With these work for a 48 volt 13 amp ebike battery and how long would that take to charge? How long do they take to charge on solar? I need a solution so I can go farther on my e-bike
Great video and very helpful. After watching many videos and studying specs of both units, I bought the Bluetti about 10 weeks ago. Mainly use it for camping and for those days when we experience power outages here in the Caribbean. Especially during hurricane season that recently started. We were very lucky with Elsa, but still had a 5 hour power outage. Instead of running the gas generator, I decided to use the Bluetti. You are right. The light works great! In general, I like this unit and I will buy another one for my mom.
Bluetti has a new one coming out - the EB55. I've been testing it and will have a video coming out when they release the product for sale. I like it even better than the AC50s.
Great review, I was hesitant between Jakery, Yetti and Bluetti, I was almost decided for Jakery 500, after watching your video I made up my mind for Bluetti. Thanks.
Great concise video, as a single dad I’m looking for value and ease of use from a minimalist point of view. Power station and fridge is the last additions to complement my 21 Cherokee for off grid adventures , thx for your info. Stay healthy!
Nice video. I have done extensive research on both of these and feelI know about the key strengths and weaknesses and you nailed every point. I was worried you might miss one, but you got them all. Awesome. You confirmed all my points. I want to hear more and am subscribing. ❄️👍🏼👍🏼
Absolutely excellent video. By far the best usable information for comparison I have found! Thank you very much for taking the time and doing the research for us!
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures EcoFlow River 600 w/ the extra battery blows all of these away, and the price is close or lower depending on coupons. The recharge time is crazy fast compared to these as well 2.5hrs from 0-100%, handles 200w solar, inverter is 600/1200w surge. All specs are better with the Ecoflow River 600.
Great video. I was all set to buy the EcoFlow River Pro, because in addition to some crazy good specs, it's on sale at Costco for a limited time for only $429. Considering the regular retail is $649 and is currently on sale by the manufacturer for $549, the price at Costco is beyond good. After seeing your video, I'm now forced to do a bit deeper dive into the features and benefits of the EcoFlow River Pro vs the Bluetti AC50S.
I had the EcoFlow River 280W... bought it and returned it on Amazon because it seemed to ghost discharge and only charged my 3300 mAh smartphone ten times, when it claims over 47 charges...
Great video well done, I am running 2 of the DometicPLB-40's, One will run my ARB 47L/50Qt fridge for about 2 days 16 hours taking it down to around 80% leaving 20% in the battery and it will run my little 18L Dometic CDF 18 for 4 and a half Days and what the CDF uses over night in less than an hour of it being charged by the Cigar lighter socket and it will be back up to 100%, Gotta love these Lithium packs for fast easy charging. Keep up the good work.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures The PLB-40 is a great unit if your primary goal is 12v power, It can power a 150w/240v inverter but the best part is the Screw In 2 Pin Engel/ARB plug socket so the fridge lead never vibrates out to where it shuts off the fridge and another great feature is that the 12v Cigar Socket and the 2 Pin 12v Sockets are 15Ah not 10Ah like all the rest on the market, This works out well when you run the Bigger power hungry fridges like the big Snomasters or the big Twin Dometics because they can draw well over 9 or 10Ah while running, The 78L/82Qt ARB can use around 6 to 7.5Ah in Freezer mode Only when it is running some times but it normally uses around 0.6 to 2.3 Ah per Hour depending on the ambient temp and how low you have it set and the PLB will run it for around 24 hours when used as a freezer, Hope that helps.
Great review! Thanks for putting all the effort into testing these products. We’re in the market and you convinced me bluetti is the way to go. Looks like on the site you can get a bluetti 500 plus 120 watt solar panels for $629! Amazing deal!
Just found you and subscribed. Goal 25k by the end of the year and you are almost at 30 today. Loved the info thanks. Btw bluetti is on sale on Amazon for 399 with $20 off and the iramge is 379.
Been trying to decide about a Jackery vs. some of the other inverters. Someone highly recommended the Bluetti and this just might help me decide to go that route!!! Thank you for a thorough, honest review.
great review! perfect timing for me as was looking at a Jackery to power my CPAP in power outages and car camping! Bluetti offering $49 off for now, so bought it today! Thanks so much!
Forget all you've heard about small 300w solar generator , Golabs r30 changed the game , Lifepo4 battery , full pass through , mppt builtin charger , all Usb ports you'll ever need , 300w pure sine wave inverter,1 qc 30w ports,1 Qc 60w port , 2 usb 3 ports, powerfull flashlight ,1 cig lighter plug , one adaptor to add a cig plug ,excellent accessories provided ,MC4 to 5521 to connect solar panel , good price , very nice information disply ,the only draw back is charging time , 45 watts with the provided wall charger , but 60 watts if you have a PD power supply , like a Apple power supply. This device rocks.
Great review . I’ve been looking for a power station and it looks like ive found it . Looks like jackery met it’s competition. I’m a trucker and can charge it off my vehicle battery during the day and have it to use at my disposal OR use elsewhere with a panel for my camper excursions. love the design too . Thank you
I have the AC50S and love it! I have zero complaints, except maybe that the AC watt-meter doesn't register low wattages (which I didn't know until your review!). I use it mostly to power DC devices. When using the AC inverter, expect to only pull between 390 to 420 watt-hours total due to efficiency loss of the inverter. You're also correct that it doesn't like very high peak draws nor going much above 300W continuous, so the Jackery would have the advantage if AC is your biggest priority. But drawing DC power, you can expect close to the full 500 watts. Two additional notes - the cigarette lighter DC port is regulated 12 volts, but the two 3 amp jacks are not. I actually like that mix, as I can pull max watts out of the unregulated ports with no efficiency loss for my refrigerator, or I can use the cigarette lighter port for devices that can't handle if the voltage drops below 12. Also, the car charger can operate on either 12V or 24V. So if you have a 24V DC Cigarette Lighter source, you can charge this in about 4 hours.
