Humans are so connected to their smartphones and mobile devices these days that the idea of bringing the family for a camping adventure might elicit a big, fat “NO”!
Glamping seems to be the preferred option in this day and age, where you have all the creature comforts such as air conditioning, smartphone reception, and electricity at the flick of a switch.
Well, good news for those who wish to get close to nature without being too far away from civilisation: Ecoflow’s River 2 Pro power station can be your ideal camping companion.
What is it? Well, the River 2 Pro can also be described as a huge power bank, and Ecoflow clearly intends for you to enjoy the comforts of a smart home away from your smart home.
A handle protrudes from one side, allowing you to carry it around rather uncomfortably, but the clearly laid out buttons make up for this shortcoming. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to operate it without referring to a user manual.
A clear display provides crucial information at a glance, and remains legible even under direct sunlight, allowing you to view details on the battery status and charging process, as well as input and output power.
There is a trio of AC ports, three USB-A ports, a single USB-C port, a couple of DC ports, and a solitary port that can be hooked up to your car. These are all unprotected, however, so you might want to take extra care to keep liquids far away from them. Vents are located on either side to maintain cooling airflow.
The power supply unit has been integrated into the River 2 Pro itself, requiring only the AC charging cable to juice it up. Apart from plugging it into your car or a power outlet, you can also hook up solar panels to it – although relying on solar power should be a last resort if you have access to a nearby power outlet.
Upon unboxing, you will see the AC charging cable, a car charging cable, and a connection cable accompanying the Ecoflow River 2 Pro. It tips the scales at 8kg, with small feet underneath that would require you to be careful of its placement.
Staying app-y outdoors
Featuring a powerful inverter inside the relatively compact chassis, the River 2 Pro manages 800 watts in continuous operation with a peak power of 1,600 watts. To enable high-output power, X-Boost mode can be activated via the Ecoflow application.
The app itself features a very simple but aesthetically pleasing interface that depicts, via animation, the amount of time left before the River 2 Pro is fully charged, while constantly keeping tabs on the charging and discharging status.
You would most probably find yourself interacting with the River 2 Pro via the app more than through the physical buttons. Options include setting the desired output power, controlling the power supply for all ports, and enabling or disabling X-Boost.
The River 2 Pro comes with a sizeable 768Wh capacity and 800W output, and if you decide to go with solar charging to fill it up, it gets up to 1.8kWh each day. It takes approximately 70 minutes to fully recharge from zero.
You might wonder just how long the battery can last in the long run, given that smartphone and powerbank batteries lose their maximum charge over the course of time. The River 2 Pro uses a lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) battery that has been rated to offer up to 10 years of use before its performance starts to degrade.
Do bear in mind that power stations tend to mention only the battery cell capacity and not the available capacity for good reason – the battery cells are never discharged completely to prevent damage, leaving approximately 10% of residual capacity.
There is also a UPS function with pass-through charging, enabling you to hook up the device to a power outlet while having it provide charge for other connected devices. In the event there is no incoming power, the River 2 Pro will play its role without you knowing it.
Performance-wise, the River 2 Pro can run rather noisily when it works hard. This seems to be a common trait with power stations, where a higher output power comes at the cost of peace and quiet, although it is still quieter than a diesel generator.
This, alas, is a necessary evil that will hopefully be dampened with engineering magic in future iterations.
So, what can you actually use the River 2 Pro for? Well, you can plug in a small toaster and it will be more than happy to oblige you with heating up your pastries.
That said, connecting one of those 4.5-litre stainless-steel kettles is a no-no as the River 2 Pro is unable to deliver enough power, unless you rely on the UPS function with pass-through charging.
Thankfully, using a small electric kettle with X-Boost enabled gets the job done, giving you access to freshly boiled hot water while outdoors.
The bottom line
The Ecoflow River 2 Pro is a versatile device to own if you embark on the occasional camping trip, and it is a decent alternative for the home in the event of one of Malaysia’s infamous power outages.
The excellent app is easy to navigate, and the power station’s only flaw – albeit not a major one – would be the weirdly designed handle that makes it lopsided while carrying it around.
At the end of the day, though, the RM2,999 asking price makes this a luxury purchase instead of a must-have. But if you can afford one, why not?
Edwin Kee dreamt of being a pro-gamer only to have circumstances mould him into a programmer in a past life. He has since moved on to write about consumer electronics and other topics.