Customers appreciate the electricity generator’s build quality, value for money, and functionality. They find it reliable, efficient, and a great investment. The generator is compact and portable, providing ample power. Customers can increase the battery capacity with an optional battery.
[<10 MS UPS]-The RIVER 3 Plus power station ensures <10 ms switchover for premium UPS protection, securing your home office and gaming setups from power surges. Stay informed with LED, app, and software alerts, and rest assured with automatic data saving on low battery, thanks to the PC/NAS-compatible interface and EcoFlow software.
[Power up to 1200W]-RIVER 3 Plus portable power station delivers a steady 600W and surges to 1200W with X-Boost. It features 7 outlets—including 3 UPS-supported AC, 2 USB-A, a high-speed USB-C, and a car charger output—to power all your family’s devices. Plus, the built-in light ensures you’re never left in the dark.
[2× Runtime & Ultra-Quiet]-The RIVER 3 Plus battery generator, powered by X-GaNPower, boosts energy efficiency, giving you twice the run time for appliances under 100W. Plus, it’s compact and operates at a quiet 30 dB, so it won’t disturb your peace, even at 1.6 ft away.
[Expandable Power, Effortless Experience]-Maximize your power potential with the RIVER 3 Plus and its compatible Extra Batteries. Choose the EB300 (286Wh) or EB600 (572Wh) to stack up to an impressive 858Wh of energy. Enjoy the simplicity of Pogo Pin technology for wireless connection and easy clipping, while the additional battery offers a 140W USB-C port for extra input and output options.
[Fast & Solar Recharge]-Experience AC charging from 0-100% in just 1 hour with X-Stream technology. Or, harness clean, green renewable energy to recharge the RIVER 3 Plus solar generator in as little as 1.5 hours with a 220W solar input.
[LiFePO4 Long-Life Battery]-RIVER 3 Plus has a lifespan of 3000 charging cycles. That’s around 10 years of everyday use before its capacity drops to 80%. With IP54 battery protection, water damage is minimized. Its robust fire-retardant shell survives rough conditions. Even after a 3 ft (1.5 m) fall, RIVER 3 Plus won’t get damaged.
[Smart App Control & Portable]-Enjoy seamless connectivity with the RIVER 3 Plus through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing remote control even when you’re away. The user-friendly app provides personalized charging options like speed control, timed charging, power-saving mode, and low-battery notifications. With dimensions of 9.2 x 9.1 x 5.8 inches and weighing 10.4 lbs, it’s designed for convenience and portability.
[What’s in the Box]-RIVER 3 Plus portable power station, AC charging cable, car charging cable, EcoFlow USB-B to USB-A UPS communication cable, user manual, and a 5-year service.
C.T.F. –
Great Product
I wanted several lightweight and portable battery banks for home usage. The primary function is to provide the electrical power necessary to fire and run some small (8 Kw) diesel heaters. We have the heaters in the house and barns in case we lose power in sub-freezing conditions.
According to the Ecoflow specifications it should be able to fire the diesel heater and run it for 14 hours straight on one battery charge. The heat is of course diesel generated. Electric power is required to start the unit, run the small air circulation fan and supply power to the instrumentation. The Ecoflow pulled about 110-150 Watts for a few minutes to start the diesel unit and then 10-12 Watts for the duration of the test. My aim was was a minimum of 12 hours of continuous usage.
The unit passed easily. At 15-20 degrees F the unit ran 15 straight hours and still had 20% battery life left. The Ecoflow is well built and lightweight. I really like that it can be recharged using 110V, 12V or solar. If I had to nitpick, the built-in utility light is an unnecessary gimmick.
I ordered more of these, two for each heater. This allows for a run one, charge one setup. These are well worth the money.
CHR –
Perfect little generator
Just the right size to run my WiFi router and charge my cell phone and tablet. Runs with no sound whatsoever and charges quickly, panel very easy to understand. Arrived super fast. Great introduction to solar generator! Highly recommend EcoFlow – high quality!
