Smart cooling in hot summers: Portable air conditioner EcoFlow Wave 3 review
Cooling, heating & more
When summer brings the sweat to the surface, the EcoFlow Wave 3 mobile air conditioner promises smart cooling at home, in the car, while camping, and more. We tested the successor to the Wave 2, which has been improved in many ways. Our EcoFlow Wave 3 review reveals what it can do and who it's suitable for.Marcus Schwarten (translated by DeepL / Marcus Schwarten) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
EcoFlow Wave 3 test conclusion - its strength is mobility
The EcoFlow Wave 3 is a smart and portable air conditioner that has been improved compared to its two-year-old predecessor. In addition to the longer-lasting additional battery, it has more power and new functions.
The question remains as to the purpose of the Wave 3 from EcoFlow, as it is not an inexpensive pleasure, especially in combination with the additional battery. According to our test impressions, it is passable for use at home, but only an efficient solution for smaller rooms. It simply lacks the power for larger rooms, but the manufacturer makes no secret of this. There are alternative and in some cases cheaper solutions.
The strength of the EcoFlow 3 is clearly its mobility and therefore its use on the move. It is not called a "portable air conditioner" for nothing, even though it weighs 25 kg including the additional battery. It can provide cooler nights, especially when camping with a motorhome or caravan.
However, it is important to find a solution that allows the two hoses to be routed outside as precisely as possible without allowing too much warm air to flow in. A practical feature is that it can not only cool, but also heat and dehumidify
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The recommended retail price of the EcoFlow Wave 3 is §1.299. However, this is the price without battery, which is required for mobile use.
The additional battery costs $899 RRP when purchased separately. In a bundle, both are available together for $2.198 RRP. The products are available directly from EcoFlow, but also from various retailers. The manufacturer is currently offering discount during the summer sale.
For summer 2025, EcoFlow has launched a new portable air conditioning system, the Wave 3. The successor to the Wave 2 from 2023 comes with a range of improvements, including the new additional battery.
Our EcoFlow Wave 3 test reveals in which areas the smart air conditioner with app control has been improved and how well it works in practice.
EcoFlow Wave 3 data sheet & comparison EcoFlow Wave 2
| EcoFlow Wave 3 | EcoFlow Wave 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling capacity | 6,100 BTU (1,800 W) | 5,100 BTU (1,500 W) |
| Heating capacity | 6,800 BTU (2,000 W) | 6,100 BTU (1,800 W) |
| Air volume | 330 m³/h | 290 m³/h |
| Cooling area | up to 17 m² | max. 10 m² |
| Functions | Cooling, heating, auto, fan, dehumidification | Cooling, heating, fan |
| Additional battery | LiFePO4 | NCM |
| Charging options | XT150 & XT60 | XT150 |
| Weight | 15.6 kg | 14.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 51.9 x 29.7 x 33.6 cm | 51.8 x 29.7 x 33.6 cm |
| Protection class | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Connectivity | WLAN, Bluetooth | WLAN, Bluetooth |
| RRP | $1.299 | $1.299 |
Features: Various improvements for EcoFlow Wave 3
As the table above shows, EcoFlow has made a number of improvements to the Wave 3 compared to its predecessor, the Wave 2. Although the new device has become around 1 kg heavier and now weighs 15.6 kg (without additional battery, with it is about 25 kg), it also offers higher performance.
The maximum cooling capacity has been increased by around 20 percent to 6,100 BTU (1,800 W) and the heating capacity by a good 10 percent to 6,100 BTU (2,000 W). According to the manufacturer, the new Wave 3 is now suitable for rooms up to approx. 17 square meters. There are also new modes with an auto function and dehumidification, as well as a pet care mode and an automatic reminder to drain the water tank.
In addition to the air conditioner itself, the scope of delivery includes a quick guide, a hose for the water tank, a removable holder for winding up the cable and three adapters for the two exhaust air pipes (now insulated on the inside). These can again be flexibly bent and pulled out like an accordion. This means they can be adjusted between 25 cm (for transportation) and approx. 130 cm as required.
In addition to the Wave 3, EcoFlow also offers a new additional battery that enables mobile use away from a power socket and is not included in the standard scope of delivery. For battery, EcoFlow now uses modern LFP battery chemistry (LiFePO4) instead of NCM. This offers a significantly longer service life, making it well worth the price. At 1,024 Wh (51.2 V / 20 Ah), it now offers slightly less capacity, but should also provide up to 8 hours of operation.
Operation: also possible via app
On the top of the Wave 3, EcoFlow integrates a display with various buttons for operating basic functions such as the different modes, the desired temperature and ventilation. The screen displays various information, including the target and current temperature, the mode (Auto, Cooling, Heating, Ventilation, Drying) and more.
