BLUETTI EB3A Portable Power Station 2023 REVIEW

Stay prepared for any emergency with the BLUETTI EB3A Power Station.

I grew up around scouting — first watching my brother and then as a participant in Girl Scouting. The one commonality that both organizations share is to teach kids to be prepared. I’ve always tried to live with that motto in mind and to be prepared for any scenario. Living in the midwestern region of the United States, we experience all types of weather and power outages happen frequently throughout the year.

When power outages occur, it can be a difficult and chaotic situation for everyone involved. It is critical to have a plan in place to provide emergency power for a home. Portable power stations, such as the BLUETTI EB3A Power Station, are a great option to bridge the gap while electrical grids are repaired in emergency situations.

About BLUETTI EB3A Power Station

The BLUETTI EB3A Power Station is a high-capacity portable power station designed to provide reliable and versatile power for your outdoor adventures, emergency backup power needs, and off-grid living.

With a massive lithium iron phosphate battery, the EB3A can power various electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, drones, mini-fridges, CPAP machines, power tools, and more. It features multiple output ports, including two AC outlets, one 12V/10A carport, two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and one wireless charging pad.

The power station can be charged via the included AC charging cable, a solar panel (not included), or 12-28VDC/8.5A carport. It also has a built-in MPPT controller that allows it to charge faster and more efficiently from solar panels.

In terms of safety, the EB3A has multiple protection mechanisms, including overcharge, over-discharge, short circuit, and over-current protection, ensuring safe and reliable operation.

Overall, the BLUETTI EB3A Power Station is a highly versatile and reliable power source that can be used in various situations, from outdoor camping to emergency backup power in case of a power outage.

Main Features

Battery Info

• Capacity: 268.8Wh (12Ah)
• Type: LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
• Life Cycles: 2,500+ Cycles to 80% Original Capacity
• Shelf-life: Recharge to 80% Every 3-6 Months
• Management System: MPPT Controller, BMS, etc.

Output

• AC Outlets: 2 x 120V/5A Outlets 600W In Total
• Inverter Type: Pure Sine Wave
• Surge Power: 1,200W
• USB-C Port: 1 x 100W Max.
• USB-A Port: 2 x 5V/3A USB-A
• DC Outlets: 1 x 12V/10A (Car Outlet) 2 x 12V/10A DC 5521 (5.5mm Outlets) *All Regulated.
• Wireless Charging Pad: 1 x 15W Max.

Input

• AC Charging Cable (Standard Mode): 268W Max.
• AC Charging Cable (Turbo Mode): 350W Max.
• Solar Input: 200W Max, VOC 12-28VDC/ 8.5A
• Car Input: 12/24V from Cigarette Lighter Port
• Maximum Input: 430W, with AC and Solar Input Simultaneously

Recharge Times

• AC Charging Cable (Turbo Mode 350W): ≈1.3-1.8 Hours
• AC Charging Cable (Standard Mode 268W): ≈1.5-2.0 Hours
• Solar (200W): ≈1.8-2.0 Hours (With prime sunshine, ideal orientation and low temperature)
• 12V/24V Car Outlet (100W/200W): ≈3.2-3.7 or 1.9-2.4 Hours
• AC + Solar (430W): ≈1.2~1.7 Hours (With prime sunshine, ideal orientation and low temperature)
• Dual AC (430W): ≈1.2~1.7 Hours (With optional BLUETTTI T200 Adapter)

General

• Pass-through Charging: Yes
• Weight: 10.14lbs/4.6kg
• Dimensions (LxWxD): 10.047.097.20in/255180183mm
• Operating Temperature: 4-104℉ (-20-40℃)
• Storage Temperature: 32-104°F (0-40°C)
• Certifications: UL Standard, CEC, DOE, FCC, CA Prop 65
• Warranty: 24 Months

In The Box

• EB3A Power Station
• AC Charging Cable
• Solar Charging Cable
• User Manual
• QC Card
• Warranty Card

Pricing & Availability

The Bluetti EB3A Portable Power Station has a list price of $299 from bluettipower.com and Amazon for $349. Both retail outlets do offer periodic sales.

User Experience

The Bluetti EB3A Portable Power Station comes in a fairly nondescript cardboard box. The exterior of the box does contain identifying information about the product including a basic image of the product. There is no assembly required and the power station should arrive with some charge to it. It is recommended that the user charge the device completely before using it.

I love that it comes with the ability to charge with a standard AC power outlet or a DC carport. The only downside is that there is no good place to store the cables on or with the power station. I’ve used other portable power stations like this one that come with a bag for the cables or have a built-in storage compartment for the charger. Something that like would have been a nice addition to this device.

The Bluetti EB3A Portable Power Station has a very nice, easy-to-read LCD display. It turns on automatically when you activate the power of any of the output connections or if you just tap on one of the power buttons. I really like this feature because it gives you a quick view of how much power is available and what type of power output you are using.

The ability to connect to the Bluetti using a mobile app is really a game changer in my opinion. It’s a simple app but it does show when something is charging, which power exchange it is connected to, and how much power is being used. This can be exceptionally helpful if you are using the power station remotely. Let’s say you have it charging something on one end of your house while you work on the opposite side. It could be helpful to just pull up the app on your phone and find out the basic information on the devices being charged and where the battery is in its power cycle. You also have the power to turn off the electrical flow from your phone.

The power station gives users the ability to charge up to 9 devices simultaneously. Two of the charging options that I appreciate the most are the wireless charging surface on the top of the power station and the USB-C PD port that provides up to 100W of output power. The wireless charging surface made it possible for me to charge my AirPods Pro Gen 2 and iPhone 14 Pro quickly and easily. While wireless charging doesn’t display an output measurement on the display, it seemed that my devices charged just as quickly as they do on standard wireless charging surfaces.

The power station is very easy to carry thanks to its built-in handle. I never found the unit overheating. It did warm up a little bit, but it was mild. Another great use case we had was using the power station to power one of our portable refrigerators. The JP42 Electric Cooler from ICECO is a 12V refrigerator and can be used as a traditional cooler or as a portable refrigerator. While this model does come with cables to connect to a car port, it’s really great to be able to power it with the EB3A Power Station on outings instead of relying on the car’s battery. We recently went to a park where we were going to be hanging out for a while and the Bluetti kept the refrigerator running the entire time and our snacks and beverages stayed cool.

Conclusion

Our area of the country recently experienced a lot of severe spring storms and even though our neighborhood’s power lines are underground, our family rested easy knowing we had a backup in case we lost power. There are many portable power stations available, but most of them are heavy and bulky. The Bluetti is much more compact and while I wouldn’t take it with me on a backpacking trek, it’s very easy to transport from room to room as needed.

For more information, visit bluettipower.com or Twitter.