EcoFlow Delta 2 power station review: Flexible, advanced, and LOUD
At a glance
Our Verdict
You’d be hard pressed to find a more advanced and expandable portable power station than the EcoFlow Delta 2
Best Today: EcoFlow Delta 2
EcoFlow has long been recognized as one of the most technically advanced power station brands around, with one key weakness: battery chemistry. With the Delta 2, EcoFlow addresses that by moving to lithium iron phosphate cells, which more than triples the duty cycle of the battery.
That’s likely to ease the minds of consumers who expect to heavily use their power stations.
Note: This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best portable power stations. Go there to learn about competing products, what to look for in a power station, and buying recommendations.
EcoFlow Delta 2: The lithium iron phosphate difference
To be honest, arguments over battery chemistry might be a little overstated. With the original 1,000WHr Delta, for example, it would take 800 full discharge cycles before the battery’s capacity would drop to 80 percent. That’s similar to what you would see in a laptop or phone, which you would actually charge and discharge daily or every other day.
But most people are unlikely to give a portable power station that kind of a workout unless you’re permanently off the grid. Realistically, it’ll sit around until it’s used for a camping trip or occasional power outages.
But going from 800 charge cycles to 3,000 thanks to the lithium iron phosphate chemistry is understandably very attractive to many people. In fact, with that many charges cycles, you might even consider using it as an ad-hoc UPS for your PC, keeping it plugged in full time.
In truth, that would work with a laptop, but probably not a desktop. That’s because the Delta 2 takes 30 milliseconds to take over once power has been cut. On most desktops following the ATX specification, a PSU can go 16ms before power is lost to the system. The 30ms is simply too slow for most desktop PCs to not immediately reboot with the Delta 2.
This doesn’t impact laptops, which have a battery to rely on while power is switched over. Similarly, fans, refrigerators, and most other household equipment doesn’t mind losing power for a fraction of a second. There’s no concern about losing data.
EcoFlow Delta 2: Design and ports
The Delta 2 doesn’t change much externally from the original model, with handles on both ends that are strong enough to lug around the 27 pound power station one-handed if you need to. EcoFlow has moved the AC and solar charging ports from the side of the unit to the back on the Delta 2. The solar ports continue to be based on the fairly common XT60 connector so you can connect aftermarket solar panels to it if you want. If you go this route, pay careful attention that the voltage of your solar panels remains below the Delta 2’s limit of 500 watts. Or stick with an EcoFlow-branded setup to be sure.
We tested the Delta 2 with the company’s 220-watt bifacial panels and could push 140 watts to 150 watts from a low-angle fall sun. That was enough to offset our refrigerator’s power consumption of 172 watts, and yes, you can charge the Delta 2 while using it.
Charging over solar is great, but cloudy days can make charging very tedious and nerve wracking if you’re worried you won’t have time to recharge before the sun sets. If you’re in a pinch during a power outage and can’t wait hours and hours to charge the station via solar panel, the Delta 2 has impressive AC charge rates if you can get it to a working outlet.
Plugged into AC, the Delta 2 can charge at up to 1,200 watts, which lets you take it from zero to 100 percent in about an an hour and 20 minutes. The Delta 2’s aggressive charge input doesn’t run at 1,200 watts the entire time—like most laptops and phones, it eases back as it approaches full power to preserve battery longevity.
The XT60 port can also be used for DC charging in your car (that cable is included). You also get a cigarette car lighter and two 5.5mm “barrel” ports. The cigarette charge is rated at 12.6 volts and 10 amps, or 128 watts, while the two barrel charger ports can hit 38 watts a piece at 12.6 volts. You should know that 12.6 volts over the car charger is fine, but some devices may want the full 13.6 to 14 volts a typical car alternator provides to operate. If your device needs that much voltage, the Delta 2’s DC-out may not work for it.
The Delta’s front features four USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports. We checked the USB-C ports, which report they support USB 3.0 Power Delivery charging at 5 volts, 9 volts, 12 volts, 15 volts, and 20 volts, all at 5 amps. That means both ports can charge a USB-C laptop at up to 100 watts without issue.
Two of the USB-A ports are the standard 5 watt, while the two blue ports on the right support more advanced charging rates using QuickCharge 2.0 and 3.0 up to 12 volts, as well as Samsung’s AFC up to 9 volts, and Huawei’s FCP up to 9 volts or 18 watts.
The backside of the Delta 2 features six AC plugs, four are two-prong rated for the standard 15-amp output of a most American homes. The last two plugs are three-prong and rated for 20 amps. The AC output is rated at 1,800 watts total with a momentary surge rating of 2,700 watts. Turn on the Delta 2’s X-Boost mode and it can push 2,200 watts for an extended period of time. EcoFlow says X-Boost is best suited for devices that don’t need exact voltage such as a heater or power tools, and also says you should have only one port for those times. We’d recommend, for example, that you not run a rack of desktop PCs in X-Boost mode due to the lowered voltage EcoFlow uses to reach the sustained higher 2,200 watts.
