Bluetti AC2A 300W – a pint-sized portable power station (off-grid review)

The Bluetti AC2A 300W (204.8Wh) is one of its smallest and lightest portable power stations. It is perfect for campers, hikers, or fishers – or BCF’ers as we call them in Oz.

But it is also perfect for tradies and onsite workers to recharge tools or to keep a small portable fridge going for a few hours.

I have access to a few portable power stations. When I need short-term portable power, I reach for the BLUETTI AC60 600W/403Wh portable power station, but at 9.12kg, it is a little heavy. The AC2A is 3.6kg and perfect for keeping the laptop, Wi-Fi router and even a 65” 70Wh TV going for up to three hours during blackouts. I will keep it in the home. As it uses LiFePO₄ (Lithium-Iron Phosphate), there is no risk of fire or thermal runaway.

Brief Specs – Bluetti AC2A 300W

• 300W inverter with uplift to 600W (all outlets share the 300W)
• 204.8Wh
• One 240V outlet
• 2 x USB-A and 1 x USB-C outlets
• DV 12V
• Mains power, DC or 200W solar charge (has MPPT controller)
• 3.6kg
• RRP $499

Clearly, this is for light loads.

Australian Review: Bluetti AC2A 300W/204.8Wh

Website	Range   Product page   User manual
Price	$499 (CyberShack readers price $369 to 31/12/23)*
From	BLUETTI Online, Harvey Norman, Bunnings and approved retailers. Beware – do not buy internationally sourced products as they will not have RNZ C-Tick certification or local warranty.
Warranty	Five years ACL
Made in	China
Company	Est. 2019, it is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. BLUETTI stands for BLUE Sky. Tomorrow. Technology. Innovation. It is owned by a Chinese company Shenzhen PowerOak (Est. 2013). It now supplies to over 70 countries.
More	CyberShack portable power station news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

* CyberShack is 100% independent and does not endorse products, sell anything, or earn clickthrough commissions. Any discounts offered are from the manufacturer and depend on its terms, e.g., time limits or stock availability.

First Impression – Pass+

Remember, this is the baby model, so it has an integrated carry handle and, unlike babies, does not make much noise (45dB). Other than that, it shares most of the Bluetti family DNA.

Batteries – Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) – Exceed

LiFePO4 are the safest batteries to use. You can read more in our guide, but suffice it to say that as the best, they are also the most expensive.

The AC2A is conservatively rated for 3000+ charge cycles, after which it still holds at least 80% of the charge (about 170Wh).

These batteries also retain charge longer – in tests, they still have 90% of the charge after six months. If you are not using the unit for some time, charge it to 80% and check and top up every few months.

Dollars per watt hour/Cost per charge (based on 3000 cycles) – Exceed

Dollars per Watt Hour: $1.80 ($369/204Wh) – meagre cost. It is one of the lowest costs per charge at 12 cents.

Ports (all share the 300W load limit) – Pass

• 230V/1.3A/300W output
• USB-C to 100W
• 2 x 5V/2.4A/12W
• DC 12V/10A/120W regulated car outlet.

Power Input – Pass

• 230V/1.18A/270W charging.
• DC 12V/8.2A/98.4W (or 24V/8.2A/201.6W) for solar panels or car charging.
• If you use it for pass-through, it can handle 270W + plus up to 300W load power.

It has a 240V DC power pack and a 12V car utility cable.

Charge Times – Pass+

You can select different charge scenarios

• Standard: 2 hours
• Turbo: 70 minutes
• Silent: 4 hours
• Solar 200W: 1.5 hours, Read Bluetti PV200 portable solar panel – charge on the go
• UPS and output power – Pass

It has a 20ms power cutover and pure sine wave output that is fine for electronic equipment.

The App – Pass

While BLUETTI would like you to set up an account to ‘own the client’, it also allows Offline Bluetooth mode without accepting terms and conditions. It is handy to change charge rates and to see what power is being drawn/remaining.

Battery power – Pass+

It has a 25.6V/8A/204.8W battery bank. The inverter has about 85% efficiency and load, so don’t expect to get a full 200+Wh.

You cannot add additional battery packs.

Lift Mode – Pass+

It can handle momentary peak wattage for resistive appliances rated under 600W. These include ice-makers, small portable fridges, electric blankets, phones, laptops, and more. It is not designed for devices using a variable-speed motor or compressor.

Lift Mode is not enabled by default, and if you plug in something that draws too much, the AC2A shuts down without harm.

IP rating – none and not expected

Unlike the AC60 with IP65, this is not rated. As such, you need to keep it dry.

Maintenance – Pass

Theoretically, you should be able to replace or repack the batteries – but that’s probably ten years away.

Warranty – Exceed

Five years well exceeds industry standards.

Tests – Pass+

• Charge time 240V: 67 minutes Turbo.
• USB-A V/A/W (maximum 12W) – passed with stable output.
• USB-C V/A/W (up to 100W) – passed and ranged down as the laptop filled.
• 240VAC – A 100W bulb lasted just under 2 hours – passed.
• Supported a 50L portable fridge/freezer.

CyberShack’s view – Bluetti AC2A 300W – make sure this has enough capacity for your needs

According to our guide, Portable Power Stations – power on the go; the biggest issue is specifying what capacity you need. This is a baby. 200Wh is 2 hours of a 200W light bulb. Its uplift is handy for devices that surge on start-up.

You buy this if you are a CPAP user or want a small temporary backup device for a laptop and Wi-Fi router – even a TV for a few hours.

Yes, it is light at 3.6kg, but BCF’ers may have far better use for the weight as a typical weekend pack weight is 10-12kg.

For my part, I will keep it in the home as a backup for emergency lights during the summer blackouts. I will use the UPS and pass-through to protect sensitive IT equipment. It is also great for testing 12V equipment.

Rating

• Features: 85 – All Bluetti features
• Value: 95 and even better at Summar sale prices
• Performance: 90 – it meets or exceeds the light use needs
• Ease of Use: 90 – Plug, charge, go. Its readout tells you everything you need to know, and its smart phone App has an offline capability – no need to set up an account.
• Design: 90 – utilitarian

Video: Note it is a US version.