It’s nearly summer here in Southern California, so my next few camping trips will be HOT. But my son and I don’t have to be hot on our trips now that I have an EcoFlow Wave 2 at my disposal…
I’m sure many of you have heard of EcoFlow before, and you might already be a customer. But for the uninitiated, get ready to be impressed – the EcoFlow Wave 2 isn’t just a portable air conditioner for camping – it’s also a heater!
In today’s EcoFlow Wave 2 review, I’ll dive into the specs and features of this bad boy, explain how to use it in the field and give you my first impressions of its performance thus far. Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
- EcoFlow Wave 2 Overview
- EcoFlow Wave 2 Specs and Features
- EcoFlow Wave 2 Review: How I Use It in the Field
- EcoFlow Wave 2 Review: My First Impressions
- EcoFlow Wave 2: Where to Buy and Pricing
EcoFlow Wave 2 Overview
As you probably guessed from its name, the EcoFlow Wave 2 is the second generation of EcoFlow’s portable air conditioner. This unit is specifically designed for car camping, tent camping, and RVs to give you relief from soaring temperatures during your summer camping trips.
The Wave 2 is better than its predecessor in every way imaginable. Not only is it smaller and lighter, making it even more convenient to carry around, but it’s also more powerful. That means you’ll get even more relief from the heat when you’re out and about.
But that’s not all! EcoFlow has added a new feature that takes the Wave 2 to a whole new level—it can now double as a heater! So, not only will it keep you cool during scorching summers, but it’ll also keep you cozy and warm during those chilly nights during your spring and fall camping trips. Nice!
The EcoFlow Wave 2 is an incredibly well-designed portable air conditioner that has been improved in every way. Whether you’re planning a camping adventure or want a versatile device for your space, the Wave 2 is worth considering.
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EcoFlow Wave 2 Specs and Features
With the broad strokes of what the EcoFlow Wave 2 brings to the table out of the way, let’s do a quick overview of the unit’s specifications and key features:
- Dimensions: 20.4 × 11.7 × 13.2 inches
- Weight: Approximately 32 pounds
- 5100 BTUs of cooling power
- 6100 BTUs of heat
- Usable as a single-duct, dual-duct, or stand-alone system
- Up to 8 hours of runtime on a single charge
- Quiet operation (44dB when in sleep mode)
- WiFi and Bluetooth capability allows you to control it and monitor it from your phone
So, the basics of the EcoFlow Wave 2 show demonstrate that it’s a well-thought-out unit with features that make it both functional and easy to use.
But if we dig a little deeper, you can see that EcoFlow has given the Wave 2 some features that take it to another level…
For example, if you want more runtime, pair the Wave 2 with an EcoFlow Delta Max (shown above), which gets you up to 14 hours of runtime. I like to sleep in when I’m camping, so having that extra six or so hours of cooling or heating is a definite bonus.
Another next-level feature of this unit is that you can charge it using four different methods:
- AC power
- DC power
- Solar power
- A power station
With so many power options, there’s really no reason why you can’t have heating and cooling each night that you camp. On top of that, you don’t have to drain the EcoFlow Wave 2 in cooling mode as long as the relative humidity is below 70 percent. You do have to drain it in heating mode, though.
EcoFlow Wave 2 Review: How I Use It in the Field
My first adventure with the EcoFlow Wave 2 was to Overland West earlier this year. I was excited to have the capability to air condition my rooftop tent because May in Arizona can get a little toasty.
The reality of the situation is that the weather was not hot. In fact, the weather was pretty terrible for the duration of my stay there. I never used the air conditioner, but I did use the heater at night to keep the chill out of the air.
So, I came home from Overland West a little bummed that I didn’t get to fire up the air conditioner, but I at least got to test out the heater, which was awesome (more on that in a bit).
Since Overland West, I’ve taken the EcoFlow Wave 2 and my Overlandish V2 tent out for a spin to test the air conditioner’s capabilities. Again, it performed very well, which I’ll get into more in a moment.
This reveals the best feature of the EcoFlow Wave 2 – it pulls double duty as an air conditioner and a heater. Not only is it extremely convenient to have these capabilities in a single unit, but it’s also far more functional from a space standpoint – space is at a premium when you’re camping, so having one compact unit that can heat and cool, rather than two units that only do one thing each, is a huge benefit.
