I have been testing out the Bluetti EB3A, a portable battery backup and power station.
The EB3A features a 268 Whr battery, multiple USB outputs, pure sine wave AC outputs, auto DC power port, barrel jacks, and an LED light.
A Bluetti rep sent out the EB3A as well as a compatible solar charger. I haven’t had a chance to test out the solar panel yet, but I put in enough time with the battery backup for an early review.
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The charger is about the size of a car battery, and has similar heft. Meaning, it’s compact but not featherweight.
Here’s a list of all the ports you get:
Bluettti EB3A Output Ports
- USB-C (100W)
- 2x USB-A (3A)
- 2x AC (3-prong, 600W total)
- Car/Marine plug
- 2x DC5521 12V DC 10A
- Wireless charger (top)
Bluettti EB3A Input Ports
- AC
- 12-28V 8.5A DC barrel (MPPT)
It comes with an AC power cord, and can be charged via solar panel, auto DC, or other means.
Charging via AC is fast.
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Bluetti says that the EB3A portable power station can be recharged from 0% to 80% in 30 minutes. The charging rate slows down a little after that, but is by no means slow.
It has a maximum charging rate of 430W – via AC/wall outlet – and can charge via solar panel at a rate of up to 200W.
The total recharge time is said to be just 1 hour.
The LiFEPO4 battery is said to last for 2500+ cycles. For maximum longevity, Bluetti advises that the EB3A be charged to 80% every 3-6 months for long-term storage.
Bluetti describes their LiFEPO4 batteries as having long charge life, stable performance, better power density, low discharge rate, and flat discharge curve. They add that this battery technology has a “strong safety profile,” and even go as far to say that it’s the “safest lithium-ion battery by far.”
I searched around for user reviews before accepting the test sample, and did not find any reports to suggest or indicate otherwise.
A neat aspect I wasn’t aware of when I accepted the test sample opportunity is that the power station can double as a UPS (uninterruptable power supply), potentially giving it added use in between excursions or emergency situations.
Bluetti advertises that it has a 20ms response/switchover time in case of an outage.
The display is very clear.
Wake up the display when it’s charging, and it will display charging wattage, charge capacity, and output at that time.
When outputting power to various devices, you can control which modules to enable via independent power switches.
The EB3A has a power switch for the light, one for the USB charging ports, one for the AC outlets, and one for the car/marine plug and barrel jack DC connections.
Initial Impression
A couple of ToolGuyd readers put Bluetti on my radar (see Are Portable Power Stations Practical?), but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I liked the idea of a portable power station in theory, but I had hesitations.
Bluetti advertises the EB3A as “tiny but mighty,” and I have to agree. They crammed a lot of ports and functionality into a very portable package.
Not only that, it seems to be a very well-polished product. The user manual is only a couple of pages, but is detailed and well-written regardless of technical savviness. I found that I didn’t need to refer to the manual at all, but it has some helpful info, such as how to disable ECO mode.
(I read that the ECO mode can also be disabled in the app, which I have not yet downloaded.)
Portable power sources are Bluetti’s entire business. They say they “prioritize design, service, and quality over everything else.” Still, I wasn’t expecting the EB3A to have such a nicer user interface.
I was surprised by the noise level of the internal fan during charging, which rivals that of internal fan-cooled cordless power tool battery chargers. But if there’s the choice of fan-cooled charging or slower charging, I’ll take the noise for a short while.
It also gave off a slight odor during charging – I’ll have to see if this goes away. I don’t expect this to happen every time; I’ve used other equipment that takes a bit of use for “new product” smells to go away.
Searching online, others have experienced and asked about this; on the Bluetti user forum, a moderator posted in September that “The smell will go away after it heats and cools a few times. This is normal.”
Bluetti offers a wide range of power stations, from this compact model to ones with thousands of watt-hours of energy storage capacity.
This one won’t power the refrigerator or something like a wet/dry vacuum, but it’ll charge phones, tablets, laptops, and even a fan in case an outage takes out the AC in the peak of summer.
The last time we had a power outage, we shared a portable battery bank back and forth to charge 2 smartphones and a tablet. This Bluetti can handle all of that, plus my laptop – at the same time, and more.
