Bluetti AC500 Details and Guide: Maximum Modular Power

As a flagship product with hefty battery capacity and output power, there’s a lot to say about the Bluetti AC500 power station. But it’s easy to get lost in the details, specs, and marketing claims. So let’s rip off the shroud and take a close look into this large power station.

In this Bluetti AC500 guide, we’ll review the most important features and translate them into real-world terms you can understand. Plus, we’ll compare this Bluetti product to its closest rivals, pointing out the good and the bad, to see if it’s the one you should get.

Strap in and get ready for the full details in this guide to the Bluetti AC500 portable power station.

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Quick Overview: All-Around Performance

While Bluetti does offer even bigger power stations designed for stationary home backup use, the Bluetti AC500 is the largest Bluetti portable power station. And it comes with the capabilities that you’d expect from this category of power station with at least 3,000W of power output.

This heavy-duty AC500 power station comes with:

• AC Inverter: 5,000W continuous AC output with 10,000W peak power
• Battery: 3,072Wh capacity LiFePO4 battery with modular expansion up to 36.9kWh
• Charging Speeds: Fastest in-class charging speeds, for both AC power and solar panels
• Weight & Dimensions: At 66lbs (30kg) it’s easier to deal with than 113lbs (50kg) rivals
• Outputs and Features: Three high-amp AC outlets (2x30A and 1x50A) and 30-amp DC output

Taken as a whole, these specs lay out an impressive picture. This power station can easily run most RVs or serve as an ideal home battery backup. Not only does it have the ability to crank out the power needed for a home’s worth of devices, it comes with the battery life and outputs to make it happen.

And if you don’t quite understand these power station specs, don’t worry. We’ll go through each category in detail below, including a simplified way to calculate how long this power station can run your electronics.

Even if the specs are what you need, that’s only half the purchase decision. The other part is making sure it’s a good value and that it beats out the other options. And we’ve done the work for you. Through our detailed analysis of the best power stations, we not only have a list of similar power stations, but we’ll also point out the pros and cons of each.

In this case, the AC500 holds up well against scrutiny, but it’s not perfect. Here’s a quick look at how the AC500 compares to other power stations, focused on the specs where the AC500 does not have the benefit:

• EcoFlow Delta Pro 3: Larger internal battery, longer warranty, 2x240V outputs, 10ms UPS
• Anker Solix F3800: More output, much bigger battery expansion, longer warranty, and 2x240V outputs
• Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus: Lower output and smaller battery, but very similar overall and usually much lower price

After reading that, you might be quickly turning away from the AC500. That might not be the best idea. For the most part, the prices correlate quite a bit with the features. All of these are incredibly capable devices. It really depends on what you need the most.

After reading this Bluetti AC500 guide, you’ll be able to make the most informed decision, balancing costs and specs to fit your uses.

Top Pick

BLUETTI AC500 + B300S Home Battery Backup Exceptional portable power station Up to 36.9kWh battery and 240V output Serious expansion capabilities

AC500 on Bluetti AC500 on Amazon

AC Inverter: Whole Home Power

Whenever you’re interested in big power stations, the output ratings are some of the most important. It doesn’t matter what the other features and specs are. It must be able to deliver the power you want to use.

The AC inverter is the component responsible for changing the DC power stored in the battery or generated by solar panels into the AC power your home circuits and any 110V/120V outlet use. And they come with two ratings: a continuous rating that can be used for extended periods and a surge or peak rating that covers very shorts bursts.

The Bluetti AC500’s AC inverter is very impressive, with 5,000W continuous and 10,000W peak. It also has <20ms UPS function. Some of the only ones that beat it are the absolute largest power stations from each brand, like the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra and the Bluetti EP900. Out of the three closest competitors, the Anker F3800 is the only one with a more powerful inverter.

