BLUETTI · EP series
BLUETTI EP500
The EP500 is the first of fourteen EPs and the Indiegogo one, which its owners have not forgotten: they run well below the norm, and four serious reports include a dead screen at a year and a cable dispute turned bitter. Five kilowatt-hours at 167 pounds, stay-at-home, clearing every scene but the van day. One win in five head-to-heads.
5.1 kWh · 2,000 W · 167 lb · 3,500 cycles · 13 head-to-heads
4,720
Power Score · Appliance Class
- 5.1 kWh
- capacity
- 2,000 W
- output
- 167 lb
- weight
- 3,500
- rated cycles
Should you buy it right now?
Fair price today: $2,999 is what it normally sells for. It clears 5 of 6 real-world jobs and wins 2 of 13 matchups.
Real-world jobs
5 of 6
Falls short only on Van Life Daily
Head-to-head record
2–11
13 adjudicated matchups
Verdicts by Gunner Gustafson and the Test Desk·Figures computed 2026-10-04
01 · Six real-world jobs
What the EP500 actually runs
The load profiles every comparison on the site is scored on, computed for this unit alone: energy needed against the usable tank after inverter losses, and whether the inverter holds and starts the biggest single load.
Weekend Camping
Clears it2 nights · Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
2,100Wh needed · 48% of the tank · 2,252Wh spare
Peak 75W: starts and holds
8-Hour Blackout
Clears it8 hours · Keep the essentials running through a night without power
1,645Wh needed · 38% of the tank · 2,707Wh spare
Peak 150W: starts and holds
CPAP Overnight
Clears it8 hours · Sleep therapy without interruption — the #1 medical use case
320Wh needed · 7% of the tank · 4,032Wh spare
Peak 40W: starts and holds
Remote Workday
Clears it8 hours · Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
910Wh needed · 21% of the tank · 3,442Wh spare
Peak 60W: starts and holds
Tailgate Party
Clears it4 hours · Game day power for the crew
670Wh needed · 15% of the tank · 3,682Wh spare
Peak 400W: starts and holds
Van Life Daily
Falls short24 hours · A full day of mobile living — the ultimate endurance test
4,685Wh needed · 108% of the tank · 333Wh short
Peak 150W: starts and holds
02 · Head-to-head record
2 wins in 13 written matchups
Every matchup is a full verdict scored on the six jobs above plus price, longevity and portability. This is the set shoppers search for, not a random sample.
Win share
2–11
- vs BLUETTI0–6
- vs EcoFlow1–4
- vs Anker0–1
- vs Goal Zero1–0
losesEP500 vs BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300K
57 searches reached this matchup
losesEP500 vs BLUETTI AC500 + 2×B300K
46 searches reached this matchup
losesEP500 vs EcoFlow DELTA Pro
46 searches reached this matchup
winsEP500 vs EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra
41 searches reached this matchup
losesEP500 vs BLUETTI Elite 300
34 searches reached this matchup
losesEP500 vs BLUETTI Apex 300
29 searches reached this matchup
03 · From the verdicts
Who it is for, and when a rival won instead
Each line is lifted from a written matchup where it decided the verdict, and links to the page it came from. Repeated across many matchups means it is the unit’s signature, not one author’s opinion.
Buy the EP500 if…
The all-120 V household whose biggest combined draw never tops 2,000 W, and who would rather keep the $200.
Decided 3 matchups · read one →
Someone who runs 12V gear, a car fridge or a DC pump, straight off a 12V socket; the S5000 has none [A15].
A buyer who wants reviewer testing behind the unit [B0][B3] and can live with 2,000W and 120V only.
Your loads stay under 2,000W and always will — the EP500's ceiling is comfortably above a fridge, lights, and electronics.
A rival won when…
Solar-first buyers who want a full refill in a good morning rather than a whole good day.
Decided 2 matchups · read one →
You want one box that goes camping in October and backs the house in January. At 83.8 lbs it is a one-adult load into a truck bed, and it is the only one of the two with a 240V outlet and a 30A RV socket on it.
Decided 2 matchups · read one →
The buyer who wants to start at one pack and add more as the budget allows, up to six [A6].
Decided 2 matchups · read one →
The homeowner with a 240 V well pump, dryer or central-air condenser on the must-run list, fed through the L14-30 or EcoFlow's 240 V home panel [A2][A5].
Decided 2 matchups · read one →
04 · Price history
What the EP500 actually sells for
The number on the buy button, read twice a day, one point per day. Never the sticker, never a “was” price.
Read from bluettipower.com twice a day since July 18 · 79 days
Carried on 100% of days tracked · dips reach $2,999
Built from the Oct 4, 7 PM UTC read.
$2,999
Usual price
100% of days tracked
$2,999
Best we've seen
October 4
$2,999
Today
at usual
$2,999
Highest seen
0 days above usual
How to read this
- Usual is the price the unit carried most of the time, tested for how long it held rather than how often we looked. A weekend promotion cannot move it.
