Bluetti AC2A Power Station
205 Wh LiFePO₄, 300W AC, 100W USB‑C, 2×12W USB‑A, 12V/10A DC & Ultrafast AC & DC Charging
Bluetti AC2A Power Station (205 Wh LiFePO₄ battery, 300W Max AC output, 100W USB-C & 2×12W USB-A outputs, 7.9 lbs./3.6kg, $169). bigger. I got mine directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
Bluetti AC2A Power Station. bigger.
Bluetti AC2A Power Station. bigger.
November 2023 Better Pictures Jackery Power Reviews Camera Reviews All Reviews
Bluetti AC70 1 kW Power Station Review.
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Introduction top
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This Bluetti AC2A is a medium-sized power station that has all sorts of AC and DC outputs to charge every sort of mobile device as well as run moderate AC loads like lights, computers and other plug-in chargers. For running heavy AC loads like hair driers, studio strobes, power tools, space heaters and microwave ovens you want a larger power station like the AC180 or AC70.
I find power stations like these very handy not only for weathering blackouts with lots of power; they're also handier to grab than an extension cord whenever and wherever I need power, like in the yard for a party, working under a car in the garage, working behind any sort of equipment or any odd or remote place I need temporary power.
It works great, it's well designed and is well behaved.
It charges fast from AC with its built-in AC charger. Just plug the included standard power cord into the wall and it charges in an hour, and that's just in its regular (not Turbo) charge mode. Bravo!
Mine charges from 34% to 100% in an hour from my PV200 solar panel.
The AC2A is bigger and heavier than just bringing along a few 20,000 mAh power bricks like the Nitecore 20,000 which together store the same amount of power in less space. This AC2A holds the equivalent of a "53,200 mAh" power bank, but adds adds internal super-fast AC charging circuitry, a big LCD metering system and most importantly, AC inverters and outputs lacking in the simpler power banks — which still require external chargers.
In other words, this is a great little do-it-all system including AC outputs, but if you just want to recharge iPhones in the field, the smaller 20,000 mAh power bricks are handier.
If you need more than 300W AC for resistive loads like incandescent lights for short periods of time, there's a "Power Lift" mode in the free app that lets the AC2A supply up to 600W of AC power for short periods. By short periods I mean maybe 10-15 minutes until the entire power station is dead.
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
New intro top
New technology LiFePO₄ battery is rated for over 3,000 charge cycles to 80% capacity and is much less likely to catch fire compared to common Li-Ion batteries.
New smaller size and weight for people who don't need as much capacity as the much larger AC180 and new AC70.
Good intro top
LiFePO₄ battery with about 3,000 charge cycles to 80% and which is much less likely to blow up or catch fire compared to common Li-Ion batteries.
600W "Power Lift" mode.
Outputs work fine while charging, in fact, when plugged into AC it direct-connects the AC line input to the AC output and works as a simple uninterruptible power supply (UPS)!
Accurate and useful meters (but AC output meter only reads VA, not actual Watts).
Selectable charge rates.
Charges from two sources at once, and regulates them both proportionately depending on the selected charge rate.
Charges well from solar panels.
Super fast real-world charging from AC, DC and/or solar power. Even in the regular (not Turbo) charge mode mine charges in about an hour from AC or solar power. Bravo!
Very accurate and well-regulated 120V output, not the weaker 110V output of many other sources like Jackery.
App works great; you don't even have to log in, create an account or pair bluetooth; it just goes!
5 year warranty if bought directly from or registered with Bluetti, 2 years if bought elsewhere and not registered.
Bad intro top
The backlit LCD is dim and hard to read outdoors (it looks great inside as shown above).
The backlit LCD turns off after 60 seconds, after which you either have to tap the Power button to wake it up again, or use the app to read status.
Missing intro top
The output meters ignore the AC2A's own internal AC power converter losses of about 7.5W. In other words, the AC2A's battery is discharging at about 7.5W more than shown for the AC output.
"Watts" AC output meter simply reads VA, not actual Watts.
No UL safety certification, although I see FCC and TUV and other certifications.
No built-in light.
Only one USB-C output. So? Buy a multi-outlet USB-C PD charger or the Xcellon and plug it in an AC outlet if you need more USB-C outlets.
Specifications top
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Battery
LiFePO₄
3,000 charge cycles to 80% capacity.
204.8 Wh: 25.6 V at 8 Ah.
Bluetti AC2A Power Station. bigger.
AC Input
Standard IEC / HP socket.
270 W maximum.
DC Input
200 W (12 ~28 V, 8.2 A) max.
Charge Rates
Standard mode limits charge power to what I measure as 133 W total from AC and/or DC inputs.
Silent mode, set in the free app, limits charge power to 80 W total from AC and/or DC inputs. This gives the battery an easier time and lets the fan run more quietly.
Turbo mode, set in the free app, lets charge power run as high as 270W total from AC and/or DC inputs. This is fastest, but is tougher on the battery so don't use it all the time if you don't need it.
