REVIEW – A very interesting gadget combo came out recently that really intrigued me. You may have seen it in a news post about a month ago where Bluetti announced a backpack/battery combo called the Handsfree 2 All-in-One Backpack power station. The Gadgeteer has reviewed quite a few different Bluetti battery products over the past few years, so they have a pretty good track record with their products. The Handsfree consists of a large backpack that you would normally see used for a long backpack trip with the addition of a large battery and compartment. The concept was intriguing, so I had to check it out and got their Handsfree 2 model. Read on to see how it held up.
What is it?
The Bluetti Handsfree 2 is a backpack/battery combo that combines a large backpack with a 700W power station.
What’s included?
- BLUETTI Handsfree 2 Backpack
- Handsfree 2 Portable Power Station
- AC Charging Cable
- User Manual
- Rain Cover for backpack
Tech specs
Battery Capacity: 512Wh / 20Ah
Battery Cell Type: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)
AC + DC Input 600W Max.
Net Weight: About 7.5kg / 16.5lbs
Dimensions (L × W × H): 305mm × 105mm × 385mm / 12in × 4.1in × 15.2in
Charging Temperature: 0°C to 40°C / 32°F to 104°F
Discharging Temperature: -20°C to 40°C / -4°F to 104°F
Voltage: 120V
Current: 8A Max.
Frequency 50Hz / 60Hz
UPS Switching time ≤ 20ms
Charging Power 600W Max. (0%-80% in 45 minutes @ 10°C to 30°C / 50°F to 86°F)
Input Power: 750W Max. (charging + bypass)
USB-A × 2 15W total, 5V / 3A
USB-C × 2 5V / 3A, 9V / 3A, 12V / 3A,
15V / 3A, 20V / 3A, 20V / 5A
Design and features
The BLUETTI Handsfree 2 Backpack battery is slim and well-made. There is a handle built into the top and it’s easy to remove from the backpack if you want to use it separately.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
No assembly is required. Setup consists of charging the battery. Pretty simple. There is a DC Input port and cable. You can set different charging levels in the app or in the front panel. Slow charge is the best for battery longevity, so I stuck with that. There is both the option for solar charging as well as plugging it in to a wall. The below setup is for solar charging.
AC charging port.
The battery slides into a specialized compartment in the backpack that is padded and vented on both sides to prevent excess heat from building up. Below is the top of the compartment and it closes up securely with velcro. It’s pretty solid once in place.
Performance
The performance of this battery was great. One day I was working from home and wanted to see how long I could run with one large monitor and two laptops connected. Since there’s only one output plug, I used a power strip and everything ran great.
I started the test around 10:30 in the morning. The immediate draw with three devices plugged in was about 23W.
After about 45 minutes, the draw was sitting around 20W and battery was sitting at 90 percent. Not bad given everything that was plugged in.
After about 5.5 hrs, I was down to 30 percent and saw some fluctuations in draw. I think at this point I had plugged in another laptop and it was actively charging.
After 8.5 hours I was down to about 8 percent battery. I was pretty impressed. If power at the house goes down, I know I can continue working for the rest of a workday relatively unimpeded.
Backpack testing.
The battery sits in the pocket closest to the back. On each side of the BLUETTI Handsfree 2 Backpack there are vents and zippered doors that allow access to the battery without having to remove it from the backpack.
The rubberized panel has vents built in to prevent the battery from overheating.
The next largest compartment on the backpack is configured to store electronics and camera gear in whatever configuration you need. All of the dividers attach with velcro and you can remove and move around.
Lots of room for gear. It fits the Veenix V11Pro drone I reviewed recently very well.
The next pocket is configured to hold clothing and other gear. There is a zipper to expand out that compartment. If you’re doing any kind of backpacking that requires staying overnight, you’re going to need this. Water bottle holder is deep and fits this one well, but I think it would struggle with larger bottles.
This leads to my biggest gripe with the BLUETTI Handsfree 2 Backpack. None of the straps are large enough to hold a sleeping bag. Unless you’re in a very temperate climate, a sleeping bag large enough to keep you warm is going to require additional straps to attach. There are lots of attach points, but I would prefer the straps to be built in.
Time for a wear test. Partially loaded up with some electronics, clothes change, water bottle, pad, and a water purifier I weighed in around 40 pounds. That’s omitting sleeping bag, food, tent, and whatever other gear you might prefer to haul. Hauling a 16 pound battery is definitely going to push the limits of what you’re looking to carry.
What I like about the Bluetti Handsfree 2 Backpack Power Station
- Battery alone is slim and easy to carry around
- Battery charges very quickly
- Backpack is well designed and is comfortable walking around
What needs to be improved?
- Longer straps on the backpack for attaching sleeping bags and other items
Final thoughts
I’m a little stumped by this product. The BLUETTI Handsfree 2 Backpack is really nice and well made. The power station works great. I’m just not sure how I would use them together regularly. When I go backpacking I don’t typically have many power requirements. I don’t think that is the intended use case of this backpack, though. The press brief I read lists having an off-grid office or using it for drone and camera power. If I were out creating content and running multiple devices, lights, drones, and other stuff I could see this being very useful. I think it’s a very interesting product and would be great for the right person. I just don’t think I’m that person.
Price: $399.00
Where to buy: Bluetti, Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Bluetti. Bluetti did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