- Best is the lowest price we have read on the store itself. Typed coupon codes, member-only prices and marketplace listings are not counted; anything applied automatically at checkout is.
- A gap in the line is a day we could not read a price. We never draw across one, and we never show the store’s own “was” price.
Method on the methodology page.
Share the numbers
BLUETTI EP500: usually $2,999, best $2,999 (Oct 4), today $2,999 on bluettipower.com. Tracked twice a day since Jul 18. https://stationarena.com/products/bluetti-ep500#price-history
Alerts for the EP500
One email when it drops below $2,999, comes back in stock, or a newer model in this line appears. Nothing else.
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy.
Black Friday · 38 days out
Will the BLUETTI EP500 go on sale for Black Friday?
Price to beat $2,999Nobody knows until BLUETTI moves, but in 79 days we have tracked it, it has never been discounted, so any real cut would be a first. We read the store twice a day, and the moment it drops it shows on our Black Friday deals page.
05 · Voices
What 17 owner reports say about the EP500
Owner reports are paraphrased from public YouTube comments and each links to its source; reviewer consensus is counted from cited excerpts, never quoted; our own verdicts are quoted. Specs on this page never come from any of them.
- 47%
- positive
- 10
- self-declared owners
- 3
- measured reports
- 7
- videos
- 50%
- BLUETTI norm
- 2021–2023
- reporting period
8 for, 9 against
1 owned 6+ months
numbers, not impressions
5 channels
across 1,100 reports
2021-03-20 to 2023-02-10
Weighted read
30% positive weighted · corpus 51% · below the norm
Raw counts reward whoever writes most, and people write when something breaks. Here each report is weighted by what the complaint costs a buyer (a failure outranks an app gripe) and by its evidence (a measured owner report outranks a shopper’s opinion), then compared with every report in the corpus.
- Failures, returns, support4 against · 2 for
- How it performs3 against · 3 for
- How it feels to use2 against · 3 for
By topic, against the BLUETTI norm
Bars count this unit’s reports; the tick is the share of positive reports for the same topic across every BLUETTI unit in the corpus.
- Support & warranty33% positive · brand 31%21
- Price & value1 measured67% positive · brand 69%12
- Durability & failures33% positive · brand 30%21
- Capacity & runtime50% positive · brand 66%11
- UPS switchover100% positive · brand 72%2
- General100% positive · brand 58%1
- Shipping & availability1 measured0% positive · brand 4%1
- Idle drain1 measured0% positive · brand 38%1
- Solar input0% positive · brand 52%1
left: negative · right: positive
When the reports were made
What owners compare it against
What owners praise
Price & valuemeasuredowner
$2,799 for 5,100Wh beat the DELTA Pro's $2,699 for 3,600Wh, and still does at list.
Silver Cymbalsource
UPS switchoverowner
Lets the owner choose between online and offline UPS modes, which they verified by testing bonding behavior.
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse· 1 likessource
Support & warrantyowner
BLUETTI extended EP500 warranty from 3 to 5 years with on-site repairs: a game changer.
Silver Cymbalsource
What owners complain about
Durability & failuresowner · 12 mo
Screen stopped working about a year after the Indiegogo delivery.
HOBOTECH· 3 likessource
Shipping & availabilitymeasuredowner
Shipping quoted at $180 became $190, and promised August delivery slipped to October.
HOBOTECHsource
Idle drainmeasuredowner
A 65L fridge used 20% in 12 hours on AC, worse than his Jackery 2000; blames the inverter.
HOBOTECHsource
Reviewer consensus
5/9 positive excerpts, 2 sources
Weight (167 lbs) is the most consistently cited drawback of the EP500, flagged by multiple reviewers as making it a stay-at-home, non-portable unit.
greencitizen.com · techwalls.com · researched 2026-07-17
BLUETTI, brand-wide
50% positive across 1,100 reports. The brand-wide complaint is shipping & availability (96% negative); the brand-wide praise is ups switchover (72% positive).
From the test desk
“Take the Apex 300 with the B300K.”
“The AC500 + 2*B300K is the modern, expandable evolution of BLUETTI's older sealed EP500, and against it the newer unit wins nearly everything that isn't the sticker.”
“Take the DELTA Pro.”
06 · Where each number comes from
Spec sheet, in four cards
Every field carries its source: green is the manufacturer’s own document, blue was adjudicated after sources disagreed, grey is the catalogue as imported. Then compare it line by line with the units people actually weigh it against.
