In the world of clean energy, BLUETTI has carved out an incredible space as one of the more innovative companies to design consumer-friendly solutions. The Charger 1 is an impressive accessory designed to work in tandem with the company’s own brand of portable power stations like the AC70P that I had the opportunity to review last year. Delivering an impressive 560W of power via your vehicle’s battery, the BLUETTI Charger 1 offers a unique and speedy way to charge your portable power station.
The design of the Charger 1 offers a unique and flexible option for those looking for a more permanent solution for charging portable power stations on the road. Opening the box reveals the charger, which includes two built-in brackets for mounting in your vehicle, along with A DC input cable, MC4 output cable and all the hardware for mounting the system. It is a compact and smart design that allows for multiple points of mounting. This is largely due to the impressively long DC input cable that measures just over 16’.
Safety is at the forefront of BLUETTI’s mind with the Charger 1. Venting on both sides of the allows for continual air circulation for the unit, preventing overheating. Additionally, the input cable includes a 60A circuit breather to prevent surges from causing any damage. The Charger 1 also has smart voltage monitoring in real-time, which measures when the vehicle starts and stops so that it never draws on the battery when the vehicle is shut off. This makes it safe to leave it installed and on permanently without concern for the vehicle battery’s health.
“Delivering an impressive 560W of power via your vehicle’s battery, the BLUETTI Charger 1 offers a unique and speedy way to charge your portable power station.”
Installing and setting up the Charger 1 is a fairly easy affair, though it does require some crawling around in your vehicle, which brings back many memories of installing stereos and speakers back in the day. The input cable connects to the vehicle’s battery posts and then feeds down through the access point on the heat shield, generally located on the driver’s side of the vehicle. From here, you can route the cable anywhere you want in the vehicle with ease.
In the case of our Minivan, I simply ran it all along the driver’s side to the trunk, where it could easily sit in one of the side compartments. From there, I simply connected the input cables to the charger on one side and connected the MC4 output connectors to the other side. Then, using your portable power station’s solar cable, the charger can be connected and plugged into your portable power station.
Since the MC4 output cable is a solar cable, the Charger 1 will work with most portable power stations. I tested this with another brand of power station I had on hand, and it worked without issue (note that you will need to have your charger’s solar adaptor cable in order to use the Charger 1).
The one small annoyance with any cable management in any vehicle is how best to route the cable. In the case of the input cable, it is necessarily thick and will be visible on most vehicles. It’s not the end of the world, but it is something to consider if you are looking to purchase this type of accessory. Installing it externally, like in the bed of a truck, for instance, while possible (the cables are shielded and protected from the elements) isn’t advisable. While the Charger 1 is rated for IP20, it doesn’t have any type of dust or liquid protection, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity considering its potential use cases.
Once the system is connected and has power, you can control and manage the Charger 1 via the BLUETTI app, available on both Android and iOS. When setting it up for the first time, the app was able to recognize it easily by scanning the QR code on the device. Once connected, a host of options and controls become available, from configuring the output voltage (check your portable power station before plugging it in) to silent charging mode. It’s a slick system that gives you an impressive amount of control and live monitoring of the Charger 1.
In testing, the Charger 1 performed incredibly well. Due to the 560W power delivery, the BLUETTI Charger 1 was able to charge my AC70P considerably faster than with the standard car charger cable that came with the unit. In fact, according to the official site, the Charger 1 can recharge a 1kWh power station in about 2.5 hours, making it incredibly useful for those who love road trips or are avid campers.
As for noise while charging, I never noticed any audio sound from the Charger 1 while driving. While it does have a max dB of 50, in practical use cases, this is easily drowned out by the noise generated from driving on the highway. Thanks to the aforementioned auto on/off, it’s easy to plug and play with the whole system, making it easy to use without worrying about extra drain on the battery. It’s a smart system that is designed and implemented quite well.
So who is this for? The short answer is people who camp frequently and those who love long road trips. While I love what the Charger 1 can do and the convenience it brings, it’s a bit of a niche product. Its $409.99 price tag also makes it a bit difficult to swallow unless you fall into one of the aforementioned categories. If you do, though, then the Charger 1 is an incredible quality-of-life upgrade for managing and charging your portable power stations while on the go.
The BLUETTI Charger 1 is a powerful, if not niche, accessory. Its impressive charging speeds, quality of life improvements in certain use cases and safety feature set make it a game changer for road trips and frequent camping. While its price point of $409.99 might feel a bit steep for the average user, for those looking for an on-the-road charging solution, the Charger 1 is an excellent option to consider.
- [6X Faster Charging on the Go] – Charge your portable power stations or batteries 6 times faster than regular car chargers. Use excessive alternator energy during every adventure.
- [Universal Compatibility] – Works with all BLUETTI models and 95% of third-party power stations. Enjoy adjustable voltage—just plug in and power up easily, no matter where you are.
