Review: Bluetti AC300 + B300 Home Battery Backup System

Forbes Innovation Consumer Tech Review: Bluetti AC300 + B300 Home Battery Backup System Brad Moon Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Reviews and guidance for Apple gear, audio systems and consumer tech. Following Oct 22, 2023, 03:38pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin I have reviewed quite a few portable battery power stations in recent years as these emergency power supplies grow in both capability and popularity.

Given the increased frequency of power outages due to extreme weather, the interest is understandable. A new tax credit for home battery backup is helping there as well. The latest system that I’ve had here for evaluation is the Bluetti AC300 + B300 .

This is different from those portable battery power stations in that it is modular: two components instead of a single unit. It can still do everything a portable power station does (with 3,072Wh capacity and tons of outputs including six AC power outlets), but this combo can be expanded in ways that a portable can’t. In fact, with the right accessories the Bluetti AC300 + B300 can become the heart of a whole home battery backup solution that’s tied into your electrical panel.

The MSRP for the base two component combo is $3,299 but at time of publication that had been reduced to $2,599. Bluetti AC300 Key Specs: Pure sine wave inverter with 6000W surge power 6 x 120V AC outlets + 1 x 120V TT-30 outlet with 3000W output in total 1 x 100W USB-C, 2 x 5V USB Type A, 2 x 18W USB Type-A 1 x 12V/30A DC RV outlet, 1 x 24V/10A car outlet 2 x 15W Qi wireless charge pads AC, solar and car inputs with maximum 5,400W input Supports 240V split phase bonding Multiple UPS modes Can connect up to four B300 batteries Wi-Fi and Bluetooth mobile app control Built-in LCD touchscreen display 20. 5 x 14.

1 x 12. 5-inches, weighs 47. 62 pounds Bluetti B300 Key Specs: 3,072Wh LiFePO4 battery 3,500+ cycles with 80% charge Integrated MPPT controller, BMS 1 x 100W USB-C output, 1 x 18W USB Type-A output, 1 x 12V/10A car outlet 20.

5 x 12. 5 x 10. 5-inches, weighs 79.

6 pounds Expandability is Key to This System Portable power stations tend to be all-in-one units. The battery pack, charge controller and power outputs are all in a single box. Which makes sense; it’s a lot less portable if you have to move multiple components.

The AC300 is the heart of the system Brad Moon MORE FOR YOU There Will Be No ‘Redfall’ Redemption Arc For Xbox Samantha Woll Funeral Set For Detroit Synagogue President Fatally Stabbed Saturday Did Diablo 4 Season 2 Actually Fix The Game Kind Of While the Bluetti AC300 + B300 is technically portable, it’s really designed to be part of a home battery backup system. The B300 battery has an impressive capacity of 3,072Wh, but it is very heavy. To the tune of nearly 80 pounds.

That’s because it is equipped with a LiFePO4 battery, which is more stable and has a longer life-cycle than Li-ion batteries, but at the cost of additional mass. You wouldn’t want to lug it far but the extended battery life and safety make the weight well worth it. The B300 provides the battery power Brad Moon The AC300 is meant to be the brain and the part of the system you interact with.

It has the power outputs and a full range of charging inputs, plus the touchscreen display and it’s the system you connect to via a mobile app. However, it has no built-in battery. By itself, the AC300 really does nothing, which is why Bluetti bundles it with at least one B300 battery.

This heavy duty cable connects the AC300 to the B300 Brad Moon The beauty of this approach is that, free of the mass and space requirements of a built-in battery, the AC300 is able to be a much more effective and expandable power station. It has six AC outlets, plus a 30A TT-30 outlet that can output 3,000W in total–with the ability to withstand a surge of up to 6,000W. This is a power station that can run even the most demanding appliances, including microwaves, blenders, toaster ovens, kettles and space heaters.

It is also incredibly expandable. For starters, out of the box the AC300 can be connected to up to four of those B300 batteries simultaneously. That would provide over 12,000Wh of power.

The AC300 is equipped with a touchscreen display Brad Moon The expandability doesn’t stop there. Buy an optional 30A charge cable and AC input for charging can be boosted to 3000W. You can plug in solar panels as well and not only charge through solar, but also fast-charge by combining AC and solar inputs.

The AC300 supports split phase bonding and with the addition of the optional Bluetti Fusion Box Pro, you could connect two AC300s in series, each with four B300 batteries, for a total capacity of 24,576Wh. Hire an electrician and spring for the Bluetti Smart Home Panel and you can even tie this system into your home’s electrical panel so you have full battery backup in a power outage–without the need to plug appliances into the AC300 directly. Battery backup system can optionally be connected to a home’s electrical panel Bluetti There are a lot of extras to purchase, but you can grow a system with time, turning the Bluetti AC300 + B300 into the foundation of a full home battery backup system, with solar charging.

However, for those who don’t need anything that comprehensive, the two also provide a very capable emergency home battery power source on their own. The Refrigerator Test When I evaluate high capacity power stations, my standby test is to plug in the old refrigerator in my basement. This is a full-sized, 21 cubic foot model that is decades old and not particularly energy efficient.

I find this test is more realistic that determining one of these things can recharge an iPhone 100 times–people aren’t buying a big power station to keep their iPhone running for months at a time. . .

The combo kept my basement fridge running for 31 hours Brad The Bluetti AC300 + B300 combo kept the fridge running for an average of 31 hours on a charge. That’s a bit lower than I was expecting–I’ve had 2000Wh power stations that hit in that ballpark–but it’s pretty decent. The advantage the AC300 has over those portable power stations is that (assuming you have the budget and the space) you could chain up to four B300 batteries together with the AC300 and keep the fridge humming for the better part of a week without having to recharge.

Bluetti’s mobile app lets you keep tabs on the system remotely Brad Moon Speaking of recharging, plugging the AC300 into a wall outlet with the B300 connected fully charged the external battery in under six hours. The B300 can be charged independently, but to do so you’ll either have to hook it up to optional solar panels (the cable is included), or pay for an optional AC charger ($149). Government Rebate Can Offset Cost Home battery backup systems like Bluetti’s don’t come cheap.

However, there is a way to help offset the investment. American buyers may be eligible to recoup 30% of the cost of a home battery backup system with storage exceeding 3 kWh through a federal tax credit , up until 2032. According to Bluetti’s website, that tax credit would reduce the cost of the AC300 + B300 combo by nearly $780 (based on the sale price at time of publication).

Recommendation The Bluetti AC300 + B300 is a formidable combination that can be expanded from traditional battery . . .

[+] station functionality to a whole home battery backup solution Brad Moon The Bluetti AC300 + B300 combo is a lot of battery backup in case of a power outage. But it has the ability to be expanded into much more. If you are looking for battery power to keep a refrigerator or a collection of small appliances going for a day or two in the event of a blackout, I would probably just go with an a portable power station instead.

Bluetti has a solid offering in the AC200MAX ( reviewed here ). That power station is equipped with a 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery, it’s relatively portable and it can even be expanded by connecting up to two B230 or B300 batteries. However, for those who want a home battery backup with maximum flexibility, maximum output, maximum expandability and the ability to ultimately create a battery backup system with as much as 24,576Wh on tap, the Bluetti AC300 + B300 is a very capable foundation for such a system.

Disclosure: Bluetti provided an AC300 + B300 for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review. Follow me on Twitter . Brad Moon Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.