EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus 600W/286Wh portable power bank – handy to have around (off-grid)

11/03/2025
By Ray Shaw
In Reviews

The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus 600W/286Wh portable power bank for light use in a blackout, camping or portable 240V power.

Let’s position the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus

It is one of many EcoFlow power banks, and you must buy the one that works for you.

This is a DC ‘battery’ bank with a 600-watt load (can momentarily surge to 1200W) and 286-watt hours (fuel in the tank). It has an inverter that converts DC to 240VAC power and AC to DC when charging.

So, let’s use a 100W AC para flood as an example. In theory, it should provide 2.8 hours of power. But in practice, you have:

DC-AC inverter loss/efficiency is not stated, but expect between 85% and 90% for a quality inverter.
EcoFlow recommends setting the Depth of Discharge (DoD) to 80% of usable fuel (90% charge and 10% discharge limits). It uses LFP batteries, which can handle 100% charge and 0% empty, but battery cycle life suffers slightly in the longer term.
Unit energy use is not stated but expected between 10—20Wh.

In our tests, we got 2.4 hours of 240VAC at 108W or 226.8W or 79% efficiency – very good.

Of course, the inverter efficiency loss is negligible if you have a DC-only load.

Summary: Most power banks have about 70% usable AC capacity—any more is a bonus.

EcoFlow range

EcoFlow has the DELTA and RIVER series. We won’t discuss all models. The RRP is at 7/3/25, and there may be event-related sales and specials on RIVER 2 and RIVER 2 run-out models. See the EcoFlow website.

DELTA

3 Plus 1800W/1024Wh $1599 EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus 1800W/1024Wh portable power bank
3 1500, 1800W/1535Wh $2299
Pro 3 4000W/4096Wh $4999 (Review EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 4096Wh portable power station – home backup and more)

RIVER

3 300W/245Wh $459
3 Plus 600W/286Wh $499 (this review)
3 Max Plus 600W/858Wh $899

In addition, some DELTA and RIVER models support expansion batteries.

Why do you need this power bank? Hint: it is really handy.

Let’s not embellish how good it could be because 600W means it won’t run power-hungry devices, and 286Wh (really 230Wh AC) will, at best, give you a couple of hours of emergency backup for a table lamp, laptop, monitor, router, etc. It could charge a laptop 3 or 4 times. It even has a LED light!

But the most significant use of these smaller power banks is as a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). This can take dirty, polluted “bad voltage harmonics” grid power and clean it up to a pure sinewave for sensitive devices. It cuts over in 10ms—imperceptible.

Australian Review: EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus 600W/286Wh portable power station

Note that prices are RRP as of 7/3/25

Website	AU Home Page Product page Additional Battery Accessories Manual (Take care that this links to US pages and prices)
Price	EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus $499 Extra 286/572Wh battery $349/549 Bundle including extra 286Wh battery $999 Other bundles, including solar panels, are available at approved retailers or online from EcoFlow. Delivery is generally free in Australia.
Warranty	Five years ACL Warranty
From	EcoFlow online, Harvey Norman and Joyce Mayne, Anaconda and specialist camping and off-road retailers. Where to buy select Australia. Do not buy grey market – these have Type I AU plugs and are made for 230V/50Hz.
Made in	China
Company	The EcoFlow mantra is to create the world’s most innovative, eco-friendly power solutions that enable you to live, dream, and explore without limits. In other words, it includes a range of solar generators and panels, portable power banks, portable air conditioners, and power kits.
More	CyberShack EcoFlow news and reviews CyberShack off-grid news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations), and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it could be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First Impression – Well-made and designed

It is much more modern than previous models in black and grey matte. The front has a display, 240V socket, 12V socket, USB-C, and 2 x USB-A. The buttons are for AC or DC, and the strip LED light is for low, high, and high brightness flashing.

The rear has the carry handle, AC charge port, DC/Solar XT60i port, and a USB-B port that connects the power station to a computer or a NAS device for communication. It also has two more AC out ports.

It is manageable at 234 x 232 x 146mm x 4.7kg.

Battery – Exceed

It has a DC 22.4V/12.8A/286W (Watt Hour) LFP (LiFePO4) that maintains 80%+ SoH (State of Health) after 3000 cycles. Being a smaller capacity, it sets a Depth of Discharge at 90% – 100% full and 10% discharge. This gives more use but drops the 4000 cycles to 3000.

It has an intelligent battery management system that provides real-time monitoring and regulation of overvoltage, overload, overtemperature, short-circuit, low-temperature, low voltage, and overcurrent.

The battery pack is IP54-rated, but the whole unit is not. See the IP rating later—it is not for outdoor use in wet weather.

App – Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

You connect via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (for offline use).
The app has a few interesting features, as illustrated in the screenshots below.
The dashboard shows input and output by source and by graph mode over time*
Depth of Discharge – recommended 100/10%
Charge rate – optimised for battery health, quiet charging, or by wattage (default 640W)
Operating mode: Gives flexibility over how the battery is used. It defaults to 50/50 Backup reserve/Savings mode
Auto time-out
Backup reserve (more for home backup)

What is X-Boost

Momentary start-up loads are better handled by the inverter that can go from 600 to 1200W for a nanosecond or so).

