After nearly 20 years of living full-time in an RV, we got pretty accustomed to being self-sufficient. With our own battery bank, solar power, fresh water, and holding tanks, we had peace of mind wherever we were. Whether boondocking or plugged in, we always had our own power. There were times when the power went out at an RV park, and we didn’t even notice.
Moving into a conventional house has taken away some of that self-sufficiency. But not all is lost. Keep reading!
Managing the Trade-Offs of Power Grid Reliance
We do love having more space and all the conveniences of our new sticks-and-bricks home. But, we’ve also become quite aware of how dependent we are on the electrical grid. And now that winter is almost here in Colorado, a power outage will make indoor living cold and uncomfortable in a hurry.
But just as quickly as I started worrying about our reliance on the grid, we were lucky enough to get our hands on an exceptional portable power station that’s big enough for the house. Enter the new BLUETTI Apex 200.
BLUETTI provided us with a complimentary Apex 200 for testing, but the experiences and opinions here are our own. And oh, how we are impressed with what this compact power station can do!
I can stop panicking whenever I think of a cold, dark winter day with no electricity. Thanks to the Apex 200, we now have substantial power in a package we can move around, use at home, and even take along when heading out for another overlanding adventure in the Project M.
The Apex 200: Loads of Power in a Portable Package
- The Apex 200 stores 2,560 watt-hours (2.56kWh) of energy in a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePOâ‚„) battery.
- It provides 3,200 watts of continuous AC output as a standalone unit.
- Plus, you can boost output up to 3,600 watts when paired with an expansion battery or receiving input from an active backup power source.
What does that mean? In practical terms, this compact power station provides ample output to handle several household appliances at once. Of course, the combined power demand must remain within the unit’s limits. But we put this to the test.
The unit weighs less than 60 pounds and measures approximately the size of a carry-on suitcase. That’s not exactly something we’d carry around all day. But, it’s sure easier to move from room to room than a permanently installed home battery system.
It also takes up less space than we expected for the amount of energy it stores.
For us, that portability is a big deal. We keep the Apex 200 in the garage, where Rene can use it in her shop since Jim hasn’t gotten around to installing outlets yet. It is available for home emergencies when we might move it to the kitchen.
And, we love that we have the option of taking it along with us in the truck camper.
Putting the Apex 200 to the Test
We weren’t about to just plug in a couple phones and declare the Apex 200 a success. Jim’s a nerd for specs, and I like backup power peace of mind. We wanted to see how it handled a real-world situation, with real residential appliances. So, we tested the gear we’d actually depend on during an outage.
Our first test involved running three kitchen appliances at the same time:
- Our full-size refrigerator
- The microwave heating coffee
- A drip coffee maker
I’ll admit I braced myself for the unit to pop and sizzle when we ran all three. But nope, no such thing! All three appliances operated normally, and never once overloaded the Apex 200.
After a few minutes of running this appliance combo, we noticed the battery level had dropped just 1%.
That was SO encouraging. It means we can keep a full fridge and freezer food cold and still make coffee or warm up dinner during a power outage!
Of course, a short test doesn’t tell us exactly how long the refrigerator or other appliances will run. But it gave us confidence that the Apex 200 can handle a useful combination of everyday loads.
Just how powerful is this thing? We wanted to see what would happen with a more demanding load. Our garage is already getting pretty cold for our morning workout routine. So, we attached a 1,500-watt parabolic space heater.
We ran the heater on a combination of high and low for approximately 90 minutes, and the Apex 200 still had nearly 30% battery capacity remaining. That’s pretty impressive for a portable power station.
Any space heater is a demanding load, and we would never plan to heat an entire house with a battery this size. But I’ve been using BLUETTI’s latest to help heat my workshop in the evening, since Jim hasn’t gotten around to installing outlets for it.
Knowing that the Apex 200 can give us sufficient heat during a winter power-outage makes us feel a little more prepared for whatever weather comes our way.
Apex 200 Has Multiple Ways to Recharge
The stored power capacity in the Apex 200 is only half the equation. During an extended outage, we also need a way to get energy back into the battery pack. BLUETTI has that covered, because the Apex 200 gives us several options.
AC Charging
The simplest option is plugging the Apex 200 into a regular household outlet. BLUETTI lists a full recharge in approximately 1.6 hours, and we saw it take less time than that. Even faster AC charging is possible with the appropriate connection and cable.
Solar Charging
The Apex 200 accepts up to 3,000 watts of solar input through two separate connections: up to 2,000 watts through its high-voltage MC4 input and another 1,000 watts through its XT60 input.
BLUETTI lists approximately 50 minutes to reach 80% and 1.7 hours for a full charge under ideal specified conditions. Of course, actual solar charging will depend on panel capacity, sunlight, panel orientation, and other conditions.
Generator Charging
We still have our Honda EU2000i gas generator from our early RVing days. Having that in the backup plan gives us another way to recharge the Apex 200 if the grid is down for a while.
The Apex 200 can provide quiet power indoors while the generator is used outdoors to replenish it as needed.
Vehicle Charging
When taking the Apex 200 on the road, BLUETTI offers an optional Charger 2, which can recharge the power station while driving. This is another useful way to arrive at camp with a charged power station instead of relying entirely on solar or hookups if you’re in an RV. If you are, check out the Apex 200 review by Tony and Peggy from Stressless Camping. They just put it through a battery of RV camping tests.
Power redundancy is key to living better in these crazy times of power grid failures around the country.
Having multiple charging options for the Apex 200 makes the power station sooooo much more reliable, since we’re not dependent on a single source of electricity to replenish it.
