Portable Power Comparisons · 9 min read
BLUETTI AC180 vs EcoFlow DELTA 2: Efficiency, Noise or Expansion?
Compare BLUETTI AC180 (1,152Wh) and EcoFlow DELTA 2 (1,024Wh) by official US specs, same-lab PCWorld efficiency and noise results, expansion limits and backup switchover. No fixed prices.
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Research date Oct 15, 2026
Quick Verdict
Choose BLUETTI AC180 if you mainly run AC appliances during outages or camping and care about quiet operation: it rates 1,152Wh, and PCWorld's same test bench measured 84% AC efficiency at 800W versus 71% for DELTA 2, with noticeably quieter fans. Choose EcoFlow DELTA 2 if you want to add capacity later, need six AC outlets and two 100W USB-C ports, or will carry it often—it weighs about 27 lb versus AC180's roughly 35 lb. Both rate 1,800W continuous and 2,700W surge on 120V, use LiFePO4 cells, accept up to 500W of solar and carry a 5-year warranty. This page covers the standalone AC180 (not AC180P) and the original DELTA 2 (not DELTA 2 Max or DELTA 3).
Two availability facts matter before you compare totals. On October 15, 2026, BLUETTI's US AC180 page showed the unit as out of stock with an expected late-November restock, and EcoFlow's US store product address for DELTA 2 redirected to the newer DELTA 3. EcoFlow's US DELTA 2 product page was still live. Check that the listing you buy names the exact model; DELTA 3 has different charging and backup specifications.
Current Verified Prices
This page does not publish fixed prices. Catalog feed snapshots and review-era prices are not current-price verification. Open the BLUETTI AC180 US page and the EcoFlow DELTA 2 US page for what each brand currently displays, and confirm whether a listing is a bare unit or a solar-panel bundle before comparing.
This link opens the exact standalone BLUETTI AC180 listing named in this guide. No verified EcoFlow DELTA 2 product link is available on this page, so use EcoFlow's official DELTA 2 page and the checks below before buying it.
BLUETTI AC180 Portable Power Station (1,152Wh)
Exact standalone AC180 Amazon US listing (1,152Wh, no solar-panel bundle). Not an independently verified deal card—confirm the live price, seller and stock before ordering.
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RecentProfit may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Read our affiliate disclosure. This comparison uses official US specifications and attributed published tests; RecentProfit did not run its own capacity or noise test.
Official Differences That Change the Decision
US specifications were checked October 15, 2026: the BLUETTI AC180 US product page (specs and FAQ) and EcoFlow's DELTA 2 US product page plus the DELTA 2 user manual hosted on EcoFlow's US service site (July 2025 revision). Ratings are manufacturer figures, not RecentProfit measurements.
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| Decision point | BLUETTI AC180 | EcoFlow DELTA 2 | Buying implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rated capacity | 1,152Wh LiFePO4 | 1,024Wh LFP (51.2V) | AC180 starts with about 12% more rated energy. Measured usable energy differs by load—see the test table below. |
| Can you add a battery? | No true capacity expansion: BLUETTI's current FAQ says AC180 does not support expansion with B80/B230/B300; those batteries can only recharge it through Power Bank Mode with an extra cable | Yes: one Smart Extra Battery port; EcoFlow markets 1–3kWh total with a compatible extra battery | If you may need more runtime later, DELTA 2 is the safer platform. Older AC180 reviews describe expansion; rely on BLUETTI's current FAQ. |
| AC output | 4 × 120V outlets, 1,800W total, 2,700W surge; Power Lifting Mode runs heating loads up to 2,700W | 6 AC outlets (15 total outputs), 1,800W total, 2,700W surge; X-Boost runs suitable loads up to 2,200W | Both cover the same continuous load. Power Lifting and X-Boost are meant for resistive loads such as heaters or kettles, not sensitive electronics. |
