EF ECOFLOWPortable Power Station RIVER 2 Max 500, 499Wh LiFePO4 Battery/ 1 Hour Fast Charging, Up To 1000W Output Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) for Outdoor Camping/RVs/Home Use

Received the EchoFlow River 2 Max today. I am a 65 year old female who does resistance machines and strengthening exercises. Thought it was easy to grab handle and lift power station out of the box. Easy to plug in and start charging. Initial charge took about 40 minutes. Easy to plug in a device to the power source and hit power on buttons to use the device. Brightness of numbers on screen were bright enough to read. Love the feature of the app on my phone to view where I was on the charging cycle as well as how much power my plugged in device was using. Also nice to see how many hours I can run that device. App was also easy to use. We purchased this power station to run a red light therapy mat in our van while on vacation so I could do the therapy while traveling and to run a vehicle refrigerator when the van is not running. However, the functionality will allow us to run the freezer or refrigerator in times when storms cause a power outage as well. I did not purchase the solar panels at the time of purchase of the power station as we were not sure we would need them especially for our original purpose so felt the price was reasonable especially if lasts 10 years. We do not plan to do any camping but do think we will find many uses for this power station. In fact, we are already talking about getting the larger one for times of power outage.

I use this primarily with my car fridge to act as an uninterrupted power supply. It stays plugged into a 12v outlet in the car so it recharges when the car is on, then keeps the fridge running while the car is off. The LCD display is great and gives a lot of useful real-time information on usage in and out. I haven’t tested the output limit, but it’s been great for my use case.

This power station is epic. I use it at the grill powering my speaker, temp system, overhead lights and charging my phone all at the same time. The solar panel mounts to the top of my awning or travels… the whole thing screams mobility. Highly recommended!

I give the River Max an *initial* 5-star review because - without really having used it yet - it does everything I want. After I've actually needed it, I'll update this review!I live on the Gulf Coast, where we usually have at least one power outage a year from hurricanes or storms. I have a 5kW gasoline generator (along with a xfer panel so it can power the inside outlets of my house). But fussing with the generator (especially if the power is just out for a few hours) is a pain, ESPECIALLY when you haven't had your morning coffee. (My wife has pictures of me turning on the generator JUST to power the coffee maker.) Enter the River Max. I wanted something that would (1) run the coffee maker in the morning; (2) power a few lights; and (3) run a fan at night if the power is still out (because I'm not running the gas generator all night long).After some initial testing, it does all three! (1) My coffee maker is somewhere around 1000-1200 watts. If you plug it in to the River Max without the xBoost function on, it won't work; the display says it tries to draw around 1100 watts and then signals overload. With the xBoost function, the coffee maker does work. The display says the River Max is sourcing right around 600 watts to the coffee maker. But wait...it requires 1200 watts, right? What's going on?I don't have a multimeter to verify the River Max display data, but my guess is that xBoost mode simply limits current draw so that the inverter doesn't get overloaded. In other words, it sources all the power it can, and the coffee maker just has to live with it. I wouldn't want to run the coffee maker all the time that way, but I can tell you that it worked (though it seemed a touch slower than normal) and my coffee was plenty hot. That's a serious win. Making one cup of coffee depleted the River Max from 100% to 85%.(2) I plugged in a 10ish watt CFL into the AC outlet and River said it would run for about 30 some hours. That's fine. We have battery powered lanterns, so whatever.(3) An old lasko table fan (no idea what the specs are on it) also worked fine. At full speed, River said it would run for 5-6 hours. But remember that running fans and other motors is hard on batteries because of the induction. (Look up power factor for motors - they draw more than they say they do, basically.) Still, 6 hours of fan time isn't bad. However, I ordered a 12V DC fan to use overnight (I'll update the review with runtime specs when it gets here.) In general, DC devices will run much longer than AC ones because inverters are pretty inefficient.FINALLY - in response to another review: yes, the River Max connects to the internet, and the app is pretty cool. However, contrary to what someone else wrote, you do NOT need to be connected for the device to run or to use the app!!!! There's a button (IOT reset) on the device, and if you press it, it'll let you connect directly to the device, no router needed. Thus, you can turn xBoost on and off in the middle of a camping trip.This takes me to my only complaint: the app is nice and well-designed. Still, there should be a button for you to turn xBoost on and off on the device directly. I shouldn't have to use an app just to make coffee. Still, this is the only portable battery pack I've found at its price point that can run a coffee maker. (Goal Zero, etc. can't do this!) It also charges insanely fast. In real life, once I got my generator going, I'd just recharge River from it so that it's ready to go in the evening.One other positive: they're really generous with cables!!! The River Max comes with: AC charging cord; solar cell charging cord; car charging power cord (you know, those cigarette lighter things); AND a USB-C to USB-C cord (for charging your phone); a DC to DC 15mm plug (or whatever it is); AND a USB-A to, well, some kind of Mac cable. it's dual-headed. One of them is a lightning connector, I think, and so I assume the other is another kind of Mac plug. (Obviously I use a PC.) Just go read about other brands, like Goal Zero, and you'll see they don't come with nearly that kind of cabling. For the price, huge win. So, tentatively, five stars. After our next hurricane, I'll let you know more....

Excellent "solar generator," I use it almost DAILY.This one powered our large LG refirigerator through a 5 hour power outage (evening) and had >60% remaining.I use it to charge ALL of my power banks and portable devices, included 18v batteries for hand tools, and 40v batteries for yard/garden tools.Comes with a variety of charging options, and I've used them all now.Car charging yields about 5% charge in 20 minutes off the 12v connector in my truck.Will top up from 70% or more using household current VERY quickly, faster than 1% / 10sec.Less than 50% remaining and it charges a bit slower, but still very quickly. About 20-25 min to full.HOWEVER, the 160w SOLAR PANEL delivers NO MORE THAN 120w......even on the best days, with the 'sun dial' perfectly lined up, and 'tuned' over the course of the day.Makes it feel a bit like it was oversold, as a kit.Ths solar panel is constructed rather well, with a foldable body, rather than a hard frame.I've hung it by only 2 eyelets, and it seems solid, but I prefer to use all 3, if I do hang it.It folds better warm than cool, and the connectors are awkwardly placed for storage.The panel's storage/carry case is well-constructed, but a couple pockets for cables would be welcome.Connectors are good, but not all brands snap positively (I blame the other brands, not Ecoflow).The attached metal legs are workable but, if you want to set the panel mostly "flat," then it's better to just lay it on something.I am in SoCal and even with my electrical rates, this system will not pay for itself in 3 years.Am I glad I have a "solar generator" ? Yes. It travels well, better than a gas model, and can be used indoors.BUT even with 2 solar panels (I have 2 kits), you will not get the "run time" of a good gas inverter, and the purchase doesn't "make sense" on strictly economic factors (mine are not).