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expiredowl posted Feb 1, 2022 7:57 AM

Costco Members: EcoFlow River Pro Portable Power Station

$430

$579

25% off
& More + Free Shippingat Costco Wholesale
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Deal Details
Costco Wholesale has for its Members: select EcoFlow Portable Power Stations for the prices listed. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member owl for finding this deal.

Available:Features (River Pro):
  • Three 600W Outlets and 720Wh Capacity
  • Recharge from 0% to 80% in One Hour
  • Compatible with 80% of Home Appliances
  • Control with Ecoflow App

Editor's Notes

Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Our research indicates that the EcoFlow RIVER Pro Portable Power Station is $119.01 lower (21% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $549
    • These prices match the most recent Frontpage deal.
    • Please read the Forum Thread for more deal discussion.
  • About this product:
    • Rating of 4.6 from over 120 Costco customer reviews.
  • About this store.
    • Details of Costco's return policy here.

Original Post

Written by owl
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Costco Wholesale has for its Members: select EcoFlow Portable Power Stations for the prices listed. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member owl for finding this deal.

Available:Features (River Pro):
  • Three 600W Outlets and 720Wh Capacity
  • Recharge from 0% to 80% in One Hour
  • Compatible with 80% of Home Appliances
  • Control with Ecoflow App

Editor's Notes

Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Our research indicates that the EcoFlow RIVER Pro Portable Power Station is $119.01 lower (21% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $549
    • These prices match the most recent Frontpage deal.
    • Please read the Forum Thread for more deal discussion.
  • About this product:
    • Rating of 4.6 from over 120 Costco customer reviews.
  • About this store.
    • Details of Costco's return policy here.

Original Post

Written by owl

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Deal Score
+58
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182 Comments

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Feb 3, 2022 8:55 PM
155 Comments
Joined Nov 2013
MTDreamsFeb 3, 2022 8:55 PM
155 Comments
Quote from kensteele :
i have my units setup for passthru which means i have everything (tv, computer, router, extension cord, ups,etc) plugged into the ecoflow and then the ecoflow is ON and plugged into the wall. all day everyday, the ecoflow app is showing 99%100% plus some activity. anything wrong with this setup?
No, but I would consider dropping the max charge to to 80-90% to help keep the battery healthy.
Pro
Feb 3, 2022 9:04 PM
6.6K Comments
Joined Jan 2009
nolf66
Pro
Feb 3, 2022 9:04 PM
6.6K Comments
Quote from MTDreams :
Anyone who is looking at these kind of devices needs to look at 3 factors:
1) Inverter strength - what you plan to power and the energy demand it has
2) Capacity - how long you want/need to power said device
3) Charging speed - how fast can it get to 100%

I have the EcoFlow River Pro with the extra battery. My usage scenario is predominately for power outages/emergencies so that I don't need to break out my dual fuel generator and the occasional camping trip. The benefits of this are that it's quiet, can be kept inside the home, and is very portable at 20 lbs. The combo can power my fridge and backup freezer for 8-10 hours before needing a recharge. When it does need a recharge I have several options: use my solar panels, charge it in my car, take it somewhere that has power and fast charge it, or break out my dual fuel generator. In an emergency, I have other things to keep the lights on that are battery powered and can cook with a gas stove or portable butane/propane stoves. For prolonged outages where I need my generator, then I can power it up as needed, typically 2-3 hours at a time to get the battery charged to full and shut it down, conserving fuel. With a 20lb propane tank, I can get approximately 30 hours of run time, which could give me about 3-5 days with some energy to spare. Beyond that, I can tap into my vehicle's gasoline and go longer.

These types of devices are particularly useful for devices that cycle on and off like fridges/freezers and are considerably more efficient than a gas generator that needs to be constantly running. These are terrible for resistive heating such as heaters, blow dryers, etc. If you live somewhere really cold and need heat, then consider a 12V blanket or just buy something like a Mr. Buddy with propane tanks.

This is also a good option for people that live in an apartment/condo that need to keep their fridges running. It would be impossible to use a gas generator or a powerwall. Even better if they have a sun facing porch so they can throw on some solar panels to get a little more juice. Even if they don't, due to the fast charging, you could go out to your local Starbucks or McDonalds, grab a coffee/lunch and charge it up in an 1-2 hours and likely keep your fridge running for 8-12 hours.