YuenX –
Really fast charging and excellent engineering with modular design
I had been buying, using, and recommending power stations for over 6 years now, including those from Goal Zero, Jackery, Bluetti, EcoFlow, and many other brands. EcoFlow really surprised me with their Delta Pro that I bought a few years ago for our vacation home due to many of its innovative features. In fact, a Goal Zero representative I spoke with at a conference was surprised by EcoFlow’s engineering chops that year. It put the company on my radar as one of the top power station manufacturers I could recommend.
Thus far, I had bought, tested, and compared EF’s Delta Pro and Delta series batteries, and I was curious about what the River line was targeting. Jackery and Goal Zero did not distinguish their products much: Jackery has the Explorer/Explorer Pro, and Goal Zero the Yeti X/Yeti Pro. What I learned was that River offered lower-capacity batteries (up to 286Wh or 858Wh with expansions) for portability and low-powered devices like laptops and cameras. Delta was designed for larger appliances and tools, for extended runtime (with battery capacity between 1,000Wh and 12,000Wh), or even to power a home or RV.
If you do not know what “Wh” (Watt-Hours) and “W” (Watts) mean, do not worry. I will go over the basics later on in this review. For now, know that Watt-hours measures the battery capacity — how long something can run for — and Watts measures how much power is used or produced.
When shopping for batteries, you will also run into terms like “Lithium-ion” and “LiFePO4”. In fact, many people are confused about what they are. We will go over them in more detail later, but know that EcoFlow’s batteries all use LiFePO4 now (as do Bluetti’s). Jackery and Goal Zero only recently switched to LiFePO4. This battery chemistry’s greatest benefit is longevity: lasting at least 10 years with normal use.
ANALYSIS
The EcoFlow River 3 Plus is a compact, portable battery designed for everyday use with lower-powered devices like cameras, phones, laptops, car freezers, and home network equipment that keeps the internet running. Where EcoFlow shines compared to competitors is its embrace of modular designs. The River 3 Plus (286Wh capacity) can be expanded with an extra battery that doubles (572Wh) or even triples (858Wh) its capacity, depending on which Smart Extra battery you pair with. With 572Wh, a car freezer could run for a full day, and with 858Wh the same appliance can run between 1.5-2 days, depending on how warm the ambient temperature is. In cold weather, the car fridges can last even longer.
River 3’s naming convention is a bit odd: the base, River 3 Plus (286Wh), becomes River 3 Max (572Wh) by adding the Smart Extra Battery EB300 (286Wh), and turns into River 3 Max Plus (858Wh) by adding the Smart Extra Battery EB600 (572Wh). In other words, all 3 “models” share the River 3 Plus as their base.
Sweet Spot: The 1,000Wh battery capacity hits the sweet spot for many consumers, including this author, who are looking for the right balance of power and portability. But when it comes to home integration, the more Watt-hours a battery ecosystem offers, the longer one can power a home for during a blackout. The River 3’s advantage with the lower capacity (286Wh, 572Wh, or 858Wh) is portability where space may be at a premium. Plus, they are far lighter to carry than 1,000Wh or larger batteries.
EcoFlow, Goal Zero, Jackery, and Bluetti power stations can be used while simultaneously charging themselves.
WHICH MODEL IS BEST?
Which power station to get depends on your needs, and for that, I recommend you read the “CONTINUOUS VS PEAK OUTPUT” section of this review, then check the “CALCULATIONS” part to figure out what size battery to get.
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
As I previously stated, the River 3 uses LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) whereas older Jackery and Goal Zero batteries used Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC). The latter is also used by today’s cellphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung. Where individuals are often confused is that some consider LiFePO4 to be better than Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, but in reality, both NMC and LiFePO4 are Li-ion. I found many incorrectly referring Li-ion to be NMC and not LiFePO4. Regardless, what are the differences between NMC and LiFePO4?
LiFePO4 is bulkier and heavier than NMC, yet most power station vendors now use LiFePO4. Here is why LiFePO4 is better than NMC:
– Safer, less volatile, and thus cheaper to manufacture
– Charge cycle: 1500-2000 (10+ years)
— NMC: 20-25% capacity loss after every 500 cycle (6-10 years for up to 2000 cycles, after which capacity is vastly diminished)
— EcoFlow claims 3500 cycles before dropping to 80% of original capacity and 6500 to 50%.
