The winter season is quickly approaching (winter technically starts on December 21st here in the States). You should seriously consider purchasing at least a power station to keep your mobile electronics charged in case of emergencies. If so, check out this great Ecoflow deal just in time for the holidays.
Right now AliExpress is offering Ecoflow River 3 230Wh LiFePO4 Power Station for only $113.45 after applying $20 discount code.”AEUS20“. It is sold through Ecoflow's official Aliexpress store and ships from a local US warehouse, so your order arrives quickly and you don't have to worry about additional tariff fees. Although the product images show a 5 year warranty, I think it actually comes with a 2 year warranty, according to Ecoflow company website.
Update: If the page you land on says the seller is “unable to ship to your area,” simply add the power plant to your cart. Return to the product page and it will update with the correct shipping options.
Ecoflow River 3 Power Station for $113.45
The Ecoflow River 3 is a truly portable power station that weighs less than 8 pounds and is 30% more compact than its predecessor, the River 2. The AliExpress model has a slightly lower capacity at 230 Wh compared to Amazon's 245 Wh. Otherwise they are identical; it has two 300W (600W) AC outlets, one 100W USB Type-C port, and two 18W USB Type-A ports. River 3 can be charged using a traditional AC power source from 0% to 100% in just one hour.
River 3 uses LiFePO4 cells, which are safer and last longer than other types of lithium batteries. The 230Wh battery is designed for low-power electronics such as a computer or laptop, phone, tablet, or anything else that doesn't draw too much power (ideally less than 200W). Energy-hungry electronics and household appliances will not last long.
While the River 3 is typically used as a mobile power backup solution when you don't have utility power available, it can also work as an always-on AC power strip. It has an EPS feature that automatically switches to battery power when there is a power outage. The shutdown delay is less than 10ms, which is fast enough to ensure that even sensitive electronics such as PCs remain on during switching.
River 3 is a smart battery, so you can change settings, check battery status, and turn outlets on and off remotely, all from your phone. In my personal experience, Ecoflow has good product support.
Eric Song is IGN's Business Manager, responsible for finding the best deals in gaming and technology every day. When Eric isn't looking for deals for other people at work, he's looking for deals for himself in his free time.