We’ve seen reports from early reviews of the pure sine wave on the Delta 2 being a little less than pure under heavy loads but looking at the output under a 1,600 watt load, all appeared fine.
EcoFlow Delta Max 2000: two-minute review
The Delta Max is a portable power station – basically a huge battery and inverter that’ve been stuffed into a box along with a solar controller and an AC/DC charger. It can be used for everything from powering your fridge and other home appliances during a blackout, taken on the road, for camping, at a work site, or it can become the basis of a mini off-grid system.
The Max has a battery capacity of 2,016Wh (aka 2kWh), which is enough to keep the average phone running for about a year. The Max can also have two external batteries connected for a total capacity of 6kWh, or be linked up to a Smart generator for total off-grid power. There’s also a cheaper Max 1,600Wh version with a smaller battery.
The Max includes four 230V sockets, which share 2,400W (4,600W surge) of pure sine wave output, and can be used like an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). You also get two 100W USB-C Power Delivery (PD) spec ports that can charge things like phones or laptops, as well as four normal USB-A ports, and various 12V outputs. In other words, you can plug just about anything into the Max and charge it.
Recharging the power station from a wall socket can be done at up to a very impressive 2,000W, and in testing we found that from dead flat it will hit 80% full in a bit over an hour. Alternatively you can charge at up to 800W from solar or from a 12 or 24 volt car accessory port at up to 8A. So in a nutshell, it allows you to store power from a range of sources, and use it when needed most.
While the Max itself has a small screen, the main control for the Delta Max is via a slick phone app that lets you see everything at a glance, or delve into deeper settings. There’s a range of customization possible, including important options such as setting the maximum charge and discharge levels to increase cycle life. You can also adjust charge rates, set minimum and maximum charge values, turn outputs on and off, and configure extras such as automatic generator charging. It connects via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and with the later you can also remotely access the Max via the internet.
The Delta Max isn’t perfect of course. We found it a little noisy under load, the accessories are pricey. We also wish the app had more options for data logging and automation. Still, for those who need its specific features and capacity, the compact all-in-one nature and incredibly fast charging make it a solid buy. And if the Delta Max doesn’t suit, EcoFlow has a large range of smaller and larger portable (and not so portable) power stations.
EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 review: price and availability
- EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 at Amazon for 450,099
Availability for the EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 is generally excellent, but pricing does vary a lot across retailers, so make sure you shop around and keep an eye out for promotions.
Value wise, the Delta Max 2000 is a mostly very positive mixed bag. There are cheaper options (and DIY can be much more affordable) but for a ready-to-go, all-in-one power solution with incredibly fast charging, the Delta Max is hard to beat. It’s still a premium price, but the matching features mean it is well worth it for those who need the specific functionality it provides.
Value score: 4 / 5
EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 review: design and features
Our primary frustration with the Delta Max is noise. Packing so much gear in a compact body means the heat builds up quickly, and four fans are needed to keep the Max cool under load. With the fans running it sounds like a particularly noisy laptop, and certainly can ruin the mood of a clear quiet night camping. With fans needed for cooling, dust build up is a reasonable concern and the Delta Max doesn’t have filter grills, and there is no easily accessible user option for cleaning things out.
Capacity: 2016Wh AC Output: 2400W (Surge 4600W) Pure Sine Wave 230V Solar Charging: 800W charge rate, 1300W max input Cycle Life: 800 cycles to 80% capacity USB Charging: 2x 100W USB-C, 4x USB-A Other Outputs: 12V, 3A Dimensions: 50 x 24 x 31 cm Weight: 22kg Warranty: 24 12 month
A key advantage of the Delta Max is the very impressive 2,000W charge rate, which is many multiple times faster than most of its competition. Delta Max uses NCM (nickel, cobalt and manganese) lithium-ion batteries, and can recharge from near empty to 80% in about an hour when plugged into a wall socket. This makes it ideal for usage scenarios where fast charging is important, but the downside is a lower overall cycle life. The Max is rated for 800 recharge cycles down to 80% capacity, which is as expected for the chemistry, but means if you want to do daily cycles of the full capacity, a power station using LiFePO4 cells (such as the Delta Pro) is better suited.
The 2,400W AC output includes an additional feature called X-Boost. This allows you to run higher-wattage products at low power – basically, the power station will limit power to 2,400W rather than overload and cut out. You can turn the AC inverter on and off via the remote or with a button on the Max, and adjust options such as inverter timeout when not in use, to save power.
