Switching off? In this economy? Not a chance.
I kid (kind of), but you can’t argue with the sentiment. No matter how much you find peace in the solitude of the bush, it’s gotten harder and harder to disconnect completely. Even the things I used to do when away from civilisation need power these days – I don’t remember the last time I read a book made from paper, and I even recently swapped out my sketchbook for an app. Whether it’s for work, pleasure or even safety, you’re likely to need (or want) power at some point during a camping trip (or a road trip).
It’s at this intersection of need and nature that a portable power station is a game changer.
Considering the vast range of potential uses for off-grid power these days, it’s no surprise that the market is flooded with portable power stations of every size and shape. The only unfortunate thing about that is how tricky it can be to figure out which power station will best suit your needs. Assuming you already know why you’re shopping for one, let’s dive straight into what you need to know about the Bluetti AC2A and see if it’s capable of what you need from it.
Specifications
The list of features from Bluetti’s product page seems like a good place to start before we dig deeper into how the AC2A performs in the real world:
- 300W AC Output/ 600W Lifting Power.
- 204.8Wh Capacity for Extended Battery Life.
- 270W Turbo Charging, 45 Mins to 80%.
- LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) Battery for 3,000+ Charge Cycles.
- Quiet Operation less than 45dB.
- Smart Remote Control via Bluetti App.
- Seamless UPS in 20ms.
- Industry-leading 5-year warranty.
- 90-day express replacement service (if purchased via Bluetti).
Design & Durability (Rating: 99%)
The smallest of Bluetti’s power station range (250 x 150 x 180mm) and weighing only 3.6kg, the AC2A packs a punch if it lives up to the claimed 204.8Wh capacity and 300W output. Compared to most portable power stations of similar size and weight on the Australian market, the AC2A’s capacity and output are pretty solid. I’ll discuss this further in the next section.
“Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
Unboxing the AC2A, I was impressed by its sturdy build, especially the moulded handle – an infinitely better design than the hinged handle on the Bluetti EB3A.
Bluetti’s smartest design decision, though, was the AC2A’s rounded corners, which not only make the unit feel more solid and durable but protect the battery by allowing any stress to be more evenly distributed across the shell.
Since it’s my smallest (and most portable) power station, I’ve found I’m a bit less careful with it. It sees a few more knocks than my bigger ones, but after two months of heavy use it still looks like new.
Just a quick aside – the part of the unboxing that didn’t impress was the lack of a 12V charging cable in the box. When you’re travelling with a power station, it feels like a waste not to top up its charge from the vehicle’s 12V port whilst on the road. I was glad to see that the AC2A can be charged this way, but it’s disappointing to have to buy an accessory. I should mention that an AC charging cable and solar charging cable were included, however.
The AC2A’s face sports a decent-sized LED screen that displays charge, input, output, remaining battery time (or remaining time until fully charged) and a range of other indicators. Far from just looking pretty, I find it useful for managing charging and power consumption. The only annoying quirk with the screen is that it automatically switches off after what doesn’t seem like very long. A setting to lengthen that time-out would be handy.
Flanking this display on three sides are the output sockets – a regulated 12V DC car outlet (with its own protective cover), a 230V AC outlet, a 100W USB-C port, and a pair of 2.4A USB-A ports – as well as the main power button, separate AC and DC buttons, and the 12V-28V DV/PV input for charging from solar or your car’s 12V outlet (with the optional cable). Since I’ll mainly be charging the AC2A from mains power at home, the position of the AC input (also with protective cover) makes sense for me. It’s easy to get the lead in and out, and it won’t block the display when I need to see the remaining time to full charge.
Bluetti hasn’t skimped on safety features with the AC2A. It’s engineered to provide up to 300W of continuous power with a surge capability of 600W, which is ideal for a range of devices. And much like its EB3A cousin, the AC2A is smart about its limits. Push it too far, and it will halt power, preventing damage or any danger – likewise in the case of overvoltage / undervoltage, or if it gets too hot. Ventilation isn’t an afterthought either, with both sides kitted out with vents and fans that kick in discreetly when the internals need a cooldown.
The AC2A is equipped with a LiFEPO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery. Make sure you take this into account when comparing it to other similar power stations. You’ll likely find some at lower price points that use other battery technology. Make sure you’re comparing apples with apples.
LiFEPO4 batteries run cooler under heavy load (or in high temperatures), so they degrade less, meaning they’ll serve you for many more years. They also don’t explode like other batteries can. You’d obviously hope that your power station will be engineered to prevent that from happening anyway, but it’s nice to know exploding isn’t an option.
