I take my laptop just about everywhere I go. As a writer, I have used it in hotels, on planes, and even outdoors while camping. Laptop batteries can last a few hours and then they need to recharge. In the past I take along power banks but most of those have just enough power for one charge–and that is about it. BLUETTI has recently released their Elite 30 Mini portable power station which is small enough to take with you but can still power your laptop and other devices whether away from electrical outlets or during an emergency.
What Is the BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini Portable Power Station?
The BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini 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 300W. The BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini is currently available directly from BLUETTI as well as the BLUETTI Amazon store. The suggest retail price is $249. However, there is a sale at the BLUETTI site as well as on Amazon which drops the price down to only $239! During Black Friday events, from November 19-30, there will be sales with additional discounts.
Product Components and Specs
The BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini portable power station comes with the following:
- Elite 30 Mini power station
- AC charging cable
- User Manual
The BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini is their smallest portable power station yet. It weighs only 7.3 pounds with dimensions of 6.3″ｘ5.1″ｘ8.2″ . It uses LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries with a capacity of 288Wh with a life cycle of 6000+ recharge cycles to 70% original capacity. The Elite 30 Mini offers several output features. There are two 120 volt / 2.5 Amp outlets for 300 watts total power. Two USB-C ports with 15W and 140 W max respectively is complimented by 1 15W USB-A port at 5V/3A which is perfect for charging cell phones and other personal devices. There is also a 12V/10A DC car outlet as well as 2 12V/5A DC5521 ports. However one of the features unique to this BLUETTI power station is a retractable 140W USB-C cable which extends from the left side of the unit. For charging the Elite 30 Mini, there are inputs for the included AC or car charging cables. A solar charging cable for connecting to portable solar panels can also be used, but is available separately for purchase. There is even a carrying strap attached to the power supply, making it easy to carry to where you need it.
How to Use the BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini Portable Power Station
The BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini 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 Elite 30 Mini will fully charge in as little as 70 minutes in turbo charging mode. If you need power quickly, it can charge up to 80% in only 56 minutes. Using a solar charging cable and your own 100W solar panels, it will take about 3.5 hours with prime sunshine and an ideal orientation. When charged, the Elite 30 Mini can be used to power a number of your electrical devices and appliances. The two AC outlets can put out 120 volts with up to 300 watts of power. That is enough to run a 50W freezer box for 4.5 hours, a laptop for 4 charges, or a Starlink for about 3 hours. It can also charge a smartphone 14 times. With the DC power through the four USB ports and cable you can charge a drone, a tablet, or a phone as well as many other devices. To begin sending power to a device, just connect it and then press either the AC power or DC power button.
The power station even has a small light built into the unit. Press the space over the LED light bulb and it will turn on with a white light. Press it again and the light turns to a yellowish hue. One more press and the light will begin blinking S-O-S in morse code. While the light is not very bright, it gives you just enough light to see something close in the dark.
The BLUETTI app lets you take more control over the Elite 30 Mini. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Once installed, you can connect to the power station via Bluetooth. Then the Elite 30 Mini 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 runs at 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 sets the Elite 30 Mini to allow for a surge of power of up to 600W without overloading the power station. If you do overload the station, just press the AC button twice to reset it.
Why You Should Get the BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini Portable Power Station
The BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini portable power station is a great device to take with you on the road, for recreation, or for an outing. It also provides peace of mind during a power outage. BLUETTI also offers larger power stations with more outlets and a greater watthour output for running more or larger appliances. The company’s solar panels are designed to work well with the Elite 30 Mini and BLUETTI’s other power stations. By attaching the solar panels to the power station, you can recharge the Elite 30 Mini 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 BLUETTI site has a sale where you can save up to $20 when you purchase the Elite 30 Mini with their 100W solar panels.
I have been impressed while using the BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini portable power station. I like that 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. Try running a fan in your tent or inflate a paddleboard at the water’s edge instead of having to do it at the car and then carry the board to the water. You can also use it to power strings of LED lights to light up your outdoor evenings. I recently used it for my high school physics class to power an air compressor used to pump up water rockets made out of 2-liter soda bottles out in the middle of a soccer field. With 300W, it had plenty of power for over 40 launches and let me setup wherever I wanted while not limited to the length of an extension cord. (I was so focused on the rockets that I forgot to take a photo of the power station)
Since it has the pass through ability to receive input while also providing output, you can even use the Elite 30 mini as a power converter. This is great when using the solar panels outdoors while also powering a device. You can also use the car charging cable to plug the power station into your car’s 12V outlet and then have access to 120 volts for your devices. I really like the 140W USB-C port and especially the 140W USB-C cable which allow you to plug a laptop or MacBook directly into the power station without needing an AC charger. If you are looking to bring electrical power with you while outdoors or would like a small backup power source for your devices in case of a power outage or emergency, then I recommend the BLUETTI Elite 30 Mini.
Be sure to visit the BLUETTI site as well as the BLUETTI Amazon store for more information and to take advantage of their sale.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
Michael Knight
Michael teaches high school classes in Science, History, and Computer Science including Game Design. He is the father of six as well as a proud grandfather of three. Michael is the author of over one hundred published video game strategy guides and when not playing board games, enjoys reading and spending time with his family.