@@Sneeezzyy Are you kidding? Just about everything these days is DC powered, you just have power bricks that convert AC to DC. If you ditch the power bricks you don't waste energy converting from DC (battery) to AC (power brick) back to DC again (device). My fridge, my lighting, my cameras, my laptop, my computer monitor, my cordless tools, my tablet, my cell phone, even my electric blanket... all DC equipment that would have to convert AC back to DC. "Dumb" would be insisting on doing that conversion and wasting energy, producing extra heat and wearing down an extra part (power brick) when you don't need to.
One thing to keep in mind is that with solar panels (electronics in reality) is that the advertised rating (so 120w solar panel) will likely only give you (at most) say 80 watts of actual input power because of inefficiencies. If it was advertised at 120w and you got 120w then that means it's 100% efficient meaning no power loss and what you get for input, you get for output (which really isn't possible that I'm aware of). This of course depends on how they are advertised. If they are really say 160 watt panels, but 120w is the peak they can deliver, then you may in fact have a 120w panel obviously, but as with most things, it can be all marketing and your mileage may vary (same for things like SD cards -- the advertise say 100MB/s but that's the read speed only). One other quick tip is to always add about 20% headroom when choosing a power station (or power supply). So if you know the most you'll need is 800 watts, buy a 1000 watt unit. If you only need 200 watts, buy a 240 or 300 watt unit. Always buy a little more than you'll need. This also helps with things like "startup" (when items may draw slightly more than they are rated as they are starting, like fridges or AC units).
Very helpful and very informative. I am actually in the market right now and have found an unbeatable deal at harbor freight on a jackery but this info on the bluetti has me looking that way. Thank you!
I thought about putting a crazy battery of 100ah in my caddy, just to go for a trip 2 - 7 Days. Now i just take this thing with solarpanel and a fridge, buy a cigarette adapter shower, take 20L of water with me and i have everything i need. I can even use this battery outside of my camper. Should be enough for the most
Theres been some updates on some of these models as well as others like them (such as the EBL 500) can we get an updated video soon? Im a disabled veteran, so im looking for certain things such as weight and comfortable handle. I would also like to see battery composition/comparisons. Not all betteries are made the same. Thank you for your time!
I watch the youtuber (HOBOTECH), he does a lot of solar panel and portable generators test and reviews. He likes the Bluetti and Jackery brands. But like most people wishes Jackery would remove that handle.
Both units are great!.. But the Bluetti has a 500w/hour battery but the inverter is only 300 Watts. Vs the Jakery 500 that has 518w/h battery capacity and a 500 watts inverter. I have both units and on the Bluetti I like the inverter is 120v ac instead of a 110vac on the Jackery. Also the sine wave form on the Bluetti has better resolution under inductive loads. Another good thing I like on the Bluetti is that the cooling fan is very quiet. The only downside compared with the Jackery is the display and the inverter power. Also, on the Jackery if you register your unit you get one extra year of warranty. Total 3 years instead of 2 on the Bluetti. - Great comparison!!!. Thanks.
Great information thank you for your review but I’m definitely torn between the blue yeti charging faster than the Jackery Jackery will run the fridge longer. Decisions decisions I don’t know if it made it easier or harder thank you.
Excellent video! It answered 99% of my Q's. One question left for a novice solar person...can the solar panels overcharge the Bluetti? Will it cause a fire? I am assuming the bluetti has a built in charge controller that will keep it from overcharging.
I just came across your channel and love the content! I actually live in Arkansas less than 30 minutes from the Ouachitas. I plan on making some content on my new Ranger Tremor that I have on order. Im going to build it for overlanding and plan on having it somewhat built by Rendezvous in the Ozarks this year! Glad to see people making content in Arkansas. I film and edit for a living so it will be fun to do personal videos, learn more about overlanding, and get to know other overlanders and content creatures in the state!
I just got the AC50s for use powering my ICECO VL42 fridge. Works fine when plugged into the AC port just fine but after some time overcurrents (10 amp max) when powered DC through cigarette plug. Mine may have a problem or maybe the fridge has trouble on startup but I am a bit disappointed.
Does the Bluetti have adapters to plug into your fuse box to run different appliances and electronics? The Goal0 500 has that capability but I did not see that demonstrated.
Hey, do you know if the Bluetti has a pass through so that I can use it as a back up for my CPAP machine? And if so would it kick in automatically with a power loss or would I have to manually press a button?
It can run your cpap and be charging at the same time so yes it would work like you described. Keeping any of these plugged in will keep the battery fully charged and if your cpap is plugged into the power station it will run off the battery if the power goes out.
Pass through charging is rated by how much is coming in. IE if you have 100watts coming in, Then you can use only about 100watts going out. Anything more will take internal battery power to over power the remaining out going power. But it'll take less from the battery then normally when running it fully off the battery. So keep to knowing the requirements of what comes in and what goes out.
My issue with the Bluetti is the 300W inverter instead of 500W. I also don't like that it doesn't have a Quick Charge USB and the Power Delivery USB-C is only 45W vs. 60W. Now, the Jackery 500 doesn't have these last two things either, but the new updated Jackery 300 does. I'm hoping that Jackery will update the older 500 to include these things along with an additional AC outlet.
I love the compact design of yeti.. but not telling me exact % I'll be a bit paranoid after 20% left. If I only camp for 3 days, and use at night and only a fridge, yeti for sure. Anything over 4 days, jackery for accurate %.
I am going for a 4 day trip to Sebring, Florida. We don't have high power appliances like fridges or fans. You think this product is good or stick to the jackery?
