BLUETTI SwapSolar AC180T Power Station and Multicooler review – a fantastic cooler and power station combo

REVIEW – BLUETTI has made a name for themselves the last few years by pumping out relatively high quality power stations. We’ve reviewed several of those in the past here at the Gadgeteer, but today I’ve got their latest foray into a new product category: a portable refrigerator/freezer. BLUETTI calls it the Multicooler, and when paired with their (also new) AC180T power station it can keep a lot of stuff cold for a week or more! BLUETTI’s calling the whole system the “SwapSolar,” and I’ve been testing it out for a few weeks now, so I’ll try to gather my thoughts into a coherent review.

What is it?

The BLUETTI SwapSolar AC180T Power Station and Multicooler is a combination power supply and portable refrigerator/freezer. There are many neat tricks that the combination of products offers, like hot-swappable battery packs that can be pulled out of the power station and inserted into the cooler to run standalone for a few days, or the ice-maker built right into the Multicooler.

What’s in the box?

• AC180T Portable Power Station
• F045D Multicooler
• AC charging cable x2
• Car charging cable x2
• Solar charging cable (MC4) x2
• Baskets x3
• Storage box x1
• Ice Basket
• Ice scoop
• Grounding screw
• Manual x2

Hardware specs

Design and features

The BLUETTI AC180T Power Station has a similar layout on the front to most other power generators I’ve reviewed: clusters of different types of inputs and outputs. An information-rich LCD panel is in the center, with power buttons and USB ports beneath. This new AC180T model looks similar to the previously reviewed Bluetti AC180, but with removable batteries, a higher storage capacity, and some other small differences.

The AC ports (x4) can put out a combined 1800 watts sustained load with up to 3600 watts peak (pure sine wave).

The LCD display is easy to read and gives all the info I’ve come to want on a power station: current power draw/input, battery left, and ETA to full/empty.  The USB ports support up to 100 watts Power Delivery (PD) on the USB-C ports, with two standard USB-A ports as well.

To the left of the screen lives a DC/PV input and a Car port (also known as a cigarette lighter port for us millennials and older generations).

On the right side is the AC input, a reset switch, and a grounding point.

The left side has a recessed handle like the right side that works well for carrying the nearly-60-pound unit short distances. Both sides have ventilation for fans as well, which sound like most laptop fans under load (not too loud but you’ll notice them inside an RV or small room).

The two battery packs inside the 180T power station are both removable, and each has a handle and release button on top.

There are also LED indicator lights to show battery status when removed from the AC180T.

A plastic cover opens to show the two removable battery packs. The AC180T can run on a single pack (though at lower output levels) if you decide to pull one out to use separately in the Multicooler. I first encountered removable battery packs with the Runhood RallyE 600, and loved the idea. Hopefully BLUETTI makes similar mini-power-station attachments to use the batteries as standalone mini power stations as well, that’s been a great feature of the Runhood systems.

The Multicooler looks pretty similar to most portable coolers at first glance, but it’s hiding some tricks.

First, a lower storage compartment can be removed (this compartment does get cold, so you can store food down here if desired). However, with it removed you can insert one of the two battery packs from the 180T power station, which will then run the Multicooler for 3+ days (depending on temperature chosen and environmental conditions).

The top right of the top of the cooler has an LCD info display with some capacitive touch control buttons. ETA to empty, temperature, connectivity, and ice-making functions are all displayed here.

Yes, there’s a built-in ice-maker. This is a first for me on a portable refrigerator. It works by pouring water into the lower reservoir (shown above).

An ice basket then is inserted, and as the ice cubes freeze, they fall into the basket. If unused, they melt and revert to liquid format until the icemaker is turned on again. This compartment isn’t chilled unless the ice-making is active, so don’t try to store anything here.

The main compartment has a deeper half and a shallower half (the battery compartment sits under the right half). Included removable baskets help organize this area.

The extendable handle feels solid, and works well for moving the cooler on the wheels. There are recessed handles on both ends as well for directly carrying the cooler, though it starts at 53 pounds so if you fill it with beverages/food, it will be pretty heavy and you’ll likely need 2 people or use the handle/wheel mode.

The wheels feel sturdy and roll smoothly. There’s also some ventilation for the compressor fans, while retaining an IPX4 weather resistance rating on the cooler.

