Both technologies have their fan base, with traditional lithium-ion (NMC) having better energy density and efficiency than LiFePO4. However not by much. In contrast, LiFePO4 is safer and can withstand many more charge/discharge cycles. About 6x as many (3000 vs 500) before the storage capacity has dropped to 80% of the starting amount. If you’re fully discharging charging the River 2 every single day for 8 years, it will still have 80% capacity available to you. Pretty reassuring in our opinion. Battery Capacity of the River 2 I will be taking a look at the EcoFlow Power Kit soon to add power to my campervan. This system is entirely modular, but a fair bit more expensive. There’ll be a link on screen if that video is already out. I’m looking forward to taking a look at that system, but it’d be nice to see something modular at this price point with replaceable and upgradable batteries and other power station components like the inverter for example. I tested the DC outputs starting with the 12V car outlet which has up to 10A output at 12.6V or 126W, which I confirmed with a load tester. Ramping this up to 12A set off the current overload protection.

The River 2 is an updated version of the original EcoFlow River, and the main change is the adoption of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) cells as the battery technology. When I loaded up the EcoFlow app, I was immediately asked if I wanted to add the RIVER 2 MAX to the app. However, the app didn’t seem to register any information or provide any way for me to control the until. Going into the device settings, it confirms that it is the RIVER 2 MAX, and I think the app has just not had the functionality pushed through to the Play Store, as I am using this before the official launch. Performance I could just run this Ryobi 750W SDS drill if I ramped it up to full speed slowly, but this Bosch 720W angle grinder without any soft start instantly tripped the power station. The grinder has no soft start and overloads the power stationThe Max is lighter and more compact than its counterpart. The Pro offers more electricity storage and output capacity for those who want to operate larger (or more) devices for longer. The DELTA 2 easily justifies its price in comparison to the RIVER 2 series. The only issue I have with it is the overall size and weight, I only have a small car, and it does take up quite a bit of boot space. I can imagine that I will end up using the RIVER 2 MAX more often for trips due to its more portable nature. Design When deciding between the models, consider your specific needs and review both options to determine the right choice for you. Battery Capacity (wh/kWh) Cigarette lighter 12V lead for charging in a car or similar – the other end of this cable is an XT-60 connector

The RIVER 2 Pro is heavier and slightly larger than the RIVER 2 Max. The Max weighs 13.4 lbs (6.1 kg) and has dimensions of 10.6 x 10.2 x 7.7 in (270 x 260 x 196mm). Yes, the River 2 does allow power to be drawn out of it whilst it’s charging. This means it can be used as a quasi ‘ uninterrupted power supply‘ or UPS. OK, we’ve spent alot of time with the River 2 – is it a useful device? The answer is yes, as long as you’re aware of how little power you have on board. The build isn’t quite as good as EcoFlow’s more expensive units or the 1st generation River Max for that matter, and I would have liked all the USB ports to support fast charging. There are 3 standard 5V 2.4A USB-A ports. It’s surprising these ports don’t support any fast charging standards but I confirmed their rated output with a USB load tester. There’s a far more useful 100W USB-C output.

Small size. Big power.

It has 33% more capacity than the RIVER 2 Pro and doubles the capacity of this MAX model. UK pricing puts the DELTA 2 at 47% higher than the Pro and 100% higher than the MAX.

The side panels of the River 2 are featureless. It’s the front and rear faces where the main action happens. Front Panel Colour LCD display – using the exact screen of the Delta 2, this is probably the best display on the market in terms of useful information. The display shows a) time left to fully charge/discharge b) existing battery % remaining c) power coming in and d) power going out.The River 2 Max has a 512Wh LiFePO4 or LFP battery which supports 3000 complete charge cycles compared to the 500 cycles of the River Max’s standard Li-ion battery. This is the smallest unit I’ve reviewed so far that comes with this more desirable battery chemistry. These power stations are perfect for power cuts, camping, travel and festivals and around the house and out and about to charge all your tech. And the River 2 Max can charge at up to 220W off solar panels alone when mains isn’t available. The RIVER 2 series represents the latest improvements in EcoFlow’s innovative portable power stations (PPS). A substantial upgrade on the original RIVER collection, the RIVER 2 series includes the RIVER 2 Max and RIVER 2 Pro.

A 50% increase in storage of 256Wh is significant, but how it impacts you depends on your energy consumption between charges. If you need to power devices longer or run appliances, consider the Pro for extended battery life and greater power output. AC Output (Maximum Wattage in W/kW)With USB-C, the charge speed will be limited by the cable if it doesn’t support the current speed. I thought 100W+ rated cables may have been more marketing than a physical for a lot of cables difference. For the first few cables I tested, I was limited to 55W charging. It was only when I switched to the 200W cable Ugreen cable that I was able to achieve almost 100W. For the Ugreen 140W Nexode, the charge rate was 95W with the battery telling me it would charge in 4 hours from the 33% charge it was on. You can monitor various functions of the RIVER 2 Max Portable Battery Generator easily and clearly thanks to the easy-to-read digital display. Functions such as charging status, how long to fully charged, run time when in use, as well as a timer. I did a similar test using the DC output with a 10A electronic load attached. I measured 431 Wh which is a respectable 84% efficiency. But the DC output is more efficient running something like a camping fridge which turns on and off regularly, since there’ll be very little parasitic draw from the DC subsystem itself. Conclusions