Battery
5120
Capacity (Wh)
- ChemistryLiFePO4
- Charging Cycles3500
- Battery Expansion FeasibilityNo
Power out
2000
Output (W)
- Surge Peak4800W
- AC Outlets4
- 240V Outlets0
- 30A RV Outlets0
- 12V Car Outlets1
- USB-C Ports2
- USB-A Ports2
- USB-C Charging Outputs100W
Charging
1200
Solar Input (W)
- Solar Input TypeMPPT
Living with it
167
Weight (lbs)
- Noise Level (db)Not Specified
- UPSYes (20ms)
- App ControlYes
- Warranty (Years)5
Compare it with
EP500 vs
leads on 1 · trails on 6
| Spec | EP500 | Apex 300 + B300K | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual price | $2,999 | $2,599 ● | +$400 |
| Capacity (Wh) | 5120 | 5529.6 ● | -409.6 |
| Output (W) | 2000 | 3840 ● | -1840 |
| Surge (W) | 4800W | N/A | |
| Rated cycles | 3500 | 6000+ ● | -2500 |
| Solar input (W) | 1200 | 2400 ● | -1200 |
| Weight (lb) | 167 | 148.8 ● | +18.2 |
| Noise (dB) | Not Specified | 45 | |
| AC outlets | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| USB-C ports | 2 ● | 0 | +2 |
| Warranty (yr) | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Chemistry | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 | |
| UPS | Yes (20ms) | Yes (<10ms) |
● marks the better figure where direction is clear. Price is each unit’s usual price.
Read the full verdict →Solar
Charge the EP500 from the sun
Every panel we track, checked against its solar input: which ones fit, the adapter each needs, and what it really delivers.
- Solar input
- 1200 W
- Plug
- Aviation
- Panels that work
- 30 of 39
- Refill at full sun
- ~4.3 h
Our pick for the EP500
Jackery SolarSaga 500 X (JS-500A)4 panels deliver 1200 W, the most the input takes.
07 · BLUETTI EP line
Where it sits in the line
Capacity bars are to scale across the line; prices are each unit’s usual price, not today’s.
EP500
5.1 kWh · $2,999
EP500Pro
5.1 kWh · $3,499
EP800 + 2×B500
9.9 kWh · $6,999
EP900 + 2×B500
9.9 kWh · $10,298
EP800 + 3×B500
14.9 kWh · $6,299
EP900 + 3×B500
14.9 kWh · $13,798
EP800 + 4×B500
19.8 kWh · $7,999
2×EP800 + 4×B500
19.8 kWh · $17,999
EP900 + 4×B500
19.8 kWh · $17,298
2×EP900 + 4×B500
19.8 kWh · $21,196
2×EP800 + 6×B500
29.8 kWh · $23,998
2×EP900 + 6×B500
29.8 kWh · $28,196
2×EP800 + 8×B500
39.7 kWh · $29,998
2×EP900 + 8×B500
39.7 kWh · $35,196
08 · At its usual price
Cost of ownership
Cycle life is the manufacturer’s rating to 80% capacity; the lifetime figure is that rating times the nameplate capacity.
$0.59
per Wh
at $2,999
$0.17
per lifetime kWh
17,920 kWh over 3,500 cycles
9.6 yr
if cycled daily
34 yr at weekends only
5 yr
warranty
$600 per covered year
09 · From the matchups
Questions people ask
What solar panels work with the EP500?
Panels wired in series to land between 55 V and 145 V (one alone won't start it), through its Aviation input, up to 1200 W. 30 of the 39 panels we track work with it. Our pick: the Jackery SolarSaga 500 X. 4 panels deliver 1200 W, the most the input takes.
Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K or the EP500, which should I buy?
The Apex for almost everyone. It's $2,599 to the EP500's $2,999, puts out 3,840W against 2,000, takes twice the solar, carries a 5-year warranty against none, and expands. Choose the EP500 only if you specifically want a single all-in-one cabinet with no accessories to add.
Why is the newer Apex bundle cheaper than the older EP500?
BLUETTI's platform moved on. The Apex is a modular base-plus-battery design that's cheaper to build than the EP500's all-in-one cabinet, so it lands at $2,599 against $2,999 while offering more power and a longer warranty. Both still use the same 3,500-cycle LFP cells, so you're not trading away longevity for the lower price.
What does the EP500 still do better than the Apex?
It's one integrated wheeled cabinet with USB, DC, a 100W USB-C port, and a touchscreen built in. The Apex 300's base is essentially AC outlets, and its USB and DC ports live on a separate paid Power Hub [A1][A2]. If you want a tidy single box with nothing to assemble or buy on the side, the EP500 is the simpler unit.
BLUETTI AC500 + 2*B300K or EP500 — which should I buy?
For most buyers, the AC500 stack. It runs 5,000W to the EP500's 2,000 — two and a half times the output — takes 2.5× the solar, holds 410Wh more, expands past its 5,530Wh, and finishes a full off-grid day the sealed EP500 can't. Choose the EP500 only if your loads stay under 2,000W, you want one sealed box, and the $300 lower price and 29-lb-lighter body are what matter most.
Is the EP500's 2,000W output enough for home backup?
For a fridge, lights, a router, and electronics, yes. It's when you run two large loads at once — say a microwave while the fridge cycles, or a hair dryer, or a space heater — that the EP500's 2,000W inverter runs out of room. The AC500's 5,000W handles those simultaneously. Match the number to your real backup list before deciding the ceiling is high enough.
Some links are affiliate links; they never change the price you pay or which price we show. Owner reports are paraphrased from public comments and link to their source.