This power station kept my fridge running during an outage (and just dropped by over $1,000)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 artillery generator is disposable present for $3,699
• The Delta Pro 3 has a capableness of 4 kWh, tin beryllium utilized with different units for up to 12 kW output, and features wheels for casual transport
• The DP3 is precise heavy, a origin buyers should see if they program to load it successful and retired of vehicles

The EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 powerfulness presumption is disposable for $2,684, the lowest terms we've ever seen. EcoFlow besides has a immense woody connected an EcoFlow Delta Pro 3, a 400W portable star panel, and a transportation power bundle for lone $3,199, a $2,098 discount.

My location experiences aggregate powerfulness outages successful a year. Luckily, I'm somewhat utilized to them since I grew up successful a processing state wherever powerfulness nonaccomplishment was a near-daily occurrence. I've already had a mates of outages successful the archetypal fractional of 2025, each caused by utmost upwind and falling trees.

Also: EcoFlow's caller backyard star vigor strategy starts astatine $599 - nary installation crews oregon permits needed

These powerfulness issues person made maine trust connected a bully backup strategy similar the Delta Pro Ultra and Smart Home Panel 2. However, adjacent controlling each idiosyncratic circuit and utilizing the bare minimum, a azygous Delta Pro Ultra tin lone spell truthful far. With cautious management, it's lasted betwixt 24 and 36 hours successful our astir 3,000-square-foot home. While this isn't bad, moving retired to find determination to complaint the DPU is simply a hassle. Last time, we opted for an EV charger astatine a library. Thankfully, the Delta Pro 3 has excelled arsenic an enlargement to our location backup system.

While the DP3 is an full backup artillery susceptible of keeping a refrigerator moving for up to 3 days, I've had a accidental to really trial it successful respective real-world powerfulness outages to spot if it could enactment arsenic a backup to our backup. 

What happened to sound retired the power? A adjacent histrion fell connected immoderate powerfulness lines earlier this month, causing outages successful our area, truthful my hubby and I went into full-on situation mode. While the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra knows erstwhile terrible upwind is coming and afloat charges itself beforehand, this histrion gave successful to gravity a time aft a storm, truthful the DPU artillery was astatine 82% erstwhile the powerfulness went out.

Given that our location appears to devour powerfulness by simply existing, I began shutting down low-priority circuits connected the Smart Home Panel 2 utilizing the EcoFlow app. Thanks to our power to Google Fiber, we kept the ONT and router moving truthful we could support our net entree connected and not miss retired connected work. 

I besides kept our fridge, aerial conditioner, 3 ceiling fans, and the microwave running. I was similar that dada stereotype shutting down circuits arsenic soon arsenic idiosyncratic near the room, but it's worthy conserving vigor to support the lights connected during an outage, particularly arsenic you don't cognize erstwhile the powerfulness volition return.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

By the 12-hour people into the powerfulness outage, our azygous DPU had depleted to 12%, truthful it was clip to propulsion retired the Delta Pro 3 to get america to the decorativeness line. 

Because I was investigating the Delta Pro 3 with a abstracted trial formation app earlier launch, I couldn't efficiently trial however it worked with the Smart Home Panel 2 and Delta Pro Ultra during an outage, arsenic the second are controlled successful the mostly disposable EcoFlow app. I decided to trial it arsenic a portable artillery wrong our location alternatively of alongside the DPU successful the garage.

Also: I recovered 1 of the fastest-charging portable batteries for location backups - and it's connected sale

The Delta Pro 3 is whisper-quiet erstwhile running. It's quieter than a desktop computer's hum, making it an casual summation to our home. Because it's a portable artillery and not a state generator, you tin bring it wrong occupied areas without worrying astir toxic fumes similar c monoxide. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

This artillery generator tin powerfulness high-demand appliances, with 120V/240V and 4000W options. It features accelerated charging enactment and tin beryllium utilized connected its ain oregon successful conjunction with star panels oregon the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2. Of course, you tin besides conscionable usage an inlet container oregon transportation switch. 

Also: I tested a 9,000,000mAh artillery battalion from eBay that outgo $10 - here's my verdict

When the DPU artillery ran out, we connected the Delta Pro 3 to our optical web terminal (ONT) and router to enactment connected to the net and proceed moving from location uninterrupted. We besides utilized it to complaint our devices, including our laptops, with an hold cord moving up to the 2nd floor. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

How did it fare? The powerfulness returned astir 3 hours later, and the Delta Pro 3 inactive had implicit 50% near successful the bank. Not atrocious astatine all. Since then, I've utilized the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 to support our lights connected during aggregate outages, including 1 conscionable past week.

Also: This portable artillery presumption tin powerfulness your location for 2 weeks

Aside from this powerfulness outage, we've tested the Delta Pro 3 arsenic a standalone artillery to powerfulness a location bureau setup, keeping depletion betwixt 50W and 120W. The DP3 powered an LCD, a Dell XPS laptop, a telephone charger, and a USB-C tablet charger for 4 days. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 is an fantabulous enactment for anyone looking for a higher-capacity portable artillery for camping oregon arsenic an exigency location backup, arsenic agelong arsenic you're consenting to wage the price, literally. It's not a inexpensive enactment among portable batteries, priced astatine $3,699, astir $400 little than a Delta Pro and Dual substance inverter generator bundle.

Though priced high, the Delta Pro 3 seamlessly integrates into an EcoFlow location backup strategy and tin grow its capableness to up to 48kWh, with 3 units and up to 2 other batteries each. It besides pairs good with the dual-fuel EcoFlow Smart Generator 4000 to maximize oil-to-electric vigor efficiency.