To verify whether this output is sufficient, you’ll need to add up the running wattage of your devices. For example:

• 5W – 20W: Phone, tablet, and small device chargers; LED lights; other small electronics
• 20W – 200W: Laptops, computers, televisions, coffee maker, electric kettle
• 200W – 500W: Home fridge, powerful desktops, entertainment systems
• 1,000W – 2,000W: Microwave, hairdryers, dishwasher with electric dry function
• 2,000W and Up: Air conditioner units and other heavy-duty appliances

Consider what your energy use and device list looks like. Then add up the wattage across the board. Also verify the startup needs, especially for air conditioner units, pumps, and other devices that need to break inertia to run. Those can peak at 2x, 3x, or more peak power needs. Ideally, you want the total power needs (in watts) to be well within the inverter ratings.

If you find that one AC500 isn’t enough, you can use two AC500 units in a split phase array to get up to 10,000W continuous. You just need the Bluetti Fusion Box to do so (and two AC500 power stations, of course).

Despite this super-powered AC inverter, the AC500 is missing something found on two of the alternatives. A 240V output. This can be a problem if you want to power a device that needs 240V directly or if you want to supply power to 240V circuits in your home panel.

Yet once again, this problem is solved with two AC500 units. The same Bluetti Fusion Box will pair the two 120V outputs into one 240V power source. In many ways, the AC500 is its best version only when you get two units.

At 5,000W and with 120V output, the AC Inverter output of the AC500 can handle most needs. And when that’s not enough, call in backup with the Fusion Box and a second AC500 to jump up to 10,000W and 240V capability.

Battery: Serious Capacity and Longevity

The Bluetti AC500 heavy-duty power station comes with the batteries you need for long-lasting power. These are what allow you to use solar power at night and to have the confidence to get through any power outage. And it starts with high-quality LiFePO4 (LFP) battery cells, rated to last more than 3,500 charge and discharge cycles with at least 80% capacity remaining. For more than 8 years of daily use, these batteries will still do the job.

Modular System

The Bluetti AC500 is a modular system. The main inverter unit does not have a battery. Instead, it pairs with up to 6 external batteries with 3,072Wh capacity each. So if one battery doesn’t run your devices for long enough, you can add up to 5 more, reaching up to 18,432Wh of total capacity per AC500.

And if you bring the split-phase array into the equation by using two AC500 units together, you can double this capacity. Up to 6 batteries on each unit or 12 batteries in total, reaching up to a whopping 36,864Wh (36.9kWh). There are three different kinds of extra batteries compatible with the AC500:

• BLUETTI B300K: 2,756Wh; Newest, most compact, and longest-lasting; Only USB-A
• BLUETTI B300S: 3,072Wh; USB-A and USB-C ports; Independent charging with 500W solar input
• BLUETTI B300: 3,072Wh; Same as 300S but only 200W solar input and limited to 4 total batteries in one AC500 (not 6)

The new B300K is rated to last the longest with >4,000 cycles, but it’s the smallest capacity and only has one USB-A output port. It relies on the AC500 for everything else. The B300S is still the superior battery with more flexibility to be used independently as well. It has multiple output ports and input ports, fully capable of charging and powering devices without the AC500. And the B300S is the ONLY way to reach the full 36.9Wh capacity. You can use the B300 with the AC500, but that battery is actually designed for the smaller AC300.

Here’s more info, but full details about each battery are in the next section with the Bluetti AC500 extra battery comparison table.

Most Compact	BLUETTI B300K Expansion Battery 2,765Wh capacity each Ultra-durable LiFePO4 Limited indepdent use/charging	Buy on Bluetti Buy on Amazon
Most Capable	BLUETTI B300S Expansion Battery 3,072Wh per battery pack 500W solar input with multiple USB ports Can use 6 with each AC500	Buy on Bluetti Buy on Amazon
Most Affordable	BLUETTI B300 Expansion Battery 3,072Wh per battery pack 200W solar input with multiple USB ports Limited to 4 with each AC500	Buy on Bluetti Buy on Amazon

Battery Runtime

To put this full 36.9Wh battery capacity into perspective, your phone battery is likely around 10Wh to 15Wh. So the full 36.9kWh has more than 3,000 phone charges. Even just one 3,072Wh battery is capable of charging a phone about 250 times.