If you're in a blackout prone area and have a lot of valuable food/medications in your fridge, something like this is a good consideration.
We got that one too. Have not seen it on sale since, the combo.
Feb 3, 2022 9:21 PM
15.4K Comments
Joined Aug 2006
Tourist1292Feb 3, 2022 9:21 PM
15.4K Comments
Quote from nyc10036 :
If it is an app problem, wait.
It seems to be a hardware problem. I left it unplugged for a month and the batteries have been mostly drained. I charged it back up last night and stuck at 99% on the app. Then I found the power button blinking on both the main unit and the extra battery but cannot be turned on. It worked fine for a couple months when I tested it with a small fridge.
Feb 3, 2022 9:26 PM
1.9K Comments
Joined Feb 2021
nyc10036Feb 3, 2022 9:26 PM
1.9K Comments
Quote from Tourist1292 :
It seems to be a hardware problem. I left it unplugged for a month and the batteries have been mostly drained. I charged it back up last night and stuck at 99% on the app. Then I found the power button blinking on both the main unit and the extra battery but cannot be turned on. It worked fine for a couple months when I tested it with a small fridge.
Leaving it at 0% for a long time was a no-no.

Feb 3, 2022 9:31 PM
155 Comments
Joined Nov 2013
MTDreamsFeb 3, 2022 9:31 PM
155 Comments
Quote from Tourist1292 :
It seems to be a hardware problem. I left it unplugged for a month and the batteries have been mostly drained. I charged it back up last night and stuck at 99% on the app. Then I found the power button blinking on both the main unit and the extra battery but cannot be turned on. It worked fine for a couple months when I tested it with a small fridge.
Keeping it stored in a discharged state is bad for the battery. Consider running a couple of charge and discharge cycles then run a capacity check with a Kill A Watt meter.
Feb 3, 2022 9:41 PM
13K Comments
Joined Dec 2004
kensteeleFeb 3, 2022 9:41 PM
13K Comments
Quote from MTDreams :
No, but I would consider dropping the max charge to to 80-90% to help keep the battery healthy.
moving to 90% now; thanks!
Feb 4, 2022 2:19 AM
15.4K Comments
Joined Aug 2006
Tourist1292Feb 4, 2022 2:19 AM
15.4K Comments
Quote from nyc10036 :
Leaving it at 0% for a long time was a no-no.
The main unit still has 40%, it is the extra battery that got drained first. I think the problem was with the firmware and fan control leading to overheat when charging at 600W. This is actually the first time I did not use slow charge. After sitting overnight, I finally got it started and connected to the app transiently. I updated to the latest firmware 1.2.5.8 and it seems to be working again. I failed to reconnect it to the app though so I cannot change the settings. It turns out they have a server issue as I found many people are having problem to log in.

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Feb 4, 2022 3:06 AM
1.9K Comments
Joined Feb 2021
nyc10036Feb 4, 2022 3:06 AM
1.9K Comments
Quote from Tourist1292 :
The main unit still has 40%, it is the extra battery that got drained first. I think the problem was with the firmware and fan control leading to overheat when charging at 600W. This is actually the first time I did not use slow charge. After sitting overnight, I finally got it started and connected to the app transiently. I updated to the latest firmware 1.2.5.8 and it seems to be working again. I failed to reconnect it to the app though so I cannot change the settings. It turns out they have a server issue as I found many people are having problem to log in.
They seem to have a lot of server issues.

Feb 4, 2022 6:52 AM
3.5K Comments
Joined Aug 2007
graphixvFeb 4, 2022 6:52 AM
3.5K Comments
Quote from h2deal :
If there is a power outage and this "runs on" electricity instead of gas or propane... how would you "refill" it to keep it going? Seems like this is best for camping or other planned needs for mobile electricity, not for an outage at home.
I have my own small backup at home. The Biggest Issue is you really want to extend the capability of just the batteries by using solar with it. Otherwise, the battery by itself is not going to do a whole lot.

The Issue is: a lot of the time you're in a situation that pretty much takes solar out. Power failures usually happen when? During some type of storm. Those same storm conditions make the solar part of the system impotent.

Due to the recent forecast of ice storms, I decided to pull out my second solar panel and connect it up to the system which normally just has 1. Lucky I haven't lost power because the ice storm has made these panels basically useless. It's been so overcast for days that I have been pulling around 10 watts on both (100 watts each). It's amazing what not being able to see the sun will do.

That's something to think about. You're not going far on just the battery by itself. it's going to take some serious solar array to keep this thing juiced through a real emergency (Not even close in price to what mine cost). You better hope that array Actually Works when it's needed.
Last edited by graphixv February 4, 2022 at 12:18 AM.
Feb 4, 2022 7:25 AM
3.5K Comments
Joined Aug 2007
graphixvFeb 4, 2022 7:25 AM
3.5K Comments
Quote from nyc10036 :
I disagree.
I would buy it to power the router and cable modem and small USB fans.
I would buy it for charging smartphones and tablets.
You can do all that with a PS much smaller and cheaper. I have a totally portable PS I built which could do that. This is Overkill (both in size and certainly criminal crazy $$$ spent) for the purposes you mention. Charging a smart phone and tablet? Really?
Last edited by graphixv February 3, 2022 at 11:49 PM.
1
Feb 4, 2022 1:40 PM
15.4K Comments
Joined Aug 2006
Tourist1292Feb 4, 2022 1:40 PM
15.4K Comments
Quote from nyc10036 :
They seem to have a lot of server issues.
Yes. The main problem is that you need the server access to change setting or manage the unit. Finally, I got it back up and running now with the latest firmware. The last thing I need to do this weekend is to change the wifi setting to my travel router or my cell phone access point so I can still have access to it during power outage.
Feb 4, 2022 1:49 PM
15.4K Comments
Joined Aug 2006
Tourist1292Feb 4, 2022 1:49 PM
15.4K Comments
Quote from MTDreams :
Anyone who is looking at these kind of devices needs to look at 3 factors:
1) Inverter strength - what you plan to power and the energy demand it has
2) Capacity - how long you want/need to power said device
3) Charging speed - how fast can it get to 100%