– Usable in more extreme temperatures (-4F/-20C to 176F/80C). NMC: only 140F/60C max
– Holds 350-day charge. NMC: 300
LiFePO4 batteries are less volatile (safer), more usable in extreme temperatures, and have a higher charge cycle count (battery lifetime) than NMC.
You can see from some of my pictures that the River 3 Plus (286Wh LiFePO4) is nearly the same size as the Goal Zero Yeti 500x (497Wh NMC). Again, LiFePO4 has many advantages, but it is heavier and bulkier than NMC batteries. The River 3 Max (572Wh) is vastly larger than the Yeti 500x and adds just 75Wh of capacity.
CAUTION: Lithium-ion batteries do NOT like to remain discharged at 0% for prolonged periods of time. If you let your battery stay at 0% for too long, you may not be able to charge it again without specialized equipment.
CONTINUOUS VS PEAK OUTPUT
It is important to understand the difference between Watts and Watt-Hours. How much power is used or produced is measured in Watts, and how much energy a battery can store is calculated in Watt-Hours. See the “CALCULATIONS” section below for more details.
– AC Inverter: Converts battery (DC) power into AC
— River 3 Plus provides 600W continuous output with a 1,200W peak
– Peak/Surge (Starting): Nearly every device initially draws extra power to turn on. The highest amount it pulls is the Peak. As long as that number is below 1,200W, it can be STARTED. Examplesâ¦
— Turns on OK (PEAK under 1,200W):
— Freezer starts at 400W (peak), runs at 150W once on
— Will NOT turn on (PEAK over 2,700W):
— Home AC starts at 4,000W (peak), runs at 1,000W once on
Most devices power on at a higher (Peak) wattage than when they are already on (Continuous). Therefore, if its peak exceeds the power station’s max, it may not be able to start
– Continuous Output (Running): Once devices are on, as long as they keep drawing less than 600W total, they will stay ON until the battery runs out
— CONTINUES running (under 600W)
— 100W TV + 60W laptop = 160W
— COULD STOP running (over 600W)
— Temporary overdrawing beyond 600W for a few seconds is okay. A quality BMS will protectively shut down the battery if the surge does not end after a while. Regularly going over for a prolonged time can ruin the battery in the long run
— 450W appliance (600W peak) + 100W laptop (120W peak) = 550W (less than 600W). This will run fine
—- Add a 100W TV (130W peak) = 650W. Probably will stay on for a short period
—- Add another 60W laptop = 710W (over 600W). Battery will definitely shut down
CALCULATIONS
The below calculations are rough ESTIMATES as conditions, battery quality, and age can vary. [SORRY: I had to shorten my original review by a LOT (including many calculations) so it could fit here on Amazon.]
Time to Charge the River 3 Max (572Wh)
– Calc: Hours to charge battery = Battery capacity (Wh) / Input Wattage
— As battery approaches 75% full, the input charge will increasingly be slowed down to prevent overcharging
– AC Wall: 380W @ 90 mins [572 Wh / 380W]
– 12V Car Charger
— 120W @ 4.8 hrs (at 10A, if car supports it)
— 220W @ 2.6 hrs (at 18A, if car supports it)
Charge Time with Solar
– Calc: Hours to charge battery = Battery capacity (Wh) / (Panel Wattage x [0.5 or 0.75])
— In a perfect lab, solar panels charge at the listed wattage
— Expect to only receive 50-75% on a good, sunny day (ie. 75W â 113W for a 150W panel), depending on panel’s age, component quality, and weather
– 200W solar panel: as fast as 3.8 hours [572Wh / (200W x 0.75)]
– Underproduction: If a panel is not making enough, adding extra ones can generate a higher, combined output
– Overproduction: If the panels make more than the maximum the power station charge port can take, only the max will go through
Watts Used/Produced by a Device
– Calc: Watts used or produced by device = Voltage x Amperage
– Vacuum with 120V @ 9.5A uses 1,140W
– Solar panel with 12V @ 10A can produce up to 120W
Ideal Battery Power Station Size
– Calc: Battery capacity (Wh) = Watts used by device x Hours needed for / 0.85
— 10-15% of power is lost during power conversion
– 45W car fridge needed for 8 hours: Minimum 424Wh power station (45W x 8 / 0.85)
OTHER TOPICS
– Mobile app control via WiFi or Bluetooth
– Near-instant auto-switching between AC and battery power
— Makes it suitable for use as a Standby Power Supply (SPS) during a blackout
