Review: Bluetti launches tiny portable power station with 200w AC socket for £109 (aff)
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Bluetti’s new Elite 10 Mini portable power station brings a 128Wh battery and built-in AC socket in a compact unit costing as little as £109
Bluetti has waded in to battle in the now rather crowded arena of super-compact portable power stations.
As a rule, these little units have no AC output, so no three-pin sockets, but they do have huge USB capability, and they're very small.
Because of this they're also seriously cheap when compared to bigger power stations with AC inverters which, as a rule, are quite expensive.
But Bluetti obviously doesn't like playing by the rules. Because they've launched a compact power station that not only has AC power built in, but it costs £109 at launch. If you miss the deal, it's still only £149, and that's seriously cheap.
The Elite 10 Mini has a 128Wh battery, which is roughly 35,000mAh, and a 200 watt AC inverter.
To put it into context, Jackery's cute Explorer 240 V2 currently costs £169, and that's thanks to a £90 discount, Anker's Solix C300 costs £189, and EcoFlow's River 3 costs £158 - normally £239.
Admittedly, the Bluetti has a smaller power output than these competitors, but that's where it carves out its sweet little niche.
It's pretty much the smallest and lightest AC power bank, and it's seriously cheap.
There is, however, a bit of an issue that could hold it back. While it has four USB outputs, two USB-A and two USB-C, all but one of them give out a rather asthmatic 15 watts. That's forgivable for USB-A, but USB-C users have come to expect much more.
Thankfully, there's a fourth USB-C output hurling out a far more healthy 100 watts, but even that's a bit weedy these days. It's not hard to find pocket power banks costing less that can offer 200w or more.
You could argue that's missing the point, because the AC socket can offer up 200 watts, but inverters are far from efficient. You'll lose energy just by converting the current, and that will affect how long the battery lasts. And, in the context of compact power stations, it's not a huge battery.
The £109 launch offer knocks a healthy £40 off the launch price
Bluetti offers the discount if you buy directly, and shipping is free, but it can take up to five days
The £109 offer is also on if you buy through Amazon, and delivery is also free, but whether you’re a Prime member or not, it takes a similar amount of time
However, it's important to get back to the context here, because the Elite 10 Mini weighs less than 2kg, it can be powered off small solar panels, and it's genuinely small enough to fit in a backpack.
And I feel this needs to be reiterated: you can get one for £109 if you catch the deal.
This, then, is a compact power station for people who rely on AC power. They might be laptop users, or drone or digital camera users, or they might need to charge an e-bike, or a domestic fridge - or even some sort of medical equipment.
For these applications, it's a brilliant bit of kit. For people who rely heavily on serious USB power, there are better products out there, but I bet you'd still find this device appealing. I know I do.