The Ultimate Power Solution for Photographers: We Review the Bluetti AC240P | Fstoppers

We've reviewed several power stations over the past years, ranging from portable devices to solutions designed for stationary use. The Bluetti AC240P might be the best compromise between the two ends. Let's find out if that's the case.

I've discussed reasons why photographers need a power station in previous articles. If you are on the road, maybe even in an RV, a power station lets you stay off the grid longer. It can also replace a loud fuel-based generator if you operate a mobile photo studio for large productions outdoors. Or, maybe you live in an area with an unstable grid. In that case, you can use a power station as an uninterruptible power supply between the grid and your appliances.

But what power station should you get? An important question before buying a power station is how much capacity and power you require. It's good to think about your typical use cases. For me, powering my office is one use case. I need around 1,000 Wh capacity per day and only around 100 W continuous power with a peak of 300 W when I operate my standing desk. A Bluetti AC60 with a Bluetti B80, for example, fulfills those requirements.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Mango Power E with a 3,500 Wh capacity and a 3,000 W inverter. The inverter is over-specified for my use case, but I welcome the large capacity. Its portability is reduced compared to the AC60 due to its large capacity and weight of 45 kg. It's also not weather-sealed, which is one of my favorite features of the Bluetti AC60.

This brings me to the Bluetti AC240P, which combines the weather-resistant build of the AC60 with a capacity and power closer to that of the Mango Power E. I got it from Bluetti as a loaner for a few weeks to perform my tests.

The Bluetti AC240P, like the AC60, uses LiFePO4 batteries that promise more than 3,500 life cycles until the capacity drops beneath 80% of the original 1,843 Wh. This long lifetime is backed by Bluetti's 6-year warranty. It also comes with a 2,400 W inverter that has a 3,600 W powerlifting mode. That's enough to power a microwave or a kettle. If you like to drink coffee on the road, there's no need for a gas cooker anymore.

With an IP65 rating, the AC240P can operate in wet and dusty environments. It's one of the main selling points compared to other power stations in this range. The robust build quality makes it stand out. Based on the specifications, it works in temperatures ranging from -10°C to 40°C.

You can charge it to 80% in around 45 minutes through its AC input. Alternatively, you can connect up to 1,200 W solar input to extend your time off the grid. I've tested it with Bluetti's PV350 solar panel, which is a perfect fit for the AC240P. I could charge up to 55% on a partially cloudy day in September. My garden only gets sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at that time of the year. You can see this in the power profile in the screenshot below. On a sunny day, you should be able to fully charge it without problems.

If you are on the road a lot, you can also charge it using your car's cigarette plug. Or you can install a more permanent solution with the Bluetti Charger 1, which gives you 560 W of charging power.

The UPS mode is ideal for backup systems that must run 24/7. In this mode, the power station can switch from grid to battery power in just 15 ms. Even sensitive devices will not notice this.

With a weight of 33 kg, the Bluetti AC240P is not lightweight. But you can still carry it around. With its 40 cm height, it's as tall as an AC60 stacked on top of a B80, as you can see in the first image.

With Bluetti's app, you can remotely control the power station and change its settings. Unlike the AC60, the AC240P comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. You can select the preferred connection mode in the app. The Wi-Fi connection allows the AC240P to send statistics to Bluetti's cloud. Those statistics can be displayed in the app under the "Daily Power Profile."

If the capacity and power of the AC240P aren't sufficient for you, you can connect two units in parallel to get an output of 4,800 W. But I don't think this is a typical use case for photographers. It's also possible to extend this system up to 20,866 Wh capacity via extension batteries. But if you want power for your home, Bluetti has stationary solutions specifically designed for this use case, which might be a better fit.

The AC240P comes with an AC power cord, a 12 V car cigarette plug, and an MC4 solar connector cable.

I already mentioned the robust build. It makes this power station stand out and ensures the IP65 weather resistance. It's also why this power station is heavier than other stations with comparable capacity. But it's a price I'd be willing to pay for a power station designed for the road and the outdoors. The solid handles at the top are up to the task of carrying the 33 kg.

One thing I immediately noticed was the absence of noise from the fans. It's because of the thermal design of the station that requires nearly no fan operation in typical room temperatures. In my tests, the fans kicked in only every two to three hours. It means you'll never notice the fans if you only operate the station for short periods.

I also love the abundance of ports. You'd be hard-pressed to max those out. With four AC, two 100 W USB-C, two 18 W USB-A, one 12 V/10 A DC, and one 12 V/30 A DC port, you'll have no problem charging all your gear, a laptop, brewing a coffee, and powering a mobile fridge, for example.

I highlighted the thermal design as something I like. But I also have to mention a downside here. The way the fans kick in after a long time of passive cooling is too harsh. Bluetti tries to cool the station in a short burst of a few minutes, which creates more noise than necessary. The noise will stay beneath 53 dB, but this can still be too loud for some environments. Bluetti should address this through different fan modes. I wouldn't mind the fans running for longer at a lower noise level. Bluetti applied a similar change to the AC60, which had the fans work in a burst mode when I first got it. After some updates, they now run continuously at a much lower noise level.

A feature I welcome is the ability to switch off the Wi-Fi module. Since it draws power, disabling it can increase the efficiency of the station. But if you draw less than 100 W of power, you'll still get less than 70% efficiency out of the AC240P. It's what I measured during several tests using a wattmeter. With the inverter active, the station's self-consumption is 25 W based on the specs. It's the main reason for this reduced efficiency.

I did another test, drawing between 500 and 900 W of power, and achieved 80% efficiency. Here, the self-consumption only contributes a small percentage to the total load. And since the typical efficiency of the inverter itself lies above 85%, you get more energy out of the AC240P.

It shows the importance of selecting a power station suitable to your use case. The larger a power station, the less efficient it is at low loads.

At the time of writing, the Bluetti AC240P is available for $1,899. Since there are often discounts on power stations, I'm sure you can get it cheaper if you time your purchase right. It puts it in a similar price range as the offerings from other brands but with the bonus of IP65 weather sealing and a premium build. This is surely an investment that only pays off if you regularly use it. But with the right use case, it can be a great asset.

Michael Breitung is a freelance landscape and travel photographer from Germany. In the past 10 years he visited close to 30 countries to build his high quality portfolio and hone his skills as a photographer. He also has a growing Youtube channel, in which he shares the behind the scenes of his travels as well as his knowledge about photo editing.