AC Output
120 V sine wave.
60 or 50 Hz.
300 W, 600 W surge.
600 W Max in Power Lift mode for resistive loads (think soldering irons and incandescent lights).
DC Outputs
12 V 10 A (120 W).
USB-C 100 W (20V @ 5A).
(2) USB-A 12 W (5V at 2.4A).
Total Output
Sum of AC and DC outputs: 300 W total.
Size
9.8 × 5.9 × 7.1 inches.250 × 150 × 180 millimeters.
Weight
7.9 lbs. (3.6 kg).
Included
Power station as shown above.
Standard AC power cord, ground screw (in white envelope) and Solar Panel charging cord:
Included. bigger.
Small manual and warranty booklets.
Warranty
5 years if bought directly from or registered with Bluetti, 2 years if bought elsewhere and not registered.
Environment
10 - 90% RH for all conditions.
Charging
0º ~ +40º C (32º ~ +104 F).
Discharging
-20º ~ +40º C (-4º ~ +104º F).
Storage
-20º ~ +40º C (-4º ~ +104º F).
Performance top
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Power
It's designed for light AC loads, but I tried and it even can run a plug-in electric drill at lower speeds.
It's a sturdy AC output. If I plugged in a hair drier it will try to drive it for a fraction of a second at 1,470 W before it shuts down the AC outputs, which easily restart again.
Noise
Fan noise is minor; this is not a big power station.
The fan comes on at over about 15W of power.
It's not annoying even if parked next to your bed stand at night charging your phones and computers.
Output Regulation
I'm very impressed: its output varies almost not at all with power drain. In fact, this AC2A is a stiffer AC supply than my own home!
Meters
The backlit LCD is brilliant indoors, but dim outdoors.
The meters and timers are all accurate, except one very big oversight in that the "Watts" AC output indictor is simply showing VA (Volt Amperes) rather than actual Watts.
In English, while VA is the same as Watts for an electrically simple (resistive) load like a heater or incandescent light bulb, with other more electrically complex loads like fluorescent lights, electronics, computers, microwave ovens, variable-speed motors and lights on dimmers, the actual wattage delivered will be less than the indicated (VA) value.
If you want a real wattmeter, I use a P3 Kill-A-Watt brand meter plugged into the AC2A's AC output.
The output meters display output, not battery drain. They ignore the AC2A's own internal AC power converter losses of about 7.5W. In other words, the AC2A's battery is discharging at about 7.5W more than shown for AC output.
Usage top
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Charging
Use the Standard mode, which is the default. The TURBO mode charges so hard that it's not good for the battery to use it all the time.
The Silent mode takes longer, but the fan doesn't have to run as fast. Even in Silent mode it only takes about 3 hours for a full charge.
Set these from the app, or you can use multifinger commands on the AC2A control panel.
Discharging
Ideally cycle it every three months to keep the battery healthy.
If you put this away for more than three months at a time, ideally do this with about 40% to 60% charge.
If you run it down to 5% or less, please recharge it as soon as you can, waiting not more than 48 hours.
Charging Mobile Devices Overnight
The AC2A holds enough power that you can let its USB outputs run all night with your phones and iPads and MacBooks all plugged in — however it discharges its own battery even when your devices are mostly charged.
If I let it run overnight connected to my small USB electronics it will run down from 100% to about 50% overnight, which is fine if I'm going to charge it in the daytime.
However, if you want to use as little power as possible to charge your devices, turn off the AC2A when they are done charging themselves after a few hours. Otherwise the AC2A's internal power converters draw enough power of their own to run the AC2A's battery down somewhat if left on all night.
App
The app is surprisingly good. Ignore the bad reviews from a year ago; as of November 2023 it works way better than every other remote app I've used.
Just download and open the app, click OFFLINE, agree to the Ts & Cs and you don't have to register or even pair Bluetooth; it just goes!
One thing the app's missing is the time remaining indicator, but everything else works great.
HINT: just download the app and use it in the OFFLINE mode. Do this and there's no need to pair bluetooth or login. You'll immediately see a list of your power stations, select one, and Bingo!, you're in!
I've never used an easier app!
UPS
Just plug it into AC power for charging, turn on the AC(and/or DC) outputs and use them. The AC2A keeps its battery charged and supplies its AC outputs directly from the AC line.
The AC input is direct-connected to the AC output when there's AC power connected. If the AC power stops, it takes a blink of an eye (20 ms or 1/50 of a second) to swap back to battery power.
This is fine for lights and motors and heaters, but it probably means that computers and electronics will reset as if they were turned off and turned on again when this happens, so this AC2A isn't a great idea as a UPS for advanced electronics. For that, I prefer products by made APC as they don't have a dropout as they switch.
Printed Manual
See also Bluetti's User Manual.
Recommendations top
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This is a solid power station that works great, limited of course by its 300 W output and 205 wH battery.
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
More Information top
I got my AC2A directly from Bluetti. I'd also get mine at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Bluetti's AC2A User Manual
Bluetti's page on the AC2A.
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