Bluetti B80 Expansion Battery Review

I have reviewed a fair number of power stations, including several Bluetti solar-powered power stations similar to the Bluetti B80 Battery Expansion Pack, and including the power station it’s designed to work with. The AC60 is a solid machine, offers good electrical storage, and is versatile enough to meet most people’s portable power needs.

While I have high hopes for this expansion battery, it’s always important to make sure that a new accessory meets the standards of the previous device. So, let’s take a closer look and see if this expansion battery really works as well as the power station it’s designed for.

About Bluetti

Bluetti is a company specifically dedicated to creating affordable, renewable, portable power stations that meet the everyday power needs of the average person. Their current power stations might not be able to run a home full time, but they do work as a convenient source of extra power, a good way to charge small personal devices, and have enough juice to manage some smaller appliances well.

The company also produces a range of solar panels compatible with their power stations and power station accessories, which means that they can functionally provide working, renewable, free power once you have the setup you need.

What Is The BLUETTI B80 Expansion Battery

The Bluetti B80 expansion battery is a little more than what it seems on the surface. The main purpose of this battery is to provide an additional 806 watt hours (Wh) of power to people who already have the AC60, but are looking to get a little more versatility and longer run time out of the power station.

It also works as a standalone power station, with both outlets and charging ports of its own, but it isn’t as versatile as the Bluetti AC60. It also doesn’t have as many outlets as the AC60 boasts, but, as an expansion, the fact that it also offers additional outlets at all is a nice feature.

Let’s take a closer look at exactly what this expansion battery is designed to do.

Features

All the bells and whistles in the world wouldn’t necessarily make a great product. When you’re looking at the product features, it’s also important to consider things like how versatile the features are, how durable the product is as a whole, and how the product is likely to perform in different circumstances.

That said, Bluetti consistently produces durable and long-lasting power stations, so we would expect all of these features to work well and hold up well against most real use cases and scenarios.

806Wh Standalone Power Station:

As a standalone power station, this model is relatively limited and going to work best for small devices and or smaller appliances. Just remember that the DC outlets are only compatible with DC appliances and devices designed for that kind of power. Most devices designed for use in an RV or boat will work well with this power station, but you won’t want to use anything that’s designed for use in a typical single-family home.

3 DC Outlets:

The option of having 3 DC outlets is a great addition to this power station for RV campers and even people who prefer a tent campsite but want to bring some modern conveniences with them. Plus, the 806 Wh capacity on this expansion, even if you’ve only got the expansion without the AC60 power station, gives you a lot of run time on most compatible devices.

USB-C Outlet:

USB-C outlets are getting to be more standard for phones and other personal devices, so having an outlet specifically for this kind of charging is a nice touch. It would have been even nicer to see two or three outlets, but since this model is designed to work with the AC60, and the full-size power station has its own USB-C outlets, we won’t hold it against this one.

12W USB-A Outlet:

The addition of a 12W USB A outlet might seem like an odd choice since this outlet will typically be used less than the USB-C, but since it adds a good bit of versatility when combined with the outlets already in the AC60, this was a good move by Bluetti.

12V/10A Cigarette Lighter Port:

Also known as a car charger port, this is a good option for running vehicle accessories without having to use your vehicle’s battery to do it. Perfect for camping, since so many camping accessories are designed to run off a vehicle, not only can this feature give you convenient charging without a vehicle, but it also means that your vehicle battery will likely last longer.

4 Recharging Options: You have several different charging options when it comes to restoring power in this battery expansion unit. You can use AC60 charging, solar (with a compatible solar panel of course), car chargers through the cigarette lighter charger, and an adapter.

That gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to charging and means that you can choose the charger option that works best in a variety of different situations.

It’s nice to see a power station option that isn’t limited to proprietary equipment from the same company. Thankfully Bluetti really does seem committed to making power more accessible, including accessible with other companies’ solar panels and other standard charging equipment.

Who Is The BLUETTI B80 Expansion Battery For?

The target audience for this expansion battery really is people who already have the AC60 power station and are looking to store a little more power in it. Whether they want to use the power station for longer use, or just need the capacity to run more devices at once, this battery expansion unit works well.

Unlike a lot of expansion units, this one is designed to offer not just additional power storage, but also additional outlet and charging options, which are also compatible with the AC60.

As a standalone power station, this model is a good bit less powerful than alternatives from Bluetti and other manufacturers. It can be used as a standalone power station (which is a nice bit of versatility in a battery expansion), and it’s a more affordable option than more versatile stations, but it does have limitations.

When Can You Use It?

The most common use for this power station expansion is probably camping, road-tripping, and similar mobile applications. It could also be used at large camping events and presentations to provide power for smaller devices and mobile appliances.

Anytime you need access to mobile power, including during emergencies, this power station battery expansion could be useful.

Where Do You Need It?

You can use this power station batter expansion almost anywhere. Some people even use them at home to reduce the amount of electricity they get from the utility company. You can also use it camping, at mobile events, to provide power off the grid, or almost anywhere else.

As long as you have a vehicle big enough to transport the battery, you can use this power station wherever your vehicle can take you!

Bluetti B80 Expansion Battery Pros & Cons

Pros:

• 806Wh Standalone Power Station
• 3 DC Outlets for versatility
• 4 Recharging Options for flexibility

Cons:

• Limited versatility as standalone power station
• Not as many outlets as AC60

Overall Impression

Overall the Buetti B80 Battery ($599.99) is an effective and efficient expansion to the original AC60 power station, adding both additional power capacity and additional outlets for even more versatility and power.

As a standalone power station, this model is a little less impressive, mostly because it’s not designed to serve that role as a solo device. That said, if you’re looking for an affordable power station option, and are okay with spending more money later on to get the advantages of a full power station, this model is still useful enough to be worth the initial investment. And, assuming you get a compatible power station, you’ll be upgrading both devices immediately when you connect them.

Related Power Stations

1. Bluetti EB70S Power Station
2. AceVolt Campower 700 Power Station
3. Anker 757 Portable Power Station