With the help of power stations with integrated solar generators, electronic devices can also be operated far away from the power outlet. Unlike a small power bank, not only smartphones and USB gadgets work here, but also powerful 230 volt consumers. Solar generators are also a solution for bridging power failures. They are also suitable for use on camping holidays, because the operation of mobile stovetops or refrigerators is also conceivable thanks to the EU Schuko plug and solar panel charging option.
design and equipment
The Bluetti EB240 offers a nominal capacity of 2400 Wh and an output of 1000 watts. The 49 × 17 × 36 cm battery pack is only around 12 cm longer than the smaller EB150 model, which has around 1000 Wh less on board. The design and layout of the blue and white power stations are otherwise identical. The housing made of aluminum and plastic feels high-quality and solid, as we have come to expect from the manufacturer.
There is a white handle on the top for carrying the power station. With such a large capacity, however, there is also a corresponding weight and so one is happy to have to use the handle as little as possible. The EB240 tips the scales at a whopping 21.5 kg. This of course makes the power station unsuitable for transport by hand. Carrying the package from the car to the party area works without any problems. Overall, the shape of the EB240 reminds us of a desktop PC with an attached handle. The similarly large and heavy power station Fossibot F2400 (test report), on the other hand, is square in shape and has two integrated handles. This makes it easier to carry with two hands and offers additional storage space.
Bluetti distributes the ports on the front and back. The power input, the backlit display, the power button (main switch, direct current and alternating current), a 12 V car output (cigarette lighter) and a total of five USB outputs (1x USB-C PD with 45 W, 4x USB-A with 3.0 A). On the back there is an outlet for the fans of the EB240, as well as the two Schuko sockets for 230 volts. Unfortunately, the connections are not covered with protective caps, which can lead to dirt or moisture getting into the connections, especially with the AC sockets that are positioned quite low.
A 200 watt power pack is included, but you can optionally charge the power station with solar power via a solar panel, the maximum charging power is a decent 500 watts. The EB240 does not normally come with a solar panel. But there are bundles that include a panel. We used a solar panel with 200 watts for our test.
Technical specifications
practice test
The mobile socket is started by pressing the main button for several seconds. The same procedure is also necessary for activating the individual outputs AC, DC and USB. An LED signals the current status. The status display also shows which connections are active. How much power flows can also be seen. The display is crisp and easy to read, even from an angle. Unfortunately, the current charge status is only roughly displayed with five 20 percent bars. Other power stations, such as the Topshak TS-PS1500 (test report), even show the expected remaining runtime in minutes, but at least an exact display in percent. It’s a pity, but here you can see that the series has been available for a little longer.
Bluetti specifies a maximum continuous load of 1000 watts for the EB240, as well as 1200 watts for short-term peak loads. These values are very solid for a power station in this price range. Our toaster test (at 970 watts) was correspondingly successful, as was the operation of 3D printers, gaming PCs, ice cube makers or travel hair dryers. We can also operate tools such as drills and jigsaws, provided the required power remains below 1000 watts.
Heavy consumers, such as kettles, induction hotplates, circular table saws or electric chainsaws are then above the power limit. Here, the power station reliably cuts off the power supply after just a few seconds. For anyone who needs more power, this means looking for alternatives such as the Ecoflow Delta 2 (test report) with 1800 watts or the Fossibot F2400 (test report) with a full 2400 watts. In terms of capacity, however, this Ecoflow Delta 2 is overtaken by the Bluetti EB240, which is twice as large at 2.4 kWh. The Fossibot has at least 2048 Wh on board, but it also costs at least 300 euros more.
But how much of the nominal capacity can be used in practice? To test the actual capacity, we discharged the EB240 several times with different consumers. We recorded the amount of electricity that flowed with the help of a household AC current meter. We got 1842 Wh, i.e. about 77.2 percent of the nominal capacity, 1922.4 Wh (80.2 percent) and 2085.6 Wh (86.9 percent), which corresponds to the manufacturer’s information. On average, the usable capacity is around 85 percent. Weak 230 V consumers achieve the greatest losses. You lose the least with direct current consumers.
Bluetti has installed classic lithium batteries in the EB240, while other power stations use longer-lasting LiFePO4 batteries. The manufacturer still states a service life of 2500 cycles – that would be a good value. Manufacturers usually only specify 500 to 1000 charging cycles for lithium batteries. LiFePO4 batteries achieve between 3000 and 3500 charging cycles.
In our tests, we found the volume of the Bluetti EB240 to be average – neither surprisingly quiet nor annoyingly loud. It remains quiet when operating at low power, but the fans speed up noticeably when the power consumption exceeds 400 W. The volume remains well below that of the Topshak TS-PS1500 (test report).
variants and prices
The Bluetti Poweroak EB240 is only available in blue. You can usually get them from around 1200 euros at Geekmaxi. With the Couponcode XZ7VS6it However, only 949 euros are due, which is an excellent price for this high capacity.
If you can get by with less capacity, you should take a look at the smaller Bluetti EB150 (test report). An optional solar panel, such as the Bluetti SP200, can be purchased separately.
Conclusion
With the EB240, Bluetti offers an inexpensive power station that delivers sufficient power and high capacity. However, the slow charging speed and the solid but rudimentary equipment show that the model still belongs to the first generation of power stations. Nevertheless, for the asking price of only 949 euros with such a high capacity, the EB240 gets a clear purchase recommendation. No other power station currently offers so much storage for less than 1000 euros.
If you need more power, you need an alternative. Our current price-performance tip would be the Fossibot F2400 (test report) with 2048 Wh, 2400 watts, quick charging function and high solar charging capacity for currently 1300 euros. The Ecoflow Delta 2 (test report), for example, offers more performance but less capacity for just under 1000 euros.