This Compact Solar Generator Is Currently $199.
If you’re looking for a portable power solution to keep the lights on or charge your gadgets during a power outage or on hikes, you might want to check out the new EcoFlow River 3 . This compact solar generator comes with a 45W solar panel and is currently $199, down from $338—that’s a 41% discount. It has a 245Wh battery and delivers 300W of power output, which can be increased to 600W with X-Boost technology for slightly more power-hungry devices. For those who need greater endurance in a portable power rig, River 3 is reported to double the runtime for lower power devices (less than 100W) thanks to X-GaN technology. And if you’re concerned about noise, the X-Quiet feature delivers noise levels of less than 30 dB (according to EcoFlow) when operating below 50 Watts.
The River 3 has a pretty decent selection of ports—two AC outlets, USB-A, USB-C, and a carport—so you’ve got options to work with. It can also be used as a UPS with a switching frequency of 20ms, which is fast enough to keep your devices running during a power outage. As noted in ZDNET’s review , the fast charging feature allows it to be fully charged in 55 minutes when plugged into an AC outlet. And when using solar power, it can reportedly recharge in about three hours at 110W input power, although this depends on the amount of direct sunlight available.
You can control River 3 remotely through the EcoFlow app, adjusting settings, checking its status, and turning sockets on or off right from your phone. It also has an IP54 rating, which means its battery pack is waterproof.
While the River 3 is great for powering smaller devices and even running a CPAP machine during short power outages, for larger devices that require a lot of power, you might want to look at the more powerful Delta 3 Plus , which costs $899.