Power outages have become more common due to high temperatures, wildfires, and severe weather. Since we rely on electronics so much, having a portable power station can not only be useful but also bring peace of mind. A portable power station can even allow us to use our electrical devices and appliances when we are away from home in the outdoors. BLUETTI’s EB55 portable power station is small enough to take with you but can still power your devices whether away from electrical outlets or during an emergency. Their PV200 solar panels offer a great way to recharge the power station when you are off the grid.
What Is the BLUETTI EB55 Portable Power Station and PV200 Solar Panel?
The BLUETTI EB55 is a portable power station with several different output plugs and voltages. It is currently available from the BLUETTI Amazon store. The suggest retail price is $499. However, there is a $100 coupon on Amazon which drops the price down to only $399. The PV200 are solar panels that can be folded up into a convenient carrying case and provide power to recharge a portable power station. While the suggested retail price is $499, they also have a $100 coupon on Amazon. These coupons are good through January 25, 2023, and allow you to purchase both the portable power station and solar panels for only $798.
Product Components and Specs
The BLUETTI EB55 portable power station comes with the following:
- EB55 power station
- AC charging cable
- Solar charging cable
- Car charging cable
- User Manual
The BLUETTI EB55 weighs 16.5 pounds with a length of 11 inches, and width and height of just under 8 inches. It uses LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries with a capacity of 537 Watt-hours with a life cycle of 2500+ recharge cycles to 80% original capacity. The EB55 offers several output features. There are four 120 volt/20 amp outlets for 700 watts total power. It uses a pure sine wave inverter for AC power. A single USB-C port with 100W max is complimented by four USB-A ports at 5V/3A which is perfect for charging cell phones and other personal devices. There is also a 12V/10A DC car outlet and two 12V/10A DC 5521 (5.5mm) outlets, plus the top of the power station has a 15W max wireless charging pad. For charging the EB55, there are two inputs for the included AC, solar, and car charging cables. Each input has a maximum of 200W; however, you can use the AC and solar charging cables together for up to 400W of input power. The power station also has a built in LED light located on the back side which has dim and bright settings as well as an emergency setting that will flash out SOS in Morse code.
The BLUETTI PV200 solar panel come with the following:
- PV200 foldable solar panel
- User Manual
The BLUETTI PV200 consists of four connected solar panels which fold up 23 x 25 inches. When unfolded, the panels are 23 x 89 inches. The PV200 weighs only 16 lbs. and have a fabric backing. The solar panels use monocrystalline silicon cells which can put out 200W of power at 20 volts and 9.7 amps under ideal conditions. This unit has a 23.4% efficiency which means it converts that percentage of sunlight into electrical power. The unit comes with kickstands which snap into different positions so you can set up the panels at different angles. The charging cord is stored in a built-in zippered pouch and a handle on the end makes it each to carry.
How to Use the BLUETTI EB55 Portable Power Station and PV200 Solar Panel
The BLUETTI EB55 is quite easy to use. If you need to charge it using an AC outlet, just plug in the included AC charging cable and the EB55 will fully charge in a little over three hours. Using the solar charging cable and your own 200W solar panels, it will take less than two hours with prime sunshine and an ideal orientation. Charging it using a 12V car outlet will take about six hours. When charged, the EB55 can be used to power a number of your electrical devices and appliances. The four AC outlets can put out 120 volts with up to 700 watts of power. That is enough to run a minifridge for seven hours, 75W television for five to six hours and 80W power tools for about the same time. You can even run a 200W slow cooker for two to three hours. With the DC power through the five USB ports or the 12V outlets, you can charge a laptop seven times or a phone about 45 times. To begin sending power to a device, just connect it and then press either the AC power or DC power button. When the DC power is on, you can also set a phone, earbud charging case, or other device with wireless charging on the top of the power station to charge it. The power station also has pass-through charging so you can have it can be charging at the same time it is putting out power.
The BLUETTI PV200 solar panel is quick to setup and use. Release the two clips that hold the unit in its folded configuration and then unfold the four sections to create one panel assembly. The three kickstands located along the back of the panel have a snap that keeps them secured. Unsnap to extend the kickstands and then re-snap them into place. The kickstands allow you to position the PV200 at three different angles to the ground: 40, 45, and 50 degrees. A small pouch on the back holds the charging cable which is already connected to the solar panel. All you need to do is then connect it to a power station and position the solar panel so it is facing the sun. That is all there is to it. No switches to flip or anything else.
Why You Should Get the BLUETTI EB55 Portable Power Station and PV200 Solar Panel
The BLUETTI EB55 portable power station is a great device to take with you on the road, for recreation, camping, or for an outing. It can also provide peace of mind during a power outage. The pure sine wave AC output is desirable for several types of appliances and devices. This means that when the current alternates between positive and negative, the conversion from direct current flows in a smooth sine wave pattern rather than in blocky chunks. BLUETTI also offers larger power stations with more outlets and a greater watthour output for running more or larger appliances. By attaching the PV200 solar panel to the power station, you can recharge the EB55 while away from electric connections. In addition, you can even have power input and output at the same time, allowing you to charge up the power station while also using it to power a device. The EB55 will convert DC power from solar panels or a car into the correct voltage needed by your device as well as change it to AC if needed.
I have had the opportunity to use the BLUETTI EB55 portable power station to power lights. It is small enough to make it easy to take with you in the car on trips, for camping, or even while going to the beach or lake. You can even run a fan in your tent or inflate a paddleboard at the water’s edge. As wildfire dangers increase, some areas do not allow open flames are not allowed. Instead of consigning yourself to cold food, use this power station for a hot plate or electric kettle so you can have hot food and beverages. As I have used power stations by BLUETTI, I continue to find more and more uses for devices in places I would not normally think to have electricity. I really like using EB55 for plugging in power tools when I am working on projects away from an outlet or where I would need to run long lengths of power cords. If your family is like mine where everyone has a cell phone and earbuds, especially our two teenagers, this power station can charge several devices at the same time.
Before I got the PV200, I had never really used a portable solar panel for power before. Therefore, I was excited to go outside and try it out. While I never got it up to a full 200W of charging power, this may have been because it was during the winter and the sun was lower in the sky. I was also curious to see if it would work on a cloudy day since that is what we have been experiencing a lot lately. Even with the sky complete covered in clouds, I angled the solar panel towards where the sun appeared to be and still got 30W of power. I am very impressed at how easy it is to use the PV200. Literally all I had to do was unfold it, extend the kickstands, and plug it in to the EB55. This winter, California has had some severe storms with high winds and heavy rain that have left lots of homes without power. While we have not had a power outage yet, I made sure my EB55 was fully charged and felt some comfort knowing that even if the power went out, we could still power vital appliances for a while and as long as it was not windy and raining outside, use the PV200 to recharge the power station.
If you are looking to bring electrical power with you while outdoors or would like a backup power source in case of a power outage or emergency, then I recommend the BLUETTI EB55 portable power station and the PV200 solar panel.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
