Head-to-head test
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air vs EcoFlow RIVER 2
EcoFlow sells neither of these now. Our pick to replace the 1000 Air is the DELTA 3 Classic, and EcoFlow sells the RIVER 2 240 in the RIVER 2's place. For owners, the split is plain: one battery sits under a desk, the other goes in a bag.
Full profiles: EcoFlow RIVER 2 β
Looking for a different matchup? EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air vs RIVER 2 Pro
Written by Wenny ZhengUpdated
Portable Power Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
Spec deltas
Both of these have left EcoFlow's store. Our pick to replace the 1000 Air is the DELTA 3 Classic. In the RIVER 2's place, EcoFlow now sells the RIVER 2 240, the same unit with a slightly smaller battery. This page is for people who own one, or have found one used or in leftover stock.
They share a brand and a battery chemistry, and not much else. The 1000 Air holds 960Wh. It was built to sit under a desk and keep a computer, monitor and router alive through an outageA2. The RIVER 2 holds 256Wh and weighs 7.8 lb. It was built to be picked up.
I live out of my Subaru, so the port I check first on anything small is USB-C. My camera wants a proper USB-C charge. The RIVER 2's port gives 60W. The 1000 Air's tops out at 18W, which is phone speed. For the car, the little one wins that before the big one gets a word in.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first β the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
continuous output
After conversion losses the RIVER 2 has about 218Wh to give. A 320Wh night leaves it 102Wh short, so the machine stops before morning.
DELTA 3 1000 Air: 960Wh capacity, 500W continuous outputRIVER 2: 256Wh capacity, 300W continuous outputCPAP Overnight needs 320Wh
Why it mattersIf you own a RIVER 2 and use a CPAP, plan a recharge or a second battery. The 1000 Air covers the night on its own.
weight
At 18W, a laptop charges slowly, and under load it may not gain charge at all. 60W runs most laptops at a useful speed. Add the weight, and the RIVER 2 is the one that comes along to a trailhead or a cafΓ© table.
RIVER 2 USB-C: 60W max; DELTA 3 1000 Air USB-C: 18W maxRIVER 2 weighs 7.8 lbs; DELTA 3 1000 Air weighs 22 lbs
Why it mattersIf your days are laptops, cameras and phones away from a wall, the RIVER 2 is the better tool to own of these two.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units β everything else is a tie.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: 22 lb against 7.8 lb is the fork in this pair: one sits under a desk, the other goes in a bag.
weight
14.2 lb separate these two. The RIVER 2 goes in a daypack next to a laptop. The 1000 Air goes under a desk and stays there.
I wouldn't carry the 1000 Air up the Dipsea steps by choice. The RIVER 2 I'd pack without a second thought.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: The 1000 Air covers a CPAP night and a tailgate; the RIVER 2 covers neither but handles an afternoon of phones and a speaker.
The 1000 Air covers two loads the RIVER 2 can't: a CPAP night and a tailgate afternoon. The RIVER 2's own job is the afternoon off-grid row, phones and a speaker, about 100Wh, and it finishes with more than half its battery left.
The bigger jobs, a blackout, a workday, camping and van life, need more than either holds.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: Switchover goes to the 1000 Air, USB-C and warranty go to the RIVER 2, and the noise card has only one published figure.
Switchover goes to the 1000 Air. USB-C and warranty go to the RIVER 2. Noise goes to neither, because EcoFlow publishes a figure for only one of them.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: Neither has a price now, so this section counts energy: 2,880 kWh over the 1000 Air's rated life against 768 kWh for the RIVER 2.
A cycle is one full drain and refill, and both packs are rated for 3,000 of them. That adds up to 2,880 kWh over the 1000 Air's rated life and 768 kWh over the RIVER 2's.
Strengths & trade-offs
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
- +Faster solar charging
Trade-offs
- βSignificantly heavier (+14.2 lbs), making it harder to move.
EcoFlow RIVER 2
Strengths
- +Lighter by 14.2 lb
- +Longer warranty
Trade-offs
- βNo major technical downsides compared to rival.
Will It Power Your Gear?
Scenario math and per-appliance runtimes, modeled from the spec record.
Scenario verdicts
We ran the math on seven real-world scenarios. Here's which unit survives your actual life.
