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Ecoflow River Max
Ecoflow Max and 110W Solar Panel
The EcoFlow RIVER MAX is the RIVER Lithium-ion power station plus a modular Extra Lithium-ion Battery, that doubles the battery capacity and offers reliable, portable power wherever you are.
Recently I have been exploring power options for my nomadic landscape photographer lifestyle. The Ecoflow is by far the best portable power option on the market so far. Rather than using it for a few weeks and then reviewing, I was keen to do a full review based on long term usage. I was not disappointed as the Ecoflow Max 600 Watt is an excellent power pack.
Specifications
As a very active Landscape Photographer I have many power charging needs ranging from Mirrorless camera, GoPro, Smartphone, Drone and Laptop. All require different power plugs. The EcoFlow River Max have these all covered with a range of power outputs such as:
- X1 USB-C 100W
- X1 USB Fast Charge
- X2 Standard USB
- X1 12v (Cigaret lighter)
- X2 mini 12v
- X2 240 V (UK 3 pin) plugs via a built in inverter
RIVER Max can also power devices up to 1200W using X-Boost. *X-Boost can run devices that require up to 1200W.
The Ecoflow River Max works seamlessly with the EcoFlow 110W Solar Panel. This panel is made from very efficient monocrystalline silicon cells. This solar panel can charge my River Max power station when stationary and help keep all my photography tech fully charged.
EcoFlow 110W Folding Solar Panel
The EcoFlow 110W Solar Panel is portable, durable, dust & water resistant, foldable, and compact, weighing just 15.4lbs / 6kg. Simply unfold the panel, plug in and start capturing solar power in seconds. The Solar panel carrying case protects whilst stored but also doubles up as a kickstand, this enables you to position the solar panel in any direction or orientation, multiple solar panels can also be connected together to enable double the potential power generated.
Although the kickstand case is a very welcome addition, I can’t help but feel that this can be an integrated solution with the solar panel. This option works well with the Jackery solar panels and can be set up easily within seconds.
The solar panel has a high conversion efficiency of 21-22%, and the EcoFlow MPPT power station algorithm delivers improved performance. Other solar chargers I have used seem to have the MPPT input capped and restrict the power coming from a solar panel for some reason. I was very pleased to notice that the Ecoflow was not capped. The 110W solar panel was inputting almost full power on a bright sunny day.
Solar Panel Specs
- Folded Dimensions: 42 × 51.4 × 2.4 cm
- Unfolded Dimensions: 158 × 51.4 × 2.4 cm
- Weight: 13.2 lb (Solar Panel 8.8 lb)
- Rated Power: 110W
- Connector Type: MC4
- Short Circuit Current: 6.3A (Imp 6.0A)
- Efficiency: 21%–22%
- Open Circuit Voltage: 21.7V (Vmp 18.5V)
- Cell Type: Monocrystalline Silicon
Smartphone Integration
EcoFlow offer an Intuitive app for both Android and Apple devices that can be used to manage the power pack with updates and settings to fine tune usage such as turning off the lights that were initially a little annoying. Being able to update the EcoFlow seamlessly via the app is excellent and ensures that it is always working at its best with new features added as they are updated.
Conclusion
I can honestly say that after long term usage the EcoFlow River Max with 110W solar panel is the best portable power option on the market to date. It has a high capacity with many different output options that are suitable for my Vanlife/ Photography requirements. The solar panel input is not restricted and is very efficient even as we head into the autumn & winter periods. It is a power option that I intend to remain using as it simply …. works.
Click on the logo below to Hampshire Generators and view the full range of EcoFlow Power packs and Solar solutions available.
