Bluetti AC60 Review (Hands on Tests!)

The Bluetti AC60 is a small, affordable, portable power station introduced in 2023.  We got our hands on this new portable power station to run hands-on tests, and we put the machine through its paces to ensure that it won’t disappoint.

Bluetti sent me one of their AC60 portable power station for this review, but I’m always frank with companies right off the bat.  I don’t promise good reviews, and I have, in fact, given horrible reviews to a number of different products in the past. 

Just take a look at my 4Patriots survival food review or my legacy food storage review.  Or, when looking at backup power options, anything from Yeti Goal Zero in my comprehensive portable power station review, discussing all the major systems on the market.

These are our real-life tests, and our honest opinions about the system.

Relatively new to the portable power bank market, Bluetti was founded in 2019, utilizing the most advanced battery technology.  They only use newer Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, which last for at least 3000+ charges, and are rated for decades of use.

They recently came out with the Bluetti AC60, which is a small, portable power bank designed for use in camping or charging devices in emergencies.  It’s incredibly portable, and weighs just 20 pounds.

The package itself includes a 600 Watt battery with 403 WH of power storage.  It can be charged from a wall outlet, DC car port, with Bluetti’s 120 W solar panels or 200 W solar panels. 

It’s an expandable system, so it can be used as an inverter for other larger Bluetti battery expansion packs.  You can add a Bluetti B80 battery pack for an additional 806 WH of battery life, expanding the system to 1209 WH total.

Bluetti AC60 Review

I’m going to take you through all of our tests on the unit, but first, I want to cover what we liked and didn’t like overall.

We loved that the machine is small and lightweight, and at 20 pounds, it’s perfect for camping, glamping or apartment use.  It’s small enough that my young children can move it around, and it’s fine for my elderly parents too.

It includes a variety of outlets, including:

• Two Standard AC Outlets
• Two Standard USB-A Ports
• One 100W USB-C Port
• One 12V DC Car Outlet
• One Wireless Charging Pad

All of them can be used at the same time, which gives you plenty of options for running or charging multiple small things simultaneously if needed.

We really liked how easy the machine is to use, and it’s perfect for use running small appliaces including CPAP while camping or if the power’s out.  It also works great for charging devices, as well as running tablets or running gaming systems to keep the kids busy.

Rather than a built in flashlight, which is cumbersome because that means carrying the thing around and pointing it at stuff in the dark, it has a light bar that can illuminate a whole room during a power outage.  That’s a really nice feature that you won’t find on most power banks.

It will run a mini fridge for a few hours to keep things cold, but it’s not big enough for larger appliances like an AC or most induction cooktops.  Where this machine really shines is keeping things charged and running for a day to two during short-term power outages, or longer if you’re able to recharge via solar panels.

All in all, it’s a spectacular unit for phones, laptops, CPAP, lights, or small appliances while camping or when the power’s out.  It’s very light and compact, making it perfect for apartments or camping.

If you do want more power, there are always add-on B80 batteries that can bring it from 403 WH all the way up to 1209 WH, effectively tripling the battery life.

What Can a Bluetti AC60 Run?

The power bank itself contains a battery that can output 600 Watts of power, and stores 403 Watt hours of battery life.

At 600 Watts of output, this power bank can supply any of the following:

• Phone Charger: 5 to 30 Watts
• CPAP Machine: 30 to 60 Watts
• Small Table Fan: 40 Watts
• Box Fan: 100 Watts
• Laptop Computer: 50 to 100 Watts
• Desktop Computer: 200 Watts
• PS4: 100 to 300 Watts
• Dorm or Mini Refrigerator: 280 to 360 Watts
• Coffee Maker: 550 Watts

It can also power smaller toasters and blenders, and even some of the smallest portable induction burners.  These higher-powered appliances will drain it quickly, so really this model is best for powering devices like phones, laptops, TVs, gaming systems, and small refrigerators. 

It’s also perfect as a backup power source for a CPAP machine.

Testing the Bluetti AC60

The main things we tested were the battery life and performance.  It can indeed power 600 Watt appliances, though high-draw appliances are going to run down a 403 WH battery rather quickly.

This small portable power bank really shines at low draw, charging phones, and running small electronics like CPAP, Fans, Gaming Sytems, and Tablets, all of which pull less than 100 Watts.

We also tested recharge times, which can vary dramatically between portable power station models.  Yeti Goal Zero power stations, for example, can take 12+ hours to charge, but Bluetti advertises a less than 2 hour charge time.

Low Load Test

In our low-load test, we were able to run a good-sized 35-watt box fan for a full 7.5 hours.  That’s enough to keep you comfortable all night long in a hot environment, even if the power’s out and you can’t run the AC in an arid climate.

The battery can be recharged the following day by portable solar panels, allowing you to run it for multiple days.

Most CPAP machines are about 30 Watts, meaning that you can run one of those all night on this small portable power bank as well.

You could also charge a phone with this model dozens of times without issue.

Though the machine is rated for 403 hours, you cannot discharge batteries fully, so their usable lifespan is always less.  At low load, we used a load meter to measure the total output of this system at 240 WH.

High Load Test

At a higher load, the system will obviously run for less time.

We put 250 Watts of load onto the system, running several small appliances at the same time.  We were able to run them for a total of 81 minutes, producing 337 WH of power, so we actually got a bit better performance running multiple small appliances at once.

Recharge Time

When recharging from a standard wall outlet, the Bluetti AC60 pulled about 240 to 260 watts continuously for about an hour and 40 minutes, which brought the machine from 0% power up to 80%. 

The final 20% of charging runs a bit slower, and it ended up taking a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes to fully charge from 0% power.

It consumed a total of 480 WH to charge fully, which is to be expected, as no system is 100% efficient.  As it goes, 480 WH to charge a 403 WH battery is rather good by industry standards.

The machine took about 4 hours to charge with a 200-watt solar panel, but the total time there is going to depend on how sunny it is outside and your exact location.  We’re in Vermont, which isn’t exactly known for its blazing heat, and we had to keep moving the panels as it charged to keep the trees from shading them.

On a clear day out west without tree cover, we imagine it’d charge fully in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from a 200 W solar panel.

Conclusions

We loved the AC60, and I’m actually planning on getting one for my parents to run their CPAP machines overnight when the power goes out during the all-to-frequent fire prevention grid shutdowns they’re having in California these days.

They’re older, and they don’t really go camping, but they have a smaller house, and they can’t lift heavy loads, so this compact unit will be perfect for them.

I’m thinking my sister would love it too, as she goes to a lot of festivals, and she’s always looking for a way to charge her phone and stay connected while away from home for a long weekend.

 

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