Whilst the EcoFlow River 2 Max doesn’t have the punch to run a kettle, it’s more than capable of keeping a host of gadgets charged up; the dazzling array of outputs means they’ll be no squabbling over who gets the AC outlet or USB socket as there’s plenty to go around.

Camping is becoming increasingly high tech, from handheld GPS units that can tell you where you’ve been, where you are and where you’re going to ultra bright head torches. That’s before we even think about cameras, drones and phones to capture that epic sunrise/sunset, depending on your inclination for an early start. All of this tech shares a common downfall though, it needs charging. Run times are getting longer but the inevitable time will come when they need to be recharged. That’s all well and good when there’s a plug socket in reach, but what about when you’re camping off grid?

Enter the EcoFlow River 2 Max, a chunky battery designed to keep your tech powered up when a hot shower and plug socket are a very long way away. We put the River 2 Max through its paces on a road trip around Scotland using it to recharge our cameras, laptop and drone.

4/5

£549 | Buy from Ecoflow

Positives:

• Small and compact size

• Solar charging input

• Loads of outputs

Negatives

• Noisy when in use and being charged

• Doesn’t have the power to run high power devices such as a kettThe Lowdown

• 512Wh Capacity

• Charge from empty to 100% in less than two hours

• 500W output with boost to 1000w

• Weighs 6.1kg

• TUV Rhineland safety certification

• Battery rated for 10 years of use

 Powerful and compact

 Packing a 512Wh battery, the River 2 Max is an ideal companion for those looking for a power station to keep their kit juiced up on a weekend camping trip The unit only weighs 6.1KG and is about the size of a large shoebox so won’t take up too much room in the back of the car and the relative lack of weight means it can be carried to your camp pitch rather than left in the car. There’s a chunky handle on the back which made moving the River 2 Max around a breeze.

 There’s plenty of outputs too to keep everyone and their devices ready to go; a pair of three pin AC outlets capable of dispatching 500W of power and up to 1000w at surge for short periods which EcoFlow claim will power 80% of essential appliances. Elsewhere, there’s four USB sockets; three type A and one C which is power delivery compatible up to 100w so can run even the most power hungry of laptops. Finally, there’s three DC outputs; one 12v cigarette style socket and two barrel plugs. The takeaway from these specs is that the River 2 Max can pretty much power anything.

 All of the inputs can be switched on and off undependably to converse battery life; it’s especially important to switch of the AC sockets as the onboard inverter draws current even when not in use. The River 2 Max has a built in screen and companion app that allows the unit to be controlled, as well as keep tabs on remaining charge and power draw. The app can be used to turn on outputs remotely.

Rapid Charging

Charging is an area that we had concerns about; a 512Wh battery is a seriously powerful bit of tech and we worried that it might take an age to charge. Imagine our surprise then when we plugged the completely flat River 2 Max into the wall and came back 90 minutes later and it was fully charged! It’d also possible to charge the device from a cigarette lighter in the car or via USB-C but its worth nothing it’ll take much longer to get a full charge.

The charging process wasn’t completely silent, the fans in the unit kicked in at intervals and they’re quite loud so you won’t get away with stealthy charging in a coffee shop.

The River 2 Max is also capable of being recharged from the sun using solar panels. EcoFlow offer their own models which they claim can generate around 1.2kWh daily, so enough to recharge the River 2 Max almost two times a day and in full sun will recharge it in around 4 hours. The solar panel input is a recognised standard so can be plugged into an existing solar setup if you’ve got one on the roof of your van for example.

Safety is paramount

One feature EcoFlow is very keen to shout about is the TUV certification; an assurance granted to products that go through rigourus independent testing to ensure that products meet the highest safety standards; which is reassuring given the potential for disaster should a large battery pack malfunction.

We found the River 2 Max straightforward to use; requiring almost no technical knowledge of the product to get it up and running; simply plug in your gadget and off you go. If the device is drawing too much power, then a message will appear on screen to the same effect so there’s no chance of frying the unit should you plug in a very power hungry device. We found that even under quite small loads, the on board fans kicked in and made quite a noise.

The chassis of the unit is suitably rugged and we had no concerns of causing any damage to the River 2 Max when taking it in and out of the car, as well as using it around camp. The battery is rated to withstand 10 years of use too so we’d have no worries about the longevity at all.

There are some power stations on the market that are probably complete overkill for the majority of users, with most just wanting to be able to charge a laptop rather than run a small data centre and this is where the River 2 Max slots right in. It’s small enough to not take up loads of precious space but packs a big enough punch to keep everything charged up.