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The Ecoflow Wave 2 (purchase link) is the first mobile air conditioner from Ecoflow for the German market. She shows some very exciting approaches. At almost 15 kilograms without a battery, it is still mobile enough to operate it on the campsite or in the car, for example. In addition, their battery life can be extended by connecting an Ecoflow power station and even a solar panel. A two-hose system ensures that the exhaust air and supply air are outside the area to be cooled. This test report shows what else the Wave 2 can do and where its weaknesses lie. If you want to find out more about air conditioning in general, we recommend our guide to air conditioning basics: This is how much good room cooling costs.
Optics & processing
As usual from the other Ecoflow devices, the Ecoflow Wave 2 is also excellently processed. The air conditioning system appears to be made of one piece, looks futuristic and perfectly designed. It also offers practical handles. Carrying it is not a lot of fun, because the Wave 2 weighs a whopping 22 kilograms with the battery.
The two supplied hoses are attached to the air conditioner via an adapter. These are easy to attach, but come with small noses that give the impression that they could break off, especially when used outdoors.
steering
The display framed by six buttons shows, among other things, the ambient temperature, the target temperature, the fan level, the battery capacity and the climate mode. The buttons control the most important functions of the air conditioning system. If you want the full range of functions, you have to install the app. After registering via email, region and password, the beautiful and easy-to-use app can update the Wave 2 to the latest firmware version and control it comprehensively. The app also determines more special functions such as timers, device releases, ambient lighting and water drain mode. Nice: The Wave 2 can also be switched on and off via the app. There is no real remote control.
Operation
The power cord is permanently attached to the Wave 2, but can still be removed with a little screwing. The battery with 1159 watt hours (lithium-ion basis) can also be removed for mains operation. There is an XT60 connection for operation on the cigarette lighter at 12 volts and 24 volts and thanks to the integrated MPPT controller there is also a solar charging input for panels with up to 400 watts. The Wave 2 also runs on Ecoflow power stations.
Ecoflow Wave 2 air conditioning pictures
Ecoflow Wave 2 air conditioning pictures
In the performance test, the mobile air conditioner uses a good 200 watts in the eco mode of the cooling mode, with a maximum cooling capacity of over 400 watts. Running as a fan only, the Wave 2 draws up to 20 watts. It is energy-hungry in standby mode, where it needs 4 watts continuously without the battery, and even more than 10 watts with the battery. Ecoflow specifies a runtime of eight hours for the battery when cooling. In Eco mode it reaches the specified time, in Max mode it is halved to under four hours. The power consumption is also often over 900 watts if the battery is charged parallel to the cooling mode. If the Wave 2 is switched off and connected to the mains and charging the battery, the internal fan will come on at regular intervals for a short time. We cannot understand why this is so.
The Wave 2 has two tubes. The internal cooling circuit and the supply and exhaust air are separated from each other. Single hose systems pull the air to be cooled out of the room and release the warm exhaust air outside. This creates a negative pressure in the room, which draws in warm air. There is also the option of positioning the entire Wave 2 outside of the area to be cooled and only directing the hose with tempered air into the room.
The cheapest monoblock air conditioners
cooling capacity
The Ecoflow Wave 2 cools with 5100 BTU and heats with 6100 BTU. Thanks to the cooling and heating function, the air conditioner can be used not only in summer but also in winter. Overall, the cooling performance is not very high. Even the cheapest monoblock air conditioning systems from 150 euros usually offer significantly more. On the other hand, they often weigh more than 30 kilograms and are hardly mobile – but of course they can also be operated via powerful power stations (top 10 list).
Ecoflow Wave 2 air conditioner app screenshots
Ecoflow Wave 2 air conditioner app screenshots
Due to the low maximum cooling capacity, the Ecoflow Wave 2 actually only had a noticeable cooling effect in the office in Max mode. Both hoses led outside through an open and sealed window. The sleep mode is pleasantly quiet, but hardly usable due to the low cooling capacity. In Max mode, the mobile air conditioner is quite loud. Using the app, we measured around 42 decibels at a distance of one meter. The cooling worked more efficiently when we placed the air conditioning in the office corridor and only routed the hose with the outgoing cool air into our office. This also reduces the volume and we can save ourselves the use of ANC headphones (best list). However, the colleagues from the other offices were not very enthusiastic about the outsourcing.
The air flow is variable in height. There is no horizontal adjustment, the entire air conditioning unit has to be rotated for this. The condensed water that occurs in cooling mode drips out of a hose attached to the rear part. Alternatively, the Wave 2 also has an evaporator, so the condensation does not have to be drained.
Preis
Conclusion
The mobile air conditioner Ecoflow Wave 2 is something very special. There is probably no other air conditioning system with a comparably high range of functions. It runs at full load for almost four hours with one battery charge, is quite compact, offers two hoses for supply and exhaust air, an evaporator, app control, the option of running it via an additional Ecoflow power station, the cigarette lighter or solar and can also heat in addition to cooling.
We are less enthusiastic about the cooling capacity, which is probably also limited due to the compact dimensions of the air conditioner. In addition, it is quite loud and there is no horizontal airflow adjustability. The Wave 2 is also quite heavy at around 22 kilograms and at a price of 1100 euros, one or the other will swallow.
Nevertheless, the Ecoflow Wave 2 will find many friends. Because we have never come across an air conditioning system with a similarly high level of flexibility. We can well imagine that the Wave 2 will find its home in quite a few campers in the future.