If you’re looking for an alternative to a generator as a means to power your electronic devices when off grid, the new Bluetti EB55 portable lithium power station could be just what you’re looking for.
Let’s face it, camping is not as simple as it used to be. We have to bring along all these electronic devices such as smartphones, drones, fridges, all sorts of toys that require electricity to run or recharge. That electricity has to come from somewhere and, traditionally, generators were the power source of choice. But these are noisy, require fuel and you don’t necessarily get a favourable reaction from anyone camping nearby.
In recent years, portable battery power stations have become popular and with Lithium technology coming down in price, these power stations have become much more affordable.
Bluetti has been working and researching in the energy storage industry for the last 10 years and, in the summer of 2019, set out with a vision of creating a minimalist portable power station that would seamlessly integrate into everyone’s life. They are now one of the biggest names in the portable power station industry with models ranging from USB power banks right up to a 2000-watt hour power station.
Bluetti has recently released the EB55 power station which is aimed squarely at the small to medium portable power user. They sent us one to review to see how it performes in the real world.
What is it exactly?
The Bluetti EB55 is a fully self-contained, portable power source that can be used to power and recharge a variety of electrical devices for situations where regular 240-volt mains power is unavailable such as when free camping. At its heart is a lightweight Lithium (LiFePO4) battery that powers a 700-watt 240-volt pure sinewave inverter, multiple USB outlets, and an assortment of 12-volt outlets. The unit is recharged by either a 240-volt power adapter, a 12-volt automotive source, or by plugging in a solar panel using the in-built MPPT solar controller.
What can it power?
The Bluetti EB55 can power or recharge just about any device imaginable as long as it is within its power limits. For instance, the 700-watt inverter can easily power a small car fridge, power tool battery recharger, a CPAP machine, and even a caravan-style washing machine. The 100-watt USB-C outlet has enough grunt to recharge an Apple MacBook Pro. We easily recharged a range of USB devices including a portable speaker and a bug zapper and I managed to run our 12-volt TV from the automotive outlet.
Out of interest, the two small 10-amp 12-volt outlets next to the cigarette lighter outlet are compatible with HardKORR’s LED camp light system. Very handy indeed.
There’s a wireless charging point on the top of the unit that was able to recharge my iPhone 12. You can also power and recharge several appliances at the same time as you can see in the pictures. This Bluetti EB55 is an extremely versatile bit of kit.
How long will the battery last?
The battery life of the Bluetti EB55 is very much dependent upon what you connect to it and how quickly it will drain the inbuilt 537-watt hour Lithium battery. For instance, if you run a 700-watt 240-volt appliance, it will flatten the battery in around 45 minutes. That may not sound like a long time but consider what devices you are likely to run that consume that amout of power and you’re not likely to run them for very long at all. As an example, a food blender may consume 500-watts but you would only need to run it for a few minutes at a time.
In a more realistic test, we connected a power tool battery charger, an Apple MacBook Pro, a portable speaker, a bug zapper, an LCD TV, and an iPhone charging wirelessly all at the same time and the Bluetti indicated the load draw was 70-watts. That load could be sustained for around 7.5-hours! More than enough time to fully recharge those devices with battery capacity to spare.
If you want to run a caravan washing machine (approximately 235-watts), the Bluetti will be flat in a bit over 2 hours. That should be enough to do a small load of washing.
You may want to run a small car fridge during a weekend adventure. Our Dometic CFF-45 draws 50-watts when the compressor is on. If you assume a 50% duty cycle, the Bluetti EB55 should power the fridge for approximately 21 hours without any recharging.
Is it better than a generator?
This is a tricky question and the answer will depend very much upon what you want to use the Bluetti EB55 for. If you’re going away for a long weekend in a tent and all you want to power is a couple of mobile phones, an action camera, maybe a drone, and some rechargeable camp lights, the Bluetti EB55 is more than capable and would be far superior to any generator.
If you have a caravan or camper with a built-in battery and solar charging and you want a backup for days when the sun doesn’t shine, the Bluetti EB55 could be used as a generator as long as you don’t have too high a capacity charger. Anything over 25-amps will drain the battery pretty quickly. You might need to consider a larger capacity Bluetti device in that instance.
Alternatively, you could consider using the Bluetti EB55 to take the pressure off your caravan batteries by running and charging all your other devices such as the TV, washing machine, phone chargers, etc, and leave the van batteries to run the fridge.
However you use it, remember, you will need to recharge the Bluetti at some point. If you have 3 or 4 days of cloud in a row, you can’t just fill it up with petrol like you could with a generator.
Is it built to last?
In a word, yes. The Bluetti EB55 does appear to be extremely well built. The carry handle is more than sturdy enough and the plastic casing feels substantial and should be capable of taking a few bumps and knocks without suffering any damage. I’ve seen a few YouTube videos of Bluetti devices being taken apart and showing just how well the electronics are put together. I would say the Bluetti EB55 is a quality product.
