The Bluetti EB70S is an excellent portable power station for vanlife, camping, and off-grid power. This compact, versatile, and easy-to-use battery pack provides power wherever and however you need it.
The primary benefit of portable power stations is their plug-and-play design. Compared to more complex off-grid wired electrical systems, portable power stations are a beginner-friendly product. They basically package all the necessary components into one simple, easy-to-use box.
Additionally, Bluetti portable power stations are a popular eco-friendly replacement for gas generators. Paired with solar power, they provide a much quieter and environmentally friendly source of off-grid power.
This review will cover all the functionality of the Bluetti EB70S, but more importantly, if it performs as advertised.
We received promotional products for this review, but all opinions are our own.
This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure policy.
Bluetti EB70S Specifications
Battery Highlights
| Capacity: | 716Wh (22.4V, 32Ah) |
| Battery Chemistry: | LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) |
| Life Cycles: | 2,500+ Cycles to 80% of Original Capacity |
| Shelf-Life: | Recharge to 80% Every 3-6 Months |
| Management System: | MPPT Controller, BMS, etc. |
| Dimensions (LxWxD): | 12.6 x 8.5 x 8.7 in (32 x 21.6 x 22.1cm) |
| Weight: | 21.4lb (9.7 kg) |
| Pass-Through Charging: | Yes |
| Operating Temperature: | -4 to 104℉ (-20 to 40℃) |
| Storage Temperature: | 14-113℉ (-10-45℃) |
| Certifications: | UL2743, NOM, PSE, FCC ID |
| Warranty: | 24 Months |
Power Output
| AC Outlets: | 4x 120V/20A AC Outlets |
| Inverter Type: | Pure Sine Wave (800 Watt, 1400W surge power) |
| USB-C Port: | 2x 100W max (PD 3.0) |
| USB-A Port: | 2x 5V/3A |
| 12V DC Outlet: | 1x 12V/10A (Cigarette Lighter) |
| 12V DC Barrel Port Outlets: | 2x 12V/10A (DC5521) |
| Wireless Charging Pad: | 1x 15W max |
Power Input
| AC Adapter Input: | 200W Max (Full Charge ≈4-4.5 Hours) |
| Solar Panel Input: | 200W max., VOC 12-28V, 8A (Full Charge ≈4-4.5 Hours [under ideal conditions]) |
| Car Input: | 12/24V from Cigarette Lighter Port (Full Charge ≈7.5 Hours) |
A Wide Variety Of Charge Ports
The Bluetti EB70S includes 11 output ports, plus a wireless charging pad. They all support pass-through charging, meaning that you can power devices simultaneously while the battery is charging.
Anytime you have more watts coming in than going out, the battery’s state of charge will increase.
AC Outlets
The Bluetti EB70S has four 120V/20A AC outlets.
The AC Power is delivered by a built-in pure sine wave inverter capable of delivering a continuous 800W total. And it can handle surge power of 1400 watts for a few seconds.
{“Surge Power” accounts for devices that require extra power on start up, and then settle back down to a lower continuous “operating” wattage. This includes things with motors, like belt sanders, drills, and also sometimes microwaves, TVs, and more.}
DC Ports
The Bluetti EB70S has a wide variety of 12-volt DC outputs that support powering all kinds of devices and appliances.
- Two USB-C PD Ports capable of delivering 100W Max. This is enough power for high-end laptops, drones, and other medium-load devices.
- Two USB-A Ports with 5V/3A, perfect for small load devices like smartphones, wireless earbuds, camera batteries, fans, LED lights, etc.
- One 12V/10A DC Outlet (Cigarette Lighter). Which is useful for things like electric coolers, air compressors, etc.
- Two 12V/10A DC Barrel Port Outlets (DC5521) for things like 12V TVs, CPAP machines, 12V fridges, etc.
- One 15-watt wireless charging pad. Which is great for smartphones, wireless, earbuds, and other wireless charging compatible devices.
Built-In LED Light
And there is also an LED light with three modes: full brightness, half brightness, and flashing (SOS).