| USB and extras | 1 × USB-C 100W, 4 × USB-A, 12V car outlet, 15W wireless charging pad | 2 × USB-C 100W each, 4 × USB-A (2 fast-charge), car outlet, 2 × DC5521 | Two laptops at full USB-C speed favor DELTA 2; phone-on-top charging favors AC180. |
| AC recharge | Up to 1,440W in Turbo mode (set in the app); 0–80% in 45 min; about 1.3–1.8 h full; 260W Silent mode | Up to 1,200W X-Stream; 0–80% in 50 min; 0–100% in 80 min (lab conditions) | Both refill in well under two hours from a wall outlet. AC180's Silent mode is useful for overnight indoor charging. |
| Solar input | 500W max, 12–60V, 10A | 500W max, 11–60V, 15A | Same ceiling. Check panel voltage and current against each limit; PCWorld noted AC180 ships with a solar cable, while EcoFlow includes its XT60 solar cable only with EcoFlow panels. |
| Outage switchover | Pass-through charging listed; BLUETTI's US page does not state a switchover time | EPS switches to battery within 30ms; EcoFlow says it is not a 0ms UPS | Neither should be treated as a desktop-PC UPS. Test any device that cannot tolerate a brief interruption. |
| Weight and size | 35.3 lb in the spec table (the same page also says 37 lb); 13.4 × 9.7 × 12.5 in | About 27 lb; 15.7 × 8.3 × 11.1 in | DELTA 2 is the easier one-hand carry. AC180 must stay upright—BLUETTI says not to lay it on its side. |
| Rated cycle life / app | 3,500+ cycles to 80%; Bluetooth app | 3,000+ cycles on the product page, 4,000 cycles to 80% in the July 2025 manual; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth app | Both ratings are long for occasional backup use. Remote monitoring over home Wi-Fi favors DELTA 2. |
Same-Lab Test Results and Review Trade-offs
PCWorld reviewed both models with the same AC discharge loads (a 200W bulb and an 800W heater) and the same three-foot noise position, which makes its numbers more comparable than mixing outlets. The DELTA 2 review is from December 2022 and the AC180 review from July 2023, so firmware changes since then are not reflected. OutdoorGearLab adds a separate light-bar test of AC180 at 80% load.
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| Measured or reported result | BLUETTI AC180 | EcoFlow DELTA 2 | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC energy at 800W (PCWorld) | 970Wh delivered (84%) | 71% of rated capacity | For heavy AC loads, AC180 delivered noticeably more of its battery in this test. |
| AC energy at 200W (PCWorld) | 1,007Wh (87%) | 80% of rated capacity (about 820Wh) | At moderate loads the gap narrows but AC180 still led. |
| DC/USB-C at 60W (PCWorld) | 71% efficiency—weakest DC result PCWorld had recorded | 828Wh (about 80%) | If you mostly charge laptops over USB-C, DELTA 2's advantage here matters more than AC180's AC lead. |
| Fan noise (PCWorld, 3 ft) | About 45 dBA at 1,500W, 43–44 dBA at 800W; fans off under 100W | 57 dBA when fans run hard; fans start above 120W; about 50 dBA even at 200W charging | AC180 is the better bedroom or tent choice. EcoFlow told PCWorld it planned a fan firmware update. |
| Full AC recharge (measured) | About 1.3 h average from empty (OutdoorGearLab) | About 86 min at the highest setting (PCWorld) | Both match their marketed fast-charge claims closely. |
| Main caution | OutdoorGearLab measured 950Wh (82%) and called the power-to-weight ratio poor and the fan noisy | PCWorld's main complaint was shrill fan noise; it also judged 30ms too slow for most desktop PCs | Usable energy varies by load and test method. In these tests AC180 delivered about 950–1,007Wh on AC and DELTA 2 about 730–820Wh. |
Sources: PCWorld Bluetti AC180 review (Gordon Mah Ung, July 11, 2023), PCWorld EcoFlow Delta 2 review (Gordon Mah Ung, December 2, 2022) and OutdoorGearLab Bluetti AC180 review (January 13, 2026), all read October 15, 2026. Review-era prices are omitted. The PCWorld AC180 review predates BLUETTI's current FAQ statement that AC180 does not support capacity expansion.
Which One Fits Your Use?