So far, I’m impressed. This is something I’m going to keep and use.
It worked well in all of my multi-device charging tests. I hope I don’t have to use it in a power outage, but I’m feeling pretty confident that it will be ready and capable.
I feel that the variety of ports will make this useful for home and hobby use.
For instance, my telescope mount can only be plugged into a car-type 12V DC port, for which I have a lead acid battery power supply. Rather than replace that battery with another low capacity and difficult-to-maintain lead acid battery, it’s one more task I can potentially use the Bluetti for.
I wish there was just one more USB-C port, but I have plenty of USB-A charging cables. Plus, I can always plug an AC adapter to get more of whatever type of USB connection I need.
Bluetti was the first brand of portable power station that I agreed to test for review – aside from those from cordless power tool makers, and I’m glad I did. A couple of readers recommended Bluetti, and now I see why.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be testing the solar panel charger next.
Price: $299, $239 after clickable coupon
Eric
I have one and like it so far. Great features and a compact design. I just wish they thought of some way to store the AC power charging cable. Or better yet, make it so any extension cord can recharge it instead of the squished PC plug. Perhaps loose the light if more room is needed. Right now I just have it velcro’d to the handle which isn’t perfect. Any better ideas? I picked this over the Jackery because the handle folded to make it easier to store.
I have also been impressed that it doesn’t seem to discharge when not in use. I have left it in the closet for a few months and pulled it out to 100%. I also agree on the USB-C ports. Need 2 of those and 1 USB-A. Looking forward to taking it camping and also using it outside where I need some bigger lights but don’t want to drag an extension cord a few hundred feet.
Stuart
The “squished” power cord design is an electronics industry standard, with replacements and alternate varieties (such as right angle) readily available. It’s the tech and electronics industry version of a standard removable power cable.
I thought the light was a “good to have” type of feature. Realistically, not much else could be added in its place.
I didn’t think of cable storage yet. If I keep it long-term, I’ll likely store the cable and a couple of USB cables in a pouch or similar.
TomD
The connection is C13. There’s actually the ability to get power strips that use C14 (iirc) which is the male version.
It’s used often to be international, everyone has C13 to whatever wall plug they have.
TomD
Looks a lot like the Anker PowerHouse 521 – I bet there’s a ton of these things showing up from various manufacturers.
Bob
I like it. Lot of features for the money.
Pure sine wave inverter is a plus. I skipped the DeWalt inverter/charger because of this.
UPS is a nice touch. Makes an extra use case.
Wonder about the solar? How big a panel and what are the real world charge times etc.
Seems like a nice rig for car camping
Rx9
Portable power stations like this are becoming a new product class in the backup/portable power space. The thing that has made them really grow in my opinion has been LiFEPO4 batteries and their inability to fall prey to thermal runway like conventional li-ion cells do. Packs small enough for handheld power tools usually don’t have issues like this, but packs large enough for large appliances and vehicles have had a less than stellar safety record. The overlap between people concerned enough to be interested in backup power, and people concerned about fire safety is just about 100% in my opinion, so once the fire issue was solved, the path for this product class was really paved.
I like this class of portable power primarily for its quiet operation, but these battery/inverter combo units have other great benefits:
-They are a great way to get into an inexpensive and portable solar backup system, with a fairly low complexity factor as well.
-Models like this Eb3a fit a form factor niche for lower current applications better than the current crop of super small inverter generators. Integrating the cells into the unit also leaves a slighly smaller form than power tool battery based backup inverters.
-Obviously, these things have no emissions, so they can safely be brought inside, which is a huge bonus for people wary of carbon monoxide poisoning.
-The often included UPS and wireless charger functions allow you to use the unit on a daily basis, which helps to justify the cost
-There is no starting system to struggle with, and no oil or plugs to change
– The apps and control interface on these items are often head and shoulders above what is on offer with inverter generators and even power tool battery inverters.
I’ve been looking at getting one of these and there are a huge number of players in this space including brands currently known for building inverter generators.
My backup strategy is going utilize both a unit like this, and a duel fuel inverter generator for maximum flexibility. I would want to run the generator during the day and switch over to the battery unit during the night.
My biggest use case would be to run a window a/c for 8 hours or so, which would require a more substantial unit than the Eb3a.