@@lowebaa To be honest with you, I don't have either of them just "yet" will be buying jackery for now due to budget and later updating up bluetti. For a 4 day trip, I'd assume you'll be definitely okay. Because you'll be driving to your destination and you can charge jackery as you're driving and it can power up other utilities as well. If you're staying for 3 nights, definitely no worries if you're heading out on 4th day(driving) to charge the javkery back up as you explore on your way home. If you are skeptical about the 4 day trip, you can turn it off during the night and plug it back up during the day and utilities be up running again. I'd just bring extra ice or insulation to wrap the item your jackery powering up to maintain it's temperature during slow hours. Not sure if I explained it well, sorry.
Yetis have a % gauge. But you also gotta remember that all these solar generators have only 90 to 85% power efficiency on AC. So using 12volts or 5volts is 100% better to use then AC. If you want something with better AC, you'll not likely find it on small portable generators like this. So that means that 10-15% of your battery life will be wasted if you use Pure AC devices only. So 500watts will more be like 450 or 425watts of true power.
Saw the fridge video before this one and am already wondering if there was a test with the Bluetti running the fridge and how long it lasted...was it better or worse...looking around right now lol.
According to Hobotech, the 500 got updated with a MPPT controller and a secret larger battery that is actually 550 watts. I would pick the bluetti if I did alot of camping/ solar charging , Jackery for power outtages to run more things for longer I guess
Just a wee note for any possible power station videos in the future. Almost all cpap machines now either come with or have available for additional purchase, a 12 volt power cord. This saves a TON of power when using it with a power station. Also, cpap machines draw a lot of power with the heaters and humidifiers engaged while operating. The power consumption rates will vary by quite a bit depending on a variety of factors. Not quite like plugging in an appliance or a charger of some kind.
I love this device. I have a few scenarios and while I do prefer this one. For the price and my style of usage....it's not ideal Yet I've been eyeing the eco river 600 because of that 600 watt / 1200 peak inverter to run my fridge. And the 200 watts of solar input is NICE. We shall see.
I know this video is a bit old now... but which would you recommend for charging the batteries of battery powered tools? I’m thinking of switching my chainsaw from gas to battery and was wondering how these would do if plugging in a dewalt/makita/milwaukee charger
The main tradeoffs, as far as I'm concerned, The Jackery has about 100 extra watthours. But the Bluetti will charge faster, and take a 40V input. All the other stuff comes down to small functions vs. form. I'll probably build a LiFePo4 based system anyway.
@@chairborne33 Yes, thanks for pointing that out. It's an important feature. Even to me. I've gotten all the parts for my initial build and it includes a 600W PSW inverter. Well all the parts except for the battery. Still researching the different ones to make up my mind which one to go with.
So if you're going camping for a week would you recommend two? That way you can charge one while the other is being charged by the solar panels? I'm specifically curious in regards to winter camping (like -20 C). And I have a heater, will be charging a DSLR battery, potentially keep a fridge running, cell phone.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures yeah I'm wondering what cold weather will do to their battery life. I guess if it's either charging or discharging the battery itself is always "warm"? But if it's not curious to know how the battery would hold up. I always read that it's not good for a battery to charge it without letting it discharge fully because it ends up reducing the overall capacity in the long run. Any truth to that? Although this was regarding electronics (eg, cell phones)?
So I recently bought astro van and it has a TV already installed. I'm looking to put a mini fridge in there as well. What kind of battery do you think I should use for this kind of situation?
For the record, many newer CPAP machines (ResMed definitely) has a DC adapter you can buy and it will draw nearly half the power of the AC adapter, nearly doubling its use time.
This is something I did not know. My main concern with portable power is supporting a CPAP. I have a ResMed and dont have the DC adapter so this is great info. Thank you.
@@christopherowens740 I bought a travel cpap, a Z2 by Breas. I had to purchase the 12v adapter, but I have a small $140 Renogy power block and can run it for 5+ days on 6hours of sleep per night. It’s fantastic. Would recommend.
After watching lots of reviews on a multitude of batteries and decided on the Bluetti AC50s but they don't make it for Australian plugs! We always seem to miss out - there is so much choice in the States it's so frustrating ..... oh well back to the drawing board..... (I guess I could use an adapter for the AC plug? - I mean how often am I going to use it? I really want it as a back up for my fridge so would use the 12v plug) ....... mmmm Great review btw I learnt a lot!!
Thanks for your great videos! Was wondering if any of these portable power stations can operate a car battery trickle charger? I live in a condo without an AC outlet near my parking spot, have a car that isn't driven often and constantly worry about coming back to it with the battery dead. Being a trickle charger, I don't think it draws a lot of power so hoping to find something that would last months. Do you think any of these would be a solution?
It'll run a trickle charger, but not for months. Probably not for more than a day, since just using the ac output has some losses. For your situation I'd look into a solar battery maintainer.
@@joshua.harazin Thanks for your reply! This is a tricky problem (one that I haven't been able to solve yet - online or anywhere). My car is in an underground parking garage so solar is not possible. Removing the battery requires removing the spare tire as well so it's crazily inconvenient. If anyone out there has another solution, would be mighty greatful! I'm all ears!
@@joshua.harazin if you’re jump starting the battery you can use +/- post under the hood or charge via cigarette lighter. But to remove, you really have jump through a lot of hoops in the trunk to take out spare tire and dig around to access the physical battery.
EcoFlow River 600 w/ the extra battery blows all of these away, and the price is close or lower depending on coupons. The recharge time is crazy fast compared to these as well. All specs are better with the Ecoflow River 600.
