Comparison EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus vs BLUETTI PowerOak EB3A

The delay (usually in milliseconds) between the power going out from the outlet and the moment when the station starts feeding connected devices from its battery, maintaining "pass-through" power. The shorter this time, the higher the chance that devices won't notice the drop at all: for routers, cameras, NAS, and PCs, this is critical because a long pause can cause a reboot, loss of connection, or even filesystem errors. Essentially, this is the same parameter as in a classic UPS, but for charging stations, it greatly depends on implementation: models with a more "UPS-like" switching scheme switch considerably faster, while some stations formally have a UPS mode but actually create a noticeable break or activate the output only after "realizing" the network's loss. In practice, this point helps distinguish a charging station that is truly suitable as a UPS for sensitive electronics from an option "for lights and charging": for example, for home internet and video surveillance, minimal switching time is important, while for lamps, charging phones, or a heater, a brief pause is typically not critical.

Total number of outlets with output voltage. This is, in fact, the number of devices that can be simultaneously connected to the charging station without the use of splitters, extension cords and carriers. Accordingly, weaker charging stations have one or two sockets in their submission. Powerful charging stations already have three or more sockets “on board”.

Full-size USB-A connectors are popular in computer technology, commonly used in charging adapters for 230 V household networks and 12 V car sockets. These outputs have become widespread in charging stations for charging gadgets.

— The total number of such ports can be quite varied (1 USB, 2 connectors, 3 ports, and even 4), as they allow for charging and, in some cases, powering various low-power devices — smartphones, tablets, power banks, lamps, and more.

— Current Strength. The maximum current delivered through the USB-A connector to the charging device. Note that different ports of the charging station may output different currents (for example, 1.5 A and 2.1 A). In such cases, the highest current strength is usually specified.

— Power. The maximum output power in watts (W) that the charging station is capable of delivering through the USB-A connector to a single charging gadget.

In wireless charging mode, energy is transferred to the gadget being charged through an inductive surface, which is usually built into the upper plane of the charging station case. There can be one slot for wireless charging or several of them are provided. The range of this technology does not exceed a few centimeters. However, this method of charging eliminates the fuss with wires and reduces wear on the connectors. One of the key disadvantages of this format is considered to be low power and, accordingly, slow charging speed.

Power connector with two round connectors, used to replenish energy reserves in the battery cells of the charging station. For the most part, the input port of the XT60 is for charging the device from solar panels using the appropriate cable.

Additional input connectors provided in the design of the charging station in addition to those described above.

Ability to connect an external battery to the charging station to increase the overall energy consumption and, as a result, extend the battery life. This connection is fast and convenient. On the other hand, the battery takes up extra space on the outside, making the whole structure more cumbersome.

Nominal battery capacity, in fact - the amount of energy that is supposed to be stored. The larger it is, the longer the battery life of the charging station will be, all other things being equal. On the other hand, this parameter also affects the dimensions, weight and price of the battery, despite the fact that an energy-intensive battery is not always required. By the indicator of capacity in watt-hours, you can compare batteries with each other.

The number of charge-discharge cycles that the battery can withstand without significant loss of performance.

In the process of operation, the batteries wear out, which causes their performance to suffer (in the first place, the capacity decreases). Battery life is usually measured in charge-discharge cycles. However, models with the same declared resource are not always equally durable in practice. Different manufacturers may interpret “significant loss of performance” in different ways: for example, one brand indicates the resource up to a 20% decrease in capacity (DOD > 80%), another - up to a 60% decrease (DOD > 40%) Behind the abbreviation DOD worth decoding Depth of Discharge, i.e. discharge depth. Therefore, when choosing, it makes sense to focus not only on pure numbers, but also on other sources - test results, reviews, etc. Also note that battery life can be noticeably reduced if the operating conditions are violated (for example, in case of overheating or hypothermia).