Head-to-head test
EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD
These cost within nine dollars of each other, but one is a 256Wh power station with two AC outlets and the other a 1.5-pound USB-C battery with none, so the only question that decides it is whether the gear you want to power has a wall plug.
Full profiles: EcoFlow RIVER 2 → · Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD →
Written by Wenny ZhengUpdated
Portable Power Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
$209.00 · direct from EcoFlow
Last checked 14 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
$149.89 · direct from Goal Zero
down from $200 · 25% below usual
Last checked 3 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Spec deltas
Buy the RIVER 2 unless you specifically need something you can pocket and fly with. For $209 it is a 256Wh power station with a real 300W inverter and two AC outlets. The $200 Sherpa 100PD is a 1.5-pound USB-C battery holding 94.7Wh with no AC outlets at all. Nine dollars apart, and they are not the same kind of machine.
That is the whole decision, and it is not about which battery is bigger. The Sherpa can charge a phone, a laptop, a camera, or a 12V cooler, anything that ends in a USB or 12V plug. What it cannot do is run a single thing with a wall plug, because there is no inverter inside to make household AC. The RIVER 2 carries one, so it plays in both worlds.
For almost everyone comparing these two, campers, blackout-preppers, anyone with a fan or a fridge or a TV in mind, that settles it: the RIVER 2 does more, lasts far longer, and costs less per unit of energy, for the same money. The Sherpa earns its place in exactly one situation. Your gear is all USB-C, you carry it on your back, and sometimes you carry it onto a plane. Then the one thing the RIVER 2 cannot do, be small, is the only thing that matters.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
continuous output
Even the loads the Sherpa can run pull from 80 usable watt-hours against the RIVER 2's 218, so the RIVER 2 does more kinds of work and more of it, for the same nine-dollars-apart price. The Sherpa's design buys silence and weight, not capability.
Sherpa 100PD's 100W is a DC port total across USB and 12V, with no AC outlets and no inverterRIVER 2 carries a 300W inverter behind two AC outletsthe two prices sit nine dollars apart, $209 vs $200
Why it mattersIf any device you want to power ends in a wall plug, the Sherpa is out before capacity even enters the conversation.
rated cycles
In calendar terms the cycle ratings work out to 8.2 years of daily use against 1.4, so the Sherpa reaches its rated end in about a year and a half of everyday cycling. Measured per unit of energy the near-tied sticker inverts: the Sherpa costs more than fifteen times as much per lifetime kilowatt-hour.
RIVER 2 rated 3,000 cycles vs Sherpa 100PD's 500RIVER 2 delivers 768 kWh over its rated life vs the Sherpa's 47 kWhprices within nine dollars: $209 vs $200
Why it mattersIf you will cycle this regularly instead of once a season, the RIVER 2 is the cheaper unit over its life, so buy it on those terms.
weight
The RIVER 2 throttles that same laptop to 60W, weighs five times as much, and at 256Wh is well past the capacity airlines allow into a cabin, where the Sherpa's 94.7Wh slips under. For a traveler whose entire kit is USB-C, the weaker unit on paper is the only one of the two that fits the mission.
Sherpa 100PD weighs 1.5 lbs vs the RIVER 2's 7.8 lbsSherpa 100PD pushes 100W over USB-C vs the RIVER 2's 60WSherpa 100PD holds 94.7Wh vs the RIVER 2's 256Wh
Why it mattersFrequent flyers and ultralight backpackers charging phones, laptops, and cameras should buy the Sherpa and ignore the spec sheet's verdict.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: The Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets and no inverter, so anything with a wall plug never runs on it. That one fact decides most of this matchup before capacity or price get a say.
rated cycles
One gotcha here outranks the rest: the Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets. Its 100W is a DC total across USB and 12V, so a coffee maker, a box fan, a TV, most lamps, anything with a two-prong plug, has nowhere to go. The RIVER 2's 300W inverter and two outlets mean it never hits that wall. Sort your gear into a wall-plug pile and a USB pile before you read another spec. If the wall-plug pile is not empty, the Sherpa is out.
The smaller flags stack the same way. Only the RIVER 2 has app control and a UPS mode, and it is covered for 5 years against the Sherpa's 2. None of those would override a real portability need, but none of them break the Sherpa's way either.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: At 1.5 pounds against 7.8, small enough for a carry-on the 256Wh RIVER 2 cannot join, the Sherpa's whole case is being the one you will actually carry.
weight
This is the one section the Sherpa wins, and it wins cleanly. 1.5 pounds against 7.8 is the difference between a thing that lives in your backpack and a thing you decide whether to bring. It is also small enough to ride in an airline carry-on, which the 256Wh RIVER 2 is not, a hard line for anyone who flies with their power. And its USB-C port delivers a full 100W, enough to charge a modern laptop at full speed where the RIVER 2 taps out at 60.