While the power station is a bit large to carry around as a flashlight, it can be a helpful light around camp or during power outages.
Charging The Bluetti EB70S
The Bluetti EB70S includes the necessary cords for 3 different ways to charge.
All charging input goes through the same DC input, so there is no confusion when charging with different sources (AC, solar, cigarette lighter).
AC Adapter (200W Maximum)
This power adapter is for charging with an AC outlet (like a normal household outlet). It charges at 200 watts and has an internal fan to aid with heat dissipation.
The adapter brick seems unnecessarily large to me. It’s not a huge deal, but since we live in a campervan, we’re hyper-conscious of how much space things take up.
Solar Charge Cable (200W Maximum)
The solar charging cable comes has standard MC4 connectors. The Bluetti EB70S has a built-in MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charge controller, which is the best and most efficient type of solar charge controller. It helps extract the maximum amount of energy from your solar panels.
Bluetti makes two portable solar panels that pair well with the EB70S: the Bluetti PV 200W or Bluetti PV120W. The 200-Watt panel will charge the battery in about 4-4.5 hours with ideal solar conditions. The 120-Watt panel will charge it in about 6.5-8 hours with ideal solar conditions.
You can also use third-party solar panels if they are spec’d at a maximum of 200 watts and open voltage current (VOC) between 12-28 volts.
Car Charging Cable (12/24V, 8A Maximum)
This cable charges the battery through the cigarette lighter port charger. This is the slowest way to charge the Bluetti EB70S and takes about 7 hours (depending on your vehicle). We are able to get a constant 105 watts through our van’s cigarette lighter outlet.
So while it’s nice to have, anyone using significant daily energy probably won’t be able to rely exclusively on the car port charger (unless you drive many hours per day).
Safety Specs
The Bluetti EB70S includes many important safety features that protect against common faults and eliminate potential user error.
It includes a Battery Monitor System (BMS) with over-current protection, short circuit protection, low battery alarm, and overheating protection. These features help protect the battery against damage and ensure its longevity.
And the Bluetti EB70S uses ultra-stable LiFePO4 battery chemistry (Lithium Iron Phosphate). This type of lithium battery is coveted for its long lifespan and better thermal stability than other lithium battery types.
Design And Form Factor
Rectangle Shape
I love that the Bluetti EB70S is nearly a perfect rectangle. This shape is ideal for many reasons.
For starters, it makes it very easy to pack away. We live in a campervan, so the packability of items is crucial. It fits neatly into corners and provides a stable platform to stack things on top.
Camping tables often have limited space, so with the Bluetti on the table, you can still place things on top of it.
Retractable Handle
The Bluetti EB70S has a built-in ergonomic handle design. The handle is sturdy and comfortable. And it folds down when not in use to help maintain that rectangle shape.
Recessed Outlets
The Bluetti EB70S has recessed ports, outlets, and buttons. We believe this is designed to prevent accidental button presses and damage to the ports.
However, one negative of the recessed outlets is that some plugs may not fit.
For example, that awkward Macbook charging brick doesn’t fit into the two lower AC outlets. But it’s not a dealbreaker, since it fits in the upper ones. And really you should just ignore the brick entirely and charge via the DC USB-C ports for efficiency.
User Experience
Here are our thoughts on what it’s like using this unit nearly on a daily basis.
Easy To Use
One of the primary benefits of the Bluetti EB70S is how easy it is to use. While it’s never a bad idea to read the manual, it’s very easy and intuitive to figure out.
The ‘ease of use’ is one of the main selling points of the Bluetti EB70S. The beginner-friendly design is accessible to anyone. You don’t need to know what a pure-sine wave inverter is or what BMS stands for. Just plug cords into the correct ports and it will work.
DC Power & AC Power Panel Control
The DC and AC panels are separated with obvious power buttons to turn them on. The power buttons have a green light that illuminates when that panel is on.
LED Screen
The simple LED screen shows the input and output in Watt-hours (Wh). So with just a glance, it’s easy to monitor how much power is going in and out.
