The BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station is a lightweight, compact power station designed for easy travel and day trips. Featuring a 288Wh (18Ah) battery, 600W AC output and a solid selection of ports, the Elite 30 V2 aims to provide users with a portable power solution for trips to the beach or park. The Elite 30 V2 takes everything great about BLUETTI’s signature design and construction and shrinks it down to a much more compact and portable size.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the EB3A, the Elite 30 V2 sees an upgrade in battery capacity with its new 288Wh battery (up from 268Wh), more refined and compact design, and more DC charging options. While the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 lacks the previous generation’s wireless charging option, it compensates by providing better DC charging solutions in the form of a 100W and 140W USB-C port. Missing, as well, is the EB3A’s onboard light, which, though not necessary, was a nice quality-of-life feature.
While the wireless charging and light are missed, the Elite 30 V2 makes up for these design changes in size and weight. Measuring a mere 9.8 x 7 x 6.6 inches, the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station is more compact than its predecessor and just over half a pound lighter at 9.48 lbs. I also love BLUETTI’s newest design trend of forming the handle into the main casing, creating a much more robust and sturdy gripping solution without concern of a hinge wearing out over time.
As with the excellent AC70P I reviewed last fall, the Elite 30 V2 offers a solid host of AC and DC inputs and outputs, despite its more compact form factor. Starting from the left of the faceplate, the unit houses a single DC input that can connect to your car’s 12V power adaptor (cable included) or a solar panel (cable sold separately). Located below this input is a Cigarette lighter port and two DC5521 ports (12V8A).
“Measuring a mere 9.8 x 7 x 6.6 inches, the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station is more compact than its predecessor and just over half a pound lighter at 9.48 lbs.”
The center of the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 houses the LCD, which provides all of the pertinent information about the current state of the power station along with three power buttons which control the unit’s main power, DC power and AC power. Tapping any one of these will activate the display, which by default, is active for 1 minute. Below these are four USB ports, two USB-A and two USB-C (100W and 140W), the latter of which can provide steady power to most laptops without the need for the laptop’s AC/DC power adaptor.
Finally, on the right side of the faceplate are two AC outlets. Rounding this robust lineup and located on the right side of the Elite 30 V2 is a single AC Input and grounding terminal, which can be leveraged if needed (equipment dependent). The layout of the Elite 30 V2 is smart, easy to understand and easy to navigate.
Like the aforementioned AC70P, the Elite 30 V2 is exceptionally well built. Its hard plastic shell is ideal for protecting the unit even through the most rugged travel conditions, which, considering its compact design, is a likely scenario to find the unit in. Size is, perhaps, is the most impressive element of the Elite 30 V2 design. As someone who is constantly working in different areas and situations around my workplace, I’ve actually gotten in the habit of carrying the power station with me, reducing my dependency on setting up near power outlets.
As for travel and camping, I’ve found the portable nature of the Elite 30 V2 to be ideal for beach days, powering larger speakers and charging devices. I also loved leveraging its compact size for powering our outdoor string lights, which we set up around our 10 x 10 pop-up tent that covers the picnic table at the site. The nature of its compact design lends it to be ideal for a wide range of applications, and thanks to its lighter weight, makes the Elite 30 V2 the best portable all-day charging station I’ve worked with.
Battery life on the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 is quite impressive as well. While you won’t see the longevity of the larger units in the Elite series, it has nonetheless been an incredibly impressive unit to use. In testing, I found that the Elite 30 V2, despite its small 288Wh battery, was able to easily power my laptop during a 10-hour workday and still have about 40% battery life using the direct DC output (140W) port. Alternatively, I charged and powered three laptops simultaneously for over seven hours while they were also in active use.
The BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 also doubles as a UPS with a less than 10ms switch-over. The power station performed well in testing, having no issue seamlessly powering and maintaining my PC during a simulated power outage. Its compact size also allows it to tuck under a desk with ease.
This highlights another element of both the Elite 30 V2 and BLUETTI’s hardware in general that I appreciate so much: its smart adaptability. For example, when the unit is charging through insatiable means such as a generator or an unstable power source, the Elite 30 V2 can enter a self-adaptation mode that allows it to easily accommodate power fluctuations.
Other smart features that I’ve appreciated are time control, which allows for automatic shut off of output ports if desired and power lift mode that can allow the Elite 30 V2 to provide up to 1500W of pure, restrictive power load, which translates to powering devices such as an electric kettle or hair dryer. It’s quite impressive considering its small size and 600W power output.
“…the Elite 30 V2 offers a solid host of AC and DC inputs and outputs, despite its more compact form factor.”
The BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 also comes with multiple charging modes in the form of standard, turbo and silent. Standard mode charges the unit at 200W max power and takes about 2 hours from 0-100%. Turbo allows for an impressive 380W max power either via AC or AC and solar combined, and can charge the Elite 30 V2 to 80% in about 45 minutes. Finally, Silent mode maxes the charge at the aforementioned 200W but runs much quieter. The cost here is time clocking the charge duration at around 3 hours.
All of these features, along with a host of others, are managed via the BLUETTI app. The app is exceptionally well laid out, easy to navigate and provides an impressive amount of control over the wide range of BLUETTI products. Adding the Elite 30 V2 is handled initially via Bluetooth, but it can be connected to your home network for monitoring while you are away. Connecting the power station is a simple affair, takes a minute, and once connected, provides all of the information and customization you could need.
The BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 is an excellent portable power station. BLUETTI has balanced performance and portability with the introduction of the Elite 30 V2. While its longevity can’t compete with its larger counterparts, its lightweight, compact form factor makes it the most convenient to use power station in the Elite lineup and one I highly recommend.
You can find the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 on their official website here, and use code CG5off to save an extra 5% off.