None of that helps if your gear needs AC, which is the catch. But for a traveler whose whole kit is USB-C, a phone, a laptop, a camera, maybe a 12V cooler, the Sherpa does the job in a fifth of the weight, and the RIVER 2's extra capacity is weight you would be hauling for nothing.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: Nine dollars apart on the sticker, but $0.27 versus $4.22 per lifetime kilowatt-hour, because the RIVER 2 moves 768 kWh over its rated life to the Sherpa's 47.
cost / lifetime kWh
Twenty-seven cents a lifetime kilowatt-hour against four dollars and twenty-two. That single comparison dissolves the near-identical price tags: measured across everything each battery will ever deliver, the RIVER 2's energy is more than fifteen times cheaper. Cheaper to buy and cheaper to own are different questions, and the Sherpa only wins the first, by nine dollars.
The warranty math points the same direction: $42 of purchase price per year of coverage on the RIVER 2, $100 on the Sherpa. Same shelf price, less than half the cost per protected year. If you are keeping this thing around, the RIVER 2 is quietly the frugal choice.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: The camping, blackout, CPAP, workday, tailgate, and van-life scenarios all resolve to neither, which is the honest ceiling on what two small batteries can do.
Point either unit at a real household load and both come up short. The camping weekend, the 8-hour blackout, the CPAP night, the remote workday, the tailgate, the day of van life all resolve to neither, because these are small batteries and the Sherpa cannot run the AC half of the list at all. The RIVER 2's 218 usable watt-hours cover a phone-and-laptop afternoon with room to spare. They do not cover a mini-fridge overnight.
The CPAP case is the one worth staring at. Against a 320Wh night the RIVER 2 covers about two-thirds and then stops with you asleep; the Sherpa covers a quarter. Neither is a bedside backup at this size. If that is your use, both of these are the wrong shelf.
Strengths & trade-offs
EcoFlow RIVER 2
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
- +Longer warranty
- +Faster solar charging
- +Rated for 3,000 charge cycles — much longer battery lifespan
Trade-offs
- –Substantially more expensive (+$59.1) than the Sherpa 100PD.
Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD
Strengths
- +Costs $59.1 less
- +Lighter by 6.3 lb
Trade-offs
- –Lacks smartphone app control for remote monitoring.
- –Shorter-lived battery — rated for 500 charge cycles vs the RIVER 2's 3,000, so it wears out sooner.
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 · 2 nights · needs 2,100Wh
Weekend Camping
Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
Neither unit
A camping weekend here means LED lights and a box fan, both wall-plug, so the Sherpa's USB-and-12V-only design sits it out before capacity matters. The RIVER 2 can run them, but 218 usable watt-hours will not stretch across a 2,100Wh weekend. It is great for keeping phones, a fan, and lights topped up through an evening, not a whole-weekend power supply. For that, size up; neither finishes here.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Phone Charger 15W×6h · LED Lights 40W×8h · Box Fan 75W×14h · CPAP Machine 40W×16h
SCN-02 · 8 hours · needs 1,645Wh
8-Hour Blackout
Keep the essentials running through a night without power
Neither unit
The Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets, so the fridge, router + modem and the rest in this scenario never plug in — it's a DC station for USB and 12V gear, and no wattage figure changes that, so capacity never gets a say. This is the wrong kind of unit for the job rather than a close call.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Fridge 150W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40W×6h · Phone Charger 15W×3h
SCN-03 · 8 hours · needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption — the #1 medical use case
Neither unit
Neither makes it to morning. A CPAP wants about 320Wh; the RIVER 2's 218 usable watt-hours cover roughly two-thirds of the night before the machine stops with you asleep, and the Sherpa's 80 cover a quarter. The RIVER 2 is closer, but closer on a CPAP still means waking to a dead battery. At this size both are the wrong shelf.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD CPAP Machine 40W×8h
SCN-04 · 8 hours · needs 910Wh
Remote Workday
Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
Neither unit
The Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets, so the external monitor and router + modem in this scenario never plug in — it's a DC station for USB and 12V gear, and no wattage figure changes that, so capacity never gets a say. This is the wrong kind of unit for the job rather than a close call.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Laptop 60W×8h · External Monitor 30W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · Phone Charger 15W×2h
SCN-05 · 4 hours · needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
Neither unit