I got mines for 250 bucks brand new in the box ac50s I got mines so I can cook rice and run my cheap 54qt fridge I picked up for 75 dollars yeah I’m on a super budget always looking for good stuff at a good price
@@shawncowan1075 Offer up man I stay on a low baller budget I’m not rich to buy all this good stuff if it wasn’t for 250 I wouldn’t even get one these thing cost stupid money and for this price I couldn’t pass it since they accepted my offer I went out and picked it up right away
None of these have 'replacement' friendly batteries. These are Lithium cells, Which most devices containing such will not be removable. You will have to look at older school systems like Lead Acid or something that uses the more AA class designs.
Worth mentioning the superior inverter of the jackary. It allows you to exceed 500 for brief start up. The bluetti is I believe a 300 watt inverter so you can’t actually use as much power. If I’m mistaken, please let me know, but I watch a lot of these reviews hobotech and will prowse really put them through their paces.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures Hey, thanks for the info also there is a new EV comming ont he market in europe and it gets a 120miles a day off its solar roof www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com/news/buses-commercial-vehicles/xbus-modular-lightweight-electric-vehicle-nears-production.html Just thought you might like to know for camping purposes if it comes to the US.
I was looking at the Jackery but this Bluetti has 1000 cycles, twice as much? That makes a big difference for someone who might not use it much or plans on camping in 2 years I noticed some commenters mentioning the inverter, what’s the difference between the two and/or at what point does he talk about it? Thanks
Is it best to discharge the battery before recharging ? And say I recharge it after using 50%... would that be consider 1 charge out of the 1000 charge? Great review.
You do not have to discharge it fully before recharging it. These batteries don't have a memory. Not sure about how partial discharges count toward the 1000 cycles but with 1000 cycles, I wouldn't worry about it. These things will last a long time.
Question about cycles: Is there a discharge curve? As the number of discharges moves towards 1000, does this battery life life percentage MOVE towards 80%? In other words, after 500 discharges do I have only 90% capacity remaining?
So I just bought and received a WattFun 300 watt, 500 watt hour solar generator. This appears to be an exact twin to the Bluetti that you just reviewed in this video. Any thoughts on this comparison?
Enjoyed the review and the clear and concise info. I also appreciate the unbiased review. Straight forward. I think highly of the Jackery and I'm 100% certain that I will own one but at this point i may just move forward with the Bluetti.
Bluetti has given us a coupon code for our viewers - Ozark65 - that will give you $65 off. Use the link in the video description.
With these work for a 48 volt 13 amp ebike battery and how long would that take to charge? How long do they take to charge on solar? I need a solution so I can go farther on my e-bike
How long is this discount code good for?
Based on other videos I've seen the majority goes for jackery .
Thanks for the fine video on these items, nice job
Hi there, do you have a coupon code for amazon.ca (canada)
Thanks,
A
Great video and very helpful. After watching many videos and studying specs of both units, I bought the Bluetti about 10 weeks ago. Mainly use it for camping and for those days when we experience power outages here in the Caribbean. Especially during hurricane season that recently started. We were very lucky with Elsa, but still had a 5 hour power outage. Instead of running the gas generator, I decided to use the Bluetti. You are right. The light works great! In general, I like this unit and I will buy another one for my mom.
Bluetti has a new one coming out - the EB55. I've been testing it and will have a video coming out when they release the product for sale. I like it even better than the AC50s.
Great review, I was hesitant between Jakery, Yetti and Bluetti, I was almost decided for Jakery 500, after watching your video I made up my mind for Bluetti. Thanks.
super informative review! Just bought our bluetti with the 120W solar panel!
Great concise video, as a single dad I’m looking for value and ease of use from a minimalist point of view. Power station and fridge is the last additions to complement my 21 Cherokee for off grid adventures , thx for your info. Stay healthy!
Others would say both are go to options for a chance at a sponsorship and you didn't, thanks man you're TRUE
These are currently on sale (Labor Day), and we picked one up. Thanks for the great video. I love your review videos.
EXCELLENT video .. finally a crystal clear review that’s truly helpful .. keep up the great job .. !
Glad it was helpful!
What made this a great review for you? Just doing a little recon. Thanks
Been looking to buy one for camping and power outages. Like the usb fan. Thinks. U sure answered my question. Keep up the reviews. Thank u sir.
Awesome! Thanks David!
Thanks! I watched this after purchasing one. Made me feel good about my decision!
Nice video. I have done extensive research on both of these and feelI know about the key strengths and weaknesses and you nailed every point. I was worried you might miss one, but you got them all. Awesome. You confirmed all my points. I want to hear more and am subscribing. ❄️👍🏼👍🏼
Awesome! Thank you!!
Excellent! A video I could understand even though I am not an electrical engineer! Thank you
Glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Absolutely excellant review!
Great review. The two 6mm dc outlets are for CPAP machines and other like items that run off of 12v power
Thanks!! I’ve never seen anything that uses the 6mm outputs but since they put two on there it must be used by something. 😂
Technically yes, but in the AC50s those outputs are unregulated, which is not recommended for cpap machines. (the cig-lighter-style 12v is regulated).
Absolutely excellent video. By far the best usable information for comparison I have found! Thank you very much for taking the time and doing the research for us!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much!!
EXCELLENT VIDEO as always...
Thank you for sharing this video.
Buying a Bluetti today thanks for this great review, also for the coupon code
Thank you! I was actually wanting to buy the Jackery and I know there’s a bunch of brands but idk what’s good. So now I’ll get the Bluetti
You'll love it.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures EcoFlow River 600 w/ the extra battery blows all of these away, and the price is close or lower depending on coupons. The recharge time is crazy fast compared to these as well 2.5hrs from 0-100%, handles 200w solar, inverter is 600/1200w surge. All specs are better with the Ecoflow River 600.
@@stevemcarthur6886 I should have an EcoFlow River Pro to test real soon.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures The pro is a step up over the River 600 Max. Nice!
