EcoFlow’s new TRAIL Series is a different kind of power product: they're compact, DC-only, and built for on-the-go use. EcoFlow markets the three units in this series as on-the-go camping power stations, claiming they can power 90% of camping essentials. As camping enthusiasts, this immediately caught our attention.
To find out if these little brick-sized power stations really belong in your gear bag, we decided to spend some time testing the EcoFlow TRAIL 300 DC. We also got our hands on its smaller sibling, the Trail 200 DC, and ran it through the same tests. So, are these little power stations worth your money? Short answer: yes, we think they're great, but our recommendation also come with a few caveats.
So, let's dive into our testing and overall review of the EcoFlow Trail Series 300.
Before we dive into the results of our testing, as well as all of the things we like and dislike about this tiny power station, here’s a quick overview of the specifications:
{{review-summary}}
We treated the Trail 300 just as EcoFlow advertises it in all of their marketing videos (we gave it a beating). To see if it's as tough as their videos imply, we tossed it around the lawn, swung it around with the strap, charged multiple phones and laptops with the USB-C ports, and knocked it onto the paved driveway several times.
On top of putting a pretty serious beating on this pint-sized portable power station, we ran it through a variety of performance tests. Given it’s a DC-only power station, we couldn’t run it through all of our usual tests, but here’s what we were able to find out about this unit:
The Trail 300DC will charge from its USB-C ports, and it can also be charged via a 12 volt car input or through a single solar panel.
The two-way 140 W USB-C ports are useful, and you have the option to run both at the same time (if you have enough cables and two charging blocks). Doing so allowed us to charge the battery in roughly an hour, so the basic charging inputs worked perfectly.
Realistically, most people are going to be charging this unit at 140W, instead of the 240W maximum you can achieve by charging via both USB-C ports, so you should anticipate charging times of about two hours to go from 0% up to 100%.
It also has a XT60 solar input, which allows you to charge this power station with a solar panel. It’s capped at 110W, which isn’t actually that bad for a unit this small. In ideal conditions, you could solar charge the Trail 300 DC in about two and a half hours. For those looking to use it for off-grid camping, you may want to pair it with something like the EcoFlow 110 Watt Folding Solar Panel.
This unit also supports direct DC charging via the 12V car socket. We didn’t fully charge the unit through that port, (mostly because we didn’t want to drive around for that long), but it seemed to have an input rate similar to the solar port. If you're on your way to a campsite or just driving to a hiking trail, being able to charge it up through your vehicle is pretty convenient.
During our output tests, the unit was capable of charging an iPhone 16 Pro Max roughly 15 times (your mileage will vary depending on your specific phone and charging cable). For a unit designed for camping and charging portable electronics, that’s actually pretty solid.
Since this unit and the other two power stations in the TRAIL Series are DC-only, there’s no inversion loss when you plug your devices into the USB ports or the 12V car socket. This makes the unit extremely efficient.
So, even though it only has a 288Wh battery, you’re actually going to be able to use most of that stored power to charge your phones, laptops, cameras, and DC-powered camping gear.
With the unit switched on but not being used to power anything, it consumed about 2Wh over 24 hours. That extremely low drain translates to huge standby longevity. This is something EcoFlow advertised, so it’s nice to see that the unit actually lives up to this.
With an idle power draw that low, a fully charged Trail 300's battery could last up to 144 days in standby mode. Keep in mind that both of these TRAIL Series power stations have an automatic shut-off feature that kicks in after 12 hours if they're left unattended, but knowing that the're not draining unnecessary power is a huge plus.
Since there’s no need for an inverter, it’s also incredibly efficient. Basically, the power you put into this thing's battery will be usable, instead of being wasted through a high idle power draw or DC-to-AC inversion process.
EcoFlow really leans into the rugged nature of the TRAIL Series in all of their their promotional materials. We wanted to make sure that this wasn’t just empty marketing, so we recreated the way they have people dropping this power station in their advertisements.
