Given that the generator is fairly compact on the whole, it will not take up too much space in your RV, car. The specific dimensions are – 12 x 8 x 10 inches.
The voltage of the generator is 120, which is the perfect amount for a portable generator.
Design
The ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER is simple in its design, and is all black. In comparison to other portable generators, it is not an eyesore, and it looks quite sleek and modern.
All of the buttons and controls are easy to use and access, and it also features an LED display screen, which makes the generator easy to use in a dark environment, which is useful.
Outlets
When choosing a generator, you will need to take into consideration the outlets, and what you want to use the generator to power. This generator has a good amount of outlets, and can even charge up to 10 electronics at one given time. Given how small the generator is, this is quite a surprising number.
The ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER has 3 x AC outlets, and the solar generator capacity is 288KwH. It can also power devices that have a wattage of up to 1800.
In addition to this, there are 3 x DC Car port outlets, 2 x BC outputs, 1 x USB-A fast charge output, 2 x USB-A outputs, and 1 x USB-C fast charge. Taking all of this into consideration, this generator pretty much covers all of the bases needed when you are looking to charge electrical devices.
When it comes to compatibility, up to 80% of household appliances can be used with this power station, which is useful. This means that if your main source of electricity does go down in your household, you should be able to keep important items still up and running.
However, it is important to note that this generator does have some limitations, and cannot support the following devices — Air conditioner, heater, refrigerator, and microwave. This can be an issue if you are looking to use this generator for these purposes.
Charging Time
Another great aspect of this generator is that it can charge up electronic devices particularly fast, especially if you are using the USB-C output. This is great if you need to charge items such as a cell phone, camera, or batteries. It is very efficient and can be done alongside powering items such as lights.
The charging can go from 0% all the way up to 80% in just one hour, which is great in an emergency situation.
Double Capacity
As we have already covered, the ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER is powerful on its own. However, its modular device means that you can increase the overall capacity of the generator easily. The power can increase from 288Wh to 576Wh, which is a significant difference.
This extra battery just slots underneath the generator with ease, and does not add too much weight to it. This will need to be purchased separately, however.
Solar Charging
As we have already covered, EcoFlow is a company that focuses on clean and sustainable energy. As a result of this, the generator uses solar power as a way of recharging itself.
The solar panels are powerful and also waterproof and durable. This is important if you are planning to use the generator while camping, or outdoors. The solar panels are quick to charge, and will only take up to 3 hours to recharge. This is particularly useful.
Alternatively, the ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER can be charged with a wall if needed. This charge will only take 1.6 hours to complete fully, which is a fairly short amount of time. On the whole, this generator is quick and efficient.
Warranty
When purchasing a generator, it is important to consider warranty. After all, you will want the generator to be covered if it is faulty. The ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER has a good warranty, and is covered by a 24-month product guarantee.
Pros:
- Solar Powered — This means that the generator is far better for the environment as it uses clean and renewable energy
- Lightweight and portable — Being lightweight and portable means that this power station is a great option to consider if you are camping and RVing. It will not take up too much space, and the handle makes it easy to carry and transport.
- Charging Outlets — There are so many different charging outlets that come with this generator. This means that you can charge a lot of different electronics at once, and the chances of compatibility are high.
- Cost — This is a reasonably priced generator that is long-lasting and certainly worth considering.
Cons:
- Charging Limitations — While this is a great generator when it comes to compatibility, it will only power 80% of household appliances. Some of the appliances do not include microwaves and refrigerators. This may be disappointing to hear if you are looking for a generator for these purposes.
Summary
We hope that you have found this review helpful. As you can see, the ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER is a fantastic option to choose on the whole. It is so easy to transport, and it is not too expensive to purchase.
In addition to this, it has so many different outlets to choose from. While it is limited slightly in what it can power, these limitations are minimal. It provides clean, and renewable energy, which will also save you money in the long run when it comes to recharging the generator.
Overall, we would definitely recommend the ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER.
