Bluetti AC200MAX review

30 second review 

Bluetti was one of the first to adopt the LiFePo4 battery type in portable power stations. With the number of charge cycles extended from 500 to 3500, this type of battery can give on average nine years of useful life. Such a power station can be seen as an investment against home damages. Blackouts during extreme temperature events such as harsh winters can be unforgiving to a dwelling or its residents.

Bluetti is refreshing their best-seller, the AC200P, with an upgraded version, the AC200MAX. From the outside, the two look similar, sporting the same form factor. On closer inspection, new things start to become more obvious. The output power has been boosted and the station is now Bluetooth enabled. But the most exciting upgrade is the ability to increase the battery capacity by adding extra battery packs to the station. 

Bluetti AC200MAX: Pricing and availability 

The AC200MAX is presently available at the special price of $1899. The B230 expansion battery will cost an extra $1399. The AC200MAX price includes a $100 reduction on its MSRP. Both products are covered by a two-year warranty. 

Bluetti AC200MAX: Design

The AC200MAX keeps the same look and feel as its predecessor. The rugged plastic case has dark tones with the Bluetti logo on the front. It measures 42cm x 28cm x 38.7cm and weighs 28.1kg. Two handles located on each side allow moving the unit safely while two fans also on each side help to cool it down. The AC200MAX comes with a big 500W block adapter and a plastic bag containing cables for car and solar charging.

The AC200MAX is one of the few power stations that has a full-color touch screen. The crisp display gives information about the station’s charge and discharge activities. The hierarchical menu is well organized, offering easy access to settings, battery data logs, and any alarm that may have been triggered. The screen backlight is kept on for 30 seconds before turning off. A beep that can be disabled is sounded on any screen press. 

Five AC outlets are available on the front panel and can output a maximum of 2200W. A single-phase NEMA TT-30 socket is provided to power RV appliances. Four high-current 12V ports are included. Two DC 5521 for charging cameras or RC cars with a combined power of 120W, one 120W cigarette lighter, and one 360W output for various low-voltage appliances such as a small fridge. 

Bluetti is generous with the number of USB sockets which consists of three groups covering different output currents. A unique 100W Type-C port capable of powering devices such as gaming laptops. Two 36W and two 15W Type-A sockets are also present to charge smaller devices such as older phones or tablets. The AC200MAX has two Wireless Charge surfaces on the top capable of 15W each. 

Input sockets are present on the left side of the AC200MAX and include two battery extension ports, one 900W 145V DC port for solar charging, and one 500W 58.8V DC input to charge from the grid via the AC block adapter. The fastest way to charge is with a combination of DC and AC sources which bring a full charge to just over five hours. As with other Bluetti products, rubber sleeves cover all output sockets while input sockets are protected by plastic caps. 

Bluetti AC200MAX: In Use 

The unit is turned on by pressing the only button located to the left of the display. A Bluetooth connection is created once the unit is on. The AC and DC outputs are enabled by two on-screen soft buttons. Input and output power as well as the remaining battery charge are all conveniently displayed. Four soft buttons located on the left help to navigate to different sub-menus. The user can choose between viewing the settings, data, alarms, or home. 

The mobile app can be used to remotely enable outputs or to update the station’s firmware. Under ideal conditions, a ten-meter range can be obtained which is reduced to five meters when updating the firmware. There are fewer features available in the app compared to what is provided on the base.

Charging the AC200MAX can be done in several ways. Most often, the 500W block adapter will be used which results in a five-hour charge. If that is too long, the power station can charge with two inputs in parallel. With a combined input power of 1300W, the charge time is cut down to two hours. The AC200MAX includes an MPPT solar charger with an input voltage range of 10 to 145VDC.

The biggest enhancement is the ability to extend the battery capacity. With two additional B200 2048Wh expansion batteries, the maximum capacity can be increased from 2048Wh to 6144Wh. These battery systems use the same technology as the power station but without the AC inverter. They also have fewer DC outputs and come with a simple user interface. They can work as a standalone unit without a base. 

Bluetti AC200MAX: Competition 

The portable power station scene is crowded as a result of the low battery price. The majority of manufacturers have 1000Wh or fewer solutions and only a few have dared to dip their toes in high-capacity, expandable units.

Among the competition is the Ecoflow Delta Pro series. Their 3600W station falls in the same category as the AC200MAX albeit at a higher price for the additional power and battery capacity. While they have the same Dollar per Wh, the main advantage of the AC200MAX remains its battery technology which costs more than the LFP type used in the Delta Pro.

Goal Zero, another maker of portable power stations, recently introduced the concept of the home backup system. Their 6300Wh system costs $4649 which is lower in price compared to a bundle of one AC200MAX and two B200 batteries. That said, the Bluetti solution is more compact and has fewer failing points with three units instead of five for the Goal Zero system. Moreover, their base unit which is a 1500X consists of Li-ion NMC cells which have a 500 cycles lifetime compared to the 3500 cycles offered by the AC200MAX.

Bluetti AC200MAX: Verdict                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Bluetti took an already great power station namely the AC200P and made it even better. The AC200MAX includes new features such as a Bluetooth connection, a NEMA TT-30 socket for RV enthusiasts, and last but not least, the ability to expand the battery capacity with up to two extra batteries. With these new features, we have a system that’s able to act as an emergency power source for a small home whenever there is a blackout.

The AC200MAX can be improved further by having either a smaller power adapter or having it integrated into the base unit. The unit is noisy which makes its use as an uninterruptible power source in an office painful. It is also heavy but that is explained by the use of LiFePo4 batteries.