Ecoflow Delta 3 review: One small change has made a huge difference

For a few years now, I've been using an Ecoflow Delta 2 for a variety of applications. It gets used to run my lawnmower in my front garden, it charges up my e-bike, it powers lights in my loft, and I've had to call on it to run the freezer during a power cut.

And then, if I go away in my motorhome, it powers all the items I don't want to burden the main battery with, including my wife's beloved coffee machine.

It has been an incredible little workhorse, never letting me down, and always doing what I ask of it.

But now there's a new version. And I've tested it. It's called the Delta 3, and it's broadly the same shape and size, but slightly heavier.

It also has the same power output at 1,800 watts, and the same battery capacity at 1,024 watts.

Thanks to a deal on Ecoflow's website it only costs £100 more than the Delta 2, at £799 against £699, but I initially started to wonder what I'd actually be getting for that money.

And then I dug a bit deeper into the specs. Its inverter can surge to 3,600 watts, which is quite a bit more than the Delta 2's 2,700 watts, and the newcomer is quicker to charge, with a 1,500 watt capacity rather than the Delta 2's 1,200 watts.

The Delta 3's battery tech can handle 1,000 more cycles before it falls to 80% of its original capacity, and it's expandable to 5kWh, while the Delta 2 is only expandable to 3kWh.

There's also a Delta 3 Plus version, which comes in a smarter silver colour and has double the solar input of its predecessor and its stablemate, with 1,000w capacity over the 500w in the Delta 2 and Delta 3. But that one costs £100 more.

All three units, including the older Delta 2, connect up to Ecoflow's brilliant app, and they all have the same solar inputs, and even the same USB sockets.

It leaves you wondering, then, whether there's enough of a difference between the products to justify the cost. The Delta 3 Plus, which I've been testing, is £200 more than the Delta 2, which I've had flawless performance from.

But there's another important difference I haven't mentioned yet. It's a physical difference and it sounds trivial, but bear with me.

On both versions of the Delta 3 the three-pin AC sockets are on the front of the unit, beneath the display, rather than on the back.

It's hard to describe how much of a difference this simple modification makes. Having the display, the buttons, and the other sockets on the same side really does make the unit easier to use.

These portable power stations are bulky, heavy things and you don't realise how much of a bind it is having to turn it around constantly to plug things in until you try the new one.

If I was to be quite unkind, I'd point out that pretty much all Ecoflow's competitors have had this design for years. And, to be fair, all of Ecoflow's smaller models have the plugs in the right place.

There are other things I like about the Delta 3 Plus, too. I love the new design. It's so much smarter and more modern. It actually feels more vulnerable than the Delta 2 with its rubberrised base, but I haven't scratched it yet, and I have been putting it through its paces.

The increased charging speed is a welcome addition. I didn't have a problem with the Delta 2's 1,200w input capacity, because 80 minutes from zero to full is pretty good, but to do it in less than an hour at 1,500 watts is brilliant.

The solar input being doubled on the Delta 3 Plus is only useful if you have enough panels. And solar panels are expensive things, so that's less of a selling point for me.

But I do love the new display on the Delta 3. On both versions it's been redesigned to be larger and clearer. There isn't really anything to dislike about the one on the Delta 2, but it's so much nicer now. And, of course, all the buttons are together.

Connecting up the expansion battery, incidentally, adds even more versatility. I know that because I've tested it.

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One battery pack adds another 1kWh to the main unit's existing 1kWh capacity, and there's even a Max version that brings the capacity up to a remarkable 5kWh.

However, while these batteries are now smaller than the main unit, they are bulky and heavy. And the 1kWh version is currently £549. We don't know how much the Max version will cost yet, but it's going to be a big investment.

I do like the fact, though, that the cable connecting the expansion battery is refreshingly light and long. Some of the competitors' connecting leads can be so bulky (I'm looking at you, Bluetti).

Overall, it's hard to pick fault with the new Delta 3 series. I wish it had some sort of camping light built in, and perhaps a wireless phone charger, but that's splitting hairs.

Particularly in the case of the Delta 3 Plus, it's a lovely thing to look at, and the new location for the power sockets makes it so much easier to use.

I did wonder how they were going to top the sheer "usefulness" of the Delta 2 when I heard it was under development, but they've gone and done it.

If you can catch the special offer and order one with the £150 discount, you won't regret it.