I have the EcoFlow River Pro with the extra battery. My usage scenario is predominately for power outages/emergencies so that I don't need to break out my dual fuel generator and the occasional camping trip. The benefits of this are that it's quiet, can be kept inside the home, and is very portable at 20 lbs. The combo can power my fridge and backup freezer for 8-10 hours before needing a recharge. When it does need a recharge I have several options: use my solar panels, charge it in my car, take it somewhere that has power and fast charge it, or break out my dual fuel generator. In an emergency, I have other things to keep the lights on that are battery powered and can cook with a gas stove or portable butane/propane stoves. For prolonged outages where I need my generator, then I can power it up as needed, typically 2-3 hours at a time to get the battery charged to full and shut it down, conserving fuel. With a 20lb propane tank, I can get approximately 30 hours of run time, which could give me about 3-5 days with some energy to spare. Beyond that, I can tap into my vehicle's gasoline and go longer.

These types of devices are particularly useful for devices that cycle on and off like fridges/freezers and are considerably more efficient than a gas generator that needs to be constantly running. These are terrible for resistive heating such as heaters, blow dryers, etc. If you live somewhere really cold and need heat, then consider a 12V blanket or just buy something like a Mr. Buddy with propane tanks.

This is also a good option for people that live in an apartment/condo that need to keep their fridges running. It would be impossible to use a gas generator or a powerwall. Even better if they have a sun facing porch so they can throw on some solar panels to get a little more juice. Even if they don't, due to the fast charging, you could go out to your local Starbucks or McDonalds, grab a coffee/lunch and charge it up in an 1-2 hours and likely keep your fridge running for 8-12 hours.

If you're in a blackout prone area and have a lot of valuable food/medications in your fridge, something like this is a good consideration.
I have similar set up as yours with the exception of solar panel which I am currently shopping for one. Do you have any recommendation?
I bought a dual fuel inverter generator a couple years ago and ran it for several days on propane last summer during a blackout. Then I got the River Pro with extra battery a few months ago mainly for indoor/winter use during blackout. I also have 10 or so UPS around the house to maintain my network drives, routers, hubs, and some home automation devices.
Feb 4, 2022 2:58 PM
1.9K Comments
Joined Feb 2021
nyc10036Feb 4, 2022 2:58 PM
1.9K Comments
Quote from graphixv :
You can do all that with a PS much smaller and cheaper. I have a totally portable PS I built which could do that. This is Overkill (both in size and certainly criminal crazy $$$ spent) for the purposes you mention. Charging a smart phone and tablet? Really?
Depends on how long the power is out.
Does your totally portable power supply charge from solar and 12V car port?

The River Pro $430 for 720Wh.


Feb 4, 2022 7:58 PM
15.4K Comments
Joined Aug 2006
Tourist1292Feb 4, 2022 7:58 PM
15.4K Comments
Quote from codemancer :
I bought the River Pro with extra battery during the last Costco event. The unit has great features but DO NOT UPDATE THE FIRMWARE! These are known to brick themselves during update. It happened to me. I got a replacement and will not be updating it.
I updated the firmware twice. First update (to 1.2.4.2?) was at the time I just set it up. It went smoothly. The second update (to 1.2.5.8) a couple days ago and I think it crashed due to their server issue. I thought it was bricked as I could not turn it on or off. After unlinking it and relinking it several times, I finally got it connected again and repeat the firmware update. Now it is working fine again. I think both updates are related to the cooling fan settings. Indeed, I was having an overheat issue when charging at 600W for over a couple hours (River Pro plus the extra battery) before the last firmware update. I would suggest to to so slow charging to avoid overheating unless necessary. I guess charging just the main unit with 600W should be fine.

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Feb 4, 2022 8:20 PM
3.5K Comments
Joined Nov 2005
hondaman82Feb 4, 2022 8:20 PM
3.5K Comments
My power outtage kit includes a DIY 1000W AC portbale power station with 3kWh capacity paired 350W solar panel plus a small Westinghouse iGen2200 gas Generator , hope these will keep my essential household items on for several days Smilie

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