The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus delivers power to a wide array of gadgets in a nicely luggable form. It’s not a device everyone needs, but it’s nicely put together whether you need remote power, or just a reliable UPS that can also charge your IT gear in a home or office.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Wide array of power outputs | Won’t power every device you might have |
| Acts seamlessly as a UPS | Luggable, but it’s still got some weight to it |
| Inbuilt light bar | Might be overkill for some use cases |
Score: 4/5
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Buy The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus! | Buy On Amazon |
In this review
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus Specifications
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus Design
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus Performance
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus Conclusion
Ethical disclaimer: EcoFlow sent me the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus used in this review, and they’ve indicated that it’s not going back.
So is this review ethically compromised because I’m getting a “free” portable charging station?
Not at all.
It gets treated the exact same way as any other device I get in for review, warts and all. Though if a portable power station is growing warts, something very odd is going on.
That aside, I believe strongly that ethical disclosure gets ignored far too commonly these days, so while I know you just want to get into the review, I’ll say it again: EcoFlow has had no input or oversight over this review aside from providing a review unit.
For more on ART’s Ethics Policy, click here. If you have warts, consult your GP.
Design
The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is a semi-portable (more on that shortly) combination power station and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and this kind of technology is rarely all that attractive. In this field, you typically build for function, not form.
That being said, it does have a rather nice design within that space, with rounded corners, a rear carrying handle and a primary front that encompasses a simple monochrome display surrounded by inputs including a standard Australian power socket, dual USB-A ports surrounding a single USB-C charging port, and finally a standard “cigarette lighter” style car output socket. For those of a technical bent (and because I bothered to look it up), it’s technically a J563 port, but I’ve never known anyone not call it a cigarette lighter port in my lifetime.
Mind you, I’m not advocating anyone buy one to use as a bulky cigarette lighter. Maybe consider quitting instead, it’s better for your health… but I digress.
The other front-facing feature of the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is a light bar that can switch on at low or medium intensity, as well as act as a flashing alert beacon depending on your needs.
At the rear you’ll find another two standard Australian power sockets, plus inputs for direct AC charging via a standard kettle style (IEC C13, plug fans!) power socket, solar charging (if you’ve got it) and a USB-B port of the type that I’m far more used to seeing on conventional PC printers. It’s used here for direct communication to a connected PC rather than power, however, and a USB-B to USB-A type cable is included in the box, as is the C13 cable and J563 cable for hooking up to a car if you wanted to charge it that way.
At 234x232x146mm, the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is reasonably portable, though at 4.7kg I’d fit it more into the “luggable” category than truly “portable”. Or maybe I just need to work on my upper arm strength, but in any case that’s a rather inevitable consequence of packing in 286Wh of LiFePO4 batteries into its casing.
LiFePO4 also has the advantage in being able to pack in more power in less weighty batteries, as well as being chemically somewhat safer than competing technologies. You can get smaller LiFePO4 batteries, like the recently reviewed Laser Chargecore Safecharge battery packs, though those have nowhere near the capacity or feature set of what EcoFlow is offering here.
EcoFlow has a lot of portable power solutions, and the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is the “Plus” model because there’s also a cheaper option; the EcoFlow RIVER 3 has a smaller battery capacity and lower overall charge level, but it’s also slightly cheaper at $449 AUD.
Speaking of options, EcoFlow also has a lot of accessories you can purchase, including expansion batteries that turn it into the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Max (572Wh) or EcoFlow RIVER 3 Max Plus (858Wh), carrying bags and backpacks. They even sell an EcoFlow branded camping chair, because… they do?
The point here is more that there’s a pretty wide ecosystem of support devices to extend capabilities if your needs and budget permit, but equally if you’ve got more modest needs, one of its smaller power stations might be a wiser bet.
Performance
Out of the box, setup can be as simple as just plugging it in and giving it an hour or so to fully charge up. It has power sockets, you plug your gadgets in and press the relevant button on the front facing to enable charging, and you’re away.
However, this is 2025, so of course there’s an app involved.
The EcoFlow app, showing that the RIVER 3 Plus is charged and… it’s not doing much right now.
The EcoFlow app lets you set up an EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus with Wi-Fi remote access and control, though it does require setting up an EcoFlow account to be able to function. The EcoFlow app gives you a simple and somewhat customisable interface that lets you monitor power status, switch on its AC or DC power or turn on the light bar to your preferred mode.
If you do want remote access – it’s not mandatory, but I can see how it can be handy – you do need to sign up for an EcoFlow account to do so.
In pure technology charging terms, the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus hasn’t missed a beat in my testing, which has been entirely within my office. It’s Winter, not a time when I’d traditionally go camping because it’s quite cold outside, but your own needs can of course vary, and I could totally see the appeal of having this kind of device on hand for that kind of endeavour, or just for the classic Australian road trip because the distances between places here can be quite extensive.
For what it’s worth, it does have a level of water ingress protection, though it’s only IP54, which means that it’s likely to survive a short spell outside in the rain, but taking it kayaking is not an advisable idea.
Also read:
Why your smartphone isn’t “waterproof” the way you think it is
However, you do need to recognise the limitations on power output, and what that means it can run. I’ve had no issues with it hooked up to a desktop or laptop for charging, and not surprisingly smartphone and tablet charging is no issue at all, though the number of inputs can rather lead to a spaghetti junction of cables if you’re using multiple outputs at once.
However this doesn’t mean that it will run any gadget that can plug into a standard power point. It’s rated for up to 600W in normal operation, or 1,200W in “X-Boost” mode. To test that out, I plugged in a simple (and cheap) electric fan heater into the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus. Not the best in heating technology, but this model has multiple fan and heater modes, and I wanted to see how the it would handle them.
As a simple fan, with no heating element kicking in, the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus had no issues, drawing just 13W. On its lower power heat setting, that jumped to 599W, but trying it on its higher heat setting tripped its overload circuit, at which point the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus shut off its AC power entirely for self-protection. That does suggest that my small heater wants over 1,200W, and it’s also worth knowing even if you do keep below that level that X-Boost won’t work if the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is charging at the time.
The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus can also act as an uninterruptible power supply, keeping vital tech gear up and running even when the power is out. I’ve been through a few too many blackouts in my time, and I’m well aware of the benefits of being able to more safely power down devices like desktop PCs and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices when this happens. EcoFlow’s claim is that the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus can handle power outages with switchover in less than 10ms.
I didn’t entirely want to wait around for the next blackout to test this out, but of course I don’t have to, because I could test this simply by switching the wall socket connecting the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus to power off while my NAS was hooked up to its power port.
This worked flawlessly every single time; as far as the NAS was concerned power kept flowing throughout with no loss of data. The whole idea here of course isn’t that you’ll then run your devices for many hours, but instead that you can shut them down safely. All I had to do in my test was switch the wall socket back on, and that was all that was required, no fuss.
The use of internal batteries does of course bring with it the question of overall battery longevity. I haven’t had the EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus anywhere near long enough to see any appreciable level of battery degredation, so all I can go off here are EcoFlow’s claims that it should be good for at least 3,000 recharge cycles before the batteries drop to 80% of their original capacity. I guess I’ll find out in a decade or so if that’s true.
EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus: Alex’s Verdict
The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is a rather specific tool to cover specific needs. If you’re the rugged outdoor type who needs portable power from time to time, it’s nicely suited for that kind of usage, but the fact that it also doubles as a UPS means that it’s got plenty of scope for home office use too.
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EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus: Pricing and availability
The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus retails in Australia for $499.
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