SCN-01 Β· 2 nights Β· needs 2,100Wh
Weekend Camping
Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
Neither unit
A camping weekend needs about 2,100Wh. That's more than either holds. Plan a recharge from solar or the car, or bring a bigger station.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Phone Charger 15WΓ6h Β· LED Lights 40WΓ8h Β· Box Fan 75WΓ14h Β· CPAP Machine 40WΓ16h
SCN-02 Β· 8 hours Β· needs 1,645Wh
8-Hour Blackout
Keep the essentials running through a night without power
Neither unit
The full 1,645Wh list is beyond both. The 1000 Air covers about half the night and the RIVER 2 much less.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Fridge 150WΓ8h Β· Router + Modem 20WΓ8h Β· LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40WΓ6h Β· Phone Charger 15WΓ3h
SCN-03 Β· 8 hours Β· needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption β the #1 medical use case
DELTA 3 1000 Air
A CPAP night is about 320Wh. The 1000 Air covers it with 496Wh to spare. The RIVER 2 comes up 102Wh short.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β CPAP Machine 40WΓ8h
SCN-04 Β· 8 hours Β· needs 910Wh
Remote Workday
Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
Neither unit
A full workday needs about 910Wh. The 1000 Air misses by 94Wh, close enough that a top-up or a shorter evening closes it. The RIVER 2 isn't built for this job.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Laptop 60WΓ8h Β· External Monitor 30WΓ8h Β· Router + Modem 20WΓ8h Β· Phone Charger 15WΓ2h
SCN-05 Β· 4 hours Β· needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
DELTA 3 1000 Air
The 1000 Air covers the afternoon with 146Wh to spare. The RIVER 2 can start the 400W peak on its 600W surge, the short burst an inverter can give, then its 300W continuous rating can't hold it.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Blender 400WΓ0.5h Β· LED TV (55") 80WΓ4h Β· Bluetooth Speaker 15WΓ4h Β· Phone Charger (Γ3) 45WΓ2h
SCN-06 Β· 24 hours Β· needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living β the ultimate endurance test
Neither unit
A van life day needs about 4,685Wh. Both are the wrong size for it.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Mini-Fridge 150WΓ24h Β· Laptop 60WΓ4h Β· Phone Charger 15WΓ3h Β· LED Lights 40WΓ5h Β· Fan 75WΓ8h
SCN-07 Β· an afternoon Β· needs 100Wh
Afternoon Off-Grid
Phones and a speaker at the park, beach, or campsite β the small-unit job description
Either unit
This row is here for the RIVER 2's class of job: phones and a speaker, 100Wh across an afternoon. Both cover it β the RIVER 2 finishes at 46% used, and the DELTA 3 1000 Air barely notices it. For this job the DELTA 3 1000 Air's extra capacity is dead weight, not headroom; at 7.8 lbs the RIVER 2 is the easier carry, though neither is sold new any more.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOADΒ Β Phone Charger (Γ2) 30WΓ2h Β· Bluetooth Speaker 10WΓ4h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh Γ 0.85) Γ· LOAD
None of the scenarios above exactly yours? Build it. Toggle what you'd plug in; both units are tested against the combined draw.
Essentials
Comfort & Convenience
High-Draw Appliances
Test duration
8h
Continuous draw
205W
Projected runtime
For this load: DELTA 3 1000 Air runs 4h vs 1.1h.
Planning for more than this? Describe your whole setup and get it sizedΒ β
Modeled from the spec record β same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.ΒΉ
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0β54.4hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0β10.9hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsΒΉ Runtime = (capacity Γ 0.85) Γ· appliance watts. Within each group, all bars share one time scale (the group's longest runtime), so lengths are comparable across appliances; identical runtimes collapse into a single blue/orange bar. Actual runtime varies with battery age, temperature, and simultaneous loads β see methodology.
Conclusion
October 25, 2026
Verdict: the DELTA 3 1000 Air, on Power Score margin
There's no pick to make, because EcoFlow sells neither now. The 1000 Air holds 960Wh, covers a CPAP night with most of its battery left, and is rated to switch to battery in no more than 10ms. The RIVER 2 weighs 7.8 lb to the Air's 22, has the faster USB-C port, 60W to 18W, and was sold with five years of warranty to the Air's two.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
Written by Wenny Zheng, Portable Power Tester Β· Station Arena Test Desk Β· Updated October 25, 2026
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Not rated for both units (minimum threshold unmet): UPS, Solar Generator, Tailgating.
Full specifications
α΅ Derived: price Γ· rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons β
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool βHow these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it β no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews β see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity Γ 0.85 inverter efficiency) Γ· device wattage. Solar recharge estimates assume panels deliver 70% of rated output. Cold weather, battery age, and stacked loads reduce real-world results.
