An unboxing video can be viewed here: Bluetti AC30 Unboxing - YouTube
I purchased the AC30 at the end of December 2020 and received it about 2 weeks later (slow due to the pandemic). My primary use is backup power to run lights, charge cell phones, and potentially run the TV for short periods of time. I intend to charge the AC30 with a single 100 watt solar panel, but unfortunately the unit did not come with the cables and the cable was out of stock during my testing time. Instead I charged this by connecting with the AC charger to my larger Bluetti AC200. The AC30 came out of the bxx with about 60% charge. My testing was performed while running a 55 inch TV using about 100 watts. The AC30 lasted about 3 hours as expected. The supplied AC adapter only provides about 42 watts, which means the unit will take about 8 hours to fully charge. You can purchase a faster charger from Bluetti separately. I was lucky to have an old Lenovo laptop charger that supplies 20v at 4.5amps to charge the AC30 at 90 watts and charged in a little over 3.5 hours. My takeaways are as follows:
Pros
LifePO4 battery cells: This is by far my favorite feature of the AC30. These cells are rated for something like 3500 cycles, which is amazing! They are also known to be much safer than traditional lithium iron cells. The trade off is the unit is a little heavier, which I am fine with.
Built quality: The appearance and build quality of the AC30 is great with no marks or imperfections.
Size & Weight: The size and weight of the AC30 are great for being a 300wh battery.
Inverter: The supplied inverter produces a solid 110v at 60 hertz at 300 watts and provides increased peak power for initial power draw.
Wireless Charging: This AC30 supports fast wireless charging up to 15 watts.
Noise: The AC30 runs completely silent most of the time. After about an hour of using 100 watts, the fan kicks on for about 30 seconds. It then kicks on every once in a while. The fan is noticeable, but is to be expected to keep the unit cool.
Color: I choose the blue model and really like it. My wife said the AC30 was “adorable”. I like that you have four colors to choose from.
Light: The included light is a nice feature for camping. It offers low, high, and flashing.
Solar charging: Supports charging from a solar panel (but does not include the cable)
Cons
Powering on: When the AC30 is completely off, a quick press of AC or DC will not only wake it up but also turn on that input. Once the AC30 and screen are on, you must long press the AC or DC buttons to turn on. When I unboxed my unit the DC ports were already on. If this is designed for travel/ camping, the unit accidently turning on in transport could deplete the battery.
Car charging: This unit does not support charging from a car. This is a big miss for a unit of this size.
Screen: While the screen is perfectly functional, I wish it showed power usage out and in.
USB-C: This port is a nice addition, but it doesn’t appear to support power delivery.
Charging: I would have liked for this unit to include the faster AC charger and solar charging cable.
Overall this is a great unit and should provide years of use. If you have a little bit more money to spend, consider the AC50s. If you look at what you have to gain: 500wh vs 300wh battery (but not LifePO4), car charging support and cable, solar charging cable, detailed screen with power in and out, and 45w power delivery usb-c port, the additional cost is almost a wash. If low cost is your primary objective, the AC30 is a great option.
Note: I purchased the AC30 at a discount in exchange for an objective review, my review was not influenced by this discount.