However, the battery status is not displayed. This can only be read using four small LEDs on the battery, which incidentally also has a USB-C and USB-A port for charging smartphones and other devices - or via the app.
The EcoFlow app connects to the Wave 3 via Bluetooth or WLAN, whereby the setup worked without any problems during the test. It enables the mobile air conditioner to be controlled via a clear user interface, which provides access to the various modes, temperature control and other functions. Like the display on the device, it also provides information about current values.
A small icon at the top right opens the menu for the device settings. Among other things, you can set the room, activate and deactivate pet care and automatic emptying and schedule tasks for automated operation. The charging and discharging limits of the battery can also be set here.
Experience: How well cools the EcoFlow Wave 3?
We tested the EcoFlow Wave 3 in various scenarios, including under extreme conditions. At a moderate ambient temperature of 25 °C, the compact air conditioner can certainly bring the room temperature down by a few degrees Celsius in a suitably small room (up to approx. 15 square meters). This can noticeably improve the sleeping conditions in a bedroom at the height of summer, for example. Especially as the device also has a sleep mode, which ensures pleasantly quiet cooling at night.
However, the EcoFlow Wave 3 is more suitable for mobile use, for example in motorhomes or caravans. Here, too, we tested the device. In extreme conditions, when the sun beats down on the roof of the camper, the Wave 3 has no chance of bringing the indoor climate down. However, it does provide a refreshing draught.
It makes more sense when the sun has gone down in the evening and the air needs to be cooled down for sleeping. However, shock ventilation is often a more cost-effective alternative - provided that the air outside cools down a little in the evening.
EcoFlow also sees an area of application in smaller cars, for example for dog owners. Here, the Wave 3 should provide cooling when the four-legged friend has to stay in the car in summer. However, this should definitely not be exaggerated, as small vehicles can heat up very quickly in the sunshine and the Wave 3 will then no longer be able to keep up. Even with an air conditioning unit, there is a danger to life here.
In general, the EcoFlow Wave 3 can be installed both outside and inside the area to be cooled. Accordingly, the two tubes must be connected differently to one side or the other of the air conditioner. They are necessary and are also used with other air conditioners, but are quite annoying in practice.
The two pipes must be routed either inside or outside, which requires an open window. This should then be sealed accordingly so that no warm air flows in and makes life unnecessarily difficult for the air conditioner. EcoFlow includes a cardboard template so that you can create your own solutions.
At a maximum length of 1.3 m, they are already quite long when fully extended, but were still a little too short in some cases during our test use in a fully integrated motorhome. For example, the Wave 3 fits perfectly between the driver and passenger seats of a camper based on a Fiat Ducato 8, but the hoses do not reach the driver or passenger window. In panel vans and semi-integrated vehicles, it might just be long enough.
The Wave 3's integrated water tank, which is also used for pure cooling, was full after around 1.5 hours when tested indoors in high humidity. Fortunately, the app now informs you of this. If you want to run the appliance for a longer period of time, you should connect the supplied waste water hose and feed it into a small container. This is not included in the scope of delivery.
During testing, it was a little annoying that the rubber stopper for closing the water tank came loose during transportation. With a bit of bad luck, water then leaked out and directly flow over the handle of the battery. The same applies when connecting the hose if the tank is already full.
The battery handle is a good keyword: unfortunately, it was not 100 percent fixed in our review sample. Hopefully this is an isolated case. Otherwise, however, the workmanship of the test device was impeccable.
Energy consumption & volume: Two hours of battery life at full power
The battery life of the EcoFlow Wave 3 naturally depends on the mode, but also on the environment. When used in a motorhome heated to over 30 °C, the battery lasted less than two hours of operation at maximum cooling capacity. Connected to a power socket, the power consumption is then around 600 Wh. If the environment only requires around 250 W of cooling power, it will still last around four hours. In standby mode, the energy requirement was only approx. 2 W.
The noise level is of course also dependent on operation. At maximum cooling capacity, the EcoFlow Wave 3 made a noise of up to 57 dB (measured from a distance of 1 m) in the test. It is also clearly audible when charging at up to 47 dB.
The battery of the Wave 3 from EcoFlow is primarily charged via the power cable on the air conditioner, which is (unfortunately) permanently installed. Although it can be wound up via an attachable cable coil, it still got in the way a few times during the test. Charging via the mains takes a good hour and a half and took place at up to 720 W in the test. This consumed around 1.15 kWh, so the efficiency is around 90 percent.
Alternatively or additionally, the battery can also be charged via an XT60 connection. This means that the supplied car charging cable or a solar panel with up to 200 W can be used.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
