Bluetti AC180 Review
Here we go, then, with a Bluetti AC180 Review.
It’s picking up a nice little head of steam on the market for mid-sized power station since its launch in May of 2023. So far, it’s proving a genuine competitor for the venerable EcoFlow Delta 2.
Is it any good, though? And how does it rate next to that EcoFlow model.
That’s what we’ll be checking out, in full detail.
Firstly, if you wish, you can check out the price and specifications, at Bluetti UK.
And now, read on.
Bluetti AC180
- Max Power: 1800W
- Energy Capacity: 1152Wh
- Dimensions: 34.0×24.7×31.7cm
- Weight: 16.0kg
- No. ports: 9 (2 AC ports)
How did we make our assessments of the various qualities for this review?
We analysed the Bluetti power station for sustained power delivery (at various levels), its battery type and Lithium cell grade, its compatibility with solar panels and how well it can be powered by solar, its variety and quantity of ports and connections available, its App (usability and functionality).
Rating the Bluetti AC180
Here are the Pros and Cons of the Bluetti AC180.
Bluetti AC180
The advantages of this battery generator:
You can charge it with a large wattage
This is a big strength of Bluetti portable power stations; they’re built to allow a very large charging power. In this case you can charge it with a huge 1440W. That’s a sign of high quality, high density Lithium cells – certainly something you want your new power station to have. And that translates to extremely fast charging times. This is something that Bluetti have improved very much in its new generation of power stations, of which the AC180 is part.
Copes with higher power appliances better than competitor power stations
The EcoFlow Delta 2 (see the Delta 2 reviewed) and Anker Solix 1000 both have maximum peak power output of 2400W, whereas the AC180 can deliver a peak power of 2700W. That’s a not insignificant increase. This means it can handle almost all typical appliances you may use on a camping trip, for example (but check the wattages of the things you need, of course). This is another thing we’ve noticed when we’ve tested Bluetti power stations – they can deliver the highest levels of power better than other brands can.
High quality LiFePO4 battery and BMS
And that’s an important combination. The Bluetti AC180 was released in mid-2023 and has the latest modern LiFePO4 battery. That’s why it can charge so much faster than many other power stations, why it can deliver high power very well. (By the way, you can check out our comparison of all portable power stations). And it’s matched by an excellent BMS, which keeps the battery working optimally at all times, as well as minimising potential damage from things like over or under charging or using /charging in too high or too low temperatures.
The App has some very useful features
Overall the Bluetti App is very solid and easy to use. We particularly like that you can select which type of charging you want, between Standard, Turbo and Silent. Turbo lets you charge as fast as possible in an emergency. If you want to preserve the battery lifespan as much as possible, you can select Standard, and if you’re not in a hurry and keen to keep things quiet, you can select the Silent charging mode. Very handy. You can also turn on/off the eco mode for both AC and DC. That means you don’t get that annoying siutation where you get up in the morning and find that your milk has gotten warm, because the fridge had no power because your generator powered off during the night.
The disadvantages and which buyer type should look elsewhere for their solar generator:
Quite heavy to move around
This tends to be the case with Bluetti generators; they’re quite often heavier than other generators with the same power. To give you an idea, 16kg is around the weight of a medium sized microwave (which, addmitedly, may or may not help you, it just depends if you happen to have ever lifted a microwave!). It’s also, we were interested to find out, the legal maximum weight for a woman to lift in the workplace, according to UK health and safety guidelines. For context, the other 1800W power stations, the EcoFlow Delta 2 and the Anker Solix C1000 are both around 12kg; and the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is 10.8kg, albeit being a smaller size at 1500W and 1070Wh.
Only 2 AC outlets
That’s half the number offered by the other 1800W power stations – the Delta 2 and the Solix C1000. Have a look at your previous experiences, and imagine future experiences to decide whether it’s likely you’d need 3 or 4 AC outlets at the same time. If so, check out one of these other models.
Where can you get it?
See it at Bluetti UK right here.
Bluetti AC180 Review Summary
Thanks for joining us here at Portable Power Geek, hope this Bluetti AC180 Review helped to shed some light.
It’s strengths are the typical Bluetti power stations typical ability to cope when power demands are high, compared to other generators of the same size (see our review of the Bluetti AC50B or the best 400-1000W generators for more on that). The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery is modern and high density, giving you the aforementioned power and extremely quick charging.
It only has a couple of AC outlets. That’s disappointing in a unit of this size and price level. And it’s certainly on the heavy side – but you may see that as the price to pay for its ability to cope with high power devices.
Speaking of price, the AC180 is typically very close in price to the EcoFlow Delta 2, making it a straight up comparison between them if you’ve decided an 1800W power station is the size you need.
Check it out at Bluetti UK (see price), who normally offer a better overall package than you can get elsewhere.
All the best!