Apex 200 Expandable Capacity: Start with What You Need
One of the most appealing features of the Apex 200 for home use are the expansion offerings. With its integrated connectors and smart technology, you’re not locked into its original 2.56kWh capacity.
- This system can be expanded with compatible BLUETTI B300K or B500K expansion batteries.
- A single Apex 200 can connect with up to six of these batteries, boosting the maximum capacity to 33.28kWh.
- Homeowners now have the option to start with a portable backup system and add battery capacity as desired to handle more runtime for longer outages.
- BLUETTI also offers a way to connect up to three Apex 200 units using its HUB A1 system. A properly configured three-unit system can provide up to 6,000 watts of combined output with approximately 99.84kWh of total capacity.
For perspective, consider the Generac PWRcell 2, a permanently installed home battery system. Its largest configuration offers only up to 36kWh of storage and 11.5kW of continuous output.
Although it may deliver less power at one time, the maximum BLUETTI configuration can store nearly three times as much energy as the Generac PWRcell 2. Since the Generac is designed to integrate with a home’s electrical system, it lacks the portability BLUETTI offers.
For now, we’re happy starting with the Apex 200 as the first step to minimize our dependence on the power grid. Adding capacity as our needs change is more appealing (and cost-effective) than buying a larger residential system.
The Apex 200’s Useful Connections for Home and RV Use
The Apex 200 has 10 power output ports including:
- Four AC outlets
- USB-A and USB-C connections
- A 12V DC cigarette-lighter-style outlet
- and a high-output 12V/30A Anderson connection
The USB ports are handy for charging phones, tablets, computers, and other electronics without using an AC adapter. But two connections make the Apex 200 particularly interesting to us as former full-time RVers:
First, it has a built-in 30-amp TT-30R RV outlet.
That means an RV can connect directly to the power station using its standard shore-power connection, without the need for an outlet adapter. If we have friends or family visiting in their travel trailer and the house loses power, they can still plug in and have a source of 120-volt power. Of course they’ll still need to manage appliance loads, especially air conditioning, electric water heating, and other high-demand equipment.
Second, the 12V/30A Anderson port can directly power compatible DC equipment.
That’s useful for connecting certain RV appliances and other 12-volt equipment without first converting that power to AC. Which the RV’s converter converts back to DC anyway. But as Jim likes to say, we digress.
We appreciate that BLUETTI didn’t treat RV connections as an afterthought. Having these ports built into the unit makes it more versatile without requiring a collection of adapters. The Apex 200 is certainly suited for home and RV use.
Smart Features in the Apex 200 Help Manage Battery Power
We haven’t even begun to dig into the BLUETTI tech yet. Buckle up!
The Apex 200 has four independently controllable smart AC outlets. Using the BLUETTI app, you can turn individual outlets on or off, set schedules, and establish battery-level controls.
This kind of control could be very useful during a prolonged outage. It would allow us to prioritize the refrigerator or set a schedule, while turning off power to less important devices to conserve battery capacity.
The system also acts as an uninterruptible power supply.
The Apex 200 has a built-in UPS functionality and a specified switchover time of 15 milliseconds or less.
When UPS mode is enabled, supported devices connected directly to the Apex 200 can automatically switch to battery power if utility power fails.
That kind of reliability is a huge plus for entrepreneurs … and the desktop computer Jim has been considering, now that he has a real desk.
And You Can Hard-Wire It to the House
If we lived somewhere like Jerry’s Acres again, we’d definitely explore a more integrated Apex 200 home backup arrangement. For example, rather than running extension cords throughout the house during an outage, the BLUETTI could supply selected household circuits directly from our breaker box.
A licensed electrician would need to design a compatible system and install the appropriate subpanel and transfer equipment. But it sure would make keeping essential appliances running easier, without having to run cords all over the house.
And it would automate power transfer when needed.
We’d need a certified electrician to evaluate and install a system like that. This is a considerable investment, but it’s good to know the option is available – and expandable – with our existing Apex 200 unit.
Portable Battery Backup for More than One Lifestyle
Speaking of expandable, let’s talk versatile! What we like most about the BLUETTI Apex 200 is that it doesn’t serve just one purpose.
It provides homeowners like us with a practical way to keep essential appliances and electronics running during an outage.
The Apex 200 can be recharged using household AC power, solar panels, or a compatible generator, and its expandable design offers a path to longer backup times.
For RVers, the built-in 30-amp outlets make it a natural fit for travel trailers and off-grid setups.
Add compatible solar panels or the optional Charger 2, and it can become part of a more complete mobile power system.
So, for folks like us who moved from the full-time RV life into short-term adventure travel and a conventional home, BLUETTI gives us a little of that independence we’ve missed since selling the trailer.
We know a 2.56kWh battery isn’t going to power every appliance in the house indefinitely. We wouldn’t expect it to do that. But we want a way to keep the essentials operating, protect the food in the refrigerator, and charge the equipment we rely on for work. And now, we have some options to do that when (not if) the grid goes down.
Based on our initial testing, the Apex 200 has made a very good first impression.
We like its power output, the variety of connections, the multiple charging options, and especially the ability to expand the system over time.
After nearly 20 years of full-time RVing, we got used to having our own power. Moving into a house meant giving up some of that independence, which makes us a little uncomfortable.
The Apex 200 won’t run our entire house indefinitely, and we wouldn’t expect it to. But after putting it through a few real-world tests, we’re feeling a whole lot better about it’s ability to keep the refrigerator cold, our essential electronics running, and throw out a little heat when the power grid goes down.
Best of all, we can take that backup power with us on our next camping trip. Turns out we didn’t have to give up all our RVing independence after all.
Looks like a great backup alternative.