This is not X-Boost, which provides a maximum of 1200W for longer use by lowering voltage and increasing amperage. X-Boost only operates from the battery. It is disabled when charging, passthrough, or UPS modes are used. It should only be used for one attached device.

And don’t worry if you plug in something that draws too much current – it simply won’t work.

EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus charge Ports

Covered slid-in flap

240VAC/6A 380W MAX
Solar XT60i 11-55V/13A 220W MAX
Car 11-55W-8A 220W MAX

Charge time with 240V AC was <60 minutes (verified)

Solar: We don’t have a $629 EcoFlow 220W Next Gen portable solar panel, but we tested on another brand’s 120W (effective 110W), which took about three hours (in perfect conditions).

Car charge: Not tested, but we expect 4-5 hours.

Output

240V/50Hz 600W total shared over one front and two rear ports
USB-A 5V/2.4A/12W x 2 ports (shared 24W total)
USB-C PD3.0, QC3.0 5/9/12/15V/3A or 20V/5A/100W with a 5A cable (100W max).
Car socket: 12.6V/10A/126W MAX

We tested the 240V output and got 228Wh (good), which would charge a 100W laptop at full rate.

LiFePO4 battery expansion – convenient

You can extend the capacity (think of this as fuel) by adding either the $349 EB300 (286Wh) or $549 EB600 (572Wh). The batteries also have a USB-C 100W port that can work when disconnected from the RIVER 3 Plus.

EB300 234 x 224 x 110 mm x 3.5kg
EB600 234 x 224 x 158 mm x 5.8kg

UPS – Pass

This is the real hidden use, and its 10ms cutover is perfect for sensitive electronic devices.

Noise – Pass+

Noise can be measured at the device, but it is fairer to measure it where it is usually placed. If you put it in a large tent, you won’t hear it, but if you put it in a two-person tent, you will.

We measured 33dB on full load at 2 metres from the device.

IP – Passable but not for outdoor, wet weather

The unit has an IP54 rating, which means fingers and small objects cannot get near the voltage stuff, and there is limited protection against water ingress.

We understand the expansion battery pack has an IP 54 rating, as it does not require an inverter or electronics.

Warranty and Support – Pass+

The warranty is 5 years on the unit (not accessories) and is generally ACL-compliant. It requires warranty registration or proof of purchase. It is for genuine Australian-certified products only – the grey market is not warranted.

If appropriate, you will receive a prepaid shipping label. Generally, a replacement is offered after inspection; it may be refurbished and carries the balance of your new warranty.

Support is M-F, 9 AM to 5 PM, via email [email protected] or call 1800 610 248.

Trustpilot AU reviews are generally positive, with a 4-star or higher rating.

CyberShack’s View: The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus 600W/286Wh portable power bank is a must—you never know when you will need it.

With the caveat that this is a relatively small and light portable power bank in size and output, it is more for occasional use.

I use it to power a stand lamp when I BBQ, as there is no power there. It is perfect when sitting on the patio reading—ditto. I also use it to power a BourgeRV 50L portable fridge when travelling, for a big shop with lots of frozen goods, or when I have a party for cold drink storage. The ability to provide 12V DC output is handy on my CyberShack testbed. I use it as a UPS on my router/switch/gateway/Google Home setup.

A neighbour uses his EcoFlow RIVER 2 300W/256Wh to run a small LCD TV and hard disk player while boat cruising. He loves that it recharges in about 3 hours with 12V or solar panels.

My boss uses an EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 4000W/3096Wh for onsite power for filming videos and more.

Another uses it for a CPAP machine – absolutely invaluable.

I could go on, but the point is that everyone needs some portable power sometime.

This is a final reminder that you must first work out what wattage and watt hours you need. Harvey Norman says the biggest mistake is buying an underpowered portable power bank.

The hardest part of the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus portable power station is working out your use case

Practically, you will attach a variety of devices (Wattage is approximate)

LED overhead light 5-10W
Wi-Fi router varies from 10-50W
Laptop varies from 60-100W
USB devices range from 1 to 100+W
Monitors 30W
TV 55-65” FTA/Streaming 100/200+W
Portable fridge 50-60W
Small fridge 150-250W
Kettle/jug usually 1000+W
Slow cooker 200W
Air Fryer or multi-cooker 1500-2000W (not for this)
Microwave 1000-1200W

The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus will tell you each device’s wattage as you plug them in, allowing you to calculate a typical load. It also indicates the battery run-time.

Competition

EcoFlow has a complete range of sizes and accessories. It is a safe buy and offers leading-edge features.

In our opinion, Bluetti is the only other brand worth considering.

EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus rating

We will rate it as a small emergency backup with use cases specific to its capacity.

Features: 85—It has many charging options that can be used together. It can also power many 230V, DC, and USB devices.
Value: 85—It is comparable to other reputable brands, but depending on use, you will need a range of accessories and cables at extra cost.
Performance: 85 – It appears to have decent inverter efficiency and uses a small amount of idle power.
Ease of use: 85 – 4.7kg is very manageable. The unit is plug, charge and play. The app adds value via firmware updates and to set efficiency parameters. The 5-year warranty is excellent, and the 3000 charge cycle battery (still holds 80%) reflects quality LiFePO4 batteries.
Design: 85 – I like the new design, including the integrated carry handle and slip-in/out charge cover. Despite my complaining about extra cable costs, at least they are readily available.