The RIVER 2 can start the 400W peak but not hold it — 600W of surge gets it going, then the 300W continuous rating takes over, and the Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets, so the blender and led tv in this scenario never plug in — it's a DC station for USB and 12V gear, and no wattage figure changes that, so capacity never gets a say. This is the wrong kind of unit for the job rather than a close call.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Blender 400W×0.5h · LED TV (55") 80W×4h · Bluetooth Speaker 15W×4h · Phone Charger (×3) 45W×2h
SCN-06 · 24 hours · needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living — the ultimate endurance test
Neither unit
The Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets, so the mini-fridge, led lights and the rest in this scenario never plug in — it's a DC station for USB and 12V gear, and no wattage figure changes that, so capacity never gets a say. This is the wrong kind of unit for the job rather than a close call.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Mini-Fridge 150W×24h · Laptop 60W×4h · Phone Charger 15W×3h · LED Lights 40W×5h · Fan 75W×8h
SCN-07 · an afternoon · needs 100Wh
Afternoon Off-Grid
Phones and a speaker at the park, beach, or campsite — the small-unit job description
RIVER 2
The Sherpa 100PD doesn't finish — 80Wh usable against the 100Wh this needs leaves it 20Wh short, about 81% of the scenario covered. The RIVER 2 covers it with 118Wh to spare.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Phone Charger (×2) 30W×2h · Bluetooth Speaker 10W×4h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh × 0.85) ÷ 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
Only the RIVER 2 can run this load — the Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets for the wall-plug gear in it.
$189 list · direct from EcoFlow
Modeled from the spec record — same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.¹
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0–14.5hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–2.9hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limits¹ Runtime = (capacity × 0.85) ÷ 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 — see methodology.
Conclusion
August 30, 2026
Verdict: the RIVER 2, on Power Score margin
Take the RIVER 2. It costs about nine dollars more than the Sherpa 100PD and gives you a real 300W inverter behind two AC outlets, 2.7 times the capacity, six times the rated cycle life, and more than fifteen times less cost per lifetime kilowatt-hour. The only reason to choose the Sherpa is that it weighs 1.5 pounds, charges a laptop at the full 100W over USB-C, and slips into a carry-on the 256Wh RIVER 2 is far too large to join. That is a genuinely different job. If the gear you care about ends in a wall plug, or you want more than a single phone-and-laptop day, that job is not yours.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of August 30, 2026. The links below open EcoFlow's and Goal Zero's current prices.
$209.00 · direct from EcoFlow
Last checked 14 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
or check the Sherpa 100PD price$149.89 list
Written by Wenny Zheng, Portable Power Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated August 30, 2026
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Not rated for both units (minimum threshold unmet): CPAP, Tailgating, Apartment Balcony, Camping.
Full specifications
ᵈ Derived: price ÷ rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons →
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool →How these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it — no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews — see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity × 0.85 inverter efficiency) ÷ 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 →Class ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews — 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 5★. Here, RIVER 2 rates 4.1/5 (48th percentile of 22 Personal-class units), and Sherpa 100PD rates 3.4/5 (5th percentile of 22 Personal-class units).
How the class ranking is computed →Test Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
Sherpa 100PD: No AC Outlets At All
The Sherpa 100PD's 100W is a DC port total — USB and 12V — not an inverter rating. Anything with a wall plug (a fridge, a TV, a coffee maker, most fans and lamps) never plugs in, at any wattage. That's the design, not a defect: it buys weight, silence, and efficiency for phone, laptop, camera, and 12V-CPAP loads. The RIVER 2 carries a real inverter behind 2 AC outlets, so it plays in both worlds. Decide which side of that line your gear lives on before weighing anything else on this page.
Sherpa 100PD: No App Control
Without app control, you have to physically walk to the Sherpa 100PD to check battery level, adjust settings, or monitor power draw. The RIVER 2 lets you do all that from your phone, including getting low-battery alerts.
UPS mode, with an asterisk
Only the RIVER 2 offers a UPS mode: it sits between the wall and your gear and flips to battery when the grid drops, rated no worse than 30ms. That is quick enough for a router or a modem and not quick enough to promise a desktop will not blink, so treat it as outage insurance for network gear rather than a guarantee for a workstation mid-render. The Sherpa lists no UPS at all, so anything on it rides an outage only as long as it takes you to notice. And worth saying plainly: at 218 usable watt-hours the RIVER 2 can bridge a flicker, not run your night.