J
Window acs, even the smallest ones, are far beyond any of these power stations. The surge from the compressor alone at startup is likely to overload the inverter of even the larger portable units. And then there’s the normal operating wattage, which will fall somewhere between 600 and 1200 watts, depending on the size of the unit. For reference, i run my entire house on a pair of 7kw lifepo4 48v batteries, with a true 6kw psw LF inverter, and i still wouldn’t bother with a window ac, because the draw just isn’t worth the ac, in light of an the other more essential things my system is tasked with powering day to day.
Dave
This is my DC fridge power supply while traveling. This gets plugged into my car’s DC port at the back of my car and my DC fridge is plugged into the Bluetti. It comes into play when I stop the car as it provides plenty of power to run my fridge. Typically it can provide about 8 hours of backup current to the fridge but as always, ambiant temperature, fridge settings and fridge content will increase or decrease that time span. For camping trips you do need the solar panel and for really long camping stays you need a larger pack as backup. The app allows me to monitor the system from the drivers seat. I can see voltage going in and voltage going out. This is handy on bumpy roads where the old school DC Automobile sockets tend to fall out. Especially handy when this all is tucked away back in the car.
Hon Cho
keeping a portable fridge is a reasonable use case. I think many of these portable power packs are “oversold” with regard to their ability to keep anything beyond cell phone chargers and maybe a few low current devices powered during an outage. Capability is improving but we’re not quite to the practical stage yet without carefully considering what one plans to power and for how long. (Though one needs to do the same with generators!)
Mitherial
^ The 12-volt DC camping/travel fridges are different in kind than the traditional full fridge–much lower energy draw. I think Hon Cho’s point is basically correct for heavyier draw items, (especially household electrical integration), unless you are spending north of $5,000-$10,000 on your system.
AlexK
Where is the clickable coupon? For $240, it would be piece of mind for my girlfriend. If we loose power for a couple of hours, there would be no need to start up a gas generator. She has back issues and doesn’t feel comfortable pull starting. I have the m18 topper, which is great, for me. Powers a box fan or a lamp etc. but not enough for a household.
It looks too good to be true for $240. At $300, I’d think about it.
Stuart
On Amazon. It’s $299 with a “clickable” coupon for $60 off. They do this on occasion for different products, and it’s unclear why – maybe it’s a way to ensure purchase limit quantities.
Mark M.
Seems like a good price point and a lot of value. This is a very unscientific observation [adjusts tinfoil hat :)] but it seems like power outages are becoming more and more frequent in our area of Central Texas. I haven’t talked myself into a generator yet but something like this would be pretty darn easy to justify.
Mitherial
Texas (surprisingly) made a strong shift to “renewable” wind and solar, with the result that the electrical grid is massively underprovisioned during extreme cold spells, where solar is low-efficiency and wind is minimal–thus the recent massive winter power outage.
Realistically, a device like this (or even one three times as big), will only be useful for re-charging cell phones and a laptop, or maybe something like a c-pap machine for one night.
WastedP
Texas runs and *ahem* maintains their own grid separate from any systems outside their state borders.
Fact check: During the big power grid failure in 2021, “Multiple natural gas and coal power plants experienced equipment failures and were forced offline.”
https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economics/2023/0117
I’m of the opinion that multiple power plant owners, both renewable and fossil fuel, were operating at the minimum standards required, which was not resilient enough to keep the lights on. But they still made money, especially with the open market for natural gas.
Frank D
While renewable energy input can be low certain days (overcast, no wind), renewables are not to blame lack of supply and power outages. The politics of refusing to tie into other markets across state lines, to avoid oversight, means you have no extra capacity that you can pull in when you really need it, and as I recall there were some traditional plant failures during the big cold snap. Renewables are only a small portion, and can’t make up for surge needs when the rest fails due to lack of maintenance and foresight of ensuring operation in freezing conditions.
Jon Griggs
I have the EB3a.
There is a known issue when running it in UPS mode with a light load (40~60 watts).
The unit does not keep itself cool and overheats. (The display shows overload.)
This is an issue for what I bought it for, which was to keep my CPAP working at night.
Due to this issue, it just randomly shuts off, even without the loss of power, and had to be turned off and back on to start operating.
