And, on a related note, it’s also a little irritating that, if you forget to turn off the power station using the master power button, the battery steadily drains over time. The portable power station delivers up to 500W of power, which should be more than adequate for all your gadgets. But it works well as an emergency power backup for devices that are less finicky about a minor power interruption.

EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | Portable Power Stations | UK Version EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro | Portable Power Stations | UK Version

This newer type of battery replaces the Lithium Ion ones used in the original River, offering the advantage of standing up better to the rigors of heavy use and behaving better in the cold. You can charge the internal battery in a total of four ways: AC port, car charger, USB-C port, and solar power. Use RIVER 2 Series as an emergency power supply for outages to keep essentials running from a light to your fish tank.View charging levels, customize settings, and adjust charging speeds, all from the convenience of your phone. That limit means that while it was fine for a fan and a small blender, you can’t run anything larger: I found that a small toaster oven and an electric heater tried to pull too much power and tripped the overload.

EcoFlow RIVER 2 Portable Power Station | EcoFlow US | EcoFlow US EcoFlow RIVER 2 Portable Power Station | EcoFlow US | EcoFlow US

With two AC plugs for your personal devices and small appliances, as well as USB-A and USB-C outlets, you can charge or run your essentials anytime. EcoFlow’s off-grid power solutions can output up to 7200W of AC (running watts) and 14,400W (starting watts). If you need more power, consider upgrading to other RIVER 2 series devices, such as the RIVER 2 Pro or RIVER 2 Max — each of which offers greater AC output. When it comes to life span, EcoFlow portable power stations can last for thousands of cycles (discharging and recharging the battery).In fact, EcoFlow says the battery pack will retain 80% or more of its capacity after 3,000 charging cycles, which should give you many years of use, even if you charge it every day. The two smaller models in the EcoFlow River 2 series are now available direct from Ecoflow or other retailers. Heavier use will mean a shorter overall chronological life span before battery efficiency starts to diminish. With so many EcoFlow solutions to choose from, look for an option that fits your budget and fully meets your needs. My intension with the review was to fully charge the battery on the River 2 Max and drain it several times.