With a wide variety of portable power stations offered by Bluetti, you might be wondering which can power a laptop.
All Bluetti portable power stations can run a laptop. However, the run time will depend on the battery capacity and the required output to power the laptop. The smallest Bluetti EB3A will run an average laptop for 3 hours 13 minutes, or charge it 3 times, while the AC200MAX will last over 27 hours or charge it 30 times.
Laptops are designed to be portable, making them an ideal device to power using a Bluetti Portable Power Station. But which one would be best for your laptop?
Table of contents
Different laptops have different power requirements. Most will range between 20 watts and 100 watts per hour, but higher-spec laptops, such as those built for gaming, can use a lot more (up to 300 watts per hour!). Various models of Bluetti have varying capacities, so let's look at how long each of them will power an average 50W laptop.
50w Laptop
| Model |
50w laptop Runtime |
| EB3A | 4 hours, 11 minutes |
| EB55 | 9 hours, 21 minutes |
| EB70 | 11 hours, 36 minutes |
| AC60 | 6 hours, 51 minutes |
| AC180 | 19 hours, 21 minutes |
| AC200P | 35 hours, 12 minutes |
| AC200MAX | 36 hours, 03 minutes |
While this is the average power consumption for a laptop, the power consumption will increase if you use it for more intensive purposes, such as gaming or video editing.
Similarly, using your laptop for browsing or a simple program, such as Microsoft Word, will use less power. This is primarily because of the laptop's cooling features, such as increasing fan speeds to avoid overheating.
How do you calculate how long your laptop will run?
To calculate how long your laptop will run, you will need the following:
- The battery capacity of the power station,
- the power consumption of the laptop, and,
- the power station efficiency.
To help, I built a simple calculator for each model of Bluetti.
Alternatively, you can use the following calculation to determine how many times your Portable Power Station can charge your laptop from 0% to 100%.
Number of charges calculation
Battery capacity (watt-hours) / laptop battery capacity (watts) * Power Station efficiency (%) = number of charges
If you are unsure of the battery capacity for your laptop, use the command prompt with straightforward instructions. Follow the below steps to find out the capacity:
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Click the start button, and open the command prompt with "Run as administrator."
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In the command prompt type: powercfg /batteryreport. Click enter. It takes 60 seconds for the report to run. Once it has run, it will show you a file location it has been saved to, looking something like this:
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You can locate the report and open it. Scroll down to installed batteries, and you will find the "Design Capacity" and "Full Charge Capacity". There are two ways it may look.
The design capacity is what the battery capacity was when the laptop was new.
The full charge capacity shows you the amount of energy the battery can now hold - this is a good indicator of your battery health. If it is much lower than the design capacity, it may be time to replace the battery or purchase a new laptop!
The capacity is written in mWh, which stands for micro-watt hours. To convert this to watt hours which is much easier to use, divide the mWh by 1000. Use this number in the above calculator to find out how many times a Bluetti could charge your laptop.
Laptop power consumption
Your laptop will likely have a label indicating its power consumption. If you are lucky, it will give you it in watts. However, if you are like me, and your laptop doesn't state it, you may have to look elsewhere or calculate it yourself. I suggest one of the following:
- Check your user manual
- Search online for your laptop specifications
- Use a watt meter - Click here to see how I used mine
Bluetti Power Station battery capacity
| Model |
Battery Capacity |
| EB3A | 268Wh |
| EB55 | 537Wh |
| EB70 | 716Wh |
| AC60 | 403Wh |
| AC180 | 1,152Wh |
| AC200P | 2,000Wh |
| AC200MAX | 2,048Wh |
Different Bluetti's will have varying efficiencies, and there will be a difference between AC and DC charging.
Most laptops will need to be charged by AC, so let's look at the AC inverter efficiencies by each model:
| Model |
AC Inverter Efficiency |
| EB3A | 78% |
| EB55 | 87% |
| EB70 | 81% |
| AC60 | 85% |
| AC180 | 84% |
| AC200P | 88% |
| AC200MAX | 88% |
Some new laptops can be charged directly from DC via USB-C. If this is the case, the efficiency is typically better than charging from AC, as it does not go through the AC inverter. However, there will always be a parasitic loss with any device.
Bluetti EB3A laptop runtime and number of charges
To calculate my laptop's runtime and number of charges available with the Bluetti EB3A Portable Power Station, I used a watt meter.
You can purchase a watt meter for around £10-£15; I find them very helpful for all my devices.
While writing this guide, I charged my laptop up to 100%, plugged the charger into the watt meter, and then the Bluetti EB3A. However, you can do this with other power sources, such as a wall plug socket.
I ran it for one hour, and to keep the battery topped up to 100% the entire time, it only used 12 watts. I was surprised at how little power was used.