For the AC500, you can plan on powering much more than phones and small devices. Knowing exactly how long it will last is a little tricky because it depends on exactly what you want to power. Let’s start with this example home setup and see how long the AC500 will last:

• Charge 4 phones and 2 tablets (~130Wh)
• Power 10 LED lights, a television, and a router for 5 hours (~1,500Wh)
• Run a full-size home fridge for 5 hours (~1,000Wh)

As you can see, the small devices use very little energy. But as you start to include more devices or power the fridge, the Watt-hours start to add up. And it reaches over 2,500Wh. Compared to the 3,072Wh battery, one can be ideal for a short backup. You can extend runtime with a charging source (by using solar or a gas generator). Or you can add more time with extra batteries.

To calculate how long the power station will run any set of devices, follow this:

• Find running wattage of devices from the user manual or use a watt meter
• Multiply the total wattage by the number of hours you want to have power
• Add an extra 20% to account for system inefficiencies
• That’s the Watt-hours of energy you need

The Bluetti AC500’s batteries are excellent. The B300K keeps weight and size down, but relies on the AC500 for most functions. The B300S is the largest and best way to maximize flexibility and capacity, especially if you want to add more solar or other off-grid energy sources.

Here is a table that compares all of the Bluetti extra batteries you can use with the AC500:

Charging Speeds: Fastest You Can Find

We’ve gone over how much power can come out of the power station. You’ll also need to recharge it. While these specs can be easy to overlook, they are crucial, especially if you want to use solar panels.

The Bluetti AC500’s charging rates are the fastest in the class, better than all three of the top competitors. This includes both AC charging (from an outlet) and solar (or other off-grid DC source) charging.

• 5,000W AC charging, fully recharging one battery in less than an hour (if 5kW is available)
• 3,000W Solar charging, fully recharging one battery in less than 1.5 hours

On top of that, if you get the B300S, you can add on another 500W solar input per battery. This is great for people that intend to add many extra batteries. Without this ability, you have to rely on the 3,000W AC500 input to charge every battery connected. If you have over 30kWh of battery, that will take well over 10 hours of ideal sunlight, likely about 3 days if you rely on solar alone.

There’s really nothing to complain about with the charging speeds of the AC500. If you want to maximize solar charging with many extra batteries, make sure to get the batteries that have an additional input.

Weight & Dimensions

All large power stations like the AC500 are pretty hefty. They’re still very impressive compared to DIY systems that take up much more space and are far from portable. But there’s no doubting they still are heavy.

This Bluetti does better than most by keeping the main inverter unit and batteries separate. This allows you to handle both pieces separately, moving them around without too much of a problem.

The main AC500 unit weighs 66lbs (30kg). Other competitors weigh about double that because they have an integrated battery. For example, the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 weighs 113lbs (50kg). The Anker F3800 is even heavier! Jackery sneaks in at nearly Bluetti’s weight despite its integrated battery, but that’s only because it’s a less capable system. And when you add in the extra batteries for the AC500, it’s very heavy.

Here is a chart with the weight and dimensions of the AC500 and its battery options:

Outputs and Features

The last major category in this AC500 guide covers the outlets, ports, and other features. What’s an energy source worth if you can’t connect your devices to it?

There’s a lot to like about the ways you can connect things to this power station. It has plenty of USB ports (including two high-watt USB-C) and even a wireless charging pad, something no other brand offers.

