For those who may not know, I’m a big fan of BLUETTI and have already reviewed some of their awesome products (check out my EB3A Review + AC60 & B80 Combo Review here).
This brand offers a fantastic range of products, all created using cutting-edge technology. Whether you’re looking for a backup source of power for your home or a portable power solution, I honestly believe that BLUETTI has you covered.
In this guide, I’m going to be personally reviewing the BLUETTI AC200L Expandable Power Station.
Having tried and tested the unit now over the last 6 weeks; but more importantly, comparing it with experience against similarly priced power stations available.
I’ll cover the features that make this product stand out, along with how it works, and who it’s most suitable for!
I’ll also include my personal opinions so you know exactly what this portable power station has to offer.
Wondering what makes the BLUETTI AC200L so special?
Let’s dive straight in!
Those who’ve already done some research on portable power stations will undoubtedly have come across this brand by now. They’ve been around since 2019 and have a solid brand presence in over a dozen countries!
BLUETTI focuses on energy independence and is committed to providing clean and safe energy for those who need it. Instead of traditional gas generators, BLUETTI primarily focuses on portable power solutions that can be used on the go.
Usable in both outdoor and indoor environments, this company has earned a fantastic reputation over the past few years with its units. This is thanks to their unique design and excellent performance.
Boasting a variety of portable power stations, solar panels, solar generator kits, and battery expansion packs among other products, they have a lot to offer.
Better yet, this company is always releasing new product ranges, taking over from brands like Jackery as a dominant player in new and exciting ideas.
With various products already on the market and new products being released every year, checking out BLUETTI’s website can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Especially for those who are new to portable power stations!
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ll give a quick overview of the different products BLUETTI offers…
BLUETTI is a leading brand when it comes to portable power stations and offers two main ranges; the AC range and the EB range.
In the AC range, we have:
In the EB range, we have:
NOTE: Just be aware that the exact range may differ depending on your country of origin. This list is accurate for the UK market at the time of writing.
For those who don’t know, an expansion battery is designed to attach onto a different power station. On their own, they have limited output capabilities, but when used with another station, they provide greater power capacity.
BLUETTI currently has one range of expansion batteries; the B range. Current models include:
NOTE: Just to clarify, these expansion batteries don’t increase your power output ability (W). The battery only increases the overall usable power supply (Wh).
BLUETTI also offers home battery backups. They offer solar-powered generators for use at home, which means you’ll have backup protection in case of any power outages. This will also help you to reduce your dependence on the electricity grid.
The EP500Pro Power Station is a great example of this. Boasting a 3,000W power output and a capacity of 5,100Wh, this power station can power your whole house for a day or two, as well as other events, such as parties and camping trips.
With 14 outlet sources, you can’t go wrong!
BLUETTI offers portable solar panels for those on the go too. These panels fold up offering you more space - perfect for van lifers/campers. You’ll also have all the power you need for your next trip.
So what is the purpose of a solar panel?
Essentially, your portable power station is the base unit, so it gives you power and features outputs so you can charge and run devices. Once you have a solar panel, you’ll then have a solar generator - and that’s all there is to it!
Current models include:
The difference between each panel is simply the amount of watts. In direct sunlight conditions, the PV120 can pump out 120W of solar power into your station.
The amount of solar panels you can attach to a station depends on the device you have and naturally, larger panels take longer to recharge.
Again, the panels available may vary depending on your location so just keep that in mind.
To make things easier, BLUETTI also offers various solar generator kits. These kits are ideal for life on the road or at home. Not to mention, they are environmentally friendly.
With these solar generator kits, you’ll typically have a portable power station and solar panel included.
An example of this is the BLUETTI AC200MAX + PV350 Solar Generator Kit. The portable power station offers 2,200W of power on its own, but you’ll then have additional power from the solar panel.
In this case, you can choose from three different PV350 Solar Panels; 350W, 700W, or 1050W. Naturally, the 1050W will offer more capacity!
Let’s take a look at the BLUETTI AC200L more closely by detailing some of its key features…
When considering the AC200L’s power capacity, it’s important to know the difference between Watts (W) and Watt Hours (Wh):
When we consider this, the BLUETTI AC200L has 2,400W of power and 2,048Wh of capacity. This is far superior to the likes of the AC60, which offers 600W of power and 403Wh of capacity.
Therefore, the BLUETTI AC200L is perfect for those who need to charge larger appliances. This could be a TV, coffee maker, or a refrigerator (whether that be at home or on the go).
The most similar units, in terms of overall capacity, that I have tested so far are the Anker 767 (2300W / 2048Wh) and the ZeroBreeze Elechive (2200W / 2500Wh).