Warranty Comparison
The RIVER 2 is covered for 5 years against the Sherpa 100PD's 2 years. An underrated factor if you're keeping this unit for years.
Same price, very different lifespan
3,000 rated cycles against 500 is the number that outlasts the sticker. On daily use that is about 8.2 years for the RIVER 2 and 1.4 for the Sherpa; on a twice-a-week routine, roughly 29 years against 5. A cycle is not the same size on each, 256Wh versus about 95, so the honest tally is lifetime energy: 768 kWh out of the RIVER 2 over its rated life, 47 out of the Sherpa. Neither dies at the limit; both settle toward 80% capacity and keep going.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the RIVER 2.
Check RIVER 2 price →or check the Sherpa 100PD priceOwnership Analysis
What happens after you buy — true cost of ownership, brand trust, and growth potential.
Lifetime value
Service lifeyears at one full cycle per day
Lifetime energy delivered
Cost per delivered kWh
│ warranty ends · Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains — degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
The RIVER 2 wins on both sticker price and long-term value. At $0.25/kWh over its lifetime, it's meaningfully cheaper to own. Clear value winner.
Delivers each lifetime kWh for $3.97 less — check the RIVER 2 price →
Brand trust
EcoFlow
Ecosystem
Largest in portable power — 12-15 models across DELTA Pro, DELTA 3, and RIVER 3 series, plus solar panels and smart home panels
Support
US-based phone/email/chat support (1-800-368-8604). Experiences are polarized — many report hassle-free prepaid-label replacements, but others report long waits and refurbished units sent for new claims. Pro tip: buying from Costco or Amazon gives you a stronger return safety net.
Community
Largest community in the space — Reddit r/Ecoflow_community (~31K members), multiple Facebook groups, and an official community forum
App experience
Rated 4.6/5 iOS (~8,400 ratings) · 4.2/5 Android (~17,000 ratings)
Unique strength
Fastest-charging technology (X-Stream), deepest product ecosystem, and most active innovation cadence. At the very top of the range, the DELTA Pro Ultra platform stacks batteries and inverters into whole-home backup — a flagship path, not a line-wide feature.
Worth knowing
EcoFlow moves fastest in the category and has the deepest lineup, but its support experiences are genuinely mixed: some buyers get painless prepaid-label swaps, others wait and receive refurbished units for new claims. Buying through Costco or Amazon gives you a stronger return backstop.
Goal Zero
Ecosystem
Focused — a compact current line (6th-gen Yeti and Yeti Pro series), the previous-gen X series still widely sold, Sherpa power banks for the under-100Wh tier, plus Alta coolers, Nomad/Ranger solar panels, and vehicle integration kits
Support
US-based company (Salt Lake City, owned by NRG Energy). Historically considered premium support, but 2025-2026 reports describe long wait times, unresponsive email communication, and tickets going unaddressed for weeks. The "premium support justifies premium pricing" argument is weakening.
Community
Small but loyal — strong following in overlanding and preparedness communities. Official community forums were recently shuttered, frustrating long-time users.
App experience
Rated 4.4/5 iOS (~1,200 ratings) but recent reviews skew negative — recurring connectivity issues, crashes, and stability problems.
Unique strength
Pioneer of the portable power market — strongest brand heritage. US-based company with ruggedized, weather-resistant designs (IP ratings vary by model). Integrated "Yeti-Ready" ecosystem with coolers, lights, and vehicle kits.
Worth knowing
Goal Zero has the heritage and the ruggedest builds, but it is typically the priciest brand per watt-hour, and its once-premium support has slipped into long waits and slow tickets through 2025 and 2026. The recent forum shutdown stung longtime owners.
Analyst note
Both brands' support has drifted from its better days, so neither earns a clear service edge here. The real split is direction: EcoFlow is the deeper, faster-moving ecosystem at mid-to-premium prices, while Goal Zero trades on durability and US heritage but charges a premium and innovates slowly. For two small units like these, brand is a tiebreaker at most; the AC-versus-DC decision comes first.
Growth path
RIVER 2
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 256Wh, with no expansion — 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.