Great video. I was all set to buy the EcoFlow River Pro, because in addition to some crazy good specs, it's on sale at Costco for a limited time for only $429. Considering the regular retail is $649 and is currently on sale by the manufacturer for $549, the price at Costco is beyond good. After seeing your video, I'm now forced to do a bit deeper dive into the features and benefits of the EcoFlow River Pro vs the Bluetti AC50S.
I had the EcoFlow River 280W... bought it and returned it on Amazon because it seemed to ghost discharge and only charged my 3300 mAh smartphone ten times, when it claims over 47 charges...
Love this video btw. Great job man this was a pleasure to watch
Thanks!!
Great video well done, I am running 2 of the DometicPLB-40's, One will run my ARB 47L/50Qt fridge for about 2 days 16 hours taking it down to around 80% leaving 20% in the battery and it will run my little 18L Dometic CDF 18 for 4 and a half Days and what the CDF uses over night in less than an hour of it being charged by the Cigar lighter socket and it will be back up to 100%, Gotta love these Lithium packs for fast easy charging. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! I really want to test the PLB-40!
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures The PLB-40 is a great unit if your primary goal is 12v power, It can power a 150w/240v inverter but the best part is the Screw In 2 Pin Engel/ARB plug socket so the fridge lead never vibrates out to where it shuts off the fridge and another great feature is that the 12v Cigar Socket and the 2 Pin 12v Sockets are 15Ah not 10Ah like all the rest on the market, This works out well when you run the Bigger power hungry fridges like the big Snomasters or the big Twin Dometics because they can draw well over 9 or 10Ah while running, The 78L/82Qt ARB can use around 6 to 7.5Ah in Freezer mode Only when it is running some times but it normally uses around 0.6 to 2.3 Ah per Hour depending on the ambient temp and how low you have it set and the PLB will run it for around 24 hours when used as a freezer, Hope that helps.
Great review! Thanks for putting all the effort into testing these products. We’re in the market and you convinced me bluetti is the way to go. Looks like on the site you can get a bluetti 500 plus 120 watt solar panels for $629! Amazing deal!
Glad it was helpful! That is a great deal!!
Thanks for the video. Looking forward to your next video with the solar panels 🌞
Thanks!! Me too. Lol.
Nice video, clearly sharing the good points about each brand and thoughts about actual usage (i.e. wire routing, etc)
You guys should do the gold standard vs best knock-offs for the power station’s. Would be nice to see alternatives to the premium prices models.
YES... Great Idea
Great video thank you for going over these 2 power stations. I'm new to this stuff and trying to learn.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this information. I had already narrowed it down between these two. Know which one I will buy. Keep up the good work.
Awesome! When you purchase, please use the link in the video description. Thank you!
Just found you and subscribed. Goal 25k by the end of the year and you are almost at 30 today. Loved the info thanks.
Btw bluetti is on sale on Amazon for 399 with $20 off and the iramge is 379.
Convinced...Bought one today. Thanks for all the information.
Been trying to decide about a Jackery vs. some of the other inverters. Someone highly recommended the Bluetti and this just might help me decide to go that route!!! Thank you for a thorough, honest review.
Glad I could help
great review! perfect timing for me as was looking at a Jackery to power my CPAP in power outages and car camping! Bluetti offering $49 off for now, so bought it today! Thanks so much!
Glad I could help!
Lots of good info and a big help. Thank you!
These were great comparison videos. Both this and the other one were great and really helpful! Thanks!
Thank you! I have a new one on the Jackery 1000 coming out on Wednesday.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures Nice, looking forward to it and the solar power tests.
Great review Matt. This device ticks all the boxes for me. 12 inches of snow with rolling blackouts Yikes 😱
Thanks!!
I just ordered one and used the coupon code. Thanks for doing this video, also subscribed.
Awesome! Thank you!
Forget all you've heard about small 300w solar generator , Golabs r30 changed the game , Lifepo4 battery , full pass through , mppt builtin charger , all Usb ports you'll ever need , 300w pure sine wave inverter,1 qc 30w ports,1 Qc 60w port , 2 usb 3 ports, powerfull flashlight ,1 cig lighter plug , one adaptor to add a cig plug ,excellent accessories provided ,MC4 to 5521 to connect solar panel , good price , very nice information disply ,the only draw back is charging time , 45 watts with the provided wall charger , but 60 watts if you have a PD power supply , like a Apple power supply. This device rocks.
It looks good. Just wish it was 500wh instead of 299.
Evening Matt, great job on the review
Great video, thanks for the reviews!!
Great review . I’ve been looking for a power station and it looks like ive found it . Looks like jackery met it’s competition. I’m a trucker and can charge it off my vehicle battery during the day and have it to use at my disposal OR use elsewhere with a panel for my camper excursions. love the design too . Thank you
I have the AC50S and love it! I have zero complaints, except maybe that the AC watt-meter doesn't register low wattages (which I didn't know until your review!). I use it mostly to power DC devices.
When using the AC inverter, expect to only pull between 390 to 420 watt-hours total due to efficiency loss of the inverter. You're also correct that it doesn't like very high peak draws nor going much above 300W continuous, so the Jackery would have the advantage if AC is your biggest priority. But drawing DC power, you can expect close to the full 500 watts.
Two additional notes - the cigarette lighter DC port is regulated 12 volts, but the two 3 amp jacks are not. I actually like that mix, as I can pull max watts out of the unregulated ports with no efficiency loss for my refrigerator, or I can use the cigarette lighter port for devices that can't handle if the voltage drops below 12. Also, the car charger can operate on either 12V or 24V. So if you have a 24V DC Cigarette Lighter source, you can charge this in about 4 hours.