At 12 watts, the EB3A would last an estimated 17 hours and 25 minutes or charge my laptop over 17 times from 0% to 100%.
Remember, I only used a browser (google docs) to write this guide. If I were running an application or program, it would likely have used a lot more.
Plus, this is using an A/C adapter rather than directly from D/C, such as a USB-C (Which most new laptops offer). USB-C charging is often more efficient and could increase the runtime and number of charges available. This is because it does not go through the A/C inversion, where there is always a parasitic loss.
Straight out of the box, your Bluetti should be configured to run A/C and D/C appliances, including laptops.
But, before using your Bluetti to power your laptop, you should first charge its internal battery.
Your user guide will explain how to charge your specific power station. You can find a digital copy of your user guide on the Bluetti website here.
In general, one of the easiest ways to charge your Bluetti will be using the included power cable in a wall outlet tied to the grid.
Once your power station is charged, you can plug your laptop straight into the A/C or D/C outlet on the Bluetti.
After testing several Portable Power Stations and using the EB3A daily to power my laptop, I think it is ideal for most.
Bliuetti EB3A
We recommend the EB3A when choosing a Bluetti to run a laptop.
Laptops are designed to be portable, and with the EB3A, you get the lightest Portable Power Station offered by Bluetti at a very reasonable price.
Boasting a 600W output and a 268WH battery, it can run most laptops for several hours and charge them many times over.
However, you might find the battery lacking if you use your laptop for power-hungry reasons, such as gaming or video editing. In this case, I also recommend the Bluetti EB55 as a great portable power station for a demanding laptop.
But how does the Bluetti stack up with its competition?
Bluetti makes some fantastic portable power stations, all of which are more than capable of running a laptop. However, you may consider cheaper alternatives or other brands which offer more features for your money.
We have tested models from the leading portable power station brands, Bluetti, Ecoflow, and Jackery.
| Portable Power Station |
Inverter Power |
Battery Size |
| Bluetti EB3A |
600 watts |
268 Wh |
| EcoFlow RIVER 2 |
300 watts |
256 Wh |
| Jackery 240 |
200 watts |
240 Wh |
Based on its inverter output, battery capacity, build quality, and price, the Bluetti EB3A is the best in its class.
However, I have also used the Ecoflow RIVER 2, and it is a great alternative, especially when it is on sale.
You will often find Bluetti and Ecoflow products on sale. Check out their latest prices below:
Bluetti EB3A Latest Price
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Latest Price
Jackery 240 Latest Price
If you are at home, you can use your mains power to charge your Bluetti. But what if you are on the road or don't have access to mains power?
Two other great ways to keep your power station charged are:
- Solar power
- DC power
Solar power
Bluetti works excellently with solar panels. Whether you have yours hard mounted on the roof of your house or portable for camping, using the sun's rays to charge your battery is a great way to boost performance.
Your power station will include a solar charge cable pre-terminated to MC4, a widespread solar connector.
While Bluetti sells solar panels specifically for their power stations, they can be expensive compared to others on the market.
Bluetti PV200 Solar Panel
The PV200 Solar Panel is compatible with all their portable power stations and provides 200W of solar power. However, they cost more than double what you can pay for a similar-performing panel from other manufacturers.
But, if you use your own solar panels, be careful; you must ensure that they are within the specification of your Bluetti.
Important!
Ensure you refer to the owner's guide, which will tell you the Open Current Voltage (OCV), maximum input current, and maximum input power.
Do not exceed these parameters, or you will damage your power station!
DC power
Charging your portable power station with DC power is one of my favourite ways to extend its run-time.
Bluetti offers pass-through charging, meaning you can charge your power station while simultaneously powering a laptop.
So, even if you own their baby EB3A, you can get hours of extra run-time by charging with DC.
You can charge your Bluetti with:
- 12V (100W) vehicle adapter, or,
- 12-28V (8A max, 200W max) DC
Powering by another DC battery is one of my favourite ways to add extra battery capacity cheaply!
My setup allows me to more than double my battery capacity for much less than buying the next model up.
This allows me to charge my Bluetti EB3A at 152w, which is more than enough to extend the battery on the EB3A while powering a laptop.
Even better, I get to use the EB3A's improved screen to see exactly what percentage of the battery remains (the EB55 lacks this). Plus, I can use it for other projects too!
To replicate, you will need the following:
While powering your laptop off-grid with a portable power station is a great solution, it will only be suitable for some.
Some other alternative ways to power your laptop include:
- solar
- diesel generator
- gas (propane) generator
- UPS
To stay as green as possible, we always recommend, where possible, powering your devices using solar power.
About the author
Andy Vickery has been DIY'ing energy projects for years. From solar and home electrics, to car rewires, Andy is passionate about sharing his personal experiences.