– Expansion options
— Battery capacity expansion to a total of 858Wh with the Smart Extra Battery 600 (+572Wh) or 572Wh with Smart Extra Battery 300 (+286Wh)
— Connectivity with solar panels
– 5-year warranty
– NOT quite waterproof at IP54: protected against dust intrusion and water splashing from any direction, but do not leave it out in the rain
FINAL THOUGHTS
EcoFlow thoroughly impressed us with their Delta Pro power station and quickly added the company to our list of recommended battery providers. Their newest Delta 2, now a LiFePO4 product, further surprised us with 1,200W rapid-charging that took the battery from 0 to 80% in a whopping 50 minutes! Had we not seen that in person, we would have dismissed it as a marketing gimmick, but we were proven wrong. The River 3 Plus has continued with its engineering chops with solid specifications and performance, especially with its modular design where one can decide how much capacity to add to the base River 3 Plus unit.
Blake –
Works as expected, strange plastic or adhesive smell from main unit while fans run
Update: 01/27/2025
I reached out to EcoFlow regarding a few things, and one I did get clarification on was the strange scent that comes from the River 3 Plus. EcoFlow told me that they have coated the device in three-proof paint internally, so as to increase resistance to environmental facters, and with various paints I’ve been around in the past, some can take some time before they do not emit any scent at all, therefore this is a problem I expect will be of decreasing concern as time passes.
Original: 01/23/2025
I purchased this about 8 days ago, and received it 3 days earlier. Since then, I have been testing it, after I registered it online for any warrenty claims if needed. So far, everything is working well.
Pros:
The inverter does not make the fans operate at low load, but even if it did, the fans are so silent it wouldn’t make any difference. I cannot even hear the fans unless my fridge is not running.
With the EB600 battery attached, the inverter seems capable of running a very low 8 wat load for 2 days, perhaps a little longer.
The connection between the River 3 Plus and the EB600 battery seems to be very secure and should work well, even if carrying it by the handle on the River 3 Plus
UPS feature works very well from my limited testing thus far, it could become a primary replacement for my APC UPS one day.
Fast charging at 650W works quite well, and from my testing, the AC cable provided along with the River 3 Plus itself allows for the input of greater AC power than 650W while it’s being used as a UPS. For instance, while charging at 650W and running a 30W load, the input power went up to 680W, so use as a UPS doesn’t appear to impact charging speed of the battery on AC power at any charging rate used.
Allowing for output port memory is excellent for use as a UPS, or for me as a blind person to know if the battery is on or off, as I can turn the inverter on and its relay will click when the battery is powered on, and powered off.
Cons:
The EcoFlow app asks for more information than I would prefer. Location information specifically, does EcoFlow really need this information?
The EcoFlow app could be more accessible to VoiceOver on iOS. For example, there are not labeled buttons or mislabeled buttons for the enable and disable of various ports on the battery, the light settings on the battery, some settings within the settings for the battery such as enabling or disabling X-Boost, power outage alert, low battery alert, output port memory.
The batteries packaging could be a little better, a statically balanced bag to prevent ESD while removing it from the box would be a good improvement, as there was some static discharge while I was dealing with the battery initially, though not much.
There is a strange smell from the battery like new plastic or adhesive as some other reviewers have mentioned, which is most noticeable while the fans are running. I attribute this to the fact that this River 3 Plus is quite new and was only released to the public I believe in December of 2024, so I’m guessing it will take some time for this smell to completely disappear.
So far, this battery is working exactly as I’d hoped, and being used for mobile power on a nice rolling cart I’ve purchased.