Bluetti EB70 Portable Power Station Review - Hitting The Sweet Spot
- Two 100W USB-C ports
- Large 716Wh/700W LiFePO4 battery
- Pure Sine Wave Inverter works as advertised
- Sweet spot between power and portability
- Charger box fans are noisy when just plugged in
- Power station can be noisy while charging
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Portable power stations, the hulking versions of the power banks for smartphones you carry with you in your bag, now come in all shapes, sizes, and capacities. Almost all of them offer the same trifecta of portability, power, and safety though they mostly vary in how they balance the first two. Go too small and you won't be able to get much out of it. Put in too much, however, and it defeats the purpose of being portable, even if you have wheels. Offering a powerful battery that won't pull your arms off when you carry it is what the Bluetti EB70 Portable Power Station is trying to offer and we take it for a good spin to see if it is indeed the Goldilocks of its kind.
Design
Almost all portable power stations, at least the ones designed to be literally carried around, start out with a rectangular boxy shape. From there, manufacturers add all the embellishments they need to stand out from the crowd. Those often involve curved bodies or unusual handles. The Bluetti EB70, however, sticks with the basics in order to create the most space-efficient design possible.
The Bluetti EB70 is pretty much a large polycarbonate plastic box that only curves minimally at the corners and edges. Its molded-plastic handle folds flat down into the body when not in use. Except for the car charging port cover, nothing extrudes too much from all sides of the power station. What this means in practice is that it can be crammed into tight places without any space wasted on odd angles and curves.
Despite the plastic material used throughout the Bluetti EB70's chassis, the power station feels sturdy and well-built. Of course, it is also on the heavy side at 21.3 lbs, roughly 9.7 kilos, which is not what you might expect from such a small box. Then again, if you knew what it was packing inside, you wouldn't be that surprised.
The Bluetti EB70 comes in three color variants but, as of this writing, only Space Gray and Vibrant Red are available. Both look premium but the Vibrant Red that we got for this review definitely stands out more, especially in case of an emergency. Speaking of emergencies, it also comes with a very bright LED torch that is thankfully located in front. No more trying to awkwardly point the light like a gigantic and heavy flashlight.
Battery and Charging
The Bluetti EB70 boasts of a 716Wh or 700W battery that easily outclasses the more portable kind of power stations. Part of that weight comes from the use of LiFePO4 or Lithium-ion Phosphate technology, the same kind used in electric vehicles.
While that definitely seems like a large amount that can power many electronic devices and appliances, it actually also puts limits on what you can plug into it. Microwaves, for example, can work but only if it meets the maximum wattage. Anything around 800W or higher will force the safety system to kick in and turn off the power station for safety reasons.
Like most portable power stations these days, the EB70 offers three methods of charging. The most environment-friendly is, of course, via Bluetti's own 200W solar panels that meet the bare minimum to quickly charge the power station. You can also charge it from a car's lighter port but most people are probably going to charge it via the gigantic 200W power brick that it comes with. While this is the easiest and fastest charging method, charging up to full in under 4 hours, it is also the noisiest.
Unlike most of the portable power stations we've come across, the Bluetti EB70's power brick has its own fan and it's quite a loud one. Curiously, those fans turn on even if it isn't charging the EB70, as long as the charger itself is plugged in. In other words, you'll have to unplug the charger when not in use and it will remind you of that fact in the most annoying way.
Output and Performance
The Bluetti EB70 has your staple output connections to meet any and all needs and then some. On the right side, you have the AC section with two three-pronged outlets and two two-pronged outlets. On the opposite side are the DC group with a car charger, two DC barrel ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and two USB-C ports. The top also has a 15W wireless charging pad so it's really convenient that the carrying handle can fold out of the way.
What makes this particular Bluetti power station special are those two USB-C ports. Not only does it support the USB-C Power Delivery standard, it can actually output the max 100W of power that the standard allows. And that's not just 100W split between the two but 100W each.
With all those output options, the Bluetti EB70 can power almost any mid-power appliance, mobile device, and even a MacBook Pro. The EB70 itself has fans to keep it cool and they are fortunately quiet while in use. However, they also do kick in when charging and can be a noisy affair, especially when in concert with the already noisy power brick.
The EB70 supports pass-through charging on both DC and AC ports so you can charge the power station and power appliances at the same. For AC, Bluetti once again boasts of its pure sine wave inverter for maximum efficiency. It does work as advertised and can dish out that 700W of power, give or take. You can also try your luck pulling even more but, as mention, the safety system kicks in before things can go bad.
Wrap-up
The Bluetti EB70 Portable Power Station was designed to deliver a well-balanced option between power and portability and we can definitely attest to that. Although the 700W battery does limit what you can plug into it, most off-grid and emergency use appliances will fit right in.
The two 100W USB-C ports are definitely must-haves these days with more laptops accepting USB-C power for charging. While Bluetti tried to err on the side of safety, the fan noise from the charger, even when just plugged in, can really get under your skin. Fortunately, it is a minor flaw that makes the Bluetti EB70 Portable Power Station a valuable part of your house or travels, especially at the $499 discounted price the company is offering.