Review: AC20 Maxoak Bluetti Power Station 200Wh 100W AC

AC20 Maxoak Bluetti Power Station 200Wh 100W AC

10

Power

10.0/10

Design

10.0/10

Build

10.0/10

Pros

  • Has a Power Delivery port and an AC Outlet
  • Uses a digital display
  • Small size and lightweight, easily portable with its flex handle
(Last Updated On: April 27, 2020)

Coupon Code 10% Off: bluetti22

A portable power station is basically like a power bank, but at the same time, it’s not. The thing about a power station being a power bank is all about balance. Depending on how much power it has, a portable power station can strictly be classified as a power station because it has such a large power capacity that it’s too large and heavy to be considered for normal use.

Hitting a balance of being a power bank that you can use daily and at the same time holding the qualities of a portable power station such as having a high power capacity, and an AC outlet can be far more reliable than a 500Wh power station.

That’s what this MAXOAK Bluetti power station can be with its 200Wh power capacity, an AC outlet, and a few charging ports.

Power

Power Capacity:

Starting with the power capacity, this MAXOAK power station does use a lot of power, more than most regular power banks do, with its 200Wh capacity. However, there are two power capacities levels that you will receive depending on how you’re using the AC20 power station.

If you’re using the power station via the USB-A ports for charging smartphones then you’re going to be getting considerably more power to use. This is due to less voltage being used during charging, and when it comes to using the USB-A ports, you’d be using about 3.7V. To know about the Mili Amp Hours we would be able to use when using the USB-A ports, you have to use the below formula:

Wh * 1000 / V = mAh

200Wh * 1000 = 200,000 / 3.7V = 54,054mAh

So, when it comes to charging smartphones or tablets with this MAXOAK AC20 power station, you have a ton of power capacity to use. The same can somewhat be said about the USB-C Power Delivery port if it charges a device at a lower charging speed. Overall, if you’re using the USB charging ports from this power station, you can expect to charge smartphones to full power about ten or more times.

Charging laptops or smartphones to full power that would have a 5,000mAh battery or larger should fair about seven or eight full power charges. However, just know that these fully charged estimates are based on only charging from the USB ports, and not charging other devices from the DC port or the AC outlet.

Speaking of the DC port, that’s where you’re going to be able to use less power from this AC20 power station because the DC port uses a higher Voltage. The power capacity possibility that MAXOAK mentions is 18,000mAh from using an 11.1V power output.

An 18,000mAh power capacity is considerably lower, but at the same time, you’re using the power station for charging larger and more powerful devices such as laptops. Most of all, you’d be able to charge most laptops at their max charging speed if your laptop can charge from a DC port.

With that said, even though there is a DC port, most people may just opt to use the AC outlet on this MAXOAK power station.

Output Charging:

There are a total of five ways to use this AC20 MAXOAK power station.

USB-A and USB-C Power Delivery Port:

There are two USB-A ports. One of the USB-A ports features Quick Charge which can fast charge Quick Charge compatible Android smartphones, and it can still charge Non-Quick Charge compatible smartphones, too. The other USB-A port is a standard USB-A port that has 5V/2.4A charging speed.

The USB-C Power Delivery port on this MAXOAK power station is impressive because it has a 40W max output. A 40W charging speed from a USB-C PD port makes this port useful for charging USB-C compatible laptops like a MacBook, Chromebooks, and many other laptops that now use USB-C ports for charging.

Most regular PD power banks have a 30W charging speed, so this AC20 goes beyond that. Also, you can use the PD port for fast charging most smartphones that are Power Delivery compatible, and it’s fine to charge smartphones with the PD port because the charging speed will be adjusted to charge at 18W.

Two DC Ports:

The two DC ports each have an output of 12V/10A. The DC ports on this power station are going to prove to be useful for charging laptops that also charge through DC ports themselves.

That said, DC ports for charging laptops are slowly going away, and as a result, you may not find too much of a use for the DC ports on this power station.

AC Outlet:

The AC outlet on this power station is perhaps the most useful part, or at least on par with the USB-C Power Delivery port. That’s because the AC outlet can take 3-prong AC adapters and it has a 100W max output.

Alright, so a 100W output is a good amount that can be most useful for powering laptop chargers a few appliances that fit into the 100W power range or lower. In our case, we found that powering laptop chargers would likely be the most useful thing to do with the AC outlet.

Input Charging:

This power station is rechargeable through a DC port and there are three ways that you can recharge it.

The power station comes with an AC adapter wall charger, which is the most reliable way to recharge the power station but you need an AC outlet, and so you have to be at home to recharge it.

Another way to recharge it would be with a car charger, and the power station comes with a car charging adapter that you can connect to a car charger, but of course, you’re only going to be able to recharge it this way when you’re driving.

