Bluetti Elite 300 Portable Power Station Full Test and Review
Compact Plug and Play Power For Your RV Campsite
Pros:
-easy move around and store
-simple operation w/ Bluetti app
-high battery capacity for it’s size
-TT-30 port accepts RV 30 amp plug with no adapter
Features:
-world’s smallest 3kWh portable power station
-2400W pure sine wave inverter
-1200W/22A solar charge controller
-connects to Bluetti app via bluetooth or wifi
Cons:
-can’t be left out in rain
-heavy to carry over longish distances
Full disclosure: Bluetti sent me the Elite 300 for free so I could review it, and this review is sponsored by Bluetti. I will also receive a small commission at no extra charge to you if you buy using my links below and/or using my discount code ‘DAYHIKER5’.
The Bluetti Elite 300 2400W Portable Power Station is a game changer when RV camping without electrical hookups. With it’s built in TT-30 AC output, you can plug in your RV directly with no need for adapters! Once connected, all the 120V plugs and appliance in your RV are up and running, just as if you were plugged into the grid. Plus, as the world’s smallest portable power station with 3000Wh+ of capacity, it promises to be simple to store, easy to move around, and capable of powering your camping adventures for an extended period of time.
These capabilities are especially appealing to us here at Day Hike From the Six because we were not able to install an inverter in our RV: we didn’t want to give up any of the storage locations that an inverter would occupy, and so we’ve just done without. The Bluetti Elite 300 promises to give us the full inverter camping experience without any space-occupying, complicated electrical installs.
To see if it lives up to the promises, I took the Bluetti out on a three day, two night camping trip in a non-electric campsite. To ensure I gave the Elite 300 a full and proper test, I used it both by plugging the RV into it directly, and also by bringing it inside the RV and plugging items directly into it. Read on to see how it did!
Before we get into the testing, let's talk about all the inputs and outputs the Bluetti has. The 12V plugs are on the left side of the unit: first is a 12V/10A cigarette lighter socket output, perfect for plugging in an item like a car cooler. Below that is 12V/30A DC output plug that can be used for wiring the Bluetti into a custom van or trailer build. Next is a DC input that can handle up to 1200 watts of solar panels at 22 amps to keep things charged up. Below the screen and buttons are 2 USB C’s and 2 USB A’s, perfect for charging all your electronics. On the right side of the unit is the AC plugs, consisting of the TT-30 Travel Trailer plug for accepting a 30 Amp RV plug, and four 120V household style plugs.
The Elite 300 also offers several charging and output modes, which can be controlled either using the buttons (less user friendly), or in the Bluetti app (very user friendly). Each has an icon at the top of the display. First up is Power Lifting Mode, which when activated allows the Elite 300 to handle 4800V loads like electric kettles or heating devices. Next is Turbo Charging Mode, and this mode speeds up charging by allowing the unit to pull 1800W from a wall outlet (instead of the standard 1200W). Then we have Silent Charging mode which will provide quieter operation by only pulling 800W from the wall plug. Next up is System Switch Recovery Mode (always on), and if power goes out and Elite 300 shuts down, it will remember which plugs were in use before it shut down and power them back up once grid power is restored. Then we have Eco Mode, and when it’s activated, the device will shut down outputs after a set period of time with no load. Finally, we have the Child Lock, and when turned on it disables the physical controls on the Bluetti to keep the kids out of trouble.
Note the Elite 300 can also function as a sophisticated UPS to provide backup power to your home office during power outages, and it can even allow you to pull your power at off-peak prices and use battery power during on-peak prices. I did not try these features during my camping test.
So how did the Bluetti perform on my camping trip? First up, let’s talk about how the Elite 300 did when my RV was plugged into it: I tested it running the microwave, the electric furnace, and the air conditioning. The microwave pulled just under 1300 watts, so it was obviously no problem for this 2400 watt power station. The Air Conditioner (not equipped with soft start) started up without issue and pulled just under 850 watts once underway, and the Elite 300’s screen estimated 4 hours of run time even though it was only at 76% state of charge! Surprisingly, the highest draw of the three items tested was the furnace: it pulled just under 1700 watts, for just 1.2 hours of run time at 74% charge.
The Bluetti passed all three test with flying colours, starting all these high powered devices without issue. I should point out that I would never run my furnace on it’s electric mode while off-grid, but it was still impressive to see the Elite 300 could run such a high draw device without complaint. What was more impressive was the convenience of being able to use the RV’s 120V plugs to charge my electronics, and being able to use the microwave at will even though I was camping in a non-electric campsite.
The second night of my camping trip brought a huge rain and windstorm, which highlighted the one feature I wish the Elite 300 had that it doesn’t: you can’t leave it out in inclement weather. However, given it’s small size, it was no problem to bring it inside the RV. I plugged in the microwave directly to the unit to allow me to heat up my dinner, and plugged in my computer and phone directly to the unit to allow me to work that night. My experience suggests that the Bluetti Elite 300 is perfect for RV camping regardless of the weather: if it rains, just bring it inside and plug in directly to the unit.
I was very impressed with the Bluetti Elite 300 during this test in a non-electric campsite. It was able to run the highest draw devices I could throw at it, and it powered my campsite conveniently regardless of whether the RV’s 30 amp cable was plugged into it or whether I brought it inside and plugged devices directly into it. Plus, I’m really excited to use it in the future to recharge our e-bikes when we’re camping off-grid.
If you want to add an inverter and an extra 3014.4Wh (approx. 250Ah) to your camping setup, the Bluetti Elite 300 is the easiest and most compact plug and play way to do it, with no complicated install required! I highly recommend adding the Bluetti Elite 300 to your collection of camping gear.
Make sure you check out our Youtube video review (link is at the top) for a live demo of the unit and even more details on how it performed on my camping trip. To check current prices, click on the Buy Now links below, and if you decide you want to buy a Bluetti Elite 300, please also use the Buy Now links below since we’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you! And don't forget to use our 'DAYHIKER5' discount code at checkout to save an extra 5% site wide!