However, the screen does turn off after a few minutes to save power. Just short press any button to re-illuminate the screen.
The only functionality that is not intuitive to me is that the LED Screen doesn’t have its own button.
So when the display goes to sleep you need to short press the DC, AC, or flashlight button to “wake up” the screen. And holding the button for just a fraction of a second too long can accidentally turn off the AC or DC panel (whichever you pressed).
So we’ve resolved that pressing the flashlight button is best, especially since it is never blocked by any cords.
The LED screen has a visual battery level indicator that shows a percentage of charge. But it is only in 20% increments (20, 40, 60, 80, 100).
While 20% increments are rather imprecise, it’s probably because it’s quite difficult to estimate the state of charge of lithium batteries. So any more precision would likely just be a ‘best guess’ anyway.
Noise Level
When charging the Bluetti EB70S, there is an internal fan to dissipate heat. The fan is louder than we expected. It runs at about 50 decibels. So while not super loud, it’s definitely hard to ignore.
And the AC wall outlet charger also has a built-in fan. But together with the battery bank’s fan, they still collectively measure at around 50Db when pulling 200 watts.
Don’t Put It In Direct Sunlight
The Bluetti EB70S is not meant to be left in direct sunlight. This is an important consideration for anyone planning to use this battery outside. Many photos will show the product outside in the sun, which is a little misleading (we are guilty of it too). But just be aware that in real life, the battery shouldn’t be left in the sun, especially in hot weather.
You should plan to have some type of shade for outdoor use (natural, awning, tent, etc). Or you use the shade created by a solar panel (except midday).
Safe Operating Temperatures
The Bluetti EB70S can be used in the following temperature ranges:
Charging: 32-104℉ (0-40℃);
Discharging: -4-104℉ (-20-40℃);
Storage: -4-104℉ (-20-40℃).
It’s worth noting that Bluetti recommends not charging the battery below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit). However, this is true for most Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. So it’s not unique to Bluetti products.
Warranty
The Bluetti EB70S includes a 2-year warranty, which is pretty standard in the industry. The warranty covers any “defects in material and workmanship”. (Full warranty details here).
Putting The Bluetti EB70S To The Test
So the Bluetti EB70S obviously has really great specs on paper, especially for the price.
But does it actually live up to those advertised ratings?
In order to test the EB70S we tried many different load tests and charging scenarios.
Inverter Continuous Watt Rating Test
We have used the Bluetti EB70S to boil water with our electric kettle. The kettle draws a continuous 825 watts of AC power for about 2 minutes.
And while this is actually over the 800 Watts that the inverter is rated for, it worked fine! So I can say that the Bluetti EB70S’s AC inverter definitely performs up to (and even above) its advertised 800 watts.
Surge Power Test
We tested the 1400W surge power capability of the Bluetti EB70S. We connected several loads that totaled about 1350W for a few seconds and the unit handled the temporary surge without cutting power.
The ‘Way Too Many Devices’ Test
We tested the EB70S by connecting as many simultaneous loads as possible. For this test, we connected:
- Macbook – 70W
- Drone Batteries – 35W
- Starlink – 37W
- Headlamp – 10W
- iPhone (wireless) – 12W
- Electric Heater – 323W
- Wireless Earbuds – 6W
- Total Expected = 493W
I was curious to see if the Bluetti would begin throttling power with so many loads connected. Or if everything could still draw its maximum wattage despite competing for power.
We were expecting the total output to be around 493 watts but instead got around 465 watts. So we have to conclude that there is some throttling happening with so many loads connected.
*But there is a pretty large margin of error for this test since watt ratings were estimated and variable.
Over Current Test
This unit has over-current protection, so if you try to draw too much power the BMS kicks in and shuts off the power.
We tested this by running an electric water kettle and electric space heater at the same time (≈1550 watts total). This immediately tripped the over current protection, which was promptly displayed on the screen.
We just turned the battery off and back on, and it was immediately ready for use again.
