How to Get Power While Camping: Bluetti AC200MAX Review

Camping often means no power and therefore no charging devices, no TV, no air-con or fan, no possibility to work remotely etc… which can be quite annoying! Trust us, we have been there during our countless camping adventures in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Nowadays, there are portable power stations that give you power whenever and wherever you want. Often charged on power before your trip or even via the sun, these portable power stations will become your best buddy on your next camping trip!

In a previous blog we told you about the Bluetti AC200P, which was already an amazing power station, but what if we told you that now there is even a better portable power station on the market?! The Bluetti AC200MAX is the newest addition to Bluetti’s collection. This portable power station has a whopping 2200watt inverter, with a 2048wh battery pack and can be charged by solar and AC wall outlets. In this review, we’ll go over the exact details of the Bluetti AC200MAX and tell you why you need it for your next camping trip!

How to Get Power While Camping

Of course there are many ways to get power while camping. First of all, you can just go to a campground, stay at a camp spot with power and hook up an electricity cable. But this won’t allow you to wild camp and you can’t just park your van or put your tent up anywhere if you are dependent on power. Another option is to use a generator, but these things are bulky and very noisy. In our opinion, the best way to get power while camping is with a portable power station. These power stations are very portable, don’t make any noise and you can often charge your gear for hours and hours!

The Benefits Of a Portable Power Station

• Lightweight and portable: the great thing about portable power stations is that they are light, about the size of a small drink cooler, and can be transported easily. Great to take with you on any camping trips, road trips, or even events where power is needed!
• Versatile: portable power stations can be used for a variety of purposes. Charging your phone, laptop, or run appliances in an emergency, it’s all possible.
• Rechargeable: the batteries in a portable power station are rechargeable by a variety of means. They can be recharged at a home wall plug-in or using a twelve-volt plug for a car charger. The Bluetti AC200MAX even has solar panels!
• Affordable: portable power stations are very affordable to get. You can already get a small power station for as low as $200! They are also very cost-efficient, with extremely low electricity costs, especially with the solar options. The solar generator actually provides you with free power as long as you own it!
• Environmentally friendly: portable power stations are very friendly to the environment. Solar generators do not require any harmful chemicals or fossil fuels to function, which means you won’t harm the environment.
• Quiet: these portable power stations are very quiet, with some models even being completely silent, making them ideal for both indoors and outdoors. No shouting required anymore around the campfire!
• Safe: portable power stations are some of the safest generators on the market. The advantage here is the absence of carbon monoxide gas and other harmful fumes or sparks produced by engines. Despite the bad press that some lithium batteries have received for catching fire, engineers have overcome those defects.
• Low maintenance: nowadays these portable power stations require little to no maintenance – making them one of the most low-maintenance power sources on the market!
• Self-sustainable: with a portable power station you are completely self-sustainable. They don’t require any fuel or batteries. Once they have been charged up, they will continue to provide power for as long as the sun is shining.

The Bluetti AC200MAX Portable Power Station

AC200MAX is the first modular solar power station from Bluetti. Despite looking like the AC200P, AC200MAX is just better in many ways. It possesses an ultra-durable LiFePO4 battery pack(2048Wh, 3,500 cycles) and a 2200W pure sine wave inverter, while retaining quicker and more flexible options for solar and AC charging, which makes it perfect for camping or any other off-the-grid life.

Power

The Bluetti AC200MAX has a 2200W power capacity, which is the equivalent of about 22 small portable power stations together.

With AC200MAX’s 15 outlets, you get to run all your needs simultaneously without breaking a sweat. Furthermore, there are four AC outlets with a shared 2200W power output, four USB-A ports and four 12V DC outlets. It even has two wireless charging pads at the top!

As input charging you can choose between the following options: AC adapter, car adapter, solar panels, a gasoline or diesel generator or using Lead Acid batteries. When being charged simultaneously with solar and AC wall outlets, AC200MAX can be charged up in less than 2 hours.

Battery Capacity

The Bluetti AC200MAX has a 2048wh battery, and its inverter can put out 2200W of continuous power and handle a surge of up to 4800W. This high-capacity battery means it can run critical equipment for an extended time. The support for high power consumption means that you can even run microwave ovens, coffee machines or an air conditioner!

What makes the AC200MAX really unique is that you can expand its capacity by using optional expandable battery packs, which are a game changer! This 2048Wh LifePO4 expansion battery module is designed to cover higher energy demand and bring extended runtime of devices when connected with compatible power stations like AC200MAX.

