Review – Bluetti AC180 Power Station

Alongside our tests of the AC60 and B80 units, the AC180 stood out with its impressive 1152-watt storage capacity.

Here’s what we think:

First Impressions

Robust Packaging and Easy Handling

Right from the start, the AC180 exudes durability. The packaging is excellent, ensuring safe transportation with layers of protection. Weighing 16kg, it’s substantial, but the well-designed twin handles, one on each side, make it comfortably portable. Its rugged appearance signals that this tool is meant to be used, not pampered, and it can deliver 1000w of its 1152w capacity, meaning it’s ready for action.

Basic stats

Versatile and Feature-Packed

• 1,800W AC Output / 2,700W Power Lifting Mode;
• 1,152Wh Larger Capacity;
• 9 Output Ports for Multiple Devices;
• Flexible 4 Recharging Ways (AC/Solar/Car/Generator);
• Smart Control & Monitor with BLUETTI App;
• 0-80% Recharging in 45Mins with 1,440W AC Input;

Output – What you can connect

Connectivity for All Your Devices

• 2 x 230V/7.8A Outlets,
• 1,800W In Total
• Pure Sine Wave Inverter
• Surge Power: 2,700W
• 1 x USB-C 100W Max.
• 2 x USB-A 5V/3A
• 1 × 12V/10A (Car outlet, regulated.)
• 1 x 15W Max Wireless Charging Pad:

The USBs and AC sockets are highly practical, keeping your phones, camera gear, and power tool batteries charged. While we wished for USB fast charging and an extra USB-C 100W port, the wireless charging pad adds a touch of convenience.

1000 Watt-hours 

Balanced Power Supply for Outdoor Adventures
With 1000 watt-hours of usable power, the AC180 strikes a perfect balance between weight and functionality, ensuring you have sufficient power for various tasks while exploring the wilderness.

Long life and possibly safer

Dependable and Safe
The AC180 incorporates LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries, guaranteeing an extended lifespan of up to 3,500 charge cycles with 80% capacity retention. Backed by a 5-year warranty, this unit outperforms many lithium ternary-powered alternatives in longevity and safety

The LiFePO4 batteries in the AC180 also less of a fire risk, and even though I’ve never had a battery pack cause any problems, it’s reassuring that they’re fundamentally safer.

Performance

Reliable Power for Adventures
This is not going to be an in-depth analysis or comparison of the AC180’s efficiency and how it can hold its own against other manufacturers’ offerings; this part of the review will be about it delivering on what we asked it to when at events and in the woods working.

The AC180 delivered power consistently when put to the test. It easily powered a two-piece band, running multiple instruments, mics, amps, and speakers for an hour and a half with only a 23% capacity depletion. What was great was how clean the delivery was. We had run a mains-powered extension cord to the band, but it was causing some issues, so we dropped everything on the AC180, and it performed like a charm.

Using the 125mm grinder for knife making and metal cutting and the 36v chainsaw cutting hardwoods can suck batteries dry in no time. Being able to keep charging batteries kept us going for hours, with the AC180 easily able to charge 10x 5ah 18v batteries while also keeping the phones topped up via the USB’s and the wireless charging area on the top.

The results from the grinding

It’s also been used to power the house when we had a power cut. The AC180 was used for the emergency power, fridge/freezer and the internet routers, so we had the internet, and the AC60 was running computers and switches in the office; with this setup, the power cut hardly affected us at all, so we could still work without interruption.

Suppose you’re out camping, and you need power for your family or a group to keep phones, cameras, drones, etc charged. In that case, the AC180 should be considered, especially if there’s a need (no pointing fingers here!) for hairdryers (up to 1800w, although there is a 2700w overdrive) and the like, so there’s family camping unity. That’s not very bushcrafty, but it is a practical consideration for some.

I’ve even used this unit for charging ebike batteries; it’ll do two 500w batteries, so it’s great for keeping you on the road for a multi-day base camp ride.

Charging

Efficient Recharge Options
Charging is a breeze; a fast (turbo) charge via mains allows you to charge this unit in 80 minutes, with 80% capacity reached in 45 minutes.

If you have solar, it will take up to 500w of solar input, which means that on a sunny day – yeah yeah, I know they’re rare! – You can charge the unit in 3hrs for free.

We had access to a 200w pannel, and that charged the unit over the course of a sunny day no problem.

There’s also car charging, which is a lot slower, but it makes sense to have the power station plugged in and charging if you’re travelling.

Eco Mode

Energy Conservation
The AC180 includes an Eco Mode to conserve energy by automatically shutting off when there’s a limited load. You can also set timers, both through the app for added convenience.

Conclusion

When we first got this unit, I was wondering how it would fit in a bushcraft environment, and, to be honest, in a purist, walking into the woods with minimum gear senario, it doesn’t fit. But for everything else, it’s a great asset, providing power needs for most things you can think of when off grid, it will power tools, help facilitate adventures and run the mundane stuff when needed, like phones and fridges. Linked with a decent solar panel, it’s an absolutely great bit of kit.

Check out Bluetti’s website for more information

Specifications