Wallbox Pulsar Max vs EO Mini Pro 3: Battle of the Compact Chargers

Small Charger, Big Decision: Which Compact Powerhouse Deserves Your Wall Space?

If you've landed on this comparison, chances are you're tight on wall space — or you simply don't want an ugly box dominating the side of your house. The Wallbox Pulsar Max and EO Mini Pro 3 are the two most compact home EV chargers you can buy in the UK, and at an identical £699, they're squarely aimed at the same buyer. But beneath their diminutive exteriors, these two take surprisingly different approaches to smart charging, connectivity, and future-proofing.

The Pulsar Max is the more versatile unit on paper, offering three-phase capability (up to 22kW), voice control, and a generous 5-year warranty. The EO Mini Pro 3 counters with the smallest footprint of any charger on the market, built-in smart tariff presets, included solar diversion hardware, and the rare bonus of Ethernet connectivity. Both are OZEV-approved and use the universal Type 2 connector, so they'll charge any Tesla — or any other EV — sold in the UK.

In a nutshell:

• Wallbox Pulsar Max (£699): The most compact charger with three-phase capability, voice control, and a class-leading 5-year warranty.
• EO Mini Pro 3 (£699): The absolute smallest charger on the market with smart tariff presets, included solar diversion CT clamp, and Ethernet connectivity for rock-solid reliability.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration

This is where the EO Mini Pro 3 pulls ahead in a meaningful way. It ships with built-in smart tariff presets for popular UK EV tariffs including Octopus Go (with its 7.5p/kWh off-peak window from 00:30–04:30) and EDF Go Electric. That means you can set it to charge automatically during the cheapest hours without fiddling around in the app every night. There's also the British Gas/Hive Power+ integration, which credits back 25% of your charging costs — though you'll need to be in the Hive ecosystem to benefit from that.

The Wallbox Pulsar Max, by contrast, has no built-in smart tariff integration. You can use the myWallbox app to schedule charging manually — setting it to start at 00:30 and stop at 04:30, for example — but it won't automatically pull tariff data or adjust to variable-rate tariffs like Octopus Agile. For a charger at this price point, that's a notable omission. As electriccarguide.co.uk noted in their review of the Pulsar range, the app is intuitive and covers the core features, but it lacks some of the more advanced options found elsewhere.

If you're on a smart EV tariff — and you really should be, given the savings of up to £800 a year — the EO Mini Pro 3 makes your life noticeably easier.

Solar Diversion

Both chargers support solar integration, but the way they do it is quite different — and the cost implications matter.

The EO Mini Pro 3 includes a CT clamp as standard. This small sensor clips onto your meter tails and measures how much surplus solar energy your home is generating, then diverts it into your car. There's no additional hardware to purchase, which is a genuine advantage if you already have solar panels or are planning an installation. It's worth noting, however, that the solar diversion isn't as sophisticated as what you'd get from a dedicated unit like the myenergi Zappi — but for most homeowners, it does the job.

The Wallbox Pulsar Max offers its Eco-Smart solar charging feature, but it requires a separate Wallbox Power Meter at additional cost. As bestchargers.co.uk highlights, the Pulsar Max is solar compatible, but that extra purchase chips away at the value proposition. If solar is a priority and you want an all-in-one solution out of the box, the EO Mini Pro 3 wins this round.

Power, Charging Speed, and Future-Proofing

Here's where the Wallbox Pulsar Max fights back. On a standard UK single-phase supply, the Pulsar Max delivers 7.4kW versus the EO's 7.2kW. The real-world difference is marginal — we're talking roughly 8.1 hours versus 8.3 hours for a typical 60kWh battery from empty to full — so you won't notice it day-to-day.

But the Pulsar Max has a trick up its sleeve: three-phase capability. If your property has (or could have) a three-phase supply, the Pulsar Max can deliver up to 22kW, slashing a full charge to around 2.7 hours. Three-phase is rare in UK homes — fewer than 5% have it — but it's increasingly common in new-builds and rural properties. If you're in that bracket, or planning a three-phase upgrade, the Pulsar Max is the only choice here. The EO Mini Pro 3 is single-phase only, full stop.

The Pulsar Max also features Power Boost, which dynamically adjusts the charge rate to prevent your main fuse from tripping. This is particularly useful in older UK homes with 60A or even 40A main fuses, where running a 7.4kW charger alongside a kettle and an oven could cause problems.

Build Quality and Design

Both chargers are impressively compact, but they achieve their small size differently. The EO Mini Pro 3 is genuinely tiny — roughly A5-sized at 215mm × 140mm × 100mm and weighing just 2.5 kg. It's the smallest charger on the UK market, and if your mounting space is severely limited (a narrow pillar, a cramped garage wall), it may be the only unit that physically fits.

The Wallbox Pulsar Max is slightly larger at 198mm × 201mm × 99mm but still remarkably compact — wallbox.com describes it as purpose-built for narrow driveways and terraced homes. It's heavier at 4.2 kg, partly because of its IK10 impact resistance rating, which the EO lacks. That IK10 rating means the Pulsar Max can handle accidental knocks — useful if it's mounted near where you park. The Pulsar Max also comes in six colour options, letting you match it to your brickwork or render, while the EO's aesthetic is more utilitarian.

On connectivity, the EO Mini Pro 3 has a genuine edge: Ethernet alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with optional 4G. That Ethernet port means a wired connection to your router for the most reliable smart features — no dropouts, no range issues. The Pulsar Max relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only, which can be problematic if your router is on the opposite side of the house from your charger.

Price and Value

At identical pricing, the value question comes down to what you prioritise. The Pulsar Max delivers a longer warranty (5 years versus 3), three-phase capability, voice control, and superior impact resistance. The EO Mini Pro 3 counters with included solar hardware, smart tariff presets, Ethernet connectivity, and the smallest possible footprint. Neither is overpriced, but neither is a bargain either — the Tesla Wall Connector at £475 offers strong competition if compact size isn't your primary concern.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Wallbox Pulsar Max if:

• You have (or plan to get) a three-phase supply and want up to 22kW charging
• You value a longer warranty — 5 years gives genuine peace of mind
• Your charger is in a vulnerable position and needs IK10 impact resistance
• You want voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant
• You prefer to choose from multiple colour options to match your home

Buy the EO Mini Pro 3 if:

• You have severely limited wall space — nothing else on the market is this small
• You're on a smart EV tariff like Octopus Go and want automatic scheduling presets
• You have solar panels and want diversion included without buying extra hardware
• You're in the British Gas/Hive ecosystem and can benefit from 25% charging cost credits
• You need Ethernet or 4G connectivity for a reliable connection in tricky locations

Our recommendation: For the typical UK Tesla owner on a single-phase supply, the EO Mini Pro 3 edges it — but only just. Its smart tariff presets and included solar CT clamp deliver more practical, money-saving functionality out of the box, and Ethernet connectivity is a genuinely useful differentiator. However, if you have three-phase power, want the reassurance of a 5-year warranty, or need a charger that can withstand the odd bump from a car door, the Wallbox Pulsar Max is the stronger choice. Both are excellent compact chargers; your decision should hinge on whether you value future-proofing and durability (Pulsar Max) or immediate smart features and solar savings (EO Mini Pro 3).

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Read our full Wallbox Pulsar Max review or EO Mini Pro 3 review.

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