Bluetti PV 200W Solar Panel Charging Test
We paired the Bluetti EB70S with the Bluetti 200W folding solar panel. The solar panel is the best option for keeping the battery charged during regular off-grid use (assuming good enough sunshine)
In ideal solar conditions, we have managed to pull 200 watts from the solar panel array. So it passes the test.
For comparison, the AC wall charger maxes out at 200 watts as well. So (assuming ideal solar conditions) the 200W Bluetti panel can charge just as fast as the wall charger.
However, in real life conditions, we think an average of about ≈150 watts is a more realistic expectation. But even with that, the 200-watt panel has been sufficient for regular daily use.
Cigarette Lighter Car Charging Test
We tested charging the EB70S with the supplied cigarette lighter outlet car charger. How much power you get may depend on your vehicle.
We are able to pull a constant 105 watts from our van. In about a 3-hour drive, we were able to charge the battery from completely dead to about 50%. We haven’t tested it for a full charge. Mostly because we don’t do many 7+ hour drives.
So personally, we view the car charger as only a supplemental charging option when AC or solar power are not available.
Does The Bluetti EB70S Battery Station Have Enough Power For You?
Different people have different power needs, so does the Bluetti EB70S have enough power for you?
Well, as you could have guessed, it depends on your electricity consumption. In order to be sure, you need to add up the total wattage of all your devices.
When deciding if the Bluetti EB70S will work for you, the two most important numbers to consider are the total battery capacity and the maximum power output. That is, how much total power do you need, and what is the most power you will need at one time.
As mentioned before, the total battery capacity of this unit is 716Wh (Watt Hours). And the AC Inverter is rated for 800W continuous, and 1400W surge power.
Ensure that no devices/appliances require more power than that.
Most people are not familiar with how much electricity different devices and appliances use. They just plug something into an outlet at home and it works, no more thought is required. It doesn’t matter whether something takes 5 watts or 500 watts. It just works.
But when you begin using power from limited sources like a portable power station, it’s in your best interest to learn how much power things use.
Refer to this spreadsheet to learn the power usage of common devices and appliances (created by ReeWray Outdoors).
How to calculate Watt Hours (Wh).
Multiply the amount of watts a device consumes by the amount of time you plan to use it.
Repeat this process for all the devices and appliances you plan to run, and then add them together.
I recommend adding another 10-20% as a buffer. This should give you a rough idea of how much total wattage you need.
(Be aware that some devices like compressor fridges cycle on and off, so they are not constantly running).
Usable Battery Capacity
It’s important to note that usable battery capacity is usually lower than the advertised (or nominal) battery capacity. Some power will be consumed by the LED screen, BMS (battery monitor system), and AC conversion loss.
Missing Features
These are some features that the Bluetti EB70S does not have. But depending on your needs, it may or may not matter.
No Expandability/Scalability
The Bluetti EB70S does not have the ability to add more power. Some powerbanks allow you to purchase expansion batteries to increase the capacity. However, most portable power stations with this feature are more expensive and arguably in a different tier of product.
No Support For 240V Charging
The Bluetti EB70S can not be charged with 240V power.
No App Control
The Bluetti Power Station EB70S does not have mobile App control.
Bluetti PV 200Watt Folding Solar Panel Review
I just wanted to include a short review of the Bluetti PV200 folding solar panel. It’s likely that many people will pair their Bluetti EB70S with this panel (We recommend it for daily off-grid use).
This solar panel is thoughtfully designed and works as advertised. I have been able to get 200 watts out of the panel in ideal solar conditions. However, we have found that about 150 Watts is a more realistic expectation that accounts for solar collection variables (temperature, angle, clouds, etc).
When folded up for storage the panel is about ¼ of the size of unfolded. I love that it can deliver roughly the same power as the provided AC wall charger. So users can feel encouraged to use renewable solar power whenever possible.
The solar panel array includes simple kickstands for optimizing solar collection angles. And there is an attached zipper pocket to keep the solar charging cable tucked away neatly and safely between uses.
