EcoFlow RIVER 3: which one, and what it runs
For most flats the RIVER 3 Plus is the one to buy: three sockets, 600 W and a five-year warranty, for £219. It was sold out when we checked. In the meantime the RIVER 3 (UPS) at £199 keeps a router, fibre box, two phones and a lamp going for roughly 3.9 h to 11 h, and the RIVER 3 Max Plus (Wireless), a RIVER 3 Plus with an extra battery, was in stock at £419.
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The short answer
What they run in a power cut
| What's plugged in | EcoFlow RIVER 3 (UPS) | EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | EcoFlow RIVER 3 Max Plus (Wireless) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Router, fibre box, 2 phones and a lamp | 3.9 h to 11 h | 4.6 h to 13 h | 14 h to 38 h |
| Fridge-freezer, router and 2 phones | Too much for it | 2.3 h to 8.9 h | 7 h to 27 h |
| Fridge-freezer, router, 2 phones, TV and 2 lamps | Too much for it | 1.8 h to 7 h | 5.5 h to 21 h |
Our estimates from the sizer, as a range from heavy to light use, allowing for the energy lost in the power station itself. A modern fridge-freezer uses 0.4-1.5 kWh a day depending on the model and the weather. Not lab figures; try your own list in the sizer.
Whether one starts a fridge-freezer depends on the fridge: its compressor draws a burst of power at start-up. Our sizer allows up to 600 W for that, more than the RIVER 3's 600 W surge once the router and phones are added, so it says no. smartzone.de found the RIVER 3 Plus started two of three fridges; the third overloaded it. Even when it starts one, the Plus holds enough energy for only a few hours of it. None of these runs a kettle, a toaster or a heater; "X-Boost" runs some heating appliances at a lower voltage, so they work more slowly, and one tester found a kettle, microwave and sandwich press still overloaded the RIVER 3 Plus.
The RIVER 3 range
| Model | Battery | Output | UK sockets | Warranty | Price and stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIVER 3 (UPS) | 245 Wh | 300 W | 1 | 2 years | £199, in stock |
| RIVER 3 (standard) | 245 Wh | 300 W | 1 | 2 years | £239, unavailable; switchover under 20 ms rather than 10 |
| RIVER 3 Plus | 286 Wh | 600 W | 3 | 5 years | £219, sold out at EcoFlow UK |
| RIVER 3 Max (Plus with a 286 Wh extra battery) | 572 Wh | 600 W | 3 | 5 years | £329, pre-order, shipping from mid-November |
| RIVER 3 Max Plus (Wireless) | 858 Wh | 600 W | 3 | 5 years (2 on the power bank) | £419, in stock |
The "Max" models aren't separate power stations: they're a RIVER 3 Plus with an extra battery that clips on underneath. The Wireless versions add a detachable 5,000 mAh power bank and a wireless phone charging pad. The UK RIVER 3 has one AC socket; American reviews of a two-socket version describe the US model.
RIVER 3 or RIVER 3 Plus?
- Output: 600 W against 300 W, enough for a laptop, TV and lamps at once.
- Sockets: three against one.
- Battery: 286 Wh against 245 Wh, and the Plus takes an extra battery.
- Warranty: five years against two.
- Weight: 4.7 kg against 3.55 kg.
Against the older RIVER 2, the RIVER 3 Plus doubles the output and the solar input and adds the extra-battery option, for 1.2 kg more.
What testers found
These are measurements other testers have published, credited with links. Some tested models from other countries, with different sockets.
- RIVER 3 (UPS)T3 used the UPS version to back up a whole TV setup "with zero fan noise", and warned that hair dryers, grills and most heaters are beyond it.
- RIVER 3 Plussmartzone.de got an average of 231 Wh out of the sockets, 81% of the rated 286 Wh, measured 30-33 dB at a metre, and saw one of three fridges trip it on start-up.
- RIVER 3 PlusStorageReview timed the switch to battery at 9 ms, inside EcoFlow's 10 ms figure.
- RIVER 3 PlusAustralian Photography found a kettle, microwave, sandwich press and vacuum cleaner all pushed it into overload, even in X-Boost mode.
Who should buy something else
- A fridge-freezer through a whole night, or a microwave: a 1 kWh model such as the EcoFlow DELTA 3. See EcoFlow DELTA 3.
- The most energy for the money: the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 (£398 at Currys, sold out there when we checked): about four times the battery of a RIVER 3 (UPS) for about twice the price.