Functionality & Ease of Use (Rating: 96%)
Since we already have two other power stations, I wasn’t sure if we’d have much use for the AC2A once I’d finished testing it. Then, the day after I unboxed it, we took off on a road trip in our sedan (i.e. not in the van with its leisure battery and fancy sound system), and I quickly realised its value.
There are two reasons we didn’t just take our Bluetti EB3A (with its higher capacity) on our road trip – the AC2A is more compact and feels more rugged.
A trip like this is the perfect example of why the AC2A might be what you’re looking for. With no need to power a fridge or anything else too heavyweight, it kept the whole family’s devices (and our UE Boom speaker) charged for the entire journey. Most importantly, it kept the peace. The ‘kidlets’ – as I used to call them here – are teenagers now, so we’re still talking pretty serious power consumption. Aside from the 12V output, all outlets were in use at all times. We were swapping out devices on a cycle. These teenagers don’t stuff around.
The AC2A handled about 5 hours of this kind of use, and we arrived with around 15 percent to spare. I realise that’s not the most precise test result for you, but it does provide an idea of what the AC2A can handle in real-world use. I could plug it into my home fridge and tell you how long it’ll keep the fridge cold for – it will likely happily run a home fridge for a few hours without issue – but if that’s your intended use-case, then you’d be better with a power station equipped with much higher capacity.
Outlets
Since I mentioned we were swapping out devices on a cycle, I should point out that the AC2A’s single USB-C outlet is another of its few downsides. These days, more and more of our charging cables are USB-C to USB-C, so one or two more USB-C outlets would have been an excellent addition. Having said that, there’s always away around these things. We just kept a USB-C fast charger plugged in to the AC outlet, effectively adding an additional USB-C. Another alternative is to buy an adaptor and use one of the USB-A ports as an extra.
A more positive point I should mention regarding the outlets is that they’re wired in separate AC and DC circuits, which can be switched on and off independently. Though some other brands also do this with their power stations, I thought it was a design feature worth mentioning.
Charging the AC2A
Now that I’ve given you a bit of an idea of how the Bluetti AC2A performs in real-world use (i.e. discharging), let’s talk about charging it up.
As I mentioned, mine will be getting most of its juice from my AC wall sockets at home. I had to test Bluetti’s claim of 45 minutes to charge to 80% (using the AC2A’s 270W Turbo Charging mode), and I’m happy to say that they were spot on.
Why only to 80%? The AC2A is designed to automatically slow charging once the battery capacity reaches 80%. Of course, you’ll still be wondering how long it takes to completely charge – 70 minutes. Not bad, right?
On a camping trip last weekend, I managed to stay in one place long enough to test charging the AC2A from solar, using my Bluetti PV200 200W Solar Panel (side note: 200W is the maximum the AC2A can handle). Although it was Autumn in Victoria, I even scored a sunny day with few clouds. This time, I started from 30%, but the PV200 was able to charge the AC2A up to 100% in just over an hour. Obviously, results will vary depending on solar panel placement and sky conditions.
Since I’ve learned that not all portable power stations allow pass-through charging (seems silly), I’d better point out that the Bluetti AC2A does. It’s probably one of my most used ‘features’. I can’t imagine not being able to charge my phone while my solar panel is plugged in.
The Bluetti app
I covered the Bluetti app pretty thoroughly in my EB3A review, and its functionality doesn’t differ for the AC2A. To summarise, it allows you to check the AC2A’s battery level, power usage, and remaining runtime, turn the device on or off, and change a range of settings (e.g. Turbo Charging mode).
The issues I initially had when using the app with my EB3A were quickly rectified in an update soon after I published my review. So, this time around, the experience of connecting the app was smooth. Even if you ignore most of the app’s functionality and only use it to change the AC2A’s settings, you’ll be glad of how simple and intuitive it is to use. If the alternative was cramming a menu system onto the LED screen, they’ve made the right decision in developing an app instead.
What I Like
- Compact and lightweight design (3.6kg)
- LiFePO4 battery – safer and with a longer lifespan
- Detailed real-time LED display
- App control and remote monitoring
- Relatively quiet when running at full capacity
- Straightforward to use
- 5-year warranty
What I Don’t Like
- Only one USB-C port
- No 12V DC charging cable in the box
- The LED screen automatically goes black too quickly (and can’t be adjusted)
