EcoFlow Delta 2 Review: The sub R25k benchmark has been set > NAG

Since the release of its first generation of devices in South Africa, EcoFlow has become one of the most sought-after brands when it comes to battery backup, and it’s easy to see why. These portable power stations offer plenty of battery capacity, there’s a cool app, and most importantly, they manage to pack all of this into a lightweight and small form factor.

The new EcoFlow Delta 2 is the company’s latest range of Delta series power devices, which sits on the mid-range to high-end side of things. For interest sake, the EcoFlow River series is the entry-level range, offering smaller battery capacities.

The Delta 2 was launched earlier this year and quickly made its way to South Africa. We’ve been using it in the NAG studio for just over a month now, and it has become the most valuable little helper indeed.

Having looked at a number of power solutions over the last year, the one thing that continually stands out with the EcoFlow range is how well it is built and how much power it manages to cram into its devices. The Delta 2 offers a really good upgrade to the first-generation units. Oddly, even though it has a lower-rated battery capacity by about 200Wh, the new model outperforms its predecessor in every way. It is lighter to carry around but retains the same overall look of the original. The most significant physical change is the placement of the three ports panel, which include the solar/car charging port, the AC input port, and the overload protection switch. These are now neatly at the back of the unit, above the two South African Type M 3-prong plugs and two Type N plugs. Its the 2-prong plug we use but the socket has a third pin that we don’t commonly use in South Africa. On the back of the EcoFlow Delta 2, you will also find a 12V DC Car power socket and two DC5521 output ports.

The only socket you’ll find on the side of the Delta 2 is the extra battery port that is used when you connect an extra battery (or two) to your unit.

Overall, the updated design means that this portable power station can be used in more confined spaces than before and allows much neater cable management. It should be noted that there are fans on either side of the unit and you can see the port grills in the image below – these should remain free from obstruction as the fans turn on when the units charges and when its running at high capacity.

On the front panel, the look has remained largely the same, with just a few visual updates to the lettering and on/off switch colour. The biggest update here is that the USB-C ports are now rated at 100w for faster USB-C charging. A really nice upgrade.

The large LCD on the front of the Delta 2 displays all the relevant information you need, which includes battery levels, runtime remaining, power draw, and input voltages. There are also icons that light up when you use each of the power zones.

A nice drawcard for the EcoFlow devices is the app that gives you all the same info as listed above but with cool graphics. The app is handy when your Delta 2 is placed in another room or near your DB panel. Indeed, you can connect this unit to your household, although I would strongly recommend you get the additional batteries if you plan on powering more that just your computers. Incidentally, EcoFlow South Africa has a bundle option that includes a transfer switch that can be installed by a certified electrician. This will allow you to switch between Eskom power and the EcoFlow battery. Should you add some solar panels, you’ll have a full off-grid solution.

Considering I only reviewed the single battery unit, I kept it under my studio desk and connected both multi-adapters that power everything in my studio. This includes two gaming notebooks with audio gear, Godox ES45 LED lights, two 27-inch LCD screens, and speakers. My average power draw when I’m working is about 260w, with everything running office-style apps. When I game on one machine and render video on the other with the lights turned up, I push the total power draw up to around 470w.

Impressively, no matter what I throw at the Delta 2, it manages to keep going. I did manage to trip the surge protector once when I connected some (big) power tools, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

For day-to-day blackout survival, up to about four and a half hours, the Delta 2 will power your gaming rig(s) quite comfortably. When power returns it’s equally impressive with recharging the Lithium batteries, and it takes only around two hours for the batteries to recharge completely. Should you get solar panels, you’ll be able to keep it charged throughout the day.

I also found myself carrying the Delta 2 to the kitchen on more than one occasion when I needed a coffee during the load-shedding hours. My espresso machine and milk frother draw well over 1,300w when I make coffee, and again, the Delta 2 manages this with ease. Running it with this power draw, the battery time drops to about an hour, but fortunately, I only need it for a few minutes per coffee.

This portable power station also came in handy one Saturday when an unexpected power cut in the neighbourhood brought my partner’s DIY plans to a halt. We hooked up a drill and hand saw with no hassle, but a bigger table saw proved to be just too much, and the surge protector kicked in. That was the only time I’ve ever seen that happen, and I was not disappointed that it could not handle that saw. We could not find the rating on the device, but evidently, it was well over 2,400w.

The battery capacity versus weight conversation is also an important one. Throughout my month using the Delta 2, I was able to quickly and easily carry it around where I needed it, this includes the big studio where we shoot most of our content. It came in really handy a few times and managed to power everything, too.

The portability of a backup battery solution like this is fast becoming a must-have feature for me and I found myself needing power in all kinds of places. I am still amazed at how well the Delta 2 delivers power. Looking at the spec sheet, there is one last impressive upgrade to the Delta 2 over its predecessor. The battery life cycle has been increased from about 800 cycles to well over 3,000 cycles before the battery drops its maximum capacity to 80%. Thereafter, you’ll still get a few hours from this device.

Unfortunately, there is no way to replace the battery yet, but I remain hopeful such a service will be available in future — or, at least, a trade-in service. If I compare the battery cycles of other products in this price range, the EcoFlow Delta 2 still offers one of the best price vs. performance advantages.