If you are planning on using this as a UPS or in this power range, take a look at google for EB3A overload or EB3A CPAP.
Stuart
That’s unfortunate. I wonder if that’s something that can be fixed or has been fixed via firmware.
I’ll try to replicate this in further testing.
Jon Griggs
Firmware was updated and did not help.
There are various setting some people said helped, but none did for me.
The issue has been around for as long as the product, from what I can tell. It is also super specific to the power range. I thought mine was good, as I tested it on my home office notebook setup for a week. This was closer to 100 watts and I did not have issues.
Bob
Thanks, I was considering it as a UPS as well. After doing the searches, I will look for something else.
Mitherial
This looks like a solid unit, and Bluetti has a generally good reputation (compared to no-name brands), so I would definitely consider this. As others have commented, modern LIFEPO4 cell chemistry is the real breakthrough here.
Budget permitting, you should consider moving up to a larger size.
I have a Jackery 1000 WH, and a Ecoflow Delta (Mini?) 600 WH, and they have twice the capacity in close to the same very portable form factor.
I’ve come to strongly prefer the Ecoflow Delta for ergonomic reasons–side handles are better than a top handle for storage, and I use these in my vehicle while camping and to power 12-volt mini-fridges on road trips), and having the connectors on the narrow “end” of a rectangular shape works much better than the wider “side.” (Plugged-in connectors are very prone to being broken off, damaging the cable and the unit itself, in the back of a vehicle if bags shift around on a turn, so a smaller exposed area is much easier to pack around).
For cord and accessory storage, I use little neoprene or canvas zip tool bags that I clip onto the handle. For a storage bag, look at either the manufacturer’s branded options, or at inexpensive soft-sided coolers.
Stuart
Ecoflow is on my radar too – a lot of readers mentioned that brand previously. Thanks for the suggestions!
Mitherial
Goal Zero is another brand with a very good reputation (though they are priced somewhat higher than comparable competition).
**Correction to my post above: I have the “EcoFlow DELTA mini” with 882Wh.
MKY
Stuart –
Typo
“Bluetti advertises the EB3A as “tiny but mighty,” and I have to agree. ***the*** They crammed a lot of ports and functionality into a very portable package.
Stuart
Thanks! *fixed*
Rob H
Thank you for this review. I have considered these type products for the last year or two but hated to shell out the $$ on something that may or may not have “purchased” reviews on Amazon. It is nice to have a trusted source to give input on it.
eddie sky
I follow a Youtuber that does RVing and he used to promot Bluetti then suddenly stopped. Then he shows EcoFlow… https://us.ecoflow.com/ and I realized, not only because it was free, but it was better than the Bluetti in features (however pricing was similar or more).
Not out yet but more promising is Solid State battery Power Station from Yoshino…
https://yoshinopower.com/
I want something as a backup (fridge and LAN/WAN, charging). I live in NJ (like Stewart) and while 90% up, PSE&G still has storm outtages, emergencies (today, 2hrs to replace transformer)… because you never know. AND you can keep your corded tools as CORDLESS with these power solutions.
Mitherial
If you are using these as a UPS for electronic devices, you should be aware that these devices typically have a slower “switch on” time than a traditional dedicated UPS. Thus something like a desktop computer or computer server (with no built in battery) may crash due to power-starvation in the split-second before the power kicks in or your internet router may reboot itself (not so great if you are in the middle of an important video call)
For high-current draw corded tool usage, you may also want a higher capacity device. Before I bought into Milwaukee cordless, I used my Jackery 1000 in the way you describe with the largest drill that Harbor Freight sells, and it did fine, though a modern cordless drill is still much more pleasant to use.
Frank D
To keep network equipment alive, you can use much cheaper traditional UPS power supplies. I have one where the modem and router come in. It will last for hours with the low power draw. ( mine are actually the more expensive ones with voltage regulation, we have one at every desk, where the tv is, … )
There’s no guarantee though that the internet will be up or for how long.