The only potential negative is that the solar panel is not fully waterproof.
From Bluetti “In order to maximize the lifespan of the solar panel, please try not to get it wet or soak it in water”.
Generally, you aren’t going to be getting solar while it’s raining anyway. But it is still an inconvenience to package it up for any passing rainstorms.
Bluetti PV 200 Watt Panel Specs
| Peak Power: | 200 Watts |
| Voltage at max power: | 20.5V |
| Current at max power: | 9.7A |
| Open Circuit Voltage: | 26.1V |
| Short Circuit Current: | 10.3A |
| Operating Temperature: | 14 to 150 Fahrenheit (-10 to +65 Celcius) |
| Best Working Temperature: | 77 Fahrenheit (+25 Celcius) |
| Dimensions (Folded): | 23.2” x 24.8” (59 x 63mm) |
| Dimensions (Unfolded): | 23.2” x 89.2” (59 x 226.5mm) |
| Weight: | 16.1 lbs (7.3kg) |
| Warranty: | 12 Months |
Conclusion | Bluetti EB70S Portable Power Station Review
All in all, we are very pleased with the performance of the Bluetti EB70S portable power station. And especially at the price ($499 USD as of Aug 2023), it’s a very good value. Honestly, it was difficult to find things to complain about with this battery.
The Bluetti EB70S is a great eco-friendly replacement for a gas generator. Which is why portable power stations are often misleadingly called portable generators. But just be aware that they don’t actually generate any power on their own. They must be paired with solar or other power inputs to be charged up.
The Bluetti PV 200Watt Solar Panel is a great pairing with this battery. With several hours of ideal sunshine per day, it provides plenty of power for moderate daily use.
The Bluetti EB70S is ideal for many different uses, like camping, vanlife, RVing, or emergency use.
Camping Battery
It has plenty of power for staying powered up on a weekend camping trip. If you have low to moderate power needs it will last an entire weekend without needing recharging (cell phones, cameras, laptops, lights, fans, air pump, etc).
But if you are more of the glamping type, adding in “luxuries” like an electric cooler, blender, coffee maker, TV, etc, then you should consider pairing it with a solar panel or the car charger to stay powered up.
Vanlife Power Source
Buying a Bluetti EB70S can provide an easy plug-and-play electricity source for vanlife or other vehicle dwellers. For people too intimidated by wiring a complete electrical system, this portable power station is a safe and beginner-friendly solution for electricity.
For solo vanlifers with lower power needs the Bluetti EB70S can be your primary daily power source. With adequate solar power (like the Bluetti 200W panel) or several hours of car charging time it could power a vanlife fridge and vent fan with some power left over for a cell phone, laptop, and other small load devices.
But for couples or solo vanlifers with bigger power needs, you may struggle to generate enough power, especially with poor solar power conditions. We fit into this category.
For us, the Bluetti EB70S is an excellent supplemental power source, but it likely does not have enough power for all our daily needs. However, we work remotely from our van with two laptops, Starlink, plus all our other power needs, like a fridge, vent fan, water pump, lights, cameras, etc.)
Emergency Backup Battery
The Bluetti EB70S would be an excellent backup power source during unexpected power failure. If the power goes out in your home, you could keep some essential items powered up for several hours until power is restored. It could power an average refrigerator for 3-6 hours and keep some phones and other electronics charged up.
The only issue with this plan is that it’s not recommended to store the battery at full charge for extended periods of time (it’s bad for battery longevity). But that might be something you choose to live with if it’s designated for emergency use.
Where To Buy Bluetti EB70S
For the price and features, we can recommend the Bluetti EB70S to people in the market for a portable power station.
Here are links to purchase a Bluetti EB70S, solar panels, and bundles.
Bluetti EB70S Portable Power Station (Battery Only)
Bundle: Bluetti EB70S + 200W Solar Panel
Bundle: Bluetti EB70S + 120W Solar Panel
Bluetti PV200 Watt (Solar Panel Only)
Bluetti PV120 Watt (Solar Panel Only)
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