Amazon is offering an Ecoflow River 2 256Wh LiFePO4 Power Station for $178.00 (normally $299) thanks to a 40% Lighting Deal discount. This is a good price for a decently sized power station that won't break your back every time you lift it up. It's also equipped with LiFEPO4 batteries, the best battery chemistry type for power stations.
Ecoflow River 2 256Wh LiFePO4 Power Station for $178
The Ecoflow River 2 is a power station with a 256WH battery capacity. It has two AC outlets capable of up to 600W max output (300W per outlet), two USB Type-A ports, and one USB Type-C port. Although each AC outlet is capable of up to 300W of sustained power output, Ecoflow's X-Boost technology allows it to handle up to 600W of surge power for certain electronics and appliances that require a temporary power boost to start up. The River 2 can be recharged using traditional AC or up to 110W of solar. If using grid power (AC), the 360W input will fully charge the River 2 from 0% to 100% in only one hour. Although it's typically used as a mobile backup power solution when you have no available grid power, it can also work as an always-on passthrough AC power strip as well. It has an EPS function that will automatically swap to battery power when there is a power outage. The shutoff delay is less than 30ms, which is small enough for even sensitive electronics like PCs to remain on the entire time.
The 256Whr battery can power your PC or appliances for several minutes or mobile elecronics (including your laptop) for several hours to days. The River 2 uses the newer LiFePO4 cells instead of the traditional NCM sells you find in the original River. LiFePO4 cells have inherently safer chemistry and have a much higher cycle lifespan than NCM cells. They also have lower calendar aging. The only negative of LiFEPO4 is the lower energy density (heavier weight). That said, the River 2 weighs only 7 pounds, which is very respectable for a battery capacity of this size, and with this deal it's not much pricer than NCM alternatives.
Standard "UPS" battery backups like APC and CyberPower are cheaper because they use traditional lead acid batteries. As opposed to lithium batteries like LFP and NCM, lead acid batteries are super heavy, have a much shorter lifespan, and are far less efficient. This is the primary reason why your UPS battery backup should be replaced every 3-5 years. An LFP battery will generally retain at least 85% of its charge even after 10 years of service, and it will do so with even more usage than a lead acid battery.
The River 2 is a smart battery and thus you can change settings, check on its status, and power on or off outlets remotely, all from your phone. In my personal experience, Ecoflow has good product support and they are continuously rolling out new firmware and software updates.
100W Solar Panel for $58.69
The Ecoflow River 2 has an XT60 port for connecting up to 110W worth of solar panels for charging. A 100W solar panel can fully charge the River 2 from 0% to 100% in about 2-3 hours in perfect conditions. A more realistic charging time is wholly dependent on the weather conditions and solar panel placement. Ecoworthy is one of the most popular solar panel brands on Amazon and they're a lot cheaper than buying Ecoflow panels direct. You will have to pick up an XT60 adapter cable to connect your panel to the River 2 since Ecoflow doesn't include one in the package.
