EcoFlow DELTA 2 & 220W Solar Panel Review

The EcoFlow DELTA 2 promises to be a game-changer for camping and off-grid power, boasting a 1kWh capacity and 1800W output. In this review, I test it alongside the 220W Bifacial Solar Panel to see if it can really power hair dryers, portable ACs, and keep my camping fridge running for days.

Unboxing & Design

The build quality is excellent with solid handles on top. Included in the box are all the necessary cables: a DC charging cable, a car charging cable, and the main AC charging cable.

The unit itself is surprisingly compact (comparable to a 330ml can in height), featuring a comprehensive port selection on the front and back:

• USB Ports: 4x USB-A (2x Fast Charge) and 2x USB-C (100W each).
• AC Outlets: 4x AC sockets (UK 230V in this unit) located on the rear.
• DC Outputs: 12V Car socket ("Cigarette Lighter") and DC5521 connectors on the side.

Real World Testing: High Power Appliances

The main reason I bought this was to power a campervan fridge, but to test the 1800W limits, I plugged in some high-wattage household appliances:

• Hair Dryer Test: Running a hair dryer on max heat dropped the runtime estimate to 31 minutes. On lower speed settings, this extended to 52 minutes.

• Hair Straighteners: Drew around 200W initially to heat up before dropping down, proving the Delta 2 can easily handle styling tools.

• Portable Air Conditioner: I ran a 1000W portable AC unit. The battery handled the compressor kicking in with no issues, offering roughly 2 hours of runtime at full blast.

The 220W Bifacial Solar Panel

The "Bifacial" design means it collects energy from the front (rated 220W) and ambient light from the rear (rated 155W). In my testing—even in the cloudy UK—performance was impressive.

I managed to pull 180W of input, which is fantastic for real-world conditions. Even laying the panel completely flat on the ground (a non-optimal angle), I still pulled in a respectable 140-150W.

The EcoFlow App & Features

The app is where EcoFlow really shines over competitors. It connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and offers granular control that goes beyond simple monitoring:

• Charging Speed Slider: You can adjust the AC charging wattage. Cranking it to max charges the unit fast but makes the fans loud. Dialing it down (e.g., "Quiet Charging" mode) protects battery health and keeps it silent.
• Energy Management: You can set charge limits (e.g., stop charging at 80%) to prolong the battery lifespan.
• X-Boost: Allows the unit to power appliances up to 2400W by lowering voltage.
• Timeouts: I found the ability to configure exactly how long the AC inverter stays active when idle very useful to prevent phantom drain.

Verdict

Despite the solar panel stand being a bit fiddly to set up, the combination of the DELTA 2 and the 220W panel has completely enhanced my camping experience. In my real-world usage, I managed to keep a camping fridge running for 5 days completely off-grid using just this setup.

It is an expensive investment, but for the build quality, app features, and reliability, I think it is absolutely worth it.