Perhaps the most important outlets for a big power station like this are its high-amp outlets. And that’s where the AC500 really shines. On top of three traditional 120V outlets, the AC500 has these high-amp choices:

• 1 x 120V/30A L14-30
• 1 x 120V/30A TT-30
• 1 x 120V/50A NEMA14-50
• 1 x 12V/30A (DC Outlet)

You simply cannot find this lineup with any other power station. No matter your 120V or 12V needs, you don’t need an adapter and will be able to directly connect your system to the AC500. It also actually offers the full 30A or 50A from the outlet, which other brands use that outlet style but limit it to 25A or less.

The 30-amp DC outlet is also a crucial connection. If you have a lot of DC devices, you don’t want to deal with a mess of USB cables. This high-amp connector means you can use the AC500 to power a DC fuse box and an entire array of DC electronics. It’s useful for campervans and RVs in particular.

It’s not all sunshine and butterflies. The AC500 does NOT have a 240V output with just one power station. Other brands do. You can get 240V through a split-phase array by using two AC500 units together. But not alone.

You can connect to this power station through the Bluetti app, using either WiFi or Bluetooth. This provides detailed insights and control, from anywhere in the world. Check on your power while you’re at the office. Change controls from the main RV cabin while the AC500 is in a storage cabinet.

The AC500’s ports and outlets are more than sufficient, with the one downside being the need for two AC500 units to get 240V output. Other than that, it’s as impressive as you can get.

Bluetti AC500 Comparisons

We’ve talked a lot about how this heavy-duty power station compares to rivals. Now we’re going to take a very close look into the top three alternatives. This is an ultra-competitive section and as long as you find what meets your needs, you really can’t go wrong. The prices can also play a major role and can be vastly different.

Bluetti AC500 vs. EcoFlow Delta Pro 3

EcoFlow and Bluetti have been pushing the portable power station industry to new heights. Although other brands (like Jackery and Goal Zero) have been around for longer, these two reached into this heavy-duty territory first. And it shows with the AC500 and EcoFlow Delta Pro 3.

It’s worth noting that there’s a larger EcoFlow unit, the Delta Pro Ultra. Bluetti doesn’t really have a comparable unit to that one since the larger Bluetti EP900 is not portable. You can see the entire comparison of EcoFlow and Bluetti specs here if you want to see all the details of these options and more.

When it comes to the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3, you get a system that is eerily similar to the AC500. But not identical. One of the main differences is that the Delta Pro 3 (DP3) has an integrated battery and larger extra battery units. So you deal with less items, but they’re all bigger and heavier.

Speaking of extra batteries, the DP3 is slightly more limited. You can only connect two extra batteries (all with 4kWh each) for a total of 12kWh. But it does keep up with the same total 36.9kWh battery capacity through modular expansion by using three DP3 units. You only need two AC500s, but you need 12 B300S battery units. So its three DP3s with 6 extra batteries (9 units total) compared to two AC500 with 12 B300S batteries (14 units total).

The Delta Pro 3 doesn’t have as fast of charging speeds, but its extra batteries add more charging power. So a full DP3 setup offers more solar inputs than a full AC500 system. It also lacks the wireless charging pad, the car cigarette port, and the 50-amp outlet.

But there are quite a few features where the Delta Pro 3 is better than the AC500:

• Larger internal battery (4kWh compared to 3kWh external)
• Two 240V outputs on the single unit (need two AC500s to get 240V)
• Shorter 10ms UPS switchover time (20ms for AC500)

The total battery capacity, multiple 30-amp outputs, and the rest of the features are very similar. Overall, this is a tight race and tough comparison between the AC500 vs. Delta Pro 3.

Since these are so similar, the choice will usually come down to price or a specific need for a feature not found on one of the devices. If you want 240V from one unit, the Delta Pro 3 is the right choice. The AC500 is often (not always) priced lower, so that’ll probably be the better choice for most needs. We have more details on the Delta Pro 3 here.

Don’t forget to use SOLARWAY5OFF to get 5% any EcoFlow product. We also have an entire roundup of EcoFlow Sales, Deals, and Prices.