Power Score
Computed from 14 published spec dimensions, weighted per use-case bench. Higher is better; a unit must meet a bench's minimum threshold to be rated.
See the full weight table and data sourcing on our methodology page βClass ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews β no buyer opinions feed it. We score every station on size-independent quality (value, output, portability, endurance, ports, warranty, and more), then percentile-rank it against the other units in its capacity class, so a class-leading compact unit and a class-leading whole-home unit can both earn 5β . Here, DELTA 3 1000 Air rates 5.0/5 (99th percentile of 20 Compact-class units), and RIVER 2 rates 3.9/5 (38th percentile of 25 Personal-class units).
How the class ranking is computed βTest Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
The Bigger Battery Has the Slower USB-C
The DELTA 3 1000 Air's fastest USB-C port outputs 18W, enough for a phone. The RIVER 2's outputs 60W, enough to charge most laptops at a useful speed.
10ms vs 30ms
The 1000 Air is rated to switch to battery in no more than 10ms, the RIVER 2 in no more than 30ms. Many desktops won't ride through 30ms. Both are ratings, not lab results.
Five Years vs Two
The RIVER 2 was sold with a five-year warranty and the 1000 Air with two. On a used unit, check whether any of it carries over.
One Figure on the Table
EcoFlow publishes 39dB for the 1000 Air and no figure for the RIVER 2. A missing number isn't evidence of a loud fan.
Ownership Analysis
What happens after you buy β true cost of ownership, brand trust, and growth potential.
Lifetime value
Service lifeyears at one full cycle per day
Lifetime energy delivered
β warranty ends Β· Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains β degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
Neither is sold new any more, so there is no price left to work a cost per kWh from, and what either costs you now depends on the used market. The hardware comparison still holds: over its rated life the DELTA 3 1000 Air delivers about 2,880 kWh and the RIVER 2 about 768 kWh. One thing to know reading the table: both carry the same 3,000-cycle rating, so the lifetime rows are sticker price and capacity in disguise β the wear horizon is identical and decides nothing here.
Growth path
DELTA 3 1000 Air
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 960Wh, with no expansion β so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 500W of solar. Suitable for a 1-2 panel setup.
Limited ports. You'll likely need a power strip or splitter.
RIVER 2
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 256Wh, with no expansion β so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 110W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Limited ports. You'll likely need a power strip or splitter.
Realistic full solar rechargeat 70% of rated panel output β see methodology
Analyst note
Neither of these is sold new any more, so there is no growth path to buy into on either side. If you already own one: the DELTA 3 1000 Air is fixed at 960Wh and the RIVER 2 is fixed at 256Wh. As a purchase decision, expandability isn't the question here.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews β every claim cited to its source below.
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air
Reviewers frame the 1000 Air as a minimalist unit: a big LFP battery behind a small inverter, with fewer ports and featuresA1. LFP is lithium iron phosphate, a chemistry chosen for long life. Its headline feature is a UPS switchover rated no worse than 10ms, built to keep a computer, monitor and router running through an outageA2.
Reviewers note that at 500W it won't run a space heater or a hair dryerA3. It's a light-load battery, and EcoFlow no longer sells itA4.
βA 960Wh LiFePO4 unit with a 500W inverter (800W X-Boost) weighing only 22 lbs β a focused, minimalist design with fewer ports and features.β
Sources
thesolarlab.com Β· batteryskills.com Β· backuppowerhub.com Β· matanich.com
EcoFlow RIVER 2
Our research found most RIVER 2 coverage compares it with the newer RIVER 3 rather than coming from ownersB0. It shares the RIVER 3's core: 300W output, LFP chemistry and roughly an hour's fast chargeB2.
It has no published decibel rating, and owner reports suggest it's louder under load than the RIVER 3B1. It also lacks the RIVER 3's waterproofing and faster UPS, though one reviewer still calls it a reasonable choice for indoor use on a budgetB3.
βShares the same core platform as the RIVER 3 β 300W output, LiFePO4 chemistry, and roughly 60-minute fast charging β and remains a popular, proven budget small-format unit.β
Sources
backuppowerhub.com Β· ecoflow.com Β· versus.com
Sources & Research Notes
Every owner claim in this report is traceable to a published source. The bracketed references above resolve here.