So dumb no one uses DC nothing I own is DC it’s all AC 300 watt for ac is trash why put all power in a DC outlet so useless
@@Sneeezzyy Are you kidding? Just about everything these days is DC powered, you just have power bricks that convert AC to DC. If you ditch the power bricks you don't waste energy converting from DC (battery) to AC (power brick) back to DC again (device). My fridge, my lighting, my cameras, my laptop, my computer monitor, my cordless tools, my tablet, my cell phone, even my electric blanket... all DC equipment that would have to convert AC back to DC.
"Dumb" would be insisting on doing that conversion and wasting energy, producing extra heat and wearing down an extra part (power brick) when you don't need to.
One thing to keep in mind is that with solar panels (electronics in reality) is that the advertised rating (so 120w solar panel) will likely only give you (at most) say 80 watts of actual input power because of inefficiencies. If it was advertised at 120w and you got 120w then that means it's 100% efficient meaning no power loss and what you get for input, you get for output (which really isn't possible that I'm aware of). This of course depends on how they are advertised. If they are really say 160 watt panels, but 120w is the peak they can deliver, then you may in fact have a 120w panel obviously, but as with most things, it can be all marketing and your mileage may vary (same for things like SD cards -- the advertise say 100MB/s but that's the read speed only).
One other quick tip is to always add about 20% headroom when choosing a power station (or power supply). So if you know the most you'll need is 800 watts, buy a 1000 watt unit. If you only need 200 watts, buy a 240 or 300 watt unit. Always buy a little more than you'll need. This also helps with things like "startup" (when items may draw slightly more than they are rated as they are starting, like fridges or AC units).
Very helpful and very informative. I am actually in the market right now and have found an unbeatable deal at harbor freight on a jackery but this info on the bluetti has me looking that way. Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I think I want the bluettie. One question can you use any solar panel with it? I have a 100 watt panel.
I thought about putting a crazy battery of 100ah in my caddy, just to go for a trip 2 - 7 Days. Now i just take this thing with solarpanel and a fridge, buy a cigarette adapter shower, take 20L of water with me and i have everything i need. I can even use this battery outside of my camper. Should be enough for the most
Looking forward to see your solar panels comparison 👍
Thanks! Me too.
Theres been some updates on some of these models as well as others like them (such as the EBL 500) can we get an updated video soon? Im a disabled veteran, so im looking for certain things such as weight and comfortable handle. I would also like to see battery composition/comparisons. Not all betteries are made the same. Thank you for your time!
Confirmed everything I was really thinking. Both seem fantastic and you’d be satisfied with either but I’m going Bluetti baby!
I watch the youtuber (HOBOTECH), he does a lot of solar panel and portable generators test and reviews.
He likes the Bluetti and Jackery brands. But like most people wishes Jackery would remove that handle.
I like his channel too.
Both units are great!.. But the Bluetti has a 500w/hour battery but the inverter is only 300 Watts. Vs the Jakery 500 that has 518w/h battery capacity and a 500 watts inverter.
I have both units and on the Bluetti I like the inverter is 120v ac instead of a 110vac on the Jackery. Also the sine wave form on the Bluetti has better resolution under inductive loads.
Another good thing I like on the Bluetti is that the cooling fan is very quiet. The only downside compared with the Jackery is the display and the inverter power.
Also, on the Jackery if you register your unit you get one extra year of warranty. Total 3 years instead of 2 on the Bluetti. - Great comparison!!!. Thanks.
Correct
Great information thank you for your review but I’m definitely torn between the blue yeti charging faster than the Jackery Jackery will run the fridge longer. Decisions decisions I don’t know if it made it easier or harder thank you.
Excellent video! It answered 99% of my Q's. One question left for a novice solar person...can the solar panels overcharge the Bluetti? Will it cause a fire? I am assuming the bluetti has a built in charge controller that will keep it from overcharging.
I just came across your channel and love the content! I actually live in Arkansas less than 30 minutes from the Ouachitas. I plan on making some content on my new Ranger Tremor that I have on order. Im going to build it for overlanding and plan on having it somewhat built by Rendezvous in the Ozarks this year! Glad to see people making content in Arkansas. I film and edit for a living so it will be fun to do personal videos, learn more about overlanding, and get to know other overlanders and content creatures in the state!
That's awesome!! Thank you very much.
Brilliant review thanks - do you know if it will charge a MacBook Air as I need to edit on the move
I just got the AC50s for use powering my ICECO VL42 fridge. Works fine when plugged into the AC port just fine but after some time overcurrents (10 amp max) when powered DC through cigarette plug. Mine may have a problem or maybe the fridge has trouble on startup but I am a bit disappointed.
I tested mine on two fridges and it worked great. I would lean more toward the IceCo having issues on 12volt.
I've got the AC50S since release and it's great. As long as you don't need high powered AC then it's great for road trips, camping, and overlanding.
Totally agree!
Thorough and honest review. Good job.👍
Does the Bluetti have adapters to plug into your fuse box to run different appliances and electronics? The Goal0 500 has that capability but I did not see that demonstrated.
Thanks for the helpful info!
I have a Kodiak and it is expendable, is this one able to add more battery storage?
You can't expand these.
Great information. I'm wanting to get something for power on the go.
Hey, do you know if the Bluetti has a pass through so that I can use it as a back up for my CPAP machine? And if so would it kick in automatically with a power loss or would I have to manually press a button?
It can run your cpap and be charging at the same time so yes it would work like you described. Keeping any of these plugged in will keep the battery fully charged and if your cpap is plugged into the power station it will run off the battery if the power goes out.
Pass through charging is rated by how much is coming in. IE if you have 100watts coming in, Then you can use only about 100watts going out. Anything more will take internal battery power to over power the remaining out going power. But it'll take less from the battery then normally when running it fully off the battery. So keep to knowing the requirements of what comes in and what goes out.