For solar charging, the Delta Max accepts a 11-100V input, with a short circuit current of 13A – giving 1,300 total. The actual MPPT solar charger inside has a maximum charge output of 800W. This means you can overprovision solar by a large amount, which (it’s claimed) enables collecting up to 62% more power during cloudy weather.
The EcoFlow Max is backed up by an excellent 2 year warranty, with an extra year if you register online.
Design and features score: 4.5 / 5
EcoFlow Delta Max 2000 review: performance
At 22kg, the Max is pretty heavy, but thanks to the large handles, most able-bodied individuals should be able to move it around easily. It’s built tough, and we have no concerns about it standing up to ongoing use.
In testing, the AC sockets provided 2,400W of smooth sine wave power, and happily handled repeated surges. The X-Boost function made it easy to run multiple high wattage devices that would normally trigger an overload. On the load tester, the USB ports all managed their rated spec – including both USB-C ports providing 100W at the same time.
During testing, we could charge the Max from 20% to 80% in around 53 minutes. Solar charging worked well, and while the app options were a little limited for detailed monitoring, we didn’t notice any issues with efficiency. Car charging is handy but slow (due to the car’s limited output), and only adds about 5% battery per hour of driving.
One important feature is using the Max as a UPS. It offers a 30ms max switch time, which is fine for most devices, and didn’t cause an issue for a desktop computer or network-attached storage appliance we tested in normal use, but some lower power devices (such as a TV) tended to power off and then back on during the switch.
It’s not possible for us to get any meaningful test of cycle life in the short period over which a review like this one takes place, but we can report that we didn’t notice any anomalies. We found the unit tended to self discharge a bit faster than the rated 1-year standby time, so it’s best to make sure it is plugged in every few months.
Performance score: 4 / 5
EcoFlow DELTA mini Portable Power Station
The EcoFlow DELTA mini Portable Power Station is a compact and powerful solution for anyone in need of reliable power on the go. With up to 882Wh of capacity and a range of output ports, the DELTA mini can power everything from smartphones and tablets to small appliances and power tools. It is also designed with portability in mind, featuring a compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to take with you wherever you need it.
Whether you’re camping, traveling, or facing an emergency situation, the EcoFlow DELTA mini Portable Power Station provides a dependable and sustainable power source that you can trust.
Bring along DELTA mini and keep your devices powered at all times. DELTA mini’s 882Wh capacity is perfect for power outages, outdoor adventures, and professional work.
Pint-sized Powerhouse
possibilities open up when you bring along 1400W for up to 12 devices. Whether it’s professional gear or the comforts of home, it’s good to know you’re good to go.
DELTA mini snags up to 300W from solar panels for a full recharge in 3 to 6 hours. It can also go from 0-100% in 96 minutes when charging from the wall.
Smarter with the App
The EcoFlow app shows how much solar you’re bringing in and how many watts your slow cooker and mini-fridge are pulling. Connect it to the internet and control it from anywhere.Learn more Three easy ways to charge
Harness the power of the sun by linking up to two 160W solar panels, and be fully charged in as little as 4 to 8 hours.
EV Charger
If you’re using an EV charger on the go, or at home, you can benefit from fast charging speed to charge at an EV charger. You’ll need an EV X-Stream adapter. If you’re going renewable with your Delta Pro, you can use EcoFlow solar panels to charge your unit. Delta Pro can handle up to 1200 watts with 3 x 400 watts panels.
Solar Panels Charger
Here’s how to connect multiple panels. First connect a series of panels using the MC4 connectors then take the loose ends that are not yet connected, and link them with the solar charging cable. Once done, you can plug the solar charging cable directly into your unit. Use EcoFlow solar panels in direct sunlight, and make sure they are unobstructed.
The carrying case allows you to position the solar panels for maximum solar efficiency. They can also be used with the solar tracker.
Car Charger
You can also use the outlet in your car to charge Delta Pro. To start charging, start up your car engine, and take your car charging cable, and plug it into the car charging port on your Delta Pro then take the other end of the cable and plug it directly into your car cigarette lighter.
Smart Generator Charger
In extreme cases, you can use the Smart generator for backup power. To set up your Smart generator, turn the fuel cap vent lever and engine switch to the ON position then connect it to your delta pro via the extra battery port. Once set up, your Smart generator will auto-detect if your unit is below 20 charges.
If the battery level drops, the engine will start and charge your unit to full automatically. You can alter the battery level at which the Smart generator turns ON in the EcoFlow app. You can also start charging the Delta Pro right away by pressing and holding the electric start button remotely from the EcoFlow app or manually with the starter grip that covers the main ways to charge your Delta Pro.