By: Jonathan Kwan
August 23, 2024
"I had a dream the other night," my friend told me. "I was on a ship, and I got kidnapped by somebody. Then you and Chris came and rescued me!" I thought that was a pretty funny dream, and let me explain. First, if anyone is kidnapped, I have no doubt Chris will be the guy to the rescue. He is always down to help, and his athletic ability basically knows no bounds. Second, if anyone is kidnapped, I probably will not be the one rescuing you. It is not that I am not down to help -- I am totally down for it -- but my physical ability has no quantity, and thus most likely end up being a liability that needs to be rescued myself. I am more of a strategist myself, and the best I can probably do is plan the rescue mission. But what if there is someone who is good at everything? Now think of a backup power product equivalent of this person. Uninterruptible power supplies, or UPS, is the standard to prevent data loss during a power outage. They do not last very long; instead, they provide fast response times and a safe way for you to shut down your systems within five to ten minutes of a power failure. On the other hand, if you want to go off grid, traditionally, you will use a gas generator, which is probably not something you want to use indoors or running constantly at all. In recent times, with the advancement of battery technology, a new line of products became available in the market. These portable power stations carry massive LiFePO4 batteries that can be charged using anything from AC to solar panel, and can power pretty much anything off-grid. The latest models like the BLUETTI AC70 also promise fast near-UPS response times to keep your electronics humming even hours after the power goes out using its 768Wh battery. Will the AC70 be the equivalent of that friend who is good at everything? Read on to find out!
Our review unit of the BLUETTI AC70 came from a company called Letian International Logistics located in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. Letian International Logistics is a Chinese-based freight forwarding firm, so I think it is safe to assume the AC70 originated from China, where it was manufactured, to the city immediately east of Toronto. The portable power station was then sent to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada via UPS Standard. The medium-sized brown corrugated cardboard box arrived in excellent condition for our review today.
The BLUETTI AC70's retail box is as simple as it gets. The brown corrugated cardboard packaging features only white ink printing all around. What you will find, no matter what side you look at, are the BLUETTI logo, product name, and an outline of the product. At the top, you will find a list of voltages, where the one corresponding to the specific model inside is checked. I really appreciate the clean, minimalist design.
Before we move on, here are the specifications of the BLUETTI AC70, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:
Capacity: 768Wh
AC Output: 2x120V(1000W Total)
AC Input: 850W Max.
Solar Input: 500W Max.
Battery Type: LiFePO4 3000+ Cycles
Mobile APP: BLUETTI App (Bluetooth)
Dimensions: 12.4x8.2x10.1 in
Weight: 22.5 lbs
Everything is neatly organized inside the box, which includes the BLUETTI AC70 power station itself wrapped in a white plastic bag clipped between two Styrofoam brackets and a small accessories box. The accessories box contains an AC charging cable, car charging cable, solar charging cable, grounding screw, and a user manual. I feel like this is a very reasonable bundle with all the necessary cables included from the factory.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
