I am constantly reminded how dependent we are on power. Even while travelling with the family, everyone needs to make sure they have their power packs and cords to keep their devices charged and running. However, when camping or working outdoors, the tools and devices you take and need draw more power than a typical battery pack can supply. Plus as winter approaches and power outages become more likely, having a reliable source of power for necessary appliances and devices can be a must. Bluetti has recently released the AC200L, their most powerful portable power station yet. It will keep you in power wherever you go.
What Is the Bluetti AC200L Portable Power Station?
The Bluetti AC200L is a portable power station which can be charged via solar or the grid and provides both DC and AC power up to 120V and 2400W! The Bluetti AC200L is currently available directly from Bluetti as well as the Bluetti Amazon store. The suggest retail price is $1699. However, there is a Black Friday sale at both the Bluetti site as well as on Amazon which drops the price down to only $1499.
Product Components and Specs
The Bluetti AC200L portable power station comes with the following:
- AC200L power station
- AC charging cable
- Solar charging cable
- Car charging cable
- DC Input cable
- Cable storage bag
- User Manual
The Bluetti AC200L is their most powerful unit. It weighs almost 63 pounds with dimensions of 16.5″ｘ14.4″ｘ11″ . It uses LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries with a capacity of 204.8Wh with a life cycle of 3000+ recharge cycles to 80% original capacity. The AC200L offers several output features. There are four 120 volt / 20 Amp outlets and one 120V/30A NEMA TT-30 outlet (as used in some RVs) for 2400 watts total power. It uses a pure sine wave inverter for AC power, similar to what you get from an outlet, which is better for some sensitive devices. There are also 2 USB-C ports with 100W each as well as 2 USB-A ports at 18W which is perfect for charging cell phones and other personal devices. There is also a 12V/10A DC car outlet and a 48V/8A DC RV outlet. For charging the AC200L, there are inputs for the included AC, car, and solar charging cables. Carrying handles are built right into the power supply, making it easy to carry to where you need it.
How to Use the Bluetti AC200L Portable Power Station
The Bluetti AC200L 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 AC200L will fully charge in as little as 1.5 hours in turbo charging mode. If you need power quickly, it can charge up to 80% in only 45 minutes. Using the solar charging cable and your own solar panels with up to 1200W of output, it can take as little as 2 hours for a full charge. When charged, the AC200L can be used to power a number of your electrical devices and appliances. It has a total output of 2400W with 2048 Wh capacity. That is enough to run several devices and appliances at once. Plus it has a power-lifting mode of 3,600W and a surge power of 7,200W. The AC200L can also be connected to expansion batteries, such as the Bluetti B210, B230, and B300, to increase its power capacity.
The Bluetti app lets you take more control over the AC200L. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Once installed, you can connect to the power station via Bluetooth. Then the AC200L can be connected to your Wi-Fi network so you can control it remotely. The app offers some great features. You can turn on and off both the DC and AC power and monitor how many watts of power you coming as input from either the grid or solar panels as well as how many watts of power are going out for both AC and DC. Within settings, you can choose from standard, turbo, and silent charging modes. Another great feature with the app is to customize settings. You can change the charging mode between standard, silent, and turbo. This changes the wattage of the input power for charging. In turbo mode and standard mode, a fan run as different speeds to keep the unit cool while charging. In silent mode, it charges at about a third of the wattage of turbo mode, so it takes longer, but there is no fan or sound. The app also has an option to set an autosleep for the display so that it will turn off after a set amount of time. You can even activate a power lifting mode that allows the AC200L to allow it to power appliances and devices with heating elements with up to 3,600W without overloading the power station. The AC200L also can be used as a UPS and configured in the app. The various modes let you choose when you want the power station to recharge (all the time or at off-peak hours when power is cheaper). You can also set it to recharge primarily using solar panels.
Why You Should Get the Bluetti AC200L Portable Power Station
The Bluetti AC200L portable power station is a great device to take with you for camping an other outdoor activities. It also can be invaluable during a power outage, providing not only power but also peace of mind. 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. The company’s solar panels are designed to work well with the AC200L. By attaching the solar panels to the power station, you can recharge the AC200L while away from electrical 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 Bluetti site has a sale where you can save up to $550 when you purchase the AC200L with their PV420 solar panels.
I have been impressed while using the power station. Since it is larger and heavier than some of the other Bluetti products I have used, it is not quite as convenient to take for a quick outing. However, if you have an RV or will be setting up a larger camp, the AC200L has plenty of power for all of your devices, especially kettles, hot plates, blow dryers, and others that draw a lot of current. It also works great for home use during a power outage. I tested it out on our refrigerator/freezer. The AC200L was able to power it for 24 hours without any additional charging. I calculated that if I had attached my PV200 solar panels to the power station to charge it during the daylight hours, I could have kept the refrigerator running indefinitely. I also like that the power station can be used as a UPS. It can switch to battery power in case of a power outage in 20ms to keep your electronics working without interruption.
If you are looking to bring electrical power with you while outdoors, especially if you have an RV, or would like a backup power source in case of a power outage or emergency that can power large appliances or several small ones, then I recommend the Bluetti AC200L. The amount of power it can store and put out is impressive and makes this power station quite versatile.
Be sure to visit the Bluetti site for more information and to take advantage of their sale.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
