Power plants should be giant power banks for on the go – and that’s the biggest challenge manufacturers face. Because they should be slim, yet easy to carry and ideally should provide endless amounts of energy. With the Delta Mini, EcoFlow fulfills almost all of these requirements – but also shows that it is not possible without compromise:
EcoFlow Delta Mini in action: professional tool
When I unpack the Delta Mini and set it up for the first time, I think I’m wrong. Is it really from the same manufacturer that built the slightly smaller River Pro? The Delta Mini looks very different, much more modern, more professional, more streamlined design. In the end, he doesn’t offer much more than his smaller brother. Read more in our comparison below.
In addition to the modern design, you will find ventilation slots on the sides, which also expel air from the side. And that happens quite often. In my test, the cooler immediately reports when I want to boil water with it. But also when I charge it with the EcoFlow 220W solar panel and the panel supplies significantly more than 100 watts of input.
Incidentally, the Delta Mini passed the aforementioned boiling water test without any problems – unlike, for example, the Jackery Explorer 1000. The Mini easily regulated my 2000W kettle to just below the maximum possible 1,400 watts. It will take a little longer to cook, but it will work. By the way, even if I charge my smartphone and a MacBook at the same time at the power station:
Constant change between the two sides
It quickly gets a little tricky here. Because EcoFlow has placed the display and USB connections on one side, while the inverter connections and DC input connector for the connected solar panel are on the other side:
That means that I have to turn the exchange, which weighs 11 kg, back and forth. You can get used to it, but it’s not ideal. Especially since the flattened top of the device can be used as a shelf or mini table, but otherwise lies fallow:
And speaking of the minor negatives, the Delta Mini has a handle on each side, so two in total. Which also means that you have to carry them with two hands over longer distances. Also different from the River Pro, which you can carry with one hand thanks to the more practical carrying handle on the top.
In addition, the handles of the Delta Mini protrude, so that you have to bend a little to be able to read the display from above. The same on the other side. To connect a solar panel or other charging cable, you must first slide the cover up and then bend down to find the correct socket.
Operation of the buttons a bit clumsy
The on/off button on the front sometimes reacts a bit slow and only if you hold it down for a long time. That it’s barely bigger and much further from the display than the much more prominent IoT reset button isn’t ideal either:
The same goes for the very small buttons on the other side for turning the car charger plug or the AC outlets on and off. Again, you can see this as an advantage; you don’t accidentally press the buttons.
By the way, don’t forget to switch off the sockets after use. The operation of the inverter costs the central energy and the fan rotates frequently. If I forget to turn off the power one night, the battery level dropped by about 10 percent in the morning.
But as you can see, these are all mostly minor criticisms.
How much power does the Delta Mini have?
The EcoFlow Delta Mini is heavily equipped with 882 Wh. The manufacturer does not give more precise information, but it should be enough to charge an average smartphone more than 50 times and a notebook 10-15 times. Boiling 500 ml of water, as in my test, took the power plant about 8 percent of the battery.
By the way, don’t underestimate the performance of standard household appliances! You should also be able to connect a small electric grill to the solar generator. Or an espresso machine, as I tried it on the recommendation of my colleague Frank Müller, who also wants to try it out on his balcony plant.
But devices with around 1,000 watts of power drain the power station in less than an hour. Pure physics: 882 Wh is theoretically enough to run an 882 watt device for 1 hour. In practice, it is even less because of the lower efficiency. By the way, you can use our electricity cost calculator to calculate how much money you will save if you operate individual devices at a power station solely with solar energy.
It is very nice that EcoFlow has thought of USB-C and even a fast charging mode here. I was even able to charge my MacBook at optimum speed with it – at about 45 watts. The Delta Mini provides up to 100W over USB-C. It is therefore suitable for modern smartphones with extremely fast charging. One of the three USB-A ports has also been given a fast charging mode with at least 18W.
It may be a subjective feeling as I haven’t measured the time exactly. But charging the power station with the matching EcoFlow 220W solar panel takes a lot longer than with the River Pro – taking into account, of course, that the latter has slightly less capacity.
