EcoFlow Wave 3: So Much More Than An Air Conditioner!

When Ecoflow reached out to me to try out their latest creation, the Ecoflow Wave 3 Portable Air Conditioner, I already knew the company had built a brand around providing eco-friendly energy solutions such as portable power banks. All of it’s products are aimed at providing.  Driving thousands of miles throughout Canada and the US made me wish for just one thing.  And that was effective air conditioning in my large Class A gasser motorhome when we’re travelling.

Why I Needed An Effective Portable Air Conditioner In My RV

If you’ve travelled in a gas powered Class A motorhome, you’ll know what an issue this can be on hot days because you can’t run the overhead air conditioners while driving.  Yes, there’s a dash AC and two over dash fans that help circulate the air, but in high temperatures, it doesn’t really provide relief from the heat. When Ecoflow reached out to me to try out their latest creation, the Ecoflow Wave 3 Portable Air Conditioner, I decided to put it through the paces of my daily RV life. 

Would The EcoFlow Wave 3 Work On A Road Trip?

 However, I was eager to try it out in real RV life– on the road.   I already knew the company had built a brand around providing eco-friendly energy solutions such as portable power banks.  All Ecoflow products are aimed at providing energy efficient, environmentally conscious solutions to human problems.  Like traveling in an RV in summer temperatures.  I was eager to try out the Ecoflow Wave 3 portable air conditioner on my next road trip.  I’m glad I did, because this is a product I can highly recommend to fellow RVers and anyone else who needs to beat the heat whether  they’re camping or travelling. 

What’s In The Box?

Ecoflow includes everything you need to set the Wave 3 up for mobile use. My Ecoflow Wave 3 came with a separate battery pack  Here’s what was included in the box:

Ecoflow Wave 3 Air Conditioner

• Ecoflow Wave 3
• 3 Ecoflow duct adapters
• 2 insulated exhaust ducts
• Silicone drain pipe
• Cardboard duct template
• Winder for storing drain pipe
• Charging cable
• Instruction manual

Ecoflow Wave 3 Add On Battery:

• Ecoflow Wave 3 Add on Battery
• 12 Volt Charging cable
• Add-on battery cable
• Instruction manual

Features

• 4 modes:  Cooling, heating, dehumidifier and fan 
• 6100 BTU cooling capacity 
• 6800 BTU heating capacity 
• 3 battery charging modes: 120V AC, 12 V DC, and solar  
• Completely charges in an hour while driving or in 75 minutes via solar
• 2-8 hours run time, depending on settings
• 120-180sf cooling/heating area
• External battery has 4000 recharging cycles at 80% capacity
• Pet Care setting sends an alert to your smartphone when the temperature is above or below a present level.
• Smart App allows control from any phone via the EcoFlow Bluetooth app.
• Replaceable external battery extends the lifetime of the Ecoflow Wave 3 
• Wireless and portable
• IP4 waterproof rating means it can withstand splashes and low pressure water
• External battery is rated  IP65, to withstand submersion in water
• Powerful fan quickly heats or cools room temperature in less than 15 minutes
• Insulated intake and exhaust ducts maximize efficiency
• Very easy set up
• Can be operated with or without ducting
• Dehumidifier quickly reduces humidity and  moisture in the RV
• 2 year warranty

Specifications:

• Weight (without battery): 33.7 lbs
• Weight including battery: 55.1 lbs
• DImensions: 20.4×11.7×13.2 in (519×297×336 mm)
• Cooling Capacity: 6100BTU (1800W)
• Heating Capacity: 6800BTU (2000W)
• Add On Battery Input: 700W Max
• Noise level: 44-58 Db
• Run Time with add-on battery: 2-8 hrs
• Operating temperature: 41º-122ºF (5º-55ºC)
• Price At Ecoflow.com: $1,049.00CAD

Hits and Misses

Hits

• Completely wireless and portable: Can be used anywhere, including in an RV during travel or in a tent
• Works well for cooling and heating
• Battery has a USB port that’s handy for charging electronic devices
• Well made and rugged from quality components
• Insulated intake and exhaust ducts help to increase efficiency
• Provides much needed relief from hot temperatures in the RV during travel even without using ducting
• Can be charged 3 ways: 120 V AC, 12 V plug in, or via a solar panel

Misses

• 51 lbs will be heavy for some people to move around
• Bulky- it definitely takes up space in the RV,  

My Review Of The EcoFlow Wave 3

I tried the Ecoflow Wave 3 out in several scenarios, but I was especially interested in using it while I travelled in my 33’ Fleetwood Southwind motorhome. I didn’t have the right adapter to charge via my Go Power solar panel, but I loved that this is a charging option for the Wave 3. As it was, being able to charge the Wave 3 through any 120 V AC outlet or DC outlet was very convenient.