My issue with the Bluetti is the 300W inverter instead of 500W. I also don't like that it doesn't have a Quick Charge USB and the Power Delivery USB-C is only 45W vs. 60W. Now, the Jackery 500 doesn't have these last two things either, but the new updated Jackery 300 does. I'm hoping that Jackery will update the older 500 to include these things along with an additional AC outlet.
I hope they do too. The 300 watt inverter doesn't bother me since I won't run anything that comes close to that wattage.
I love the compact design of yeti.. but not telling me exact % I'll be a bit paranoid after 20% left. If I only camp for 3 days, and use at night and only a fridge, yeti for sure. Anything over 4 days, jackery for accurate %.
I am going for a 4 day trip to Sebring, Florida. We don't have high power appliances like fridges or fans. You think this product is good or stick to the jackery?
@@lowebaa To be honest with you, I don't have either of them just "yet" will be buying jackery for now due to budget and later updating up bluetti. For a 4 day trip, I'd assume you'll be definitely okay. Because you'll be driving to your destination and you can charge jackery as you're driving and it can power up other utilities as well. If you're staying for 3 nights, definitely no worries if you're heading out on 4th day(driving) to charge the javkery back up as you explore on your way home. If you are skeptical about the 4 day trip, you can turn it off during the night and plug it back up during the day and utilities be up running again. I'd just bring extra ice or insulation to wrap the item your jackery powering up to maintain it's temperature during slow hours. Not sure if I explained it well, sorry.
Yetis have a % gauge. But you also gotta remember that all these solar generators have only 90 to 85% power efficiency on AC. So using 12volts or 5volts is 100% better to use then AC. If you want something with better AC, you'll not likely find it on small portable generators like this.
So that means that 10-15% of your battery life will be wasted if you use Pure AC devices only. So 500watts will more be like 450 or 425watts of true power.
I was going to pull the trigger on a Goal Zero 1000 but ive decided on a Anker powerhouse 757!
Saw the fridge video before this one and am already wondering if there was a test with the Bluetti running the fridge and how long it lasted...was it better or worse...looking around right now lol.
It's at the 12:56 mark.
According to Hobotech, the 500 got updated with a MPPT controller and a secret larger battery that is actually 550 watts.
I would pick the bluetti if I did alot of camping/ solar charging , Jackery for power outtages to run more things for longer I guess
Glad we have both!!!
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures even better ha ha
A good , honest evaluation. 👍
Just a wee note for any possible power station videos in the future. Almost all cpap machines now either come with or have available for additional purchase, a 12 volt power cord. This saves a TON of power when using it with a power station. Also, cpap machines draw a lot of power with the heaters and humidifiers engaged while operating. The power consumption rates will vary by quite a bit depending on a variety of factors. Not quite like plugging in an appliance or a charger of some kind.
I love this device. I have a few scenarios and while I do prefer this one. For the price and my style of usage....it's not ideal Yet
I've been eyeing the eco river 600 because of that 600 watt / 1200 peak inverter to run my fridge. And the 200 watts of solar input is NICE. We shall see.
I would love to test an Eco River. I hear great things about it.
Great review. My choice is also Bluetti.
I know this video is a bit old now... but which would you recommend for charging the batteries of battery powered tools? I’m thinking of switching my chainsaw from gas to battery and was wondering how these would do if plugging in a dewalt/makita/milwaukee charger
They would work great. I have a friends who uses one for that exact purpose.
The main tradeoffs, as far as I'm concerned, The Jackery has about 100 extra watthours. But the Bluetti will charge faster, and take a 40V input. All the other stuff comes down to small functions vs. form. I'll probably build a LiFePo4 based system anyway.
The Jackery has a bigger inverter as well
@@chairborne33 Yes, thanks for pointing that out. It's an important feature. Even to me. I've gotten all the parts for my initial build and it includes a 600W PSW inverter. Well all the parts except for the battery. Still researching the different ones to make up my mind which one to go with.
So if you're going camping for a week would you recommend two? That way you can charge one while the other is being charged by the solar panels? I'm specifically curious in regards to winter camping (like -20 C). And I have a heater, will be charging a DSLR battery, potentially keep a fridge running, cell phone.
You can use them and charge them with solar at the same time. No clue on camping in weather that cold.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures yeah I'm wondering what cold weather will do to their battery life. I guess if it's either charging or discharging the battery itself is always "warm"? But if it's not curious to know how the battery would hold up. I always read that it's not good for a battery to charge it without letting it discharge fully because it ends up reducing the overall capacity in the long run. Any truth to that? Although this was regarding electronics (eg, cell phones)?
Thank you. It was a good informational video. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
So I recently bought astro van and it has a TV already installed. I'm looking to put a mini fridge in there as well. What kind of battery do you think I should use for this kind of situation?
For the record, many newer CPAP machines (ResMed definitely) has a DC adapter you can buy and it will draw nearly half the power of the AC adapter, nearly doubling its use time.
This is something I did not know. My main concern with portable power is supporting a CPAP. I have a ResMed and dont have the DC adapter so this is great info. Thank you.
@@christopherowens740 I bought a travel cpap, a Z2 by Breas. I had to purchase the 12v adapter, but I have a small $140 Renogy power block and can run it for 5+ days on 6hours of sleep per night. It’s fantastic. Would recommend.
Which ones use the 8mm like goal zero input for charging?
Do you know how the paxcess rockman compares to these? It seems to have a lot of good features and the price is very nice for a 500wh battery
After watching lots of reviews on a multitude of batteries and decided on the Bluetti AC50s but they don't make it for Australian plugs! We always seem to miss out - there is so much choice in the States it's so frustrating ..... oh well back to the drawing board..... (I guess I could use an adapter for the AC plug? - I mean how often am I going to use it? I really want it as a back up for my fridge so would use the 12v plug) ....... mmmm Great review btw I learnt a lot!!