Setup

Setup of the BLUETTI SwapSolar AC180T Power Station and Multicooler is pretty easy: charge up the AC180T and connect some cables depending on how you’re using the Multicooler. There is the option to connect a solar system to the AC180T and/or the Multicooler, though none were included and we had nonstop dark cloudy days and snowstorms during the review period so I didn’t have a chance to test that out.

If you’re running the Multicooler off the AC180T Power Station, then you can connect via DC or AC cords (DC should result in a more efficient power transfer in this case).

Alternatively, you can insert one of the two battery packs into the Multicooler and charge it by connecting the solar to the Multicooler or by plugging it into the AC. There are USB-A and USB-C 100W PD ports on the right side that are active only when a battery pack is inserted, making the Multicooler even more versatile in standalone mode.

If you’re going to make ice, simply pour some water into the ice-making compartment (up to 1 liter, 300 ml minimum). Ice drops as quickly as 10 minutes from hitting start, and you can run a single ice batch or set it to run continuously.

Finally, the optional BLUETTI app can be installed on iOS or Android to view settings and control the system from your phone. Screenshots above. The app allows for easier control than the direct button interface.

Performance

I started my testing of the BLUETTI SwapSolar AC180T Power Station and Multicooler by loading it with standard 12 oz soda cans. I was able to fit 35 cans (20 oz would also fit the same number)  in the main cooler compartment, with another 4 in the lower battery compartment.

Alternately, two gallons of milk easily fit in the lower bin. You can set this whole compartment to sub-zero temperatures as well, but there’s no way to do both refrigeration and freezing at the same time.

I tested the Multicooler in standalone mode (with a single battery inserted), and got 4 days set to 39 °F and eco mode. I rarely opened the cooler, and this was indoors, so in a hot environment and if you open it often you’ll be more likely to get the 3 days estimated by BLUETTI.

I tested temperatures with the TOPDON TC001 thermal camera, and as you can see above the interior was at -1.6 °C, so a couple of degrees below what I’d set the Multicooler. However, the milk measured with a food thermometer was at 38 °F, so it seems like the temperature setting is fairly accurate though there might be colder-than-average spots (left bottom edge) to watch out for.

The ice produced is very clear and comes out in small cubes as shown above. The tray is removable with a handle which is handy.

Ice cubes came out at just under an inch each. There is a smaller size ice setting as well which simply drops the ice out of the ice making tray earlier so they’re not as thick.

Finally, I did my usual space heater test (which peaks at over 2000 watts then settles down between 1600-1800). The AC180T power station had no problem at all keeping the space heater going, though it estimated 1.2 hours to fully empty at that high load. If you’re running the Multicooler alone off it, you can get a week of power from the AC180T fairly easily in mild conditions. If you added a solar panel setup, you could extend that indefinitely. I also tested out various tablets, laptops, and other devices off the AC and USB ports, all of which worked exactly as expected.

What I like

• Removable batteries and standalone mode on the Multicooler
• Nice storage space inside the cooler
• Good power station performance and port selection
• LFP battery chemistry for long life

What I’d change

• I would have loved to see a smaller attachment for the removable batteries to use as smaller standalone power stations by themselves (like Runhood’s AC/DC “mini engines”). BLUETTI may have this planned though, we’ll have to wait and see!
• While the ice maker is cool, I would have loved to see the option to use that small compartment as a mini freezer compartment instead, sometimes you want that pint of ice cream in addition to all the food and beverages you’re bringing to some adventure.

Final thoughts

Out of the several portable coolers and power stations we have lying around the house from previous reviews, the BLUETTI SwapSolar AC180T Power Station and Multicooler will be our go-to for camping and other outdoor adventures this summer. We’ve already started using it regularly for overflow milk storage for our hungry toddler, and it’s a workhorse. At 50-60 pounds each, the Multicooler and 180T Portable Power Station aren’t as small or light as other options, but the combination and capacity are perfect for our needs.

Price:
AC180T – retail price: $1299 , Super early bird price: $849 , Limited Quantity: 100
B70 removable battery – retail price $429 , Super early bird price: $299 , Limited Quantity: 300
Multicooler – retail price $899, Super early bird price: $569, Limited Quantity: 300
AC180T+Multicooler – retail price $2198, Super early bird price: $1429, Limited Quantity: 200
Where to buy: Indiegogo
Source: The sample of this product was provided by BLUETTI.