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Are you planning your next camping trip or outdoor adventure and weighing up the differences between EcoFlow RIVER 2 and EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro? Then this comparison will come in handy when you’re choosing between these two for your portable power supply.
One of the most common occurrences on an outdoor trip is your devices running out of juice and not having a wall outlet handy to keep you connected. This is where a portable power supply comes up trumps. While the RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro have all the ports you’ll ever need and can power a plethora of devices for hours on end, some subtle differences could swing your decision either way. In this post, we’ll first define some comparison points, then dive into detail for each power station.
River 2
- Storage Capacity: 256Wh
- Cycle life: 3000 cycles to 80+% capacity
- Solar Input: 110W
- AC Output: 300W (600W Surge Power w/X-Boost)
River 2 Pro
- Storage Capacity: 768Wh
- Cycle life: 3000 cycles to 80+% capacity
- Solar Input: 220W
- AC Output: 800W (1600W w/X-Boost)
Things To Consider When Choosing Between EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs. RIVER 2 Pro
Portability: How compact and easy to carry are they?
One of the most important things when considering any portable power station is that you can pick it up and take it anywhere. With RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro falling comfortably below the 20 lbs (9 kg) mark, they are both excellent lightweight options for off-grid adventures.
However, if you’re looking to go backpacking or hiking, EcoFlow RIVER 2 is perfect for you. At 7.7 lbs (3.5 kg), the RIVER 2 will fit in pretty much any backpack and won’t weigh you down even when you’re climbing uphill.
RIVER 2 Pro’s greater storage capacity and AC output may make it the better choice for extended or car camping trips.
AC Output: What can they run?
RIVER 2 Pro has more than double the AC output of RIVER 2 — making it the better choice for extended off-grid excursions where portability is less of a concern.
The higher your portable power station’s AC output, the higher the wattage of appliances it can start and run. With 1600W of AC Output in X-Boost mode, RIVER 2 Pro can run 80% of appliances.
With a lower AC output of 300W (600W surge w/X-Boost), RIVER 2 is better suited to smaller devices but can still power up to 99% of consumer electronics like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Capacity: How long can they run for?
Storage capacity determines how long you can run your devices between charges. For short day trips EcoFlow RIVER 2 should have enough capacity to keep your essential personal devices charged and ready with 256Wh of electricity storage.
RIVER 2 Pro triples that up with 768Wh and is the better choice for longer trips off-grid.
Don’t forget both RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro offer solar charging input. Just add solar panels and stay powered indefinitely off-grid.
Cycle Life: How long do they last?
Simply put, cycle life means the number of total charges and discharges a battery can provide without a noticeable decline in performance. One cycle means using the power station from full to zero charge.
Both RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro feature LiFePO4 battery chemistry, giving them an exceedingly long cycle life of 3,000 cycles before diminishing to 80% capacity.
Consider that the original RIVER and RIVER Pro used NCM batteries with a cycle life of 800, and you’ll have a good indication of how the RIVER 2 series significantly improves on its predecessor in every respect.
Charging Speed:
EcoFlow’s RIVER 2 series portable power stations offer the fastest recharge times in the industry.
Thanks to proprietary X-Stream technology and an advanced Battery Management System (BMS), RIVER 2 can charge from 0-100% in 60 minutes using AC electricity.
Prefer to generate your own clean, renewable energy? Plug in a 110W, 160W portable solar panel or 220W bifacial solar panel and recharge fully in 2-3 hours in peak sunlight.
Both RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro offer four charging methods, so you have plenty of options to stay powered up on the go.
Despite its significantly higher storage capacity, RIVER 2 Pro takes only 70 minutes to recharge from 0-100% using AC electricity. It can also charge using solar with 220W Bifacial Solar Panel in only a few hours of direct sunlight.
Solar Panel Compatibility:
EcoFlow RIVER 2 offers 110W of solar charge input, and RIVER 2 Pro offers 220W.
Keep in mind a solar panel’s rated power wattage indicates the maximum amount of electricity a PV panel can produce per hour under ideal conditions. Because such conditions rarely occur in the real world, a solar panel rarely generates its total rated power wattage consistently.
Purchasing a solar panel with slightly higher rated power than your portable power station’s solar charging input can help you achieve maximum electricity generation more frequently.
For example, if you connect a 160W portable solar panel to the RIVER 2, you are more likely to produce the total 110W solar input more frequently than a 110W solar panel. However, you’ll never generate more than your maximum solar input.
Now, let’s take a deeper dive into an EcoFlow RIVER vs RIVER Pro comparison:
RIVER 2 vs. RIVER 2 Pro Capacity:
One of the most significant differences between these two portable power stations is electricity storage capacity. Although EcoFlow RIVER 2’s capacity is the smaller of the two, packing 256Wh capacity out of the box, it can power your essential devices for hours on end.
If you want to power higher-wattage devices for longer, EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro’s capacity is 3x greater than EcoFlow RIVER 2’s capacity, delivering a whopping 768Wh between charges.
EcoFlow RIVER vs RIVER Pro Weight
Another factor to consider when looking at portability is the weight of EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs. EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro.
Weighing in at a featherweight 7.7 lbs (3.5kg) EcoFlow RIVER 2 is one of the lightest portable power stations available. RIVER 2 Pro weighs 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg), maybe a bit heavy for an extended hike, but still more than light enough for car camping and motorhome trips.
Considering many standard off-grid power options weigh up to 80lbs (37kg), RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro are two of the most compact and powerful options out there.
Battery Cycle Life
Thanks to LFP battery chemistry and Smart Battery Management Systems, RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 Pro offer industry-leading cycle life.
You can expect each model to last up to a decade of regular use without any noticeable dip in performance.
That’s 3,000 full discharges and recharges before you reach 80% storage capacity. This dip in performance doesn’t mean your RIVER 2 or RIVER 2 Pro won’t work. You’ll just need to charge it more frequently.
Solar Charge Capacity
RIVER 2 Pro offers double the solar charging capacity of RIVER 2 and is a perfect fit with the 220W Bifacial Portable Solar Panel. Its double-sided photovoltaic design allows you to capture more ambient sunlight and recharge more quickly.
RIVER 2 offers 110W of solar input, but you can also pair it with a 160W Portable Solar Panel to recharge your portable power station more quickly.
EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs RIVER 2 Pro Comparison: The Verdict
Weighing up your options between EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro essentially comes down to portability (and price), AC power output, and electricity storage.
Both are among the best off-grid compact electricity solutions available. Which one is better for you really comes down to your specific use case.
Add up the total wattage of the devices and appliances you want to run simultaneously (and for how long) and choose the RIVER 2 series portable power station that best meets your needs.
As long you take that crucial first step, there’s no way you’ll be disappointed with your purchase decision.
Need even more AC output and storage capacity for your off-grid adventures or backup power needs? Check out the DELTA series for even heavier-weight options.
