ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The EcoFlow Trail 300 DC is now available for $159.
- This compact portable battery can power electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more.
- It doesn’t have any extra features (there’s no light), and there are only five DC ports
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My kids ooh and ahh over portable batteries. They’re young, ranging from four to nine, so they’re not EcoFlow’s or Anker Solix’s target audience, yet their eyes light up whenever I unbox a new portable battery to test for work. Why? They love to use them to charge their tablets wherever they are.
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Thus far, they’ve loved the EcoFlow Trail 300 DC so much that they’ve been fighting me over it. This battery is light enough for even my kids to carry everywhere without fear of dropping it or bumping it against their legs, yet it can charge all three of their tablets several times on a single charge.
And I get it: I’ve used the EcoFlow Trail 300 DC to recharge my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook twice on a single charge, and still had about 17% left.
My favorite thing about the Trail 300 DC is how compact and lightweight it is. EcoFlow achieved this by bypassing the battery’s AC mechanism and making it a DC-only option.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
AC batteries have long been my preferred option to carry along, so the EcoFlow River 3 has been my favorite since its launch last year. I’ve tried other DC-only portable batteries, like the Anker Solix C300X, but the Trail 300 won me over by being lighter and more compact than the Anker Solix option.
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I’ve used this little battery around my house and outside. I love that I can carry it around, take it to the car, and back without feeling like I’m lugging around a portable battery.
Because of its lightness, the Trail 300 DC is a perfect travel companion. At under six pounds, it is easy to take on your carry-on or even in a backpack. If you enjoy active camping trips, this portable battery can go in your backpack to keep your devices charged without weighing you down or taking up too much space.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
This 90,000mAh battery can offer up to 140W per port, with a 300W total output, making it strong enough to charge laptops and other large devices, like an electric cooler or a projector.
It recharges pretty quickly, too, so you can go from 0 to 100% in just about two hours. If you take it out with you, you can recharge it through USB, solar panels, or a car.
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ZDNET’s buying advice
The EcoFlow Trail 300 DC is one of the best values for money you can find in a portable battery. It’s perfect for camping and small enough to slip into a backpack when you leave your tent. It can also quickly recharge devices during long car rides, in emergency situations, or, if you ask my kids, when you’re on the couch with a dead tablet and are too far from an outlet.
One of the best things about this portable battery is its affordable price of only $160 (at the time of writing). Such a good price gives competitors a run for their money, though you may have to compromise on some features to get such a good price.
While the EcoFlow Trail 300 DC is lightweight and compact, it doesn’t have extra features, like a light, and only has five DC ports: two USB-C, two USB-A, and one 12V car port. The Anker Solix C300X, for example, has twice as many USB-C ports.