So in terms of inbuilt capacity, the unit is right inline with other similarly sized units from brands like Anker.
However, not only does the BLUETTI AC200L boast an impressive power capacity by itself, but you can also extend its overall battery capacity.
This is where it really comes into its own and makes it potentially far more impressive than any other station available on the market right now.
On its own, the AC200L has a capacity of 2,048Wh. However, once you add an expansion battery or two, this power can be quadrupled to 8,192Wh. Below are the different expansion capabilities:
Now this doesn’t increase the overall wattage, so you won’t be able to use more powerful devices. However, it does mean that you can use the same devices for much longer, so it’s such a fantastic feature.
Before you purchase an expansion battery to go with your unit, it’s important to consider the kind of capacity you’ll need. If there are just two of you in a small camper, you’re not going to need tons of power.
But, once you start adding a few more people into the mix, you’ll quickly realize that these expansion capabilities will come in handy!
For example: say you are going camping for a week with just a couple people and don’t have particularly high demands; then the AC200L on its own might be perfectly sufficient. But then a couple months later you need to head off on a trip with more people, for longer, with far greater energy demands. You can simply add or subtract how many expansion packs you take with you on each trip. Without the need to invest in a whole range of different power stations.
A highlight of the BLUETTI AC200L has to be its charging system. First of all, this power station offers six different ways to recharge; AC, car, generator, solar, lead battery, and AC + solar). This gives you plenty of options when recharging on the go.
This portable power station also outshines many of its market competitors when it comes to fast charging. Offering up to 2,400W AC lighting-fast charging capability, the station can replenish up to 80% of its capacity in only 45 minutes.
This makes it one of the fastest-charging 2kWh power stations on the market!
This is a feature that made the Anker my favourite power station of 2023. But the BLUETTI AC200L now charges just as fast, but also is more rugged and has those inbuilt expansion capabilities.
The ElecHive, though an absolute beast with more power capacity for its size than either the AC200L or the 767 Powerhouse, doesn’t charge particularly fast to get the faster charging capabilities you have to invest a couple hundred dollars into a new charging unit for it, which seemed excessive. Instead, it's great that the AC200L can do this with the standard cable that comes delivered to you.
AC (2,400W) offers the fastest charging time at around 1.5 hours. With solar power (1,200W), you’re looking at 2 hours of charging time if conditions are ideal (prime sunshine, low temperatures, and ideal orientation).
In terms of shelf-life, you’ll likely need to recharge the BLUETTI AC200L to 80% every 3-6 months.
Top tip: If you want to preserve the life of the battery as best as possible, it’s wise to keep it topped up at around that 80% when only in moderate use. And to use the standard charging speed mode when time isn’t essential.
Compared to previous generations of BLUETTI’s portable power stations, the AC200L’s fast solar input is a real game-changer.
This power station allows up to 1,200W solar input, so BLUETTI has really outdone itself when it comes to solar charging performance. This means you’ll have no issues harnessing energy efficiently, so your devices can stay charged.
So which solar panels should you use with the BLUETTI AC200L? On the website, there’s actually a section about this in the FAQ. The below solar panels come highly recommended:
As you may have guessed, having more than one solar panel attached to your unit is a great option, as you’ll have more capacity.
Of course, these panels take up space both in terms of transport and also around the unit. So factor this in before deciding what to buy.
Another huge bonus of using the BLUETTI AC200L is the BLUETTI app. Through this, you can smart control and monitor the portable power station using Bluetooth and WiFi.
No matter where you are, as long as you have connectivity, you can access your unit’s real-time information.
When I first tested the BLUETTI app when reviewing the EB3A, I found the app, overall, to be a little gimmicky. I didn’t see it as a genuinely useful extension of the unit.
This is not the case for the AC200L. You can now do a lot more.
Namely, adjusting the charging speeds and power lifting mode.
When first trialing this unit and testing its features, I found the control panel for changing these settings a little too fidgety and complicated.
To do things like change the charge setting, eco mode or power lifting setting, you need to hold buttons down and then scroll through a very rudimentary set of options.
I also found it a little unclear when you were for certain on the correct settings. Either way, the app makes this 10 times simpler and easier to do.
As well as this you can access the state of charge of the attached units as well.
Here are some other things worth knowing:
For testing this unit so far, much of the time spent using it has been onboard our boat while doing renovations.
Using it for power tools up on the towpath when cutting wood, boiling my dad endless cups of tea. You know all the important stuff that goes into building!
And also for general charging on or around the boat.
My plan is to take it camping and test there, making more thorough use of the solar charging capabilities. And I will update this post with more thoughts as and when it arises.
But for now, based on my experience of trialing the functions and just general use, I genuinely do love it.