Pick AC180 for a fridge-and-lights outage kit, a CPAP or fan running overnight under 100W, or weekend camping where you want the most AC runtime from one charge and will not add batteries later. Turn on Turbo charging in the BLUETTI app when you need the fastest refill, and use Silent mode when the unit charges near where you sleep.
Pick DELTA 2 if you expect to grow toward 2–3kWh, need to plug in more than four AC devices, run two USB-C laptops at 100W each, or move the unit between rooms and a vehicle often. Expect audible fans during fast charging or loads above about 120W, and lower the AC charge rate in the EcoFlow app when noise matters.
Comparing larger home-backup systems instead? Start with the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 guide, which covers a different capacity class.
Configuration Checks Before Ordering
- Confirm the exact model: AC180 (1,152Wh) rather than AC180P (1,440Wh), and DELTA 2 (1,024Wh) rather than DELTA 2 Max or DELTA 3.
- Check whether the listing is a bare unit or a bundle with solar panels or a charger before comparing totals.
- Add up the running watts of everything you will plug in at once; stay under 1,800W and treat Power Lifting or X-Boost as heater/kettle modes only.
- If you need more capacity later, confirm extra-battery compatibility for DELTA 2; do not plan on AC180 expansion based on older reviews.
- For backup use, test your fridge, router or medical device through each unit's pass-through/EPS mode before an outage.
- Use a verified live card on this page or the official storefront total at checkout; ignore old review prices.
Continue with BLUETTI offers and purchase terms or EcoFlow offers and purchase terms, or browse all buying guides. Prices and promotion eligibility change independently of the hardware differences above.
Sources and Review Method
- BLUETTI AC180 US product page — specifications, FAQ (expansion, charging modes, orientation) and stock notice checked October 15, 2026.
- EcoFlow DELTA 2 US product page — capacity, X-Boost, charging, expansion and warranty claims checked October 15, 2026.
- EcoFlow DELTA 2 user manual — US/CA output, input, EPS and cycle-life specifications (July 2025 revision) read October 15, 2026.
- PCWorld Bluetti AC180 review and PCWorld EcoFlow Delta 2 review — AC/DC discharge, noise and app notes read October 15, 2026.
- OutdoorGearLab Bluetti AC180 review — measured output, charge time and portability notes read October 15, 2026.
FAQ
Should I buy BLUETTI AC180 or EcoFlow DELTA 2?
Choose AC180 for more rated capacity (1,152Wh), better measured AC efficiency and quieter fans in PCWorld's tests. Choose DELTA 2 if you want to add an extra battery later, need six AC outlets and two 100W USB-C ports, or prefer its lighter 27 lb weight.
Can the BLUETTI AC180 be expanded with an extra battery?
Not as true capacity expansion, according to BLUETTI's current US FAQ checked October 15, 2026. B80, B230 or B300 batteries can recharge AC180 through Power Bank Mode with an extra cable. Some older reviews describe expansion; rely on the current official FAQ.
How much capacity can EcoFlow DELTA 2 reach?
DELTA 2 has one Smart Extra Battery port. EcoFlow markets 1–3kWh total: a DELTA 2 Extra Battery brings it to about 2kWh, and PCWorld notes a DELTA Max Extra Battery brings it to about 3kWh.
Which one is quieter?
In PCWorld's tests, AC180 measured about 43–45 dBA at 800–1,500W with fans off below 100W, while DELTA 2 reached 57 dBA with fans starting above 120W. Lowering DELTA 2's AC charge rate in the app reduces charging noise.
Can either one work as a UPS for a desktop PC?
Treat neither as a true UPS. EcoFlow's manual says DELTA 2 switches to battery within 30ms and is not a 0ms UPS, and PCWorld judged 30ms too slow for most desktop PCs. BLUETTI's US AC180 page lists pass-through charging but no switchover time.
Is DELTA 2 still sold now that DELTA 3 exists?
EcoFlow's US DELTA 2 product page was live on October 15, 2026, but its US store product address redirected to DELTA 3. Confirm that the listing you buy names DELTA 2 (1,024Wh) if that is the model you want.