EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra X Ran a Home for 8 Hours on 81%

Why CNET had to create its own blackout

The reviewer lives in suburban Chicago with buried power lines, so real outages are rare. To test the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra X, he flipped the breaker himself.

CNET's reviewer didn't wait for a storm. He walked into his garage and killed the breaker feeding his EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 3, simulating a blackout on a sunny morning. The setup had been in place since winter 2023, first with a Delta Pro Ultra and Smart Panel 2, now upgraded to the Delta Pro Ultra X and Smart Panel 3.

The switchover was so fast that nobody in the house noticed. The Delta Pro Ultra X kicked in within about 20 milliseconds, not enough of a dip to reboot a computer or modem. The reviewer sat down at his desk and kept working.

In a twist, his home actually lost power a week earlier while he was out shopping. His phone notified him the battery was running low, but the grid was back by the time he returned.

How long the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra X lasted

The Delta Pro Ultra X kept the house running for 7 hours and 51 minutes, dropping from full charge to 19%. That covered a full workday with power to spare.

During the test, the system powered a refrigerator, a beverage cooler, two electric coolers, lights, TVs, and computers. The reviewer's office alone draws significant power: a Legion Tower 5i with an RTX 4070 and three monitors.

The EcoFlow app let him monitor battery drain and prioritize circuits into three categories: Must Have, Nice to Have, and Not Necessary. He set Nice to Have circuits to shut off at 50% battery, which happened around 1:00 p.m. Only two circuits actually cut off, including a dishwasher he wasn't using.

He switched the breaker back on at 19% battery. With more conservative settings—switching to a laptop, turning off lights, disabling bedroom circuits—he says the system could have run much longer. For a closer look at how the system performed in our own testing, see our EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra X blackout test.

Price and competition: what $10,999 buys

The tested system costs $10,999 for an inverter, two batteries, and the Smart Home Panel 3, which alone costs $3,299. Installation is extra.

That's a serious investment, and it's not the only option. Tesla's Powerwall 3 starts at 13.5 kWh, slightly more capacity than the Delta Pro Ultra X's 12.28 kWh. Anker's Solix E10 offers a similar package with its power module.

The Smart Home Panel 3 is a clear upgrade over the previous generation. It supports up to 32 circuits, enough for a 100-amp home, and can reportedly be installed as a main panel. EcoFlow also has a network of certified electricians, which made installation smoother than the reviewer's first experience.

The system can also work with solar panels and be configured to draw from the battery during peak utility rates, switching back to the grid when rates drop.

Availability and pricing

The EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra X and Smart Home Panel 3 are available in the US directly from EcoFlow and through certified installers. The tested configuration costs $10,999 before installation, which varies by location and electrical work required. EcoFlow has not announced a UK or EU launch date for this exact bundle, so buyers there should check local availability.

EcoFlow's Delta Pro Ultra X isn't cheap, but CNET's test shows it can carry a typical home through a full workday without a hiccup. For homeowners in outage-prone areas or those with solar, it's a serious contender against Tesla's Powerwall 3.