Sherpa 100PD
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 95Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 20W 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 — see methodology
Analyst note
Neither expands, and that's no knock on either — each is a complete unit at a fixed size. Buy the capacity that covers your needs now (the RIVER 2 gives you the larger ceiling); you can't add to either later.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
EcoFlow RIVER 2
Field data on the RIVER 2 is thin and mostly comparative, drawn from review sites and EcoFlow's own RIVER 2-versus-RIVER 3 material rather than long-run owner forumsA0. The throughline: it is a proven, popular budget unit on the same core platform as the newer RIVER 3, 300W, LiFePO4, roughly hour-long fast chargingA2, but it runs louder under load than the RIVER 3 and publishes no dB figure, and it skips the RIVER 3's waterproofing and quieter refinementsA1A3. For strictly indoor budget use that is a fair trade; if fan noise near your desk matters, know the newer sibling existsA3.
“Shares the same core platform as the RIVER 3 — 300W output, LiFePO4 chemistry, and roughly 60-minute fast charging — and remains a popular, proven budget small-format unit.”
Sources
backuppowerhub.com · ecoflow.com · versus.com
Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD
The Sherpa 100PD is better documented, though almost entirely by professional reviewers on trips of a few months, not long-term owners; no reports past six months and no service-ticket threads surfacedB0. Within that, two patterns hold. The metal build feels genuinely rugged and travel-toughB4B9B13, and the wireless charging pad is slow enough that reviewers reach for a cable, one measuring about 10W and calling it among the slowest pads testedB1B8. Measured output landed at 77.2Wh, roughly 81.5% efficiency, a touch below averageB3, and solar means Goal Zero's proprietary Nomad panel rather than a standard inputB7. Nobody has cycled one long enough to test the 500-cycle longevity question either wayB0.
“In testing, the Sherpa 100PD pumped out 77.2Wh, giving it an efficiency of 81.52 percent; that's just below the average of 82.64 percent efficiency in our testing.”
Sources & Research Notes
Every owner claim in this report is traceable to a published source. The bracketed references above resolve here.
Recurring owner themes
- The RIVER 2 is the older, cheaper unit on the same core platform — reasonable for budget indoor use but louder and less refined than the RIVER 3. [RIVER 2 · 2 entries]
- Owners and reviewers consistently praise the rugged metal build quality and durability for travel/outdoor use. [Sherpa 100PD · 3 entries]
- Wireless (Qi) charging is repeatedly noted as slow/underwhelming compared to wired charging, though still useful in a pinch. [Sherpa 100PD · 3 entries]
- Solar recharging is seen as a limitation since it requires Goal Zero's proprietary Nomad panel/USB port rather than a standard input. [Sherpa 100PD · 1 entries]
- Real-world charging reliability at lower charge levels or with laptops shows some inconsistency versus spec claims. [Sherpa 100PD · 2 entries]
- A1
“The 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.”
backuppowerhub.com — EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs RIVER 3 · 2026 · [negative]
- A2
“Shares the same core platform as the RIVER 3 — 300W output, LiFePO4 chemistry, and roughly 60-minute fast charging — and remains a popular, proven budget small-format unit.”
ecoflow.com / versus.com — RIVER 2 vs RIVER 3 · 2026 · [positive]
- A3
“For strictly indoor use where every dollar counts, the RIVER 2 is still a reasonable choice — but it lacks the RIVER 3's refinements like waterproofing, faster UPS, and quieter operation.”
backuppowerhub.com — RIVER 2 vs RIVER 3 recommendation · 2026 · [mixed]
- B1
“That makes this one of the slowest wireless charging pads I've tested, so unless you plan on leaving your phone on the pad overnight, I'd suggest using a wired connection.”
PCWorld — Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD review: A heavy battery pack that's become my go-to for trips · 2019-12 · [negative]
- B3
“In testing, the Sherpa 100PD pumped out 77.2Wh, giving it an efficiency of 81.52 percent; that's just below the average of 82.64 percent efficiency in our testing.”
PCWorld — Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD review · 2019-12 · [mixed]
- B4
“For the past few months, the Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD has been in my backpack for every business trip I've gone on, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.”
PCWorld — Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD review · 2019-12 · [positive]
- B7
“The Sherpa 100PD can also be powered by solar, but it requires Goal Zero's proprietary Nomad 20 solar panel.”
GearJunkie — Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC & 100PD Review · 2022-11 · [negative]
- B8
“The fastest I ever got out of it was 10W with an iPhone 11 Pro and a Galaxy S20+, which is right around what I expected.”
Android Central — Goal Zero Sherpa 100 PD Qi review · 2023-09 · [mixed]
- B9
“Overall, the materials feel high-quality, and the construction is excellent, with no gaps or obvious production marks.”