I was slightly put off when first trialing the turbo mode settings and the need to go awkwardly through the unit's control panel. But was pleasantly surprised to see the app was a much more functional place to do all of these tasks.
In general, I love the feel of the unit. Nothing technical about it, but just from a purely aesthetic point of view, I really do love the feel quality of the materials.
Specifically, the on/off button. It feels very robust and solid. The click and the cool green light is just really nice though. It’s these small details that do make a difference.
One thing I really am not a fan of (and have found this on other units as well) are the big rubber covers over the 240v sockets. They are clunky and get in the way.
As I’ve said when mentioning these on other power station reviews, I think they are a symptom of the UKs use of 240v and, by nature, the adaptors we use are big and bulky. As opposed to the USA’s 120v system where the 2 prong plugs seem to slot in more easily with a smaller surface area.
For long term use, with the unit in one place, I would consider removing these rubber caps altogether.
The only other thought that sprang to mind, is why they decided not to have a wireless charging pad on the top. It’s not a huge deal, but a nifty little feature that many units, such as the R600 by ALLPOWERS, and other BLUETTI models do have.
One final point to make is the price of the unit. It really is incredible value when you compare it to the price of other similar units. For example, just looking at the aforementioned 767 from Anker; the BLUETTI AC200L is (at the time of writing) a good few hundred dollars cheaper AND it’s a brand new model with latest tech inside.
The nature of the unit is that it’s best suited for people with high energy needs when away. If you want to do things like power a kettle, a fridge, multiple devices, then you need a unit that offers a high wattage output.
The smaller units simply cannot offer this. And the AC200L really is perfect for this, with plenty of outlets and some really useful features such as the turbo charging modes and potential for so much solar input.
Coupled with the fact that you can expand the battery capacity so much (almost 4 times!) then you have a really awesome setup that you can continue to add to and grow over time.
That being said, if you don’t require such a high level of watts at any given time, then you may still want to buy within the BLUETTI AC range, but perhaps consider a smaller unit. I absolutely LOVED the AC60+B80 combo when I tested them back in 2023.
They offer the same super high quality materials and build quality. They don’t pack as much punch in terms of power, but it’s fine for moderate camping use and the ability to expand it with multiple expansion packs at any one time.
The other thing to consider is portability.
This unit is heavy and, unlike say the ANKER 767, this doesn’t come with wheels and a fold out handle. Instead, it will take two people to move this unit from place to place, or instead have a trolley of some description to wheel it in.
Naturally, this makes the unit very well designed for things like home backup in time of power outage. As it’s rare that you will ever need to actually move it. It would also work fantastically in a campervan conversion setup. You could build it into a certain space in the van, semi-hardwire in your panes and that’s you set to go!
BLUETTI works to release new ranges every year, so you’ll find that there’s always something new on the market. This company is at the forefront of emerging technology, which is obvious when looking at the BLUETTI AC200L’s features.
Whether you need a backup power system for your home, or you require something on the go while you’re road-tripping or camping, the BLUETTI AC200L is a fantastic option!
With its excellent power capacity, expansion capabilities, charging system, and fast solar input, this company really has thought of everything. Not to mention, you can easily control the unit through a smart app and it’s been designed to have lower noise levels.
If you still weren’t convinced, the BLUETTI AC200L typically has a 10-year lifetime. This accounts for around 3,000 charge cycles.
Just be aware that the BLUETTI AC200L isn’t waterproof so don’t store it in a humid environment for a long period of time.
However, the materials used are extremely high quality and this thing is built for more substantial use than other units I have tested.
Because of its fantastic features and power capacity, it’s also one of the company’s most expensive portable power stations. Some may not be in a position to spend this kind of money. Furthermore, some may not need to!
Those who don’t require 2,400W of power and 2,048Wh of capacity may be best opting for a more affordable option, such as the AC60 or EB70. Those on a lower budget can check out the AC2A, but it’s not very powerful.
That being said, if you do need a higher capacity unit then, as mentioned above, the price of the BLUETTI AC200L is actually extremely competitive compared to other big name competitors.
The best places to purchase the BLUETTI AC200L (along with other BLUETTI products) are either directly on their website or through Amazon!
You can find their store for US customers here:
For UK customers:
That’s it for this guide!
I hope this review has given you a good idea of what the BLUETTI AC200L Expandable Power Station has to offer.
Whether you’re after a camping/van life solution or a backup for a power outage, this company is always a top choice!
Over to you…
Are you thinking of picking up a BLUETTI AC200L for yourself?
Do you have any further questions that you don’t think I covered?
Feel free to drop them in the comments!
Other guides you might find useful:
Leave a comment
Let us know what you think!