Actually, we took things even further by doing three separate drop tests. First, we tossed this thing around in the backyard. It survived this test, but the screen did get a little scratched up on the dry grass. This was all cosmetic damage and the unit continued working, but it’s worth mentioning.
Next, we dropped it a few times on the driveway, and then set it up on our truck’s tailgate and knocked it over onto the sidewalk. This final drop test was a pretty serious tumble, but the unit continued working completely fine. The performance wasn't impacted, and it didn't even take any noticeable damage to the exterior casing.
Turns out this wasn’t just marketing hype, and this thing actually is pretty durable for a little power station.
Now that we’ve gone through our first impressions and the specifications, as well as the results of our own testing, let’s highlight a few of the things we really liked about the EcoFlow Trail Series 300DC:
With a compact footprint and a total weight of around 6 lbs, the Trail 300 is much closer to a serious power bank than a full-size power station, but we think that’s a good thing.
It’s the size you actually want to carry on hikes, in a daypack, or on a long car trip. EcoFlow wanted this thing to compete with the Anker C300 DC as a power station for camping, and when it comes to portability, it does just that.
The built-in strap is also really well-designed, and far more practical than the shoulder strap Anker offers for their C300 Power Station. Even compared to EcoFlow’s own River Series, the Trail 300 and Trail 200 are way more portable and camping-friendly.
These ports are the headline feature, offering practical laptop and phone charging. The USB-C fast charging ports also work with all of the latest electronics, so you don’t have to worry about plugging in bulky charging bricks.
The fact these are also used as the main input power ports for the Trail power stations is another layer of versatility that will be really helpful for minimalist travelers. Rather than needing to carry a bag filled with cables, you can just use a single cord to charge most of your devices, as well as charging the power station itself from a standard wall outlet.
The Trail 300’s near-negligible idle draw of just around 2Wh per day means it’s safe to leave it switched on. Even if it’s sitting there all day with the screen and ports on, you don’t have to worry that it will waste a lot of juice.
For off-grid camping trips and hikes, this is a huge advantage. There’s nothing worse than leaving the house with a fully charged power station, only to discover that the battery is half drained when you get to your destination.
The Trail 300 Portable Power Station survived our pretty intense drop tests. Aside from a few small scratches on the screen, the unit kept working totally fine. For a packable device that’s marketed to hikers and campers, that’s welcome news. It’s also really impressive for a power station that is priced under $200.
When we go camping, we’re pretty hard on our gear, so it’s reassuring knowing that we’re not going to smash this power station if we accidentally drop it out of the truck, or if it just slips out of our hands on the trails.
We’ve tested plenty of cheap power stations in the past, including a bunch of random ones we bought from Amazon, and let’s just say the quality and durability is rarely this good.
All of the TRAIL Series power stations are intentionally minimal: you turn them on and all of the USB ports work. Aside from that, there’s just a single button you can press to activate the 12V socket.
The display screen is also very intuitive, allowing you to read all of the basic information with ease. there are no confusing menus or accidental settings changes you can make. Basically, it just works, and that’s something that we think will really appeal to a lot of the camping and off-grid market that isn’t overly familiar with power stations and solar technology.
If the $150 launch price stays in place, that’s exceptional value for a well-built DC power device, especially given it’s coming from a premium brand.
We also like that they are going to offer three separate TRAIL power stations at three different price points. While they’re all pretty cheap, someone who just wants to pick up something simple for under $150 has the option to shop the TRAIL 300 or the TRAIL 200, while someone willing to shell out a little more could upgrade to the TRAIL Plus.
Now that we’ve sung its praises, let’s take a look at a few of the things we thought EcoFlow could have improved:
This sounds weird because it was intentional, but as a DC-only power station, you can’t run anything that needs AC power unless you bring a separate inverter. We feel that most buyers will understand this, but we also think EcoFlow should have explained this a little better on their website, as a lot of newbies could be disappointed if they pick it up and think they can just plug anything into it
Remote monitoring and some useful app toggles are reserved for the EcoFlow TRAIL Plus. So, if you want app control, you’ll need to step up. This isn’t a huge gripe, as there isn’t really much that you’d want to control with an app on a unit this small, but it would have been a nice inclusion.