When I lived in town, with traditional phone + ADSL internet from the phone company, I could be online for hours and days during power outages. Nowadays with coax & fiber, whether from the phone company or cable company; it seems like you may have internet for maybe a half hour to an hour and then its gone. You’re stuck falling back on the cell network, which is already too saturated to begin with …
Anyway. To stay online through small blips and short outages, I have a few traditional UPS units scattered around the house. Ideally would only need one … but elongated house, too much tech stuff, …
Mitchell Lynn Bonnett
The company should market it as a great idea for a tornado room or shelter. We live in Brandenburg KY, that was wiped off the map by an E5 tornado in 1974. Many homes built since then, including ours, have tornado rooms in the lower level with 14-inch-thick reinforced concrete walls, ceiling and floor, usually under the front porch so emergency folks know where to dig you out. These unfinished rooms however usually only have a single bonded light for electricity. Thus, this device would be an ideal solution for powering devices in the tornado room if the house above it flies away. Its light then being the only light in that small concrete room is a reason the light should stay a feature.
JoeM
…That seems like a pretty good price for a UPS, actually… Man, I really gotta update my UPS knowlege since last encounter with the market! I didn’t realize we were getting to this particular point in backup power.
Thanks Stuart! Very well stated article as well, I might add. I know it’s a lot to ask, but if you do get around to testing the Solar Panel some time this summer? I guarantee at least one reader, myself, is seriously considering what you say about it to be a defining factor.
Drew M
Power your telescope with a power tool pack and adapter.
I don’t know about yours but mine will run all night off a M12 pack and still show 3/4 bars.
Anyone REALLY interested in these battery backup devices should look at Matthias Wandel’s testing and MarcoReps.
Matthias found some interesting “design flaws” which may or may not be an issue but I think people should be aware of the issues.
Stuart
What kind of adapter?
I’ve looked into building a power box with Auto DC port and other, with panel-mounted sockets available for under $20.
Or one day I might just build a replacement cord with barrel plug or similar.
I’ve seen some adapters, but they’re short and not outdoors weather-friendly.
The Milwaukee M18 Top-Off might be a good fit.
Drew M
I couldn’t be specific as I don’t know what scope or power tools you have but most are designed to run off “12v”.
Granted, it just occurred to me that you might have a fancy “go-to” mount where I just have an 8″ Dob so I’m just powering the mirror/OTA fan. These days, my scope has a Noctua fan on it but I did run it for quite a while by modding the power lead and plugging it into the 12v out port on my M12 jacket adapter.
Stuart
A lot of motorized equatorial and alt-azimuth mounts have 12V auto DC ports, presumably because many people drive out to dark sites with their cars nearby, or something like that.
I never like anything with 12V DC ports like that. I bought a Traxxas starter RC truck, and it came with a 12V DC charger. I had to buy a wall adapter with 12V DC socket, and it seemed so ridiculous to me.
Drew M
RC chargers being DC input is extremely common and I suspect the primary reasons for it are cost and legacy or inertia.
Back when, it was common to take a lead acid battery with you to power your charger.
On the other hand these days, I have a pair of R/C charging cases that contain 27vdc / 1500w industrial power supplies to power the 1300w chargers. My chargers are designed for ~10-32vdc input and 27v avoids a buck/boost transition when charging 6s lipo. The buck/boost transition sends “ripples” back into the “grid” and most generators will either throttle surge or trip off.
Either way, it might be a good idea to actually measure how much power your scope uses. Maybe get something like this so you can average the data easily. I’d bet it uses far less power than you think and people likely do power it off something as “silly” as a 7ah lead acid.
https://www.motionrc.com/products/gt-power-180a-watt-meter-and-power-analyzer-gtp180awm
That’s actually a ‘copy’ of an old watt meter but I can’t seem to find the ‘original’ but… they are handy tools to have in your toybox.
Someone once said, ” If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. “
Alexander Francis
FYI, it’s now dropped to $209. I couldnt resist at that price.
Nyall
I considered this model but went with an EB70s, for its two 100watt usb-c ports. Which nicely pairs with two 100watt dewalt usb-c chargers.
I also dislike the EB3A’s 260watt-hours: I’ve got tons of dewalt 5ah batteries which are 100wh, if I’m getting a battery generator I want something with much more capacity than my basic tool batteries.
But at the end of the day, if the power goes out, then its my dewalt batteries powering my flashlight and charging my phone.