EcoFlow Wave 2 Review: A Slick Portable AC
This portable air conditioner doubles as a heater, but it doesn’t come cheap….
As for charging, the permanently attached plug slots into any AC outlet, and there is an XT60 port for connecting solar panels and an XT150 for connecting the add-on battery. EcoFlow sent me the version with the battery. It slots securely into place under the Wave 2, and there is a small connector cable. Once attached, it feels like a part of the Wave 2. They won’t come apart accidentally, and the battery adds a handle to the back that makes for easier carrying, though the two combined are heavy at almost 50 pounds.
The battery stores 1,159 watt-hours, enough for using the Wave 2 for two to three hours at max output, a little longer in Standard mode, and up to eight hours in Eco mode. It can act as a portable charger with a USB-A port capable of delivering up to 18 watts and a USB-C that goes up to 100 watts. The battery is essential if you plan to take the EcoFlow Wave 2 camping or anywhere without outlets. It is also rated for dust and water resistance at IP65, though the Wave 2 itself only has an IPX4 rating, meaning it can withstand splashes but is not waterproof, so you need to be careful using it outside.
Keeping Cool
My small office is south-facing, so having the EcoFlow Wave 2 chill it down during the day has been lovely. I wedged a single duct to vent the warm air out of the window. It took the temperature from 84 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour in Standard mode. My south-facing bedroom took longer to cool at night, because it is twice the size of my office. The vent cutout isn’t much use to me, as my windows open out with a hinge, but even just wedging the duct in there and closing blinds or curtains around it is enough for effective cooling.
The cooling mode draws up to 550 watts from the mains or 459 watts from the battery. Much depends on how warm the room is and your target temperature. It mostly hovered around 400 watts in the standard mode, and I measured sound at around 50 decibels. Crank it up to max and it cools far quicker, but it also gets a bit noisier, up to 60 decibels at the loudest. Using the Eco or Sleep mode draws less power and makes less noise. It hovers closer to 300 watts and around 40 decibels, and the battery keeps it running for up to eight hours. I had no trouble snoozing with it on, but I prefer some low-level noise (usually rain sounds) when I sleep.
You can also use the EcoFlow Wave 2 as a heater, but it will draw up to 600 watts from an outlet or 540 watts from the battery, so it’s not cheap to run. There is also a fan mode that only seems to draw up to 40 watts, but it just creates a gentle breeze and doesn’t actually cool the air. Still, it allows you to extend the battery life by cycling between cooling and the fan.
Guilt-Free AC
Photograph: EcoFlow
The EcoFlow Wave 2 uses R290, a natural pure propane refrigerant with a low environmental impact and no risk of damaging the ozone layer. While you can hook up solar panels, you will need at least 400 watts of them and good conditions to run the Wave 2.
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