Comparisons...

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Hello folks. A follow up to my last post regarding power stations. I have been watching videos, reading reviews and sending emails in my search for the best power stations for MY NEEDS and wants. I want a power station that fills those needful hours when solar is not available or batteries are low, etc. You know those days when the sun is too low to charge things fully or the seeming endless days of gloom or rain. Those times when the endless sun power is well not quite endless. We bought a large residential fridge with a bottom freezer last year and I would like to sleep well knowing it will still be cooling when I wake up in the morning. This power station is to give me peace of mind. It is also a starter piece for a time when we may need a larger power source  and knowing I can add extra batteries to expand its usefulness is comforting. So keeping those things in mind I compared apples to apples. 

All of the companies I researched originate in China, they all have outlets in many countries. The technology is pretty much the same but each company seems to focus on an aspect/feature/function they deem to be most important. I compared only those power stations that are expandable. Based on that criteria first, the next was WH (watt hours) available for use, so I researched only those staring over 2000 WH but less than 2500. My third criteria is outlets, which offers the best options, not necessarily the most, and of course charging methods is also of great interest.  Add to these of course is safety, durability, price and weight but this is a mostly moot point as I don't really intend on moving it often.  So with those things in mind I looked into 3 companies, Bluetti, Anker, and EcoFlow.

1. Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2. The unit is 2400w with a 4000w peak output, contains the standard 2048 WH LifePo4 battery. Six ways to charge the unit, battery expansion possible, has a great app for the phone, easy to set up and use. Sends notifications to your phone as well. Fast charge is a big feature but the flexible charge setting is an important component with this unit, allowing you to slow the rate of charge if desired, or speed it up for small sunlight filled days. Approximately 10 year life span, 5 year warranty. It appears that an adapter is necessary for solar charging. The inverter in this unit is a bit bigger to enable the start up of appliances without problems.  It claims to have the ability to run a double door refrigerator for 32 hours.  It weighs 42 lbs, expansion batteries are heavy, cables are bulky. For those Canadians out there, you can buy it at Canadian Tire Stores as well as other places. I will admit I struggled with this brand. The recall due to fire hazards turned me off. Although the recall was some time ago so I'm certain the issue has been corrected.  Overall I'm sure it would prove to be a good option, some of the features are definitely worth considering and might sway an on the fence sitter. The price point is fair for original unit but the expansion pack is quite expensive. I am quoting CANADIAN dollars.This unit is approximately $1000 CAD with add on battery pack starting at $2000. I did not contact this company as there were no questions I wanted to ask them. 

2. EF EcoFlow Delta 3 Max. This unit is also the standard 2048 WH but with a 3400 w boost and 4800watt surge. The boost power ensures big appliances get a constant feed, no lag, and the inverter has a bigger surge output than the Anker.  I believe this unit has three ways to charge, solar, car, electric. I did not find any mention of special solar connectors, so I assume nothing is proprietary. Four plugs, four USB ports, pretty standard. A smart app offers lots of options and information, seemed to be easy to use. Fast charging is again one of the highlights. Expandable with battery pack as well. Pretty standard 10 year life span, 5 year warranty. It weighs in around 45 lbs. The expansion batteries are also heavy but the connection cables appear to be less bulky. The positive side of this unit is the boost, and the less bulky cables. The price point is almost the same for the unit at $1100 and the expansion batteries are more reasonably priced at $1000 with the connection cables showing up at $85. Again Canadian dollars. A point to consider, a unit that I was NOT considering had some difficulties in the past year, a recall due to overheating/fire but it was a recall for what appeared to be a single batch or production number, limited to that particular unit only. It is however something to keep in mind. I didn't contact this company about this unit but I did contact EcoWorthy which is the parent company about something else with 5 or 6 questions. The reply from customer service was less than satisfactory, the first reply answered just one basic question. My return email thanking them for the single answer but pointing out the lack of  complete answers netted me a second email but again they failed to answer the question referenced in my subject line, connecting my current system with theirs. So for that reason I wonder how good their customer service would be. It was timely but incomplete even after two attempts. I opted not to ask a third time, the question for writing them in the first place, it seemed pointless. Not impressed. However I have found a local Sudbury solar supply place that sells EcoWorthy system/pieces and that  may negate any need to contact the company directly. Research shows Eco Worthy solar pieces and systems get great reviews, and so I will be keeping that in mind as I go forward.