Question: looking for small/ emergency fridge for hurricane season.that doesn't cost 1,000.00 any suggestions? Looking into a set up like this
Check out my review of the Setpower VL45 fridge. I think you will like that one.
Love my AC50S. With my Paxcess 120W panel, I can get full power on good solar days. Sometimes, input will peak to 125W even.
Buying one of these for all of our rigs. Thanks Matt!
You bet!
Thanks for your great videos! Was wondering if any of these portable power stations can operate a car battery trickle charger? I live in a condo without an AC outlet near my parking spot, have a car that isn't driven often and constantly worry about coming back to it with the battery dead. Being a trickle charger, I don't think it draws a lot of power so hoping to find something that would last months. Do you think any of these would be a solution?
That's a good questions. I would think that they could although I don't have a trickle charger to test that.
It'll run a trickle charger, but not for months. Probably not for more than a day, since just using the ac output has some losses.
For your situation I'd look into a solar battery maintainer.
@@joshua.harazin Thanks for your reply! This is a tricky problem (one that I haven't been able to solve yet - online or anywhere). My car is in an underground parking garage so solar is not possible. Removing the battery requires removing the spare tire as well so it's crazily inconvenient. If anyone out there has another solution, would be mighty greatful! I'm all ears!
@@renaling8526 does the spare have to be removed to reach the battery? (even if not removing)?
@@joshua.harazin if you’re jump starting the battery you can use +/- post under the hood or charge via cigarette lighter. But to remove, you really have jump through a lot of hoops in the trunk to take out spare tire and dig around to access the physical battery.
Nice. I am considering the Bluettie bundle (with solar panels) purely to use my fridge on campouts. Looks like it should be a winner.
Go for it!
What's the best storage advice for this? Should i always keep at 100% for emergencies?
I do.
EcoFlow River 600 w/ the extra battery blows all of these away, and the price is close or lower depending on coupons. The recharge time is crazy fast compared to these as well. All specs are better with the Ecoflow River 600.
I got mines for 250 bucks brand new in the box ac50s I got mines so I can cook rice and run my cheap 54qt fridge I picked up for 75 dollars yeah I’m on a super budget always looking for good stuff at a good price
That's awesome!!
from where?
@@shawncowan1075
Offer up man I stay on a low baller budget I’m not rich to buy all this good stuff if it wasn’t for 250 I wouldn’t even get one these thing cost stupid money and for this price I couldn’t pass it since they accepted my offer I went out and picked it up right away
Good deal! I wouldn't have passed that up either!
A lot of cpaps come with 12v connectors so I’m thinking you get more hours with it on 12v vs AC. Does that make sense?
I am wondering if you can/will direct me where to buy 12vdc LED lighting and/or adapters/pigtails that fit those DC 12v/3A outputs..??
not sure. All my lighting is either solar or USB powered.
Amazon has 5.5mm pigtails. For 12v lighting, anything rv or automotive should work. Just chop off the cig-lighter-style plug and wire in a pigtail.
Thanks Matt. Great review.
Do any of these have serviceable batteries or do you just recycle the whole thing?
I’m not sure. I know with a lifespan of 500 cycles and even 1000 cycles for the Bluetti to 80% these will last a long time.
None of these have 'replacement' friendly batteries. These are Lithium cells, Which most devices containing such will not be removable. You will have to look at older school systems like Lead Acid or something that uses the more AA class designs.
@@KillerRaptorr
Thank you for clearing that up @KillerRaptor.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures
That is a good point Matt. Thanks.
Worth mentioning the superior inverter of the jackary. It allows you to exceed 500 for brief start up. The bluetti is I believe a 300 watt inverter so you can’t actually use as much power. If I’m mistaken, please let me know, but I watch a lot of these reviews hobotech and will prowse really put them through their paces.
I actually did mention that.
Helloooo fellow Arky, Is the Bluetti Lithium Iron Phosphate or Lithium Ion? AS I am waiting for a lIFEPO Battery system.
LiFePO
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures Hey, thanks for the info also there is a new EV comming ont he market in europe and it gets a 120miles a day off its solar roof www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com/news/buses-commercial-vehicles/xbus-modular-lightweight-electric-vehicle-nears-production.html Just thought you might like to know for camping purposes if it comes to the US.
Will it charge a electric unicycle? 512wh 2.5amp?
I was looking at the Jackery but this Bluetti has 1000 cycles, twice as much? That makes a big difference for someone who might not use it much or plans on camping in 2 years
I noticed some commenters mentioning the inverter, what’s the difference between the two and/or at what point does he talk about it? Thanks
Is it best to discharge the battery before recharging ? And say I recharge it after using 50%... would that be consider 1 charge out of the 1000 charge? Great review.
You do not have to discharge it fully before recharging it. These batteries don't have a memory. Not sure about how partial discharges count toward the 1000 cycles but with 1000 cycles, I wouldn't worry about it. These things will last a long time.
Are the solar panels interchangeable...use a jackery solar plan on a bluetti?
Yes you can use any solar panels with any power station as long as you have the right input connection.
Question about cycles: Is there a discharge curve? As the number of discharges moves towards 1000, does this battery life life percentage MOVE towards 80%? In other words, after 500 discharges do I have only 90% capacity remaining?
Great question and I've never heard anyone mention this before so I'm not sure.
Can you use the generator and charge it at the same time?
So I just bought and received a WattFun 300 watt, 500 watt hour solar generator. This appears to be an exact twin to the Bluetti that you just reviewed in this video. Any thoughts on this comparison?
they do look exactly the same. Not sure.
Enjoyed the review and the clear and concise info. I also appreciate the unbiased review. Straight forward. I think highly of the Jackery and I'm 100% certain that I will own one but at this point i may just move forward with the Bluetti.