EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max: Reliable Power Source for Life's Adventures

This article was produced in partnership with EcoFlow.

It’s natural to think about a supplemental power source when the lights start flickering, the Wi-Fi cuts out, or the refrigerator’s hum goes quiet. While generators are vital during storm season, portable power—in the right package—is a tool you should be using year-round to make life in the great outdoors, well, greater. Whether you and the family have taken up car camping or you just need to keep a laptop juiced up while touring national parks for a couple weeks, having a way to charge your tech is a perk few would refuse these days. And there’s no better way to do it than with the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max.

Portable power stations have been around for years, but the RIVER 2 Max stands apart because of its charging time. Plug the toaster oven-sized EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max into the wall and in one hour it powers from zero to 100 percent. That’s about as quick as a smartphone and five times faster than other power stations, which can require nearly seven hours to fully charge.

That means you can plug the RIVER 2 Max into the wall while eating breakfast and packing gear, then when you’re ready to head out you’ll have enough juice for a full day’s worth of tech use. In a rush? In 48 minutes, the RIVER 2 Max reaches 80 percent charge. Then, out in the field, you can pair it with EcoFlow’s 220-watt solar panel and reach full charge in only three hours.

The RIVER 2 Max isn’t just built to last a rigorous day’s use though, it’s designed to last for years of backcountry exploits. Even after using the RIVER 2 Max six times a week, with 3,000 full charge-to-discharge cycles, you can expect just over 9.5 years’ worth of 100 percent capacity of the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. That’s about six times longer than the industry average, even in warm temperatures. After 3,000 cycles the capacity dips to a respectable 80 percent.

The cells inside the RIVER 2 Max have 512Wh of power. That’s enough capacity to run up to 11 devices simultaneously, charging everyone’s smartphone and tech after a day of hiking, fishing, biking, or rafting. Maybe you want to run string lights around camp to set the evening vibe—just plug ’em into the RIVER 2 Max. Spent the day capturing footage on a drone or DSLR and need to edit the content on your laptop? Set up a mini workstation and run all of your tech off the EcoFlow. Want to re-power that e-bike battery? You get the gist.

Where the RIVER 2 Max really shines is its ability to run the creature comforts of home—like a pellet smoker, small refrigerator, or blender just about anywhere.

The EcoFlow comes with the ease of use and familiarity of plugging in at home, and it’s essentially just as safe. The electrical engineering and cell chemistry are so stable that the RIVER 2 Max was the first portable power station to receive a certification from TÜV Rheinland, an internationally recognized independent safety test.

Even with all these benefits, the price of the EcoFlow is about 30 percent less than the brand’s earlier models. The RIVER 2 Max breaks down to about $0.87 per Wh.

While fast charging, capacity, durability, and value are positive attributes, when it comes to taking a power source with you, size is a huge determining factor. At 13.5 pounds—about as heavy as a gallon of paint—the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max helps you stay connected, powered, entertained, or working. A handle molded into the 10.6 x 10.2 x 7.7-inch build makes it easy to grab one-handed and toss into the trunk or backseat; and the squared-off top makes it easy to Jenga all your gear together.

Unless you plan for it, there’s usually not much Wi-Fi in the woods (which is probably why you’re there in the first place). As such, engineers designed the RIVER 2 Max to work with your smartphone through Bluetooth, so you can run diagnostics when you’re close by and check how much charge you have left and adjust the flow of power, as well as turn it on and off. When the EcoFlow is within your home’s network, you can check the same stats anywhere you get a Wi-Fi signal.

Speaking of home, during a power outage, if the RIVER 2 Max is plugged into a wall, it’ll automatically turn on within 30 milliseconds. That means you can plug in appliances you prioritize, like a refrigerator or medical tech, and barely notices a hiccup when the grid goes down.

That’s peace of mind.

Use promo code EFSD10OFF to get 10% RIVER 2 Max as well as RIVER 2 Series orders (applicable on both EcoFlow webstore and Amazon).