Who should buy one?
4WD Enthusiasts
If you have a new 4wd that has limited options for mounting a second battery and associated electronics, or perhaps you have a company-supplied vehicle that you cannot modify, the Bluetti EB55 would be ideal for running a small car fridge, keeping your smart devices charged up and running some camp lights. You could recharge it via the car’s 12-volt outlet as you drive around and ensure you have plenty of battery capacity to power devices through the night.
Tents and Camper Trailers
Absolutely. The Bluetti EB55 is a viable alternative to carrying a generator of any description and would serve you well. It has more than enough capacity to power a range of small devices for an extended period of time. You may want to consider purchasing a small solar blanket as an alternative means of recharging the unit.
Caravans and Motorhomes
If you have an older RV without a decent 12-volt system and you don’t want to go through the hassle of installing one, the Bluetti EB55 is a very good choice. Use it either as a stand-alone device or, better still, plug it into your van’s 240-volt electrical inlet and use your van as if it was plugged into mains power. Keep in mind the Bluetti EB55 has 10 amp outlets so you will need an Ampfibian to legally connect it to your van in this way.
If your caravan or motorhome has a decent 12-volt system backed up by a good solar charging system, the Bluetti may not necessarily replace a generator unless you just want to be able to take the pressure off your system when conditions limit solar charging. For anything more, you will need to consider one of the larger capacity Bluetti units.
Boats and Tradies
Again, as long as you only want to run low-power devices such as a small fridge, battery rechargers, or smart devices, the Bluetti EB55 would be ideal. Its small size and strong construction work well in these environments. Just remember to keep it away from water.
Home emergencies
We think this is something that the Bluetti can be extremely useful for and gives it an added benefit when it’s not being used. In the event of a blackout, you may want to be able to run some 240-volt appliances. As an example, a typical household refrigerator consumes around 200-watts per hour. The Bluetti EB55 will power that fridge for around 2.5 hours. You could also power a decent-sized LCD TV for a similar amount of time.
What are the negatives?
To be honest, I was struggling to find any issues with the EB55.
Pressed to find something to complain about, it would be good to have information displayed on the display about the time remaining at the current level of power consumption before the battery goes flat as is the case with the larger Bluetti units.
Some sort of smartphone app with Bluetooth connectivity to the unit would also be handy but, again, not a deal-breaker.
The 240-volt power supply has an inbuilt cooling fan that is a little noisy but that’s a minor complaint.
A solar connector with an Anderson Plug rather than the supplied MC4 adaptor would also be more useful as most solar blankets are supplied with an Anderson connection.
Conclusion
After a solid week of using the Bluetti EB55, I was really impressed with it. So much so I want to keep it! It is small, lightweight, easy to use, and very versatile. It is well made and performs as specified.
The price tag of $1,199 (including free shipping) may seem a bit steep but when you consider the individual costs of a lithium battery, an inverter, a 240-volt battery charger, and an MPPT solar controller plus the costs of installing all these as a working unit, I think the price of the EB55 is quite reasonable.
In a world where generators are becoming a bit archaic, not to mention less tolerated at crowded campsites, these portable power stations are a great alternative. Bluetti has obviously put a lot of thought into the EB55 and it shows. It will suit a wide variety of off-grid users with small to medium power requirements. It gets a big thumbs up from us.
Safe travels.
Product Specifications
Model | Bluetti EB55 Portable Power Station |
Battery | 537-watt hour Lithium Iron Phosphate LiFePO4 |
Inverter output | 2 x 700-watt 240-volt AC Pure Sinewave |
12-volt DC output | 2 x 12V/10A DC outputs 1 x Regulated 12V/10A DC |
USB ports | 1 x 100W USB-C port 4 x 5V/3A USB-A ports |
Other features | 1 x 15W wireless charging pad 1 x LED flood light |
Charging options | Wall Outlet / Generator: 200W AC Adapter, fully recharged within 3.2 hours. (1-100%) Solar Panel: 200W Max. input (solar panel not included), within 4.5 hours Car Outlet: 12V port, in 6 hours /24V port, in 3 hours (0-100%) Recharged by 1*BLUETTI SP200 200W solar panel within 3 hours(0-80%). |
Weights and dimentions | (H)19.78cm – (W)27.78cm – (D)19.98cm Net Weight 7.48kg |
Included in the box | 1 x BLUETTI EB55 537Wh/700W Portable Power Station. 1 x 200W AC Adapter & Charging Cable. 1 x Solar Charging Cable (MC4 to XT60-F). 1 x Car Charging Cable (Car to XT60-F). 1 x User Manual |
More Information | Visit www.bluettipower.com.au/products/bluetti-eb55-portable-power-station |
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