Lightweight portable charging station for outdoor adventures.
BLUETTI’s EB3A is great for camping, RV-ing, road trips, picnic, beaches, working from off-the-grid locations – or seeking reliable power backup during unexpected outages.
What’s in the box:
The EB3A is a lightweight 10 lbs and a compact 10″ L x 7.2″ H x 7″ W. There’s a sturdy carry handle so it’s easy to tote around, and even an emergency LED light on the front of the machine that features three modes (half, full, blinking SOS).
AC and solar charging cables are included (but not a car charging cable, which some users might want to get).
Solar panels are an optional add-on but not something everyone will need. We have an older small solar panel that won’t connect to this nor is it strong enough to charge the EB3A.
Since this review was originally published, we got an opportunity to try out BLUETTI’s PV200 solar panels with the EB3A (more on that below).
We’ve used this a lot since we’ve gotten it, more than I expected to.
With multiple ports and power outlets, the EB3A charges a wide range of devices at once, including laptops, tablets, cell phones, cameras, drones, fans, camp lighting, mini-fridges, and CPAP machines etc.
BLUETTI EB3A Specs:
- 600W AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter (1,200W surge)
- 268Wh Capacity
- 430W Max. Fast Dual Charging (Solar+AC)
- LiFePO4 Battery with 2,500+ Life Cycles to 80%
- 6 Ways to Recharge (AC/Solar/Car/Generator/AC+Solar/AC+Adapter)
- 9 Outputs for Charging Multiple Devices at once
- Smart Control & Monitor in BLUETTI App
- 200W Max. Solar Input
- Easy to Carry/ Fast Charging/ Safe & Reliable/ Cost-effective
- 24/7 UPS
The EB3A has multiple ports and outlets:
- AC Outlets: 2 x 120V/5A Outlets (600W In Total)
- USB-C Port: 1
- USB-A Port: 2
- DC Outlets: 1 x 12V/10A (Car Outlet)
- 2 x 12V/10A DC 5521 (5.5mm Outlets)
- Wireless Charging Pad: 1 x 15W Max.
This is an entry level model that is plenty for most users needs. We’ve also reviewed BLUETTI’s AC60 power station and BLUETTI has a whole line of portable power stations if you need more juice.
Charging with the EB3A
The EB3A offers fast charging capabilities, reaching an 80% charge in just 30 minutes. It’s supposed to offer 2,500+ charging cycles to 80% of original capacity.
It can be charged via AC power, solar panels, a car cigarette lighter, a generator, AC+Solar combo, or AC+Adapter. The ability to both charge and discharge simultaneously is a nice feature.
It’s also more energy-efficient than traditional generators. The unit is very quiet but the fan may kick on briefly when charging. There is turbo or silent mode charging, and ECO mode turns the unit off after 4 hours of low or no load to save power.
There was a chemical or plastic-y smell when first charging the unit, which I saw some reviews mention as a big negative. It was only the first charge or two and that was it (and that kind of stuff usually drives me nuts) so I don’t see that as a deal breaker.
I didn’t track the stats on most of what we tried, but did note it took 3+ hours to run the EB3A from a full charge down to 30% while using a laptop and external hard drive plugged into it.
On top is a handy wireless charging pad so I topped off my phone too. It could have kept going but I was finished with what I was working on and left for a hike.
Optionally, use the BLUETTI mobile app to easily access the unit’s controls, change settings, and apply firmware updates via Bluetooth (within 10 meters).
The controls are easy enough to use but this is a nice added feature.
Charging the EB3A via Solar Panels
Solar panels are an optional add-on and definitely worthwhile. The EB3A includes solar charging cords and can handle panels up to 200W. We had the opportunity to also test BLUETTI’s PV200 panels (they have a whole line of solar panels too).
It took just minutes to unfold the PV200, plug them into the side of the unit, and start charging. The EB3A is supposed to take two hours to fully charge with the PV200. In just over one hour I topped off the unit from 76% to 98% in partial sun and cloud conditions.
For more details check out our review of the Bluetti PV200 solar panel.
Overall
We’ve been surprised how much we’ve been using this – like every weekend this summer. We expected to use it for outdoor stuff and maybe the infrequent outage (this would have been fantastic to have when we lost power for a week after Hurricane Sandy).
Whenever we’re not out hiking, biking, or kayaking we’re on the deck usually on our phones, tablets, and laptop researching the next trip. But the power outlet is in a bad spot to run cords to (opposite side of the entry door from the chairs) so inevitably our devices run down to nothing.
This has ended up being unexpected solution – plop it on the table, plug things in, and it just goes and goes. So if you’re trying to justify the purchase for your outdoor adventures, you’ll probably find other uses for it too.
The unit charges fast but also quickly powers up devices, and we feel it’s at a good price point for the functionality.
Disclaimer: BLUETTI provided a complimentary unit for review, but did not provide compensation or exercise control over the content of this post.