CNET's key takeaways
The Wave 3 lists for $1,300, but often drops to $900. The optional battery pack adds between $550 and $900, depending on sales and deals.
The Wave 3 offers enough cooling and heating for small spaces and does so reasonably quietly (it's still an air conditioner after all).
While portable, the Wave 3 with the battery is fairly heavy at 55.1 pounds.
A few years ago, I built a campervan out of a Ford Transit Connect. My goal when designing it was "tent replacement," not "year-round living." As such, I only included ways to keep the windows open and bug-free at night, plus a small, USB-powered fan. However, I'm a victim of my own success, as I've loved using it so much that I wanted adventures in hotter and colder weather and environments. The EcoFlow Wave 3 seemed like a perfect fix.
The Wave 3 is a portable heat pump, letting you increase or decrease the temperature in a small space like a van or a tent. This isn't one of those cheap thermoelectric (Peltier) heat pumps that only offer a few degrees of difference from ambient. Inside the Wave 3 is a compressor like a full-size air conditioner. It's rated for 6,100 BTUs of cooling and 6,800 BTUs of heating (which will cover approximately 120-180 square feet). That's about the same as you'd get from a small, cheap, nonportable, window-style air conditioner.
Crucially, for my build anyway, there's an optional 1,024-watt-hour battery pack. You can power the Wave 3 via a standard AC plug if your van has an inverter. This capability means you can use the Wave 3 at home, too, if needed. For my build, it was easier to charge the Wave 3's optional battery via my solar panels and batteries, and let it power the Wave 3. Even though it's portable, it still draws a lot of power. More than my setup could deliver without rewiring.
My experience with the EcoFlow Wave 3
I had to redesign my van's layout to fit and secure the Wave 3. By taking out the rearmost seat (that I never used) and building a lighter bed frame, I actually saved 34.9 pounds, despite the Wave 3 and its battery adding 55.1 pounds. Colin Chapman would be proud.
The "remodel" in progress. The PVC pipe bedframe didn't need to be more elaborate as a 2x4 piece of particle board sits on top of the fridge and extends halfway down the frame, holding the majority of my weight. A piece of posterboard covers the rest of the frame, which is enough so my feet don't fall through. This worked great and was way lighter than my original bed build. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
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