3. Bluetti AC200L is pretty much the same as the other two in many ways, 2400 w, 2048 WH, with a 3600w boost. It is very different in a number of ways. The expansion battery packs to select from is variable with varying capacity giving a great deal in flexibility as to final output in ah and watts, price points also vary depending on which EP you select. This unit can be expanded up to 8192 WH in total. The outlets are the usual with a few extras that prove interesting. An RV plug, 30 amp to RUN your rig and a DC port, 48V/8A with a D40 voltage regulator to CHARGE your rigs battery. This unit can be charged in multiple ways including the capacity to charge with 1200 watts of solar. All charging is considered fast. It has Bluetooth and wifi capabilities. Sadly it is the heaviest of the three weighing in at 62 lbs. The warranty is the standard 5 years. The reviews mostly indicated this unit is very reliable, very tough and very good value for money. The price point is a bit on the high side with the unit at $1400 and the various expansion batteries  coming in very pricy at $2000, $2200, $3000 dollars for the B210, 2150 WH, B300k, 2765 WH, and the B500k, 5120 WH, respectively.  Two of the same expansion packs can be added, not mix and match, so decisions need to be made before expanding. I am not certain if EP connection cables come with or need to be purchased. You know me, I had questions and so I made contact via email, was immediately informed they received my email, gave me a ticket number to use, indicated a few days due to volume, holidays, etc. within  day or two they came back with an excellent, informative reply to all of my questions. They sent a couple of follow up emails as well, inquiring if I needed more information, would I take a survey, feel free to inquire again if something came up or if there were questions. I love good customer service, I am impressed.

I am quite aware that as the add ons are put in place a dolly will be required for moving and I am fine with that but I would be more likely to just leave them in place. As to the original units, the weight is important but not detrimental as they too would probably remain in one place or between us Riley and I could move them. The apps are a bonus that allows a great deal of flexibility and Bluetooth or wifi connectivity is just a bigger bonus. Wifi I think is extremely good, you can connect as long as both units have wifi connections. A problem at our spot as we receive wifi via our phones and if the phone isn't there, no wifi is available, but I can remedy that if I feel it is necessary. As I am looking into the future I feel the flexibility of these units is very important and being able to charge them solely with solar power is very important to me both now and in the future. 

So there you have the results of my research. The information I gathered came from many sources, and I tried hard to be impartial and take everything with a grain of salt. No review is ever absolute, good or bad, it is always based on personal preference and/or experience.  I'm looking for both present and future needs, I'm also looking at ease of use, ease of set up, ease of charging. I feel I have compared apples to apples even if only 3 times. These three I am comfortable with in general and so that is the reason I limited my research. I hope the information has been helpful.

Since it is my money I'm spending I will be purchasing the Bluetti as I think for me it is the best option both now but also in the future. I plan on ordering it to arrive before I get home, asking my brother Rick to pick it up and charge it for me. As we removed all of our batteries from the cabin and the rig and stored them in my dad's basement for the winter, I will hopefully be able to use this unit to power up the RV to extend the slides. The first big test, after that its main job will be to run the big residential fridge freezer, with a number of side jobs that will involve power tools. My plan is to connect solar panels directly to the unit allowing it to charge all day even while in use but leaving it full for the night time use. Will my plan work? I'm hopeful. 

There you have it folks. I hope this information is useful, interesting and perhaps will assist you in making a choice of your own, or keeping the information in mind for the future. All prices I quoted were the best I could find available at the time I was researching, all sites used were in Canada, and in Canadian dollars. Amazon was used as the gauge for my pricing as I felt it would be the most consistent in comparison. I also checked out prices on each companies Canadian home page. Yes, I will make a post or two in the future letting you know if the reality lives up to the research.

I ordered the Bluetti unit  April 16, it is currently in the hands of CanPar. 

Until next time......

Deb