Bluetti AC180 vs EcoFlow DELTA 2: longer cycle rating vs lighter per watt-hour

Specifications checked against manufacturer pages on 2026-08-23.

The Bluetti AC180 (1,152 Wh, 1,800 W) and the EcoFlow DELTA 2 (1,024 Wh, 1,800 W), compared on the figures their makers publish. On the normalized ratios, the AC180 is rated for more cycles (3,500 vs 3,000); the DELTA 2 carries more per pound (37.9 Wh/lb vs 32.6 Wh/lb).

We do not link the DELTA 2: we could not confirm a listing for the exact base unit, and we do not link a guess.

Specifications, side by side

Numbered notes below the table give the source location or a caveat for figures that need one; check marks
mark the better figure where one can be judged; “Manufacturer does not state” means absent from that maker’s page as of
its check date listed under Sources. UPS switchover is how long the outlets go dark when grid power drops.

^* Calculated: rated capacity × an assumed 85–90% conversion efficiency; no maker publishes a usable figure.

Notes on the figures

1. AC180, surge: The spec table labels this “Surge Power”, but the same 2,700 W figure is Bluetti’s Power Lifting Mode for resistive heating loads (FAQ Q1: “AC180 can run high-power heating devices up to 2,700W … Do NOT use this unit to run an air conditioner or washing machine.”). Treat as a boost mode for resistive loads; it is not a conventional motor-start surge rating and should not be read as one.
2. DELTA 2, surge: From the Output section of EcoFlow’s spec tab.
3. AC180, recