Bluetti AC60 Portable Power Station Review
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Since 2019, Bluetti has been delivering portable power to the farthest reaches of the earth. In 2023, Bluetti introduced the AC60 Portable Power Station. The AC60 is a compact, portable power station with a 402Wh LiFePO4 battery and a 600W inverter. The charging options include an onboard AC charger as well as car and solar DC charging. Bluetti made the AC60 with significant upgrades in terms of features and capabilities, such as an IP65 rating for water and dust protection, <45dB quiet operation, expandable capacity of up to 2,015Wh, and more. Coupled with the Bluetti PV120 Solar Panel, this unit is all you will need to stay powered while in the back country. Bonus: It can all be operated with your phone as a Bluetooth remote control.
I tested the Bluetti AC60 while living in my van in Colorado for the summer/fall. I was amazed at it’s power and the longevity of it’s charge. It was a huge change from living a strictly DC powered life and I’M LOVING IT!!
Let’s Get Acquainted with the Bluetti AC60
The Bluetti AC60 is a durable, compact power station that is reliable and easy to use. It has a sturdy carrying handle that folds neatly flush with the top of the unit. This makes the unit easy to slide on to a shelf or under a bench without the handle getting in the way. The AC60 features two 120v outlets, two standard USB ports, and one USB-C port to keep up with emerging technology. There is also one 12v outlet (cigarette lighter outlet for us old timers). You can choose to use the AC charging and the DC charging at the same time which is a great feature. The user interface on the screen is bright, and easy to read in the sunlight. The information provided on the screen is user friendly and straight to the point.
If you look at the display, it clearly tells you how much energy you are using (output) and how much energy is coming in from your charging source (input). The percentage of battery life readout is nice and large and there is a small readout below telling you how much battery life you will have at the current input/output levels. That is super helpful in planning! The power button is large and there is nothing tricky about turning on the AC and DC power outputs. I think that Bluetti did a very nice job of making the AC60 super easy to use and understand, even for those of us who are not super techy. There are only 3 buttons to operate the power station: Power, AC output and DC output.
Bluetti Quality
On one end of the unit, there are two ports for expanding the storage on the Bluetti AC60. While I did not have the expandable batteries to talk about in this review, I think that is an excellent feature and I wanted to make sure it was highlighted. You never know when your power needs may change and having the option to expand the capacity of this unit was definitely a selling point for me.
On the other end of the AC60 is all of the input ports: a 12volt/solar panel input and the AC input. There is also a screw hole for the grounding cable if you need to use one and a replaceable fuse for safety. On top of the AC60 is a wireless phone charger pad. This feature is so convenient and alleviates the need for a cord. I found out the hard way that you should NOT set anything metal on the charging pad while the unit is in use. I set my phone which had a metal ring on the back of the case on top of the charging pad and it became very hot and melted a small spot on the top of the pad. Fortunately, nothing was further damaged and both the phone and charging pad still work perfectly.
On the back side of the AC60 is a bright led light. It has 3 brightness modes and a flashing mode. I appreciated that the light is on the back of the unit rather than the front. It has been nice to set the unit on a table and bounce the light off the van which creates a nice area of soft light.
Charging and Discharging the Bluetti AC60
What everyone wants to know is “how well does it work?” I can tell you that it is incredible! When I first read Bluetti’s specification for charging times, I could hardly believe it. But sure enough, the Bluetti AC60 can charge completely (5% to 100%) in one hour using the included AC charging cord. This is super convenient! I have charged it while sitting in a picnic shelter and even in a rest area lobby during my travels. The AC charging time is super impressive.
Using the the Bluetti PV120 Solar Panel in full sun, the Bluetti took 4-6 hours to charge. While not as quick as AC charging, it is still the option that we most often use. If you needed more charging capacity, you could upgrade to the Bluetti 200W solar panel. We love that we can charge it anywhere there is sun. The input from the solar panel is sufficient to keep my laptop and Starlink internet working all day. No more noisy generator when I need to work or go online! What a relief. The 12 volt charger plugged into my car was a little slower. After driving for about 2 hours, the AC60 had reached 25% charge. This may be dependent on the output of my 12 volt socket. It seems consistent with the specs outlined by Bluetti and is a great alternative way to charge while traveling.
A Powerful Power Station for my Everyday Use
I wanted to test different electronics on the Bluetti AC60 Portable Power Station to give the readers of this review some real life numbers regarding the power usage. With the Bluetti AC60 at 100%, I was able to run my Starlink internet for about 5 hours. I was able to work using my laptop plugged in for 8 hours while only depleting the Bluetti by 60%. Charging my cell phone from 0-100% only used about 2% of the AC60’s battery capacity and was done in under an hour and a half. Charging our DeWalt Battery only used 4% of the battery capacity. Inflating two stand up paddle boards with our SUP pump only used about 10% of the battery. I cannot say enough good things about how easy the AC60 is to charge and how well it stands up to lots of use.
Using the Bluetti App
One of the most convenient features of using the Bluetti AC60 portable power station is that I don’t even have to get out of my chair! Bluetti recently updated their app to make it super easy to use. I love that it is not full of technical data that is difficult to understand. The app gives me the ability to power off the AC60, select AC and/or DC outputs and keep track of the power input and output even if I can’t see Bluetti’s display screen from my current position. This is very important when you are trying to keep track of your power usage or you need to complete a major project without running out of power. In the screenshots below, I am using my Starlink (41w output) and using the solar panel to charge (76w input). If additional power banks were added to the Bluetti AC60, those battery levels would also be available in the app.
As you enter the settings of the app, you will have the ability to update your firmware, select your charging speed or activate the Power Lifting Mode for a burst of energy up to 1200 Watts. You can control all of Bluetti’s functions with your fingertips in a well presented app available for iPhone or Android.
Changing Life in the Camper Van with the Bluetti AC60 Power Station
Prior to getting the Bluetti AC60 Portable Power Station, we were powered by our engine battery while driving and by a single AGM battery as the house power. This meant that many things that needed to get done with AC charging only (basic house wall plug) were always tedious tasks. Examples of this are charging my laptop, connecting to the internet with Starlink and charging my electric toothbrush. Before Bluetti, that meant lugging out the generator, cords, noise and nonsense. We found ourselves having to occasionally check into a campground with electricity (not our style) to catch up on charging everything and to get some work done online.
Since the Bluetti has come into our tiny home on wheels, we have found happiness in so many ways. The robust Lithium Ion Phosphate battery inside the Bluetti AC60 is serving us well. Coffe pots, electric tools, and even an occasional curling iron have now found power with the AC60. Keeping our lifestyle simple has always been our goal so having a power source to reach family via the Starlink, get some online work done, or even write this review was never easier. And we can do it from the remotest of locations! We are so happy to save our camper van’s house battery for things like the furnace. Its cold in the Colorado mountains in October! We have only had the AC60 for just over a month but we can hardly remember how we managed without it.
My Final Thoughts and Praises on the Bluetti AC60 Power Station
I think I have stressed how much we love our Bluetti AC60 Power Station and how it has changed how we live life on the road. There are SO many ways you can use this powerhouse: for construction to power your tools, at camp to power your lights or for the everyday luxuries while living on the road or off grid.
The option to add additional battery banks to extend your run time or use the Power Lifting Mode for that additional burst of power make this little powerhouse unique and desirable. Bluetti made this case with a durable handle and rubber covers over every opening so this tells me that the AC60 is built to last. The Bluetti AC60 retails at $699. This is a small price for all the work it can do. You can check out more about the AC60 Power Station or learn more about Bluetti at www.bluettipower.com or www.amazon.com.
