EcoFlow Delta 3 Max Plus review: 3000W portable power station specs and verdict (aff)
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EcoFlow’s latest Delta redesign brings smarter outputs faster charging and serious off grid power for those ready to invest in a true portable powerhouse
EcoFlow's redesign of its incredibly popular Delta series brought some very welcome improvements, with even just the physical changes being enough to thrill fans of the brand.
Front-mounted power outputs, a softer aesthetic, and a better display were enough to convince most people that the new Delta 3 series was worth serious consideration. But the bigger improvements lay within.
I've been living with the Delta 3 Plus for a while now, and it's been a great workhorse in my canal boat - but one of the hero products we've been waiting for has been the Delta 3 Max.
Sitting beneath the gargantuan Delta Pro, the Delta Max has always been the portable powerhouse to aspire to, because it has a huge output for its size, and a super-fast recharging time.
Can the Delta 3 Max live up to the legend though? Straight off the bat, the numbers look good. I've been testing the Plus version of the Delta 3 Max, which has a bigger output capacity and a more attractive matt silver casing.
It has a 3,000w AC output, a 6,000w surge output, its 2,048Wh battery can take on an AC charge at up to 2,300w, which is enough to charge it from 0-80% in 47 minutes, and it will take 1,000w of solar.
It has the latest LFP battery chemistry, it's expandable up to 10Wh, and it has all the latest Bluetooth and WiFi tech for a more stable connection.
In just about every way, then, it's been improved. And it's seriously usable in every day scenarios. This is a unit that doesn’t flinch when you plug in real appliances. Kettles, power tools, gaming rigs, coffee machines are all within its comfort zone.
There are four AC outputs, and they're now all on one side, which is so much better than reaching around the back. There are four USB sockets, this time with only one USB-A, and the rest USB-C, and one of those USB-C sockets can hurl out up to 140w.
Two separate solar inputs is another welcome addition, no more splitting panel feeds, and it's great to see a physical switch to alter the charging speed retained. That's basically unique to EcoFlow and it's really handy.
That said, charging speed can be fine-tuned in EcoFlow's app, and that app is pretty much the best in the business. It's been improved and refined over the years, and it's so versatile, so easy to use, and adds so much to the user experience.
Other additions impress me, too. Smart Output Priority lets you decide which circuits stay alive when the battery dips, meaning your fridge or router keeps running while less essential devices drop off automatically. It's also remained a pretty manageable size. Of course, it's not something you'd slip in a backpack, but at just over 22kg it's easy to carry around.
It's hard to pick fault with such a polished machine, but it does feel a little bit more vulnerable than the previous Deltas. And that's true of the Delta 3 series, not just the Max. Gone is the sturdy rubber base, and the pretty silver casing just feels like it's going to pick up scratches and scrapes more easily.
In reality, it's every bit as robust and protected, if not more so, but I do find I'm being so much more careful with Delta 3s than I was with the previous generation.
It's probably also fair to list the price as a downside, because it's quite hefty. The Delta 3 Max lists at £1,199, but there's currently a £200 coupon on the EcoFlow website, so let's call it £1,000. The more powerful and pretty Delta 3 Max Plus is £1,399 with the same £200 coupon. So £1,199 to you and me.
That's actually quite competitive when you line it up alongside the competition, but it's still a lot of money. Especially when you consider you can get the smaller, lighter Delta 3 1500 for £599 at the moment, and a refurbished Delta 2 Max can be had for £849.
But if you're in the market for serious off-grid power, these are numbers you'll be used to crunching.
And I do find myself mindful of the fact that, despite being sent all sorts of these power stations to test, it's the EcoFlow products I prefer to live with long term.
The Delta 3 Max Plus has made perhaps the best portable power station on the market even better. And I guess I can't give it any more praise than that.