Recurring owner themes
- A focused home-office UPS unit β LFP, 10ms UPS, quiet and light β but low 500W output; now discontinued in favor of the DELTA 3. [DELTA 3 1000 Air Β· 3 entries]
- The RIVER 2 is the older, cheaper unit on the same core platform β reasonable for budget indoor use but louder and less refined than the RIVER 3. [RIVER 2 Β· 2 entries]
- A1
βA 960Wh LiFePO4 unit with a 500W inverter (800W X-Boost) weighing only 22 lbs β a focused, minimalist design with fewer ports and features.β
thesolarlab.com / batteryskills.com β DELTA 3 1000 Air review Β· 2026 Β· [mixed]
- A2
βBuilt as a power-protection device with a 10ms UPS switchover to keep a computer, monitor, and router running through outages.β
backuppowerhub.com β DELTA 3 1000 Air review Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- A3
βWith only 500W continuous output, it won't run a space heater or hair dryer β it's built for low-to-moderate draw devices.β
backuppowerhub.com / matanich.com β DELTA 3 1000 Air review Β· 2026 Β· [mixed]
- A4
βEcoFlow no longer sells the DELTA 3 1000 Air; the closest successor is the standard DELTA 3 (1,024Wh LFP, 1,800W output, ~$549).β
backuppowerhub.com β DELTA 3 line Β· 2026 Β· [mixed]
- B1
βThe RIVER 2's spec data doesn't include a specific dB rating, and owner reports suggest it's noticeably louder under load than the newer RIVER 3.β
backuppowerhub.com β EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs RIVER 3 Β· 2026 Β· [negative]
- B2
βShares the same core platform as the RIVER 3 β 300W output, LiFePO4 chemistry, and roughly 60-minute fast charging β and remains a popular, proven budget small-format unit.β
ecoflow.com / versus.com β RIVER 2 vs RIVER 3 Β· 2026 Β· [positive]
- B3
βFor strictly indoor use where every dollar counts, the RIVER 2 is still a reasonable choice β but it lacks the RIVER 3's refinements like waterproofing, faster UPS, and quieter operation.β
backuppowerhub.com β RIVER 2 vs RIVER 3 recommendation Β· 2026 Β· [mixed]
Research compiled October 25, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the DELTA 3 1000 Air if youβ¦
- βYou own a 1000 Air and it sits under a desk, guarding a computer, monitor and router through short outagesA2.
- βYou need a CPAP night on one charge. The 1000 Air covers 320Wh with most of its battery left.
Buy the RIVER 2 if youβ¦
- βYou own a RIVER 2 and carry it. At 7.8 lb with a 60W USB-C port, it's the better laptop and camera charger of the two.
- βYour loads are phones, a speaker and small electronics. An afternoon of those uses less than half its battery.
If neither fits
If you need to run an eight-hour blackout, a remote workday, a camping weekend or van life, neither of these covers it, and EcoFlow sells neither now. Look at a larger station.
The Bottom Line
EcoFlow sells neither of these now. For the 1000 Air's job, look at the DELTA 3 Classic. For the RIVER 2's, EcoFlow sells the RIVER 2 240.
If you own one, the split is simple. The 1000 Air guards a desk and covers a CPAP night. The RIVER 2 goes in the bag and charges a laptop faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Are the EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air and RIVER 2 still sold?
Not by EcoFlow, though leftover retailer stock may linger. Our recommended replacement for the 1000 Air is the DELTA 3 Classic. In the RIVER 2's place, EcoFlow sells the RIVER 2 240.
Can the EcoFlow RIVER 2 run a CPAP machine all night?
Not on its own. A CPAP night needs about 320Wh, and the RIVER 2 has about 218Wh usable after conversion losses, so it comes up 102Wh short. The DELTA 3 1000 Air covers the same night with 496Wh to spare.
Which has the faster USB-C port?
The RIVER 2. Its USB-C port outputs up to 60W. The DELTA 3 1000 Air's fastest USB-C port outputs 18W, which charges a laptop slowly.
Which is quieter, the DELTA 3 1000 Air or the RIVER 2?
The published figures can't settle it. EcoFlow rates the 1000 Air at 39dB and publishes no figure for the RIVER 2. Owner reports suggest the RIVER 2 is louder under load than the newer RIVER 3, which is a different comparison.
Does either of these expand with add-on batteries?
No. Both are fixed, sealed packs: 960Wh for the DELTA 3 1000 Air and 256Wh for the RIVER 2.
Related comparisons
Where to buy
EcoFlow DELTA 3 1000 Air
No longer sold
EcoFlow RIVER 2
Left EcoFlow's store
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.