If you’re out hiking or camping, where this AC20 would be most useful, and the unit needs to be recharged, you can also use a solar panel to recharge it with. Of course, having sunlight exposure is going to be crucial for recharging it with a solar panel.

Design

Size and Weight:

Even with its high power capacities, and many ways to use it, if you want to go in the outdoors for camping or hiking and take a portable power station with you, then this MAXOAK AC20 is the one to do it with. That’s because it hits a balance between power and portability.

The AC20 has a length of 8.1 inches, a width of 7.9 inches, and a thickness of 2.6 inches. The weight of the unit is 7.6 pounds. So it’s smaller than most laptops and about the same weight as most laptops, and to make it easier to carry around the power station has a handle at the top that flexes so you don’t grow tired of carrying it.

Functional Components:

If you’ve read our other reviews of MAXOAK products, this power station is similar to use as the others.

The AC20 has a digital screen that shows the remaining power capacity with a battery logo that has five segments, with each segment accounting for 20% of the capacity.

To the right of the battery display, the screens show the wattage amount for input during charging, the wattage output for the DC output, and the wattage output for the AC output.

There are three buttons under the screen, with the left-most button being the one that turns on the unit, and you have to hold the power button down for a few seconds to turn it on. The middle button turns on the DC ports, and this includes the two DC ports, the USB-A ports, and the USB-C Power Delivery ports.

The right most button is the one that turns on the AC outlet. Each of the buttons has a Green LED light underneath them and that’s when you’ll know that specific output is turned on.

The AC20 comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, an AC adapter for recharging the power station, a car adapter for recharging it with a car charger, and a DC adapter to use for the DC ports.

Build

Structure and Material:

This is a well-built power station, and we found that since it doesn’t have too high of a power capacity, and it’s still compact, the AC20 has a better build because of it. Everything is held in place by large screws and the flex handle at the top makes it easier to hold for long durations of time.

It’s not exactly a rugged power bank, and we recommend being careful of dropping it and especially not to expose it to water, but it’s built well enough that you can take it outdoors and place it on the ground and carry it wherever you want.

Tech:

Despite having five outputs, since this power station has a 120W max output, the unit does not heat up. If it had a higher max output then it likely would but because of its limited max output, things run cool and this a good thing because you don’t run the risk of damaging the unit. If you do go over the max output, the MAXOAK power station automatically turns off.

Reliability

Portable power stations are thought to hold a lot of power and the downside is that most of them are large and heavy, so they can be difficult for daily use or even for occasional use. This MAXOAK AC20 power station with its 200Wh capacity strikes a balance, and that’s where its reliability is.

The AC20 won’t be able to power a drill or other high powered appliances, but it will manage to power smaller appliances and laptop chargers with its 100W AC outlet. To add to that you also get two USB-A ports and  USB-C Power Delivery port with a 40W charging speed.

The DC port on this power station is also available, but as we said before, many don’t use DC ports for powering or charging, so this port might stay unused for you. Perhaps you can find a use for it, and that makes this power station even more reliable.

Of course, to top it all off, and what makes this power station most reliable is its size and weight. You get a 200Wh capacity and all the powering options with a small form factor that can be easily carried anywhere. You can take this power station with you to the library if you wanted to.

Summary:

Power:

The power capacity is higher than a regular power bank, with 200Wh being a ton of power capacity for charging smartphones, and still is quite a lot when it comes to charging tablets or laptops.

Design:

In the category of being a portable power station, this AC20 has a good amount of power and still manages to be small and portable enough for daily use. Even if you’re not going camping or hiking, and simply want a portable AC outlet to take with you.

Build:

It’s not a rugged power station, but it is a well built one that won’t break down for a while.

Reliability:

The power station won’t power high wattage appliances that go above 100W, but when you factor in its five outputs, it still has a lot of power to use and it all comes in a small form factor.

Specs for MAXOAK BLUETTI AC20 Power Station:

AC20 Maxoak Bluetti Power Station 200Wh Specs
Power Capacity (Wh)200Wh
Power Capacity (3.7V)54,054mAh
Power Capacity (12V)18,000mAh
Standard USB-A Port Output5V/3.0A
Quick Charge Port18W
USB-C PD Port5V/3.0A | 9V/3.0A | 12V/3.0A | 15V/3.0A | 20V/2.25A (40W)
DC Port12V/10A
AC Inverter Outlets100-120Vac, 220-240Vac | 50/60Hz | 120W
AC Adapter Recharging42V/160W
Power IndicatorLCD Digital Display
Size8.1 x 7.9 x 2.6 inches
Weight7.6 pounds

Conclusion:

The MAXOAK AC20 200Wh power station is one of the most reliable power stations that we have used. It has a variety of useful ways to use it, and most importantly, the size and weight are manageable enough for you to use it every single day.

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