The AC200MAX supports up to two additional battery packs, using either the BLUETTI B230 or B300. If hooked with two B230 or B300, the AC200MAX is able to reach a maximum capacity of 8,192Wh, way enough to run all essential needs at home or on the go for hours, days, or even more than a week.

Design

Operating the Bluetti AC200MAX is made easy by its front-mounted touchscreen LCD display. It literally shows everything you need to know and has several controls. 

With the intuitive BLUETTI App, everything happening in the AC200MAX can all be controlled and monitored from a distance

Key Features

• 2048Wh massive capacity, meet the power needs of anyone
• Rated 2200Watt AC output, surge 4800Watt
• Ultra-durable LiFePO4 battery cell, features over 3500 times charge cycle
• Support up to 900watt solar input
• Can be charged up in less than 2 hours
• Expendable battery capacity
• Smart touch display, brings more information and convenient than ever
• Up to 15 ports, a versatile all-in-one power solution
• Dual wireless charging pad for the latest phones and accessories.

Specs of the Bluetti AC200MAX

Model: BLUETTI AC200MAX

Rated Output Power: 2200Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Typical Capacity: 2048Wh

Cell Chemistry: Li-ion LiFePO4

Dimensions: 16.5x11x15.2in ( 42 x 28 x 38.65cm)

Net Weight: 61.9lbs (28.1kg)

Max. Solar Input Power: 900Watt

Max. Input Power: 1300Watt

Charge Life Cycle: Up to 3500 to 80%

Scalability: Expandable w/ Up to 2 x B230 or 2 x B300

Operating usage temp.: 32-104 ℉ (0-40 ℃)

Warranty: 24 Months

Things to Consider Before Buying Your Portable Power Station

• Capacity: the capacity of a portable power station is measured in Watts (W). The watts, when applied to power usage, translate to Watt hours (Wh). It’s important to choose a power station that is capable of powering your energy needs, and luckily the Bluetti AC200MAX has a whopping 2200watt inverter, which means you can charge multiples devices for hours and hours in a row!
• Compatibility: you likely have a wide variety of electric gadgets and appliances to charge while camping and it’s important to look for a portable power station that is compatible with all your gear. Maybe you only just want to charge your phone and laptop, which means you can get by with a lightweight low capacity power station. But you might need more power, and even use a fridge or heater during camping, and that’s when it’s best to go for a portable power station that has much more watt hours.
• Expandability: when buying a portable power station you might not be sure about what your power requirements are. If that is the case you might want to look at a power station that is expandable. The good news is that the Bluetti AC200MAX is completely expandable and supports up to two additional battery packs!
• Charging ports and socket outlets: the average person today has to plug in a minimum of three devices, all via USB or regular sockets. So you really want to make sure that your portable power station has enough outlets to enable you to power up all of your appliances. Luckily, the Bluetti AC200MAX has 15 outlets!
• Charging time: some portable power stations can charge really slow, and if you don’t want to spend an eternity charging your power station, it is wise to look out for one that can at least charge up in a matter of hours. When being charged simultaneously with solar and AC wall outlets, AC200MAX can be charged up in less than 2 hours!

What We Like About the Bluetti AC200MAX

• The 15 outlets make this power station super versatile.
• Its whopping 2200 watt power capacity, which means we can charge a lot of our equipment on the road!
• Of course we love the expandable feature of the Bluetti AC200MAX. If we don’t know how much power we need we can always attach an extra battery pack later on.
• The super fast charging time. Can you believe that this power station can charge up in under 2 hours?!
• The intuitive touchscreen and Bluetti app, from where you can control everything.

General Tips

We have some tips for you to get the best out of your portable power station:

• Always power the power station correctly on and off.
• Keep the power station clean and always check if everything is still working correctly.
• Keep your portable power station mainly in one spot. They are not made to carry around the whole time but are great to keep in one place at the campground or in your car or campervan.
• Portable power stations take a while to charge, so start on time!
• Charging with solar panels takes more time but the advantage is that you can do this anywhere as long as you have solar panels!

Get your Bluetti AC200MAX HERE!

Portable power stations are what makes camping so much easier nowadays and we wish we had one while we were camping in Australia and New Zealand. We believe that the Bluetti AC200MAX is the best one on the market, with its enormous power capacity and expandable battery packs. Trust us, if you get this product for your camping adventures, then you’ll never wanna be without it anymore!

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