All posts tagged: EcoFlow

EcoFlow Wave 3 review: a portable air conditioner and heater that’s better in every way

EcoFlow Wave 3 review: a portable air conditioner and heater that’s better in every way

Published by Webster

I’ve been testing the EcoFlow Wave 3, a follow-up to the all-in-one battery-powered air conditioner, heater, and fan I reviewed last summer. EcoFlow has dialed back its absurd marketing with a more powerful unit that can be recharged through several methods, including the sun. Only now it can automatically (try to) maintain a set temperature range and act as a dedicated dehumidifier, too. I was grateful to have EcoFlow’s Wave 2 with me last summer while vanlifing around Portugal and Spain. That less powerful A/C helped to offset daytime temps hitting 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degree Fahrenheit) and made 25C (77F) nights comfortable enough to sleep. But it only worked in small spaces and under just the right circumstances. The third-generation portable heat pump from EcoFlow can’t perform miracles. We’re still only talking 6100BTU (1800W) of cooling and 6800BTU (2000W) of heating. And placement is limited by bulky intake and exhaust hoses, and the space needed for a receptacle to collect any drained water. But if you own a van, surf shack, work shed, roof-top …

EcoFlow says subscriptions aren’t required for advanced features… yet

EcoFlow says subscriptions aren’t required for advanced features… yet

Published by Webster

The company says the new PowerStream features that will be available through its mobile app “include cutting-edge technologies tailored to specific critical needs” and that by only making them available through a subscription model, users won’t have to pay for advanced features they don’t use. EcoFlow also says the paid model will allow the company to continue “maintaining and developing these niche but critical new features.” EcoFlow also assures users that it has no plans to lock its apps and other software features already available on its power devices behind a paywall. “All existing features available to PowerStream users remain unaffected. The core functions of these devices will never be subject to payment thresholds, and you will never be required to make additional software payments to use your devices normally.” The PowerStream Balcony Solar System uses solar panels, a large portable battery, smart plugs, and a compact microinverter to deliver cheaper solar-generated power to other devices and appliances around a home using standard wall outlets. Using EcoFlow’s mobile app, users can specify how much power …

EcoFlow launches four new batteries for phones, homes, and RVs

Published by Webster

EcoFlow just launched four new battery products designed to power everything from your home appliances in the event of a blackout to your Qi2-compatible phone to RVs. Going from most powerful to least, there’s the second-generation Power Kit to power your off-grid vanlife fantasies, the midrange Delta 3 and compact River 3 solar generators, and the Rapid Qi2 wireless power banks for phones that can also charge your laptop in a pinch. All the new EcoFlow products.Image: EcoFlow The Power Kit v2 is a follow-up to its original all-in-one power management system I reviewed 18 months ago. The kits are designed to power everything from an off-grid cabin to a small campervan, without the complexity of having to cobble together all the required components and wiring yourself. EcoFlow says the new 5kVA 48V Power Kits are improved for RVs, quieter — a recurring complaint with the original — and offer even more storage capacity. The expanded 45kWh battery limit is enough to boondock for a week or longer if your rig is big enough to store …

EcoFlow has three new gadgets for luxury off-grid living

Published by Webster

EcoFlow announced three new devices today — a refrigerator / ice maker, an air conditioner / heater, and a robotic lawnmower / leaf collector — as part of its burgeoning ecosystem of portable, battery-powered solutions for residential homes, off-grid cabins, and RVs. They join the company’s new whole-home battery backup kits, also announced at the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The EcoFlow Glacier makes me feel seen as a budding vanlifer and cocktail enthusiast. The battery-powered portable fridge, freezer, and ice cube maker has a removable 297Wh battery that can power the device for up to 24 hours on a single charge and be topped up directly using solar panels, which EcoFlow will be happy to supply. It can produce exactly 18 ice cubes in about 12 minutes, the company says. Those cone-shaped cubes aren’t exactly slow-melting “craft ice,” but living off the grid does require concessions. The EcoFlow Glacier will be available in April. The EcoFlow Glacier is a refrigerator freezer with built-in ice maker.Image: EcoFlow Blade is the lawn mowing robot, which …

EcoFlow Power Kit review: off-grid living made easy

Published by Webster

There’s never been a better time to become a digital nomad. Many employers not named Elon Musk now offer flexible work-from-home arrangements, enacted during the pandemic and made permanent in 2022. Ironically, Musk’s little Starlink RV service has been a boon to remote working by bringing relatively fast internet to great swaths of digital wilderness, even while driving. And for those looking to go truly remote, dozens of countries, like Spain, Barbados, Namibia, and Malaysia, now offer temporary residency permits to digital workers of foreign-based employers.  You can also take your nomadic existence off the grid thanks to advances in solar panels and batteries. High-capacity batteries now charge faster, last longer, weigh less, and offer improved safety thanks to the adoption of lithium iron phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4) chemistry. That’s good because you’ll be needing lots of power if you want to live and work from the beach, forest, or mountain top comfortably. But you can’t count on the sun’s power alone. For extended off-grid stays, you’ll need the ability to replenish those batteries with …