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For occasional off-grid working and for keeping your electrical devices powered whilst camping, we found the EcoFlow River Mini to be excellent value, super fast and it packs in some great features. Read on for our full review…

What is it?

EcoFlow River Mini Portable Power Station £299

Overall Rating (4 / 5)

Stockists

• EcoFlow
• Amazon
• Hampshire Generators

Features

• 300W (Surge 600W) Battery capacity 210Wh
• Silent & zero emissions rechargeable NCM battery
• Rapid charging
• 3 pin plug socket
• 12v socket
• 3 USB ports
• Very lightweight and portable
• Built-in grab handle
• Charges multiple devices at the same time

What we thought

Straight out of the box, the EcoFlow River mini feels sturdy with a slightly rugged, rubberised feel to it. I plugged it straight into the mains to charge, and in less than 2 hours it was at 100% and ready to go.

There’s no handle as such, instead, at the back there’s a build-in wedge that allows you to grab and carry the device and at under 3kgs, it’s so light, it’s easy to carry around one-handed.

The power station featured a big clear screen at the front and I found it easy to read in any light, even in bright daylight. The screen shows you the input and output in watts and the battery percentage, so you can clearly see how much you’ve got left and what I really liked, is that it shows you how much time you’ve got left which is exceptionally helpful.

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With my laptop plugged in for example, I could see the power station was on 62% which gave me a further 4 hours of charging time. Seeing not only the amount of battery left, but knowing how much time that provides makes it really easy to balance use and doesn’t leave you guessing.

I’ve used it to power my laptop several times and each time the charging time has been astonishingly fast, akin to being plugged into the mains. The same was true when charging my USB C mobile phone, fully charged in just under an hour from almost empty.

Although the power station can be used with a solar input and I already own two different solar panels, neither of them had the right kind of connector on them to allow me to attach them to the EcoFlow River Mini. With a compatible solar panel of up to 110w input however, the River Mini can charge in just 3 hours.

The verdict

On a recent glamping break, I worked on one of the days I was away. I spent most of the day snuggled up in a wearable sleeping bag, working outside on an unusually mild day. Although I made sure my laptop was fully charged, by mid-afternoon my battery warning light was flashing, I grabbed the EcoFlow River Mini, plugged it in, and was able to continue working outside.

I sometimes run workshops and training sessions and don’t always have access to mains electricity when I do them, so knowing I can rely on the EcoFlow River Mini as a reliable backup to keep my laptop powered when out and about provides fantastic peace of mind.

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The power station is simple and intuitive to use, and whilst there is a companion app that my husband downloaded and played with, all it really seems to do is show you the stats you can already see on the screen.

With the ability to change a smart from 50% up to 100% in less than 30 minutes, and taking my laptop up from 60% to 100% in under an hour, the rapid charging alone is a great reason to consider the EcoFlow River Mini.

Fully charged and used over the course of a glamping weekend, the EcoFlow River Mini provided us with sufficient power to keep both of our phones topped up, it recharged a camping lantern we forgot to charge before going away, and it kept my laptop powered for a full day of work.

The EcoFlow River Mini is highly portable and feels pretty rugged too, and my only gripe would be it’s a shame there’s not a true handle on the power station and no little carry bag which would provide a bit of practical protection when camping with it, though a bag can be purchased separately. Add a compatible solar panel, and you’ve got an off-grid power station that charges appliances extremely quickly and will stay fully powered on longer breaks.

If you’re looking for something powerful enough to keep your electrical devices up and running during a weekend of camping or glamping, the EcoFlow River Mini makes a great choice, especially if you can’t stretch to a more expensive power station with a larger capacity