We only picked up on this after we received the Trail 200 and Trail 300, and we have to admit we were a little bit disappointed, as the EcoFlow App is one of the best power station apps out there right now. Still, it's far from a deal-breaker.
EcoFlow also reserves a built-in LED light for the upcoming TRAIL Plus. From our perspective, not having a small integrated flashlight or lamp on a hiking power station feels like a missed opportunity.
Our units we ordered arrived without USB charging cables. Since we published our video review of this unit, several viewers reported receiving charging cables when they ordered, so maybe it was just a regional thing, or we could have just got unlucky, but buyers should confirm included accessories before purchase.
We put a beating on this thing, so mild scratching is a minor issue, but it's still worth mentioning that the display screen can scuff. It would have been nice if EcoFlow added a slim protective sleeve for the screen, or just made it out of a scratch-resistant plastic, but that’s us getting really picky.
Since there seems to be a bit of a boom in small, DC power stations from the big brands, we thought we’d provide a quick breakdown of how the Trail 300 stacks up to other units:
It has a smaller battery (192Wh), fewer ports, it's lighter, and it has a price tag of just $119. The output is also capped at 220W instead of 300W, so it's a little less powerful. The ports are also similar, but one of the USB-C outlets is limited to 100W on the 200DC version.
Basically, the Trail 200DC is a micro version of the Trail 300DC, which is great if you want less weight at a lower cost.
EcoFlow added a top-mounted light and app connectivity for the biggest unit in the Trail Series. However, one thing we really didn’t like to see was the fact that EcoFlow appears to use a different (older) battery chemistry in the Plus to shave weight. That trade-off may mean fewer cycles compared to the Trail 300 and Trail 200, which are both equipped with far more efficient and longer-lasting LiFePO4 batteries. You get an extra 140W USB-C port and the light looks really useful, but it has the same 300W inverter and 288Wh battery.
We’d wait to see full specs and cycle life breakdown before saying anything definitive or recommending the Trail 300 Plus over the Trail 300, especially if you’re concerned with long-term durability.
The Anker C300 DC is Anker SOLIX’s take on compact DC power, so it’s a natural competitor to the EcoFlow Trail 300. The two units also share the same market: hikers, creators, and campers who want real, portable DC power. The Trail 300’s two-way 140W USB-C ports are its main advantage, but the Anker power station has a built-in light, which is similar to what you'll get with the more expensive Trail 300 Plus.
The two units also share a lot of the same specifications (both have 288Wh batteries), so we’d recommend picking between them based on price and whether you prefer EcoFlow or Anker’s packaging and accessories ecosystem.
We also released a direct comparison video where we put the Trail 300 up against the Anker SOLIX C300. If you’re interested in how they stack up against each other, check it out: Battle of the DC Power Stations - EcoFlow Trail 300 vs Anker C300.
The EcoFlow Trail 300 DC is an excellent compact DC power station for hikers, photographers, and minimalists who want laptop-ready USB-C charging and a long standby life. It's small, but it would also work well for basic emergency power during blackouts.
Overall, it's very efficient, well designed, incredibly portable, and, at the right price, a compelling alternative to small AC power stations, like the EcoFlow River 3. If you need AC power or app control, look at bigger units, or just wait for the Trail 300 Plus (but check the battery chemistry before you buy). If you're still unsure if it's right for you, the following should help:
In short, we give the new EcoFlow Trail 300 a thumbs up and would comfortably recommend it to a friend, just make sure it actually fits your needs ahead of time.
We test solar products so you don’t have to. Check out our opinions and which units we think are worth your money and which ones aren't.
More Reviews >
