Bluetti AC200L hands on review: I tested the most formidable portable power station yet and absolutely love it

The latest and best Bluetti portable power bank is an absolute beast. I tested it out on my project boat and I blooming love it and the extra workout it gives me! Bend the knees not the back...

Bluetti AC200L Portable Power Station

Specifications:
Dimensions: L16.5 x W11 x D14.4in ( L42 x W28 x D36.65cm)
Weight: 62.4lbs (28.3kg)
Capacity: 2,048Wh (51.2V, 40Ah)
Type: LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
Life Cycles: 3,000+ Cycles to 80% Original Capacity
AC Outlets: 4 x 230V/10.5A Outlets 2,400W In Total
USB-C Port: 2 x 100W Max.
USB-A Port: 2 x 18W USB-A
DC Outlets: 1 x 48VDC / 8A (RV Outlet) 1 x 12V/10A (Car Outlet)
AC Input: 2,400W Max.
Solar Input: 1,200W Max., 12V-145VDC, 15A
Car Input: 12/24V from Cigarette Lighter Port
Expandable w/ Up to 2 x B210, 1 x B230 or 2 x B300

The Bluetti AC200L has two very sturdy handles built in to the box molding and for a very good reason. This thing is an absolute unit. It’s the Tyson Fury of the Power Station world.

As soon as I’d got it tip top charged via the mains plug, I plugged in every electrical device I own. One by one of course and had a look at how it faired.
Usefully, it gives a readout of the power draw of each appliance and some of mine used far less than I thought they would.
I was impressed to see that there wasn’t a single appliance this absolute powerhouse couldn’t fire up and run.

Hairdryer on full power? Yes no problem. Normal domestic kettle? Yes no problem. Microwave, again no problem.
The hair dryer on full power used about 1% of the power reserve per minute of it being on.

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The fact the handles are built in in this way, allows the top of it to be used as a mini table top for small devices being charged. My Garmin Sailing Watch has a relatively short charging cable so it was nice to be able to rest that on the top while it charged.

It’s really nice to see the high powered USB C outlets too, which means there’s no need for a full adapter for my work issue Apple laptop, it can plug straight in, which is really practical because this means I can power up easily with just a simple single cable.

The Bluetti AC200L has connectivity in bucket loads, and if you find one of these isn’t enough to power you through your day, then you can double up with another power pack. Though frankly I have no idea what sort of things you’d be running to need that, but the capability is there.
I had a compatible solar panel in my cupboard and when plugged in I had a useful read out of the power going back in to the battery via the front display screen. When the sun was shining brightly for a brief few minutes this morning, it showed a decent input power and would have had the unit back up to 100% within a couple of hours from a modest depletion.
The problem I encountered when the sun shone was that I found it hard to see which buttons were lit up and which bit of the unit was active. Though most of the time the unit will be indoors or in a shaded area so it shouldn’t be a problem most of the time.

This is the most powerful portable station I have tested so far and I absolutely love it. It’s transformational for my time working onboard my boat, away from shore power.

The only downside to all of this power is that it does weigh a fair bit (roughly 62lbs or 28kgs). To get it to and from your boat or RV, then you’ll want to use a small trolley or luggage cart. Remember to bend your knees not your back when lifting this up and over those guard wires on your boat. Feel free to grunt a bit and quite possibly do a tiny trump with the effort involved. Totally worth it though.

Otherwise, top marks to Bluetti for making such a versatile and powerful piece of kit.

 

For other portable power stations from other manufacturer and smaller lighter options, you can read more about those in my buyers guide: Best portable power stations