Thanks For The Ducting Template

Ecoflow includes a template to make a foamboard insert for a window, so I made one and used it for ducting Wave 3 both to the outside when it was in the stationary RV as well as into the tent, when I set it up outside the tent.  Here’s how I tested it and what my thoughts were:  

Stationary RV As A Heater   8.25/10 

•            Noise level: 10/10
•            Temperature change/hour:: 7/10
•            Convenience:  8/10
•            Efficiency:  8/10

This year, Spring featured cool temperatures that lasted well into June. It made a perfect opportunity to try the Ecoflow Wave 3 out as a heater. I was kind of excited to have a way to use the phone app to   warm up the RV bedroom before getting out of bed.  Because the windows in my RV are different sizes, I decided to  cut my foamboard window insert to fit the largest window I’d be ducting out of, instead of having an individual insert for each window.  

 This worked, but of course, I couldn’t fit it tight in the window, so cold air came in. I placed the ACin the set up the ducting.  My bedroom isn’t huge, so the Ecoflow Wave 3 took up about 1/6 of the limited floor space. It definitely wouldn’t live there, because there just wasn’t enough space in the bedroom. It would be in the way when the bedroom slide-out came in. However,  it was good enough for testing how well the Wave 3 would heat the bedroom.  I was able to test it out for warming up the bedroom in my RV. Here’s how it went:

Why I loved the phone App

I woke up at 5:30 and used the app on my phone to turn on the Wave 3, and set my alarm for 6:30.  The Wave 3 was barely audible as it worked to warm up the bedroom on battery power.  After an hour, the temperature in the bedroom was raised from 13ºC to 20ºC , and the battery was about 60 percent depleted. The medium sized saucepan I improvised to catch water from the drain pipe had about 2 inches of water in it. 

It’s much easier to be ready to take on the world when it’s 20 degrees than when it’s a chilly 13 degrees, So, I considered this a win. I felt that the Ecoflow Wave 3 would be especially useful for heating a smaller space like a van, truck camper, or travel trailer for up to 2 hours without an additional power source.  

Tent: Stationary Air Conditioner   7.75/10

2. Tent: Stationary Air Conditioner   7.75/10

•   Noise level: 10/10
•            Temperature change/hour:: 6/10
•            Convenience:  7/10
•            Efficiency:  8/10

I have an 8 x 8 pop up shelter that serves as both an outdoor office space and a camping shelter.   On hot days, this big space heats up like an oven. That said, when the temperatures finally started to climb to typical summer levels at the end of June, I was excited to try the Ecoflow Wave 3 out as my office air conditioner.  Each of the 6 sides of my little outdoor office tent has a flap that I normally keep rolled up to help circulate air flow.  However, I wanted to retain as much cooled air in the tent as possible, so I closed all of the window flaps. Next, I set up the Ecoflow Wave 3 outside the tent and set up the two insulated ducts to blow cold air into the tent.  Would it work? Here’s what happened:

Timed It For An Hour

I set a timer for an hour.  At the beginning of the hour, the temperature inside the tent was a way too balmy 31º C.  It was great being able to have the Air conditioner outside the tent so it wasn’t taking up valuable floorspace inside.  However, the temperature change after an hour of testing was very minimal.  The temperature only dropped to 28ºC.  It was somehow far  more tolerable than 31ºC, but, 28º C is still too hot for me.  After an hour, the battery charge dropped by 60 percent.  

I felt that this could be useful for a 3 person or smaller tent set up in an area where the sun wasn’t directly hitting it.  

Wave 3 AC Without Ducting in An RV While Traveling  9.2/10

• Noise level: 10/10
• Temperature change/hour:: 9/10    
• Convenience:  9/10
•   Efficiency:  9/10

I had a trip to Alberta planned for July, so I was excited to try the Ecoflow Wave 3 as an AC in the RV. Daisy Mae has a huge windshield that’s very efficient at allowing heat into the RV.   Admittedly I was puzzled over how to set up the ducting and drainage tube on the Ecoflow Wave 3 while travelling. In the end, I decided to opt for trying it out on its fan setting which would allow me to run it with minimal power consumption. Given the results from my previous testing, I wasn’t expecting much relief from the 30º outside temperatures. 

 I nestled the Wave 3 into a convenient spot  behind the front passenger seat of the RV.  I set it to it’s fan setting and set off.  Ordinarily, on a day like this, we’d be roasting in the RV and would be forced to pull over to cool off.  So I was very pleasantly surprised at how well the Ecoflow cooled the air inside the front of the RV.  The temperature was so comfortable that I made it almost to Alberta before I knew it. When I arrived at my overnight stop at Craiglatchie, just before Revelstoke, BC, I’d been driving for 10 hours, and the Wave 3 still had plenty of juice left. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a DC power outlet close enough to where I had to put the Wave 3, or I could have kept it powered as I was driving.   

Overall Impressions Of The EcoFlow Wave 3 Air Conditioner

For me, the Wave 3 earned its keep by keeping the RV tolerably cool while I traversed BC.  It can also raise cold temperatures to a comfortable level too, although both the air conditioner and the heater are designed for smaller spaces.  That said, it’s well worth noting that this unit is definitely too heavy and bulky to be considered effortlessly portable. This could make it impractical for seniors or those with those with limited mobility or whose fitness is lacking.