EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station review

This EcoFlow's newest power station, the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max. It boasts impressive specifications, such as super-fast charging and expandable capacity, has slick marketing, and an LFP (LiFePO4) battery, not to mention good review ratings on sites such as Amazon — all things that made this particular power station catch our eye and deem it worthy of putting through its paces in a review. But is it worth a place in our Best power banks guide?

During our review, there has been substantial cloud cover for the whole month, so we haven't tried charging this power station using solar panels yet and have only used the mains AC supply. Because we are currently in the UK, this model takes UK 3-pin plugs, but US models have 2-pin sockets.

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station review

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station: Design

• Carrying handles
• Flat surface on the top
• Minimalist design

The EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max is the first power station we've reviewed which doesn't have any buttons or a screen on what we would call the 'front' of the device. The top is clear from ports and buttons too; everything can be found at either end of the device, with two extra ports on the back to allow you to add extra batteries to the power station.

The EcoFlow DELTA 2 is black and gray — colors typical of most power stations and despite its sheer size it is a discrete and neat-looking device. Styling-wise it's unassuming, especially when compared to the flashier-looking Zendure SuperBase Pro that we previously reviewed.

There isn't an integrated torch/light but the LED screen is plenty bright enough to see in the dark (or in bright sunlight).

Looking down at the top of the power station, you'll see integrated handles on either side, which are crucial for comfortably carrying the 50.7 lb load. Though the handles add a significant amount to the width of the power station, we like that EcoFlow has put them on the side rather than the top. It means we can still stack up other equipment or boxes on top; we were grateful for this as it does take up a lot of boot space in our little compact car.

We've also found ourselves using the flat top of the power station to put our laptop whilst sitting on the floor working. We've also used it as a seat. Neither are intended uses but handy nonetheless. 

The buttons and ports are all sunken, so nothing (apart from the handles) protrudes from the sides, minimizing the risk of causing damage to controls during transit — there's nothing that can fall off.

The power station comes with three cables — an AC, a car lighter and a DC5521 to DC5525 cable. There isn't a pouch supplied to keep them in which is a little disappointing. We can use another of course, but we were surprised not to find one in the box. There's a user guide, a couple of promotional leaflets and a five-year warranty card too.

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station: Performance

• Fast to charge
• Charge more than 13 devices at once
• In-app energy management

The power station arrived with a 30% charge so we charged it from the mains with a 13 amp plug. It took almost exactly 40 minutes to reach 80%. This means it charged 50% of its overall capacity in 40 minutes. 

The specifications read that you should be able to charge from 0% to 80% using AC in 53 minutes, so some back-of-envelope calculations told us our charge was a little slower than it should have been, but it was still very fast. You should be able to get a full charge in 43 minutes when the combined solar and AC input is 2400W — you can't get much quicker than that.

For photographers, EcoFlow claims you can charge your camera battery 99 times, a drone 39 times, and a laptop 26 times. It would take us a while to test those numbers exactly, but given how much we've used it and how difficult we've found it to drain back to 0% once we've charged it up, we can believe every word.

Setting up the app was seamless. After creating an account, the app 'found' the power station straight away and connected the first time — something we've come to learn doesn't happen very often. We'll talk more about the app in the next section.

Noise-wise, the fans come on when the power station is charging or working hard with multiple devices plugged in. They are pretty loud but noticeably quieter than previous models we've looked at such as the the Zendure SuperBase Pro. You can feel the warm air being dispelled from the unit which is very reassuring as thermal build-up is a potential problem for power stations like these.

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station: Functionality

• Wheels would be helpful
• The app is slick and responsive
• Can expand to 6144Wh capacity by adding two batteries

Maybe we were spoilt when we tested the Zendure SuperBase Pro, as the telescopic handles and all-terrain wheels made light work of transporting the power station from A to B. Something we think would be a very useful addition to this power station as lifting the 50.7 lbs (23kg) weight around is no mean feat. The integrated handles make lifting the station up safely easier, but we still want to move it around as little as possible, especially minimizing lifting it in and out of the trunk.

Within the app, you can see exactly what power is entering or leaving the power station in real-time. You can see the totals, but you can also see the input/output levels for each individual port.

You can customize all settings from the app, from changing the screen timeout level, turning on and off the AC/USB power and even upgrading the firmware. When the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max arrived with us, there were two firmware updates to download  —they took less than two minutes to install. Firmware upgrades future-proof the device to make sure it gets the most recent bug fixes and enhancements.

The app is stable and accurate, and the data matches that on the display on the LED screen. It is very responsive. The unit beeps when it has actioned an instruction (if you have sound turned on). You receive a notification on your phone if the power station is almost out of charge.

The EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max can be expanded with two extra batteries, though these cost almost as much as the device itself.

Another accessory/upgrade is the Power Stream Balcony System. In simple terms, this means any surplus energy generated from solar panels can be fed back into your house to cut your energy bills and reduce energy waste.

Should you buy the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station?

There's no doubt this unit gives you peace of mind to keep all of your devices powered up whilst away from home, or indeed at home during a power cut — we actually found it quite a challenge to drain it to check how quickly it was to charge back up from 1%! The only reason we'll continue to stick with our smaller power station for overnight trips or weekends away is the weight of the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max. It's manageable, but it feels like a bit of a chore making space for it and getting it from A to B rather than a smaller model or one with wheels. If storing in the attic we should note it would take two people to carry it up a ladder safely (which we did).

If you're not going to need to move it around too often, for example using the Powerstream Balcony Solar System, leaving it in your campervan, or for an extended bout of off-grid living it's a great choice. It also comes with a five-year warranty for extra peace of mind.

If the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station isn't for you:

For a similar size model that will keep you powered up for long weekends away, camping trips, at festivals or during power cuts, we really liked the Zendure SuperBase Pro that we reviewed previously. It's still heavy, but the telescopic handles and chunky wheels make it very easy to maneuver. 

For a more compact, lower-capacity mode, we were impressed with UGREEN's Power Roam 1200 — this is what we would consider our 'go-to' power station. We can forgo the extra capacity found in the bigger models for a more portable model. We just have to be a bit more mindful of topping up the charge with solar when the sun is out.

If you don't need a 'power station' as such but need a device that will give you an extra laptop charge or two or add a bit of juice to your GoTo telescope or headlamp, we have rounded up our favorites in our best power banks guide. There you will find models from Anker, Zendure, Celestron, Otterbox and more.