Android Central — Goal Zero Sherpa 100 PD Qi review · 2023-09 · [positive]
- B13
“Externally, the Sherpa 100PD is rugged and well-built for the outdoors where dependability is a requirement for me.”
REI product reviews — Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD Power Bank · unknown · [positive]
Research compiled August 30, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the RIVER 2 if you…
- →You want to run or back up anything with a wall plug, a router and modem through a short outage, a few lamps and a fan at a campsite, a TV at a tailgate, and you want it still working in eight years rather than two.
- →You are cross-shopping on price and capacity: for the same roughly $200, the RIVER 2 is the larger, longer-lived, cheaper-per-kilowatt-hour unit, full stop.
- →You want to charge and monitor from your phone and have a UPS mode for a desktop or network gear, knowing the sub-30ms hand-off can still blink sensitive machines.
Buy the Sherpa 100PD if you…
- →Your entire kit is USB-C and 12V, a phone, a laptop, a camera, a headlamp, a 12V cooler, and you never need household AC.
- →You fly or backpack with your power. At 1.5 pounds and carry-on-legal 94.7Wh it goes where the 256Wh RIVER 2 cannot, and its 100W USB-C tops a laptop at full speed.
- →You want a rugged, travel-tough pack for your bagB13, not a power station, something that tops up phones, watches, and a laptop between outlets.
If neither fits
If you are trying to power a full campsite, ride out a real multi-hour blackout, or run a CPAP through the night, neither of these is enough, because both are small. Look at a proper mid-size station, EcoFlow's DELTA line or a larger Goal Zero Yeti, with several times this capacity. And if all you ever charge is a phone or two, a cheap USB power bank does that; you need neither of these.
The Bottom Line
Two batteries at the same price, and only one of them plugs into the wall. That is the RIVER 2, and it is also the bigger, longer-lived, cheaper-per-kilowatt-hour one, the rare case where the more capable machine is the better value too. For anyone with a wall plug in their plans, it is not close.
Buy the Sherpa 100PD only for the job the RIVER 2 cannot touch: 1.5 pounds, carry-on legal, a laptop-charging brick for people who live out of a backpack. If that is you, it is a fine little unit. If it is not, if you pictured a fan, a fridge, a router, a light, get the RIVER 2. Easy call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Can the Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD run AC appliances or a charger that plugs into the wall?
No. The Sherpa 100PD has no AC outlets and no inverter; its 100W is a DC total across USB and 12V ports. A laptop that charges over USB-C works great, at up to 100W, but anything with a two-prong wall plug will not connect at all. If you need household AC, the RIVER 2 with its 300W inverter and two outlets is the one to get.
Why would the RIVER 2 be cheaper to own if it costs more than the Sherpa?
Because it lasts far longer per dollar. The RIVER 2 is rated for 3,000 charge cycles to the Sherpa's 500 and holds more than double the energy, so over its life it moves roughly 768 kWh against the Sherpa's 47. Same $200-ish outlay, many times the total energy; that is what cheaper to own means here.
Is the Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD allowed on a plane?
Yes. Its 94.7Wh capacity keeps it under the watt-hour limit airlines set for lithium batteries in carry-on bags, so it is built to travel. The EcoFlow RIVER 2, at 256Wh, is well over that line and cannot come along in the cabin. If flying with your battery matters, that alone can decide it.
Which one should I get for camping?
For most camping, the RIVER 2, but only up to a point. It can run small AC gear, lights, a fan, and charge everything, off its 300W inverter and 256Wh, where the Sherpa can only feed USB and 12V devices. Neither will run a cooler-style fridge for a full weekend; if that is the plan, both are too small and you want a larger station. For ultralight backpacking where every ounce counts, flip it: the 1.5-pound Sherpa is the only one you will actually carry.
Does the Sherpa 100PD charge from solar like the RIVER 2?
Sort of, with a catch. The Sherpa takes solar only through Goal Zero's proprietary Nomad panel rather than a standard connector, and its input tops out around 20W. The RIVER 2 accepts up to 110W of standard solar, so it refills from the sun several times faster and without a brand-locked panel.
Where to buy
EcoFlow RIVER 2Pick
$209.00
$209.00 · direct from EcoFlow
Last checked 14 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Goal Zero Sherpa 100PD
$149.89
$149.89 · direct from Goal Zero
down from $200 · 25% below usual
Last checked 3 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.