As I noted earlier, I have a rooftop tent as well as a ground tent. These aren’t the only applications for which the EcoFlow Wave 2 can be used (though these are the only applications I’ve tested the unit in). If you car camp, have a camper van, or a small trailer, this could be a great option for cooling or heating.
EcoFlow Wave 2 Review: My First Impressions
Let’s discuss the heating component of the EcoFlow Wave 2 first…
When I was at Overland West with my son, it wasn’t terribly cold, so we really only needed the EcoFlow Wave 2 to keep the chill out of the tent – which it did like a champ.
EcoFlow notes that the Wave 2 can heat a 64 square-foot room by 18 degrees in just five minutes. My rooftop tent is roughly half that size, so it had no problem warming the tent up before bedtime each night.
Aside from its ability to heat up a space quickly, the Wave 2 also allows you to set the temperature using your smartphone. Having this ease of use is awesome – just set it and forget it without the need to crawl out of bed to turn the heat up or down. In moderate temperatures, the unit did a great job of maintaining the temperature I set.
The same functionality and ease of use are available when using the Wave 2 as an air conditioner. In my testing in my Overlandish Base Camp V2, the Wave 2 had no problem cooling off the tent once the sun began beating down on it.
Not only that but the Wave 2 can maintain a cooler temperature in the tent better than its predecessor. The original Wave only put out 4,000 BTUs of cooling power. With 5,100 BTUs, the Wave 2 is roughly on par with many window-mount home air conditioners. The added power is a huge bonus!
Now, obviously, the EcoFlow Wave 2 isn’t going to keep my tent at 68 degrees if it’s 105 degrees outside, nor will it keep my tent at 50 degrees if the outside temperature is -30. However, based on my first couple of trips with it, it’s clear that the Wave 2 has more than enough power to keep the tent at a more comfortable temperature when the weather outside isn’t that extreme.
With summer starting to heat up, I’ll have some opportunities in the coming months to really put the Wave 2 through its paces to see how far I can push it in the summer heat. I’ll do the same with its heating capabilities once fall and winter arrive. I’ll also see how the unit works as a single-duct and dual-duct setup. The process of attaching the ducts is straightforward, but I haven’t had an opportunity to test the performance of those setups yet.
Speaking of seasons, I think the EcoFlow Wave 2 will be most useful for me in the spring and fall when the daytime temperatures can be a little too hot, and the nighttime temperatures can be a little too cold. Since the Wave 2 is an air conditioner and a heater, I can use it to maintain a more comfortable temperature in the tent all day. The unit’s ability to switch seamlessly between heating and cooling makes easy work of that!
Pros and Cons
After testing the EcoFlow Wave 2 for the last month or so, I’ve found the following to be my favorite features:
- Ease of use is fantastic
- Ultra-quiet operation doesn’t disturb your sleep
- Extremely portable
- Endless power options
- Multiple use options (stand-alone, single-duct, or dual-duct)
Of course, as mentioned earlier, the Wave 2’s performance has been really impressive, too.
On the flip side, I always look hard for things that don’t quite live up to my expectations, be that performance issues, design problems, and so forth. But so far, I can’t identify anything that I’d consider a con with the EcoFlow Wave 2. As I do more field testing with it, that might change, but for now, this little guy is everything that I expected – and more!
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EcoFlow Wave 2: Where to Buy and Pricing
The EcoFlow Wave 2 is available on Amazon and various other online and brick-and-mortar retailers, including the EcoFlow website. The Wave 2 is around $1,300, or you can package it with an add-on battery that mounts to the bottom of the unit for around $2,200.
If you want the EcoFlow Wave 2 with the Delta Max I mentioned earlier, you’ll pay around $3,400. EcoFlow also offers the ability to bundle the Wave 2 and the Delta Pro power station (shown above) for around $5,000.
These prices are subject to change, of course, so check Amazon, EcoFlow, and other locations to find the best available price. Based on what I’ve seen thus far, the Wave 2 is well worth the price of admission!