What comes with the Delta Mini?
EcoFlow includes a multilingual manual with the power plant (German is also included), a plug, a DC-to-DC cable, an MC4-to-XT60 cable (solar cable), and a car-to-XT60 cable.
Everything comes together in a practical cardboard box. The quality is always high. The user manual is written in good German and provides useful information and data. What I like about the solar charging cable is that it is at least three meters long and therefore very long.
The EcoFlow app: light and shadow
I actually like the EcoFlow app – I wrote that in the review of the smaller River Pro solar generator. It’s clear, fast, let you monitor and control the Delta Mini remotely. And you can change settings very quickly.
However, then I have to criticize the installation process. The app wants to set up its own WLAN, with which it connects to the power plant. Not only does this work poorly, it also completely confuses the user because it is never entirely clear which WLAN is needed for which step.
Additionally, the firmware update attempt fails, although I apparently successfully struggled my way through the thicket of toggling back and forth between the app and smartphone settings. The progress bar is still reaching 21 percent before an error message appears and the update stops:
EcoFlow Delta Mini vs River Pro
Although they are remotely similar, the comparison between the two EcoFlow plants in the comparable price range is nevertheless useful.
With NCM, the Delta Mini uses a different battery technology than the River Pro’s Li-On system. With the latter, everything is a size smaller: the total capacity, the output power, not to mention the weight and dimensions. Both devices offer the same number of connections, the same operating concept and a comparable display.
The River Pro is actually a whole lot lighter, charges quickly and is surprisingly easy to carry with the single handle on the top. In our effort to power ourselves over a festival weekend, the River Pro was the perfect device.
performance or mobility
The Delta Mini isn’t any better to handle, it’s just a little more powerful. Not only in terms of capacity, but also in terms of maximum output power. You can power devices up to 1,400 watts, even up to 2,100 watts for a short time.
However, both devices are equally good at reducing the performance of connected devices if necessary, as in our kettle test. Instead of the 2000 watts that the stove actually needs, the Delta Mini delivers 1350 watts and the River Pro still 600 watts. The competing jackery explorer 1000 and jackety explorer 500 power plants simply shut down in the same test.
In short: both EcoFlow plants convinced us. The Delta Mini mainly because of its performance, the River Pro mainly because of its high mobility.
Technical data in comparison
| EcoFlow Delta Mini | EcoFlow River Pro |
|---|---|
| Mobile Solar Generator/Power Station | Mobile Solar Generator/Power Station |
| 882 Wh power (50.4 V) | 720 Wh power (28.8 V) |
| Outputs:
2x USB-A (up to 12 V) 2x AC (230V, 1,400 watts – 2,100 W peak, pure sine wave) |
Outputs:
2x USB-A (up to 12 V) 2x AC (230V, 600 Watt – 1,400 W peak, pure sine wave) |
| Inputs:
AC charging (with X-Stream up to 900W) |
Inputs:
AC charging (with X-Stream up to 660W) |
| Cell Chemistry: NCM (Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganese) | Cell chemistry: lithium-ion |
| Lifespan: 800 cycles to 80%+ capacity Storage: 1 year after fully charged |
Lifespan: 800 cycles to 80%+ capacity Storage: 1 year after fully charged |
| Dimensions (WxHxD): 37 x 18.3 x 23.6 cm | Dimensions (WxHxD): 28.9 x 18 x 23.5 cm |
| Weight: 11kg | Weight: 7.6kg |
| Price (approximately): 1,100 euros | Price (approximately): 800 euros |
Conclusion
A professional powerhouse – that is probably the most appropriate description for the EcoFlow Delta Mini. A compact, durable solar water heater with modern battery technology and many modern and well thought-out connections. Only the frequently reported fan and the not 100 percent coherent operating concept lower the overall rating slightly.
- Good job
- Great modern design
- Reliably charges AC devices
- USB-C and USB-A with true fast charging mode
- Many connections and charging options
- Operation a bit clumsy
- Fan runs quite often