With the news surrounding power outages and soaring prices, the world of solar generators and portable power stations has been booming in recent months, with many new models constantly appearing. Bluetti is undoubtedly one of the leading manufacturers, with sophisticated and powerful models, as we saw in our review of the Bluetti AC200Max. This time, I invite you to discover a smaller, more manageable, yet very interesting model: the Bluetti AC180.
Unboxing the Bluetti AC180
The Bluetti AC180 comes in a very simple cardboard box made of recyclable material. This is increasingly popular in this field, and it's good for the planet!
Upon opening the box, you'll find the power station itself, along with charging cables for mains, car, and solar power, as well as a user manual. As indicated on its front panel, the Bluetti AC180 is equipped with a 1152Wh LFP battery, which supports over 3,500 charge cycles and weighs just over 16 kg, making it relatively portable, especially given its rather compact dimensions (340 x 248 x 317 mm).
The design is robust, constructed primarily of hard plastic, giving a quality feel. However, it should be noted that the station is not rated for weather resistance, and indeed has no protection on its sockets, unlike the Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus
recently tested, for example, which is truly designed for the outdoors. All the connections of this Bluetti AC180 are located on the front. There are two 230V sockets capable of providing up to 1,800W of power: A 100W USB-C port, capable of charging even a recent laptop, and four standard 5V/3A USB-A ports for powering all kinds of USB devices. Unfortunately, they don't support fast charging. Too bad, we would have liked at least a second USB-C port for that.
Let's not forget the 12V cigarette lighter socket, which also allows you to power many types of devices. And just above is the DC jack for charging via solar panels or the cigarette lighter. The two adapters with a DC 7909 socket are included with the battery.
There are no DC5521 sockets here like on some other models, but at the same time, this type of socket is still rarely used by the general public.
The 8cm LCD screen is clear and displays the total charging and output power in watts, as well as the remaining battery capacity. Below, three buttons allow you to turn on the power station, as well as activate the DC or AC outlets. This is now a standard feature for this type of product, allowing you to activate only the necessary outlets to limit energy loss.
On the top, a special feature dear to Bluetti's heart: a 15W induction charging zone. Simply place your compatible smartphone on it, and it instantly starts charging. Always practical! It's the only manufacturer tested here to offer this type of function.
Note the two handles on each side, which make it easy to carry the battery, with a grippy texture that ensures a good grip.
On the right side, you'll find the connector for charging the battery.
A big point on this point, by the way: while the AC200Max has an external charger with a proprietary plug, which is rather bulky (and a bit noisy), this Bluetti AC180 directly integrates all the electronics for charging. No need for a separate charger; just use the charging cable, which is standard. It makes life much easier when using it!
It's worth noting the presence of a 15A resettable fuse, which can be reset if the battery ever goes into safety mode.
The back is completely blank. And this is something I appreciate about Bluetti, because this detail allows you to place the battery along a wall, for example, unlike some manufacturers who equip their power stations with plugs on all sides, forcing you to leave the station in the middle of the room.
Finally, note the presence of two fans, on each side of the battery, to ensure its cooling. Rest assured, they rarely run and are very quiet!
Accessories include a cigarette lighter adapter for recharging the battery on the go:
As well as a solar panel adapter, equipped with two standard MC4 connectors. You can therefore connect most panels, simply by respecting the indicated power.
Using the Bluetti AC180
Using this power station is very simple: turn it on, activate the outlets you need by pressing their respective buttons, and plug in the devices you want to power. The screen then instantly displays the power supplied and the remaining battery life.
Its power output of up to 1800W on its 230V outlets allows it to power a wide range of devices, whether for domestic use (coffee maker, raclette grill, microwave oven, etc.), DIY (circular saw, hedge trimmer, etc.), or any other activity requiring electricity (lighting for outdoor video recording, drone charging, etc.). It even supports consumption peaks of up to 2700W.
Used here with the Hava dishwasher
One of the Bluetti AC180's strong points is also its charging speed, which can reach up to 1440W thanks to a turbo mode that can be activated via the mobile app!
It can thus charge from a mains outlet in approximately 1 hour (80% in 45 minutes), which is very practical when, for example, you have to leave unexpectedly and need a charged battery. As is often the case, the charging speed slows down once the battery reaches 90% charge, to preserve its lifespan. Of course, the fans are a bit audible in this mode, but it's still reasonable (47dB at 1m).
Conversely, if you need to charge it in silence, such as in a bedroom, a “Silent” mode is available. Charging takes longer, of course, but the battery is perfectly silent. Slower charging also helps preserve battery life.
In the app's advanced settings, you can change the AC frequency and enable grid boost. It's recommended to enable this mode if you're charging the Bluetti AC180 from an unstable AC source, such as a generator.
This power station offers a pure sine wave output, which can power even the most sensitive electronics. In addition, the UPS function helps prevent power outages. I used it as a UPS for my office, without any issues during outages, thanks to a transfer time of less than 20ms (my inverter recently died :/). We therefore have a passthrough function: devices connected to the battery are powered directly by the grid as long as there is power. And in the event of an outage, the battery takes over. This is clearly visible in the app, by the way: here, 102W enters and exits directly to power my office area. This inverter function can also be useful for medical devices, such as a ventilator, for example.
Note that the “power boost” option allows you to power the most power-hungry devices, such as a hair dryer or a heater, up to 2700W of power. Use it occasionally, however, as the battery lowers its voltage to deliver this power. In normal mode, I was able to run a 2000W hair dryer for two minutes before the battery shut down. This is already very good, since it's supposed to supply a maximum of 1800W. However, by activating the “power boost” mode, I was able to run it much longer. In fact, it's possible to run it until the battery runs out, although it dies very quickly with such use. But it's good to know that it's entirely possible if needed!
To conserve battery life, it also features a power-saving mode, which can be adjusted. By default, if less than 15W of power is drawn from 230V outlets, for example, the battery will shut down. However, this threshold can be adjusted in the settings. The same goes for DC outlets.
One last detail: the connection to the mobile app is via Bluetooth. There's no Wi-Fi here, but given that it's primarily intended for mobile use, this isn't really a drawback.
Conclusion
The Bluetti AC180 is an impressive power station, offering a combination of power, versatility, and portability. While it has a few minor drawbacks, notably its lack of weather resistance or fast-charge-compatible USB ports, its performance and fast-charging capabilities make it an excellent choice for those who need a reliable and powerful power source on the go. Whether for power outages at home, camping, traveling, or festivals, the Bluetti AC180 proves to be a reliable energy companion.
In short, this Bluetti AC180 is a very good compromise between power, battery life, size, and price. In terms of battery life and power, it's roughly on par with an EcoFlow Delta 2 or a Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus, but at a more affordable price, as it's currently available for €899 (instead of €1,099) on the official website or on Amazon (check the discount to apply it on Amazon).
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