Bluetti AC500 vs. Anker Solix F3800

Anker’s experience focuses on a long line of portable battery units. But the F3800 showcases the brands growth into large power stations that bring that knowledge to a heavy-duty power station.

Like the DP3, the Anker F3800 has an integrated 3.8kWh battery that’s larger than the AC500 extra batteries. And therefore, it’s a beast of a unit that weighs 132lbs (60kg). To mitigate this, it’s on wheels. And it has more of an upright design which might be better for storage space than the other power stations that tend to favor a lower height with larger footprint.

There’s one rating that the F3800 can’t be touched by the AC500. The total modular expansion. It can go up to 53.8kWh when you pair two Solix F3800 main units and twelve Solix BP3800 battery banks. This is closer to the Delta Pro Ultra range.

The F3800 is also superior with its 6,000W AC inverter. It’s getting a little tricky to compare, but for system maximums, the F3800 matches the DP3 with 12kW. This is over the AC500. The DP3 is the only one that needs three units to get to that maximum.

The charging speeds of the F3800 appear slow, but the AC rate is actually the most that a standard household outlet can supply.

The biggest issue with the F3800 is the solar charging. While the total maximum rate is acceptable for the main unit, it has a low voltage limit of 60V per input. This is hard to figure out how many panels to connect safely. On top of that, the extra batteries do not have independent charging. That can pose problems if you want to put on as much solar as possible. So if that’s your goal, you might want to scratch this one off the list.

It also lacks a high-amp DC output. But it does have 240V outputs.

Overall, the F3800’s giant maximum battery capacity, larger inverter, and 240V outputs are attractive. But due to the solar charging limits, the comparison between the AC500 vs. Anker F3800 goes to the Bluetti for those who want to use a lot of solar. The Anker Solix F3800 is a good choice for those that want a home battery backup that doesn’t rely on regular solar charging.

Bluetti AC500 vs. Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus

Our last comparison to the AC500 is against the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus. And it’s another tough battle. While the AC500 is generally more powerful, the Explorer 2000 Plus is still very capable and often costs much less money. It’s a tradeoff where value plays a major role.

The Jackery 2000 Plus is less impressive than the AC500 because it:

• Has a 2,043Wh internal battery and up to 24,516Wh total capacity (about 12kWh less than the Bluetti)
• 3,000W inverter offers significantly less robust output
• Only one high-amp AC output and no high-amp DC output

Despite these shortfalls, the rest of the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is exceptional. It’s also done the impossible by matching Bluetti’s weight while including an internal battery (it’s just smaller).

Like the Bluetti, you can use two 2000 Plus units to pair their 120V outputs and create a 240V output. And it still has multiple USB ports for other small devices. Just don’t plan on using too many DC devices because those are basically your only options.

If you’re alright with the less powerful AC inverter and don’t need a lot of DC outputs, the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is a nice unit. Due to its (typically) lower price, it has a place on this list despite the Bluetti AC500 having superior specs all around with much better connection options.

You can read our full guide for the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus here. Or see the full lineup in this Jackery Comparison Chart.

Bluetti AC500 Full Specs and User Manual

Here’s a table with all of the Bluetti AC500 specifications and a link to the user manual for any other questions.

Top Pick

BLUETTI AC500 + B300S Home Battery Backup Exceptional portable power station Up to 36.9kWh battery and 240V output Serious expansion capabilities

AC500 on Bluetti AC500 on Amazon

Wrap Up: Is the AC500 Right for You?

We’ve gone over a lot of details for the Bluetti AC500. It has what it takes to be a great option for household backup thanks to its powerful inverter. The amount of high-amp outlets, across both AC and DC options, make it an excellent choice for RVs and campervans too.

Its largest downside is that you need two units to get 240V output, something the rivals have in one choice. Yet at the end of the day, the AC500 is an exceptional heavy-duty power station.

Want to make sure this is the right Bluetti for your needs? Check out our full Bluetti comparison chart to see the full lineup.