Bluetti EB70 700W Portable Power Station - power in a compact package
It shouldn't be surprising to see more and more portable power stations, those big blocks of battery with multiple outlets, getting launched left and right these days. There has been a growing need not only for emergency power but also for quiet, clean, and safe power sources even when braving the great outdoors. While there will always be a place for hulking "generators" of this kind, many will probably prefer a solid balance between power and portability, a balance that the new Bluetti EB70 716Wh/700W Portable Power Station tries to deliver.
Built for Portability
One of the hardest laws to break is that of physics, especially when it comes to batteries. At least with current battery technologies. If you want a larger battery, you'll have to be prepared to pay the cost in size and weight. That's why companies like Bluetti and Jackery try to make products that cover a wide range of battery capacities and sizes because no one size fits all, literally even.
The Bluetti EB70 does try to aim for a certain mid-range sweet spot. It offers more power than portable stations that max out at around 500Wh without tearing your arm off when you lift it. At 9.7 kg/21 lbs, it's not exactly the lightest but it makes up for it with the power it provides while still making it physically possible to carry the box around.
Unlike most of its kind, the Bluetti EB70 comes as an almost completely flat rectangular box with very few curves. It also has a handle that can fold away when not needed and when you need to access the special feature on its top surface. What this means in practice is that you can cram the portable power station almost anywhere without any space being wasted on uneven surfaces or odd designs.
Built for Power
The 716Wh battery's 700W rated output slots nicely in the middle of 500W and 1500W portable power stations. It's almost the Goldilocks of battery capacities, offering enough power for small appliances like a car fridge without weighing it down, literally. It also makes it faster to charge compared to a power station with more battery to fill up.
As with any portable power station, the Bluetti EB70 offers three methods of charging, with the AC outlet being the most common. You can also make do with a car charger in a pinch but the greenest option will be a solar panel, especially with a built-in MPPT controller for more efficient charging. Naturally, Bluetti has its own product line for that, with the Bluetti SP200 200W Solar Panel being a perfect match to the EB70 power station's needs.
While safer than a fuel-based generator, batteries can still be dangerous, especially depending on how you use them. That's why Bluetti employed a LiFePo4 (lithium-ion phosphate) battery, the same type of battery used in electric cars, to power the EB70. It also uses a Pure Sine Wave inverter to ensure the safety of the appliances you connect to the station's AC outlets.
Built for Performance
All of that power and portability will be for naught if the Bluetti EB70 didn't easily allow people to draw that power out for their use. Fortunately, this little power station delivers that in droves and, despite its size, actually offers more than some of its bigger rivals.
Where most portable power stations only have one USB-C port, the Bluetti EB70 has two. And not just USB-C ports, mind, but ones capable of 100W output and support for the Power Delivery 3.0 standard. And while larger generators have three AC outlets, this smaller one has four of them for good measure.
The Bluetti EB70 does have the usual two USB-A 5V/3A ports, 12V car charger, and additional two DC5521 10A outlets. One special charging output that it does have, which is also becoming common on newer power stations, is a 15W wireless charging area on top. In other words, there is an outlet for almost anyone and any device, as long as you keep your battery level in check, which is made pretty easy with the large LCD display in front.
Built for Price
Just as Bluetti tried to aim for the golden mean between power and portability, it also tried to hit the sweet spot in price. At $599, it costs just as much as competing brands with lower battery capacities. That price, however, is made even sweeter by a $100 pre-order discount that's available until it ships on April 26. Even without a solar panel (which is a separate purchase, of course), the Bluetti EB70 Portable Power Station offers a no-compromise middle ground with a safe, quiet, and clean power source that you can carry around where ever it's needed.