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I had been wanting a portable power station for a while now for camping and emergency use and finally resolved to get one on Prime Day. I looked at a lot of different models from the well-known names like Goal Zero, Jackery, Anker, Bluetti, etc. and had initially settled on getting one of them but then ran into the BigBlue CellPowa 500. For a similar price to 200-300 Watt-hour units from the other brands the CellPowa promised over 500Wh so I was intrigued – it also had a $50 discount at the time making it even more attractive. Although I had plenty of experience with power banks of various sizes and lead acid portable power packs this was my first lithium-battery portable power station purchase so I had tried to do my homework. Based on what I'd read the CellPowa's LiFePO4 batteries and built in MPPT controller for solar charging seemed to put it a cut above similar products for a comparable price with only a couple of other units available with similar features and capacity but at a significantly higher price point.
The only problem with the BigBlue was that it had no reviews at the time so I was hesitant at first. I did manage to find a couple of YouTube videos that reviewed the unit thoroughly. Apparently the reviewers got pre-production units but they both praised the CellPowa highly. Interestingly they also said it wasn't supposed to go on sale until September 2021 and yet here it was on Amazon in late June. Since the combination of price, features, and capacity were too hard to ignore I decided to take the plunge and buy it, figuring that if the listing was a mistake Amazon would let me know if it was unavailable and I could always return the unit if it was a dud.
To my pleasant surprise my CellPowa shipped out fast and once I opened the box it was the exact same unit described in the videos only with what appeared to be full retail packaging since it had an instruction guide that was missing for the units the reviewers got.
Turning it on the display read that it had a 47% charge as shipped. I then plugged the included AC adapter in which stated it would take about 3 hours to reach full charge. Since the unit was supposed to support charging through its USB-C PD ports, as an experiment I tried plugging in my iPad's charger into one of them and although a standard Apple USB-C charger is low output it dropped the charge time estimate by about half an hour. BigBlue claims you can go from 0 to 80% charge in as little as 2 hours but that would obviously require the AC adapter plus both USB-C ports and two high output USB-C 60W chargers.
One thing to note is that during AC charging the unit will power on its fan automatically right away, not just after some time if the battery heats up so it does make a bit of noise while being charged on mains power. Nothing too bad but noticeable.
I've had the unit for a couple of weeks now and have played around with its various functions at home and during a recent camping trip. So far I'm very impressed and satisfied with it. Charging both an iPad Air and iPhone 12 Max barely touched the battery capacity. I also tried it with a stand fan and a portable projector and it powered both easily. Over an hour's use of the stand fan while charging my iPad only took the capacity from 97% to 80% leaving plenty left over.
Interestingly one reviewer mentioned that his unit doesn't display output watts from the AC ports. That hasn't been my experience at all. When I had my fan plugged in it displayed the watts in real time in a range from 60 to 65 watts or so while my portable projector read at around 50 watts. The output watts would update accordingly when plugging in items into the other ports, as would the estimated time to empty.
I also tried charging it with a TopSolar 120W portable solar array. I'd originally ordered a BigBlue 120W array to match the unit but USPS lost that package so I used the TopSolar instead which worked well since it came with the correct 55x25mm plug for the CellPowa (one knock against the BigBlue is that it's missing a more standardized Anderson port like many other units have for solar array connection so be sure to choose an array with the right plug).
On a bright sunny Arizona day the solar array was able to charge the power station at a steady 74 watts which took the capacity from 80% to 95% in about an hour and a half. The fan didn't turn on at all while charging using solar despite the hot day so it may be that it's based on input voltage since the included AC adapter is rated at 96 watts. During my camping trip I was only able to get a range of 4 to 20 watts but that was the fault of the feeble morning light in the forest – a severe thunderstorm the previous day precluded me trying it out in more substantial afternoon light.
At this point I should mention the unit's display is very informative and legible indoors but can be very hard to read in direct sunlight.
Design-wise the unit is very good-looking and ergonomic. The top handle is comfortable to hold and retracts and extends with a satisfying action. Recessed side handles give another option for carriage. The layout of ports is good and logical although the way the AC ports are laid out only one can be used with a three-prong plug at any one time – that's something BigBlue should consider fixing for future models. It's not a huge issue since most small appliances you're likely to power with this only use two-prong plugs but similar power stations typically have two AC ports capable of taking three-prong plugs.
Two other small issues with the ports have to do with the cigarette lighter plug and USB-A ports.
It's a minor gripe but the lighter plug has no cover leaving it exposed all the time. Many other similar power stations have an integrated cover that looks cleaner and provides protection and it wouldn't cost much to add one so it's puzzling BigBlue didn't do the same.
The USB-A ports have an issue where sometimes they'll power off and won't work. Powering off the unit and turning it back on again will resolve the issue – you can tell from the display because it'll have a little “USB” icon on the bottom that's normally on by default when first turning on the unit (the display has icons for the various ports when they're active – i.e. USB, USB-C, DC, and AC – but only USB shows up when the unit is first powered up). It rarely happens but it is a bit of an inconvenience. Notably the USB-C ports don't have a similar problem – they just automatically power on if something is plugged in.
Another minor issue to note with the ports is the functionality of the control buttons. There are only three buttons on the face of the unit – the main power button and one button each to power up the AC ports and the DC ports. To turn on the main power and AC ports the buttons have to be pressed for a few seconds – useful since it avoids accidental turn-ons – but oddly the DC port button requires just a short press. If you hold the DC port switch down for a few seconds like you'd logically expect based on the other buttons nothing happens. I actually thought my unit had a defective DC switch until I figured out just a quick press was needed. It's a very weird design choice in my mind to not make the three buttons work the same.
One more thing to note is that the unit doesn't support using the AC plugs while it's being charged (the USB and DC ports will work though). Not an issue for me since the whole idea was for it to provide power on the go while away from an AC socket or during a blackout but something that might be important to other users.
One huge pro of the unit is the fact it uses LiFePO4 batteries instead of the more common Li-ion ones. This should mean it can stand a lot more charge cycles and be far less of a potential fire hazard – always an important consideration with anything that has a sizable lithium battery.
It's also nice that the unit includes some useful accessories like a cord with alligator clips to charge car batteries. Note that this isn't meant to be a jump starter pack but still a useful thing to have if you just have a discharged battery (like if you accidentally left the lights on) as opposed to a totally dead one. It would have been nice though if BigBlue had included a cloth pouch to hold the accessories. Again, a minor complaint but it would have been a very thoughtful touch.
When you couple the theoretical safety and longevity benefits of the LiFePO4 batteries with the large storage capacity, ample ports, good-looking and ergonomic design, and the very attractive price the CellPowa 500 comes out as a winner among mid-sized power stations. Based on my experience so far with it I'm glad I took the chance on picking one up when there was little info about it and hope this review helps shed more light on the merits of this great unit.
| Manufacturer | BigBlue |
|---|---|
| Part Number | CP500A-2 |
| Item Weight | 17 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 11.3 x 8.2 x 8.2 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Size | 11.3x8.2x8.2in/28.7*20.8*20.8cm |
| Color | Black |
| Style | 537.6Wh |
| Pattern | Modern |
| Power Source | AC Wall Charger /Type-C Wall Charger/ Cigarette Lighter Adapter//Solar Panels Powered |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Wattage | 537.6 watt_hours |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Type of Bulb | LED |
| Number of Handles | 1 |
| Display Style | LCD 4.0 |
| Special Features | High Safety Standards LiFepo4 Battery, Telescopic Handle, Large LCD display, 4 Fast Charge USB Outputs Won't be Shunted, Recharge from 0% to 80% within 2HRS |
| Usage | Backup LiFePo4 Battery for home, camping, power outage, off-grid life |
| Included Components | 1x Instruction Manual, 1x Portable Power Station, 1x Original Adapter, 1x Car Charger to DC5.5*2.5mm Charging Cable, 1x USB-C to USB-C Cable |
| Warranty Description | 18-month warranty |
