The Ecoflow Delta mini is a compact but powerful power station. It can supply many different devices for a few hours when camping or in the event of a power failure, charges very quickly from the socket and can also be solar-powered.
Power stations are rechargeable battery power packs that can supply smartphones, tablets, notebooks or even household appliances with electricity for several hours in an emergency or during leisure time. New to the market is the Ecoflow Delta mini, which is compact but powerful and versatile. ntv.de tried them out together with a mobile solar panel from the manufacturer.
The power station is about the size of a capsule espresso machine and weighs around 11 kilograms. You don’t want to carry it long distances, but thanks to the two large carrying handles on the sides, the way from the apartment to the parking lot, for example, is not too difficult.
The optics are appealing, but it is more important that the processing of the Ecoflow Delta mini is of high quality and the device seems to be able to withstand a lot. With wide rubber feet, it is very stable for its weight and can also cope with steeper angles on a boat. However, it is not waterproof, and the manufacturer expressly states in the manual that it must not get wet. It also has no place on the sandy beach, but there are no covers for most of the entrances.
Despite being very compact, the Delta mini has an impressive capacity of 882 watt hours. Up to nine devices can be supplied at the same time on the power station. In addition, it has two 230 volt sockets, three USB-A sockets, one of which has a quick charge function (up to 18 watts), a USB-C connection (up to 100 watts), two conventional DC outputs and a car connection.
With an output power of 1400 watts, which can also reach 2300 watts (X-Boost) for a short time if required, you can not only operate any camping equipment, but also almost all household devices. In the test, a 55-inch television with a soundbar was attached to the Ecoflow Delta mini, an espresso machine with 1200 watts was no problem for the power station, nor was the similarly high starting power of a fridge/freezer combination.
The higher the power consumption, the shorter the battery pack lasts, for example you can only watch TV for two to three hours. In emergencies, it is therefore better to avoid such a pastime. In the event of an announced power failure, the power station can, among other things, prevent frozen goods from spoiling or having to be parked at the neighbor’s. It is also possible to operate the home office for a few hours independently of the network.
You can switch the Ecoflow Delta mini between the socket and the device as long as the house electricity is still flowing. Only if and as long as it fails does the power station take over the supply. She reacts within 30 milliseconds.
How long a device can still be operated can be seen, as well as the remaining capacity, on an LED on the front of the battery charging station. The display also shows the power and how quickly the Delta mini itself is being charged. You can get more information via a clear smartphone app, in which you can also make some additional settings.
At a conventional socket, the power station is charged in significantly less than two hours – as stated by the manufacturer. You can also charge the device on the go via the cigarette lighter connection in the car or connect it to a solar panel. To try out the second option, ntv.de used a 160-watt module from Ecoflow. You can lay it flat or use the carry bag to orient it at 90 or 60 degrees to the sun. In the absence of a balcony, ntv.de put the panel through a window onto a pitched roof.
A charging capacity of up to 115 watts was achieved under almost ideal conditions, which means that the power station needs almost eleven hours for a complete charge. With two interconnected modules, the time is halved, you cannot connect more, since the charging power must not exceed 300 watts. If clouds moved in front of the sun, the panel only achieved around 20 watts. So you shouldn’t rely too much on the solar module when the weather is changeable.
According to Ecoflow, the capacity of the battery should still be 80 percent after 800 charging cycles. A cycle means a complete discharge plus a full charge, in how many intermediate steps this happens does not matter with modern lithium-ion batteries. That said, the Delta mini’s battery is quite long-lasting.
The cooling of the power station starts as soon as it is under load or being charged. The fans of the ventilation work relatively loud. That can be really annoying, for example if you want to take a nap in the camper van.
Apart from the lack of protection against dust and water, this is basically the only real technical weakness of the power station. The high price should be more problematic for interested users, you hardly get them for less than 1000 euros. If you also want a suitable solar module from the manufacturer, you have to add another 400 euros. Otherwise, the Ecoflow Delta mini was completely convincing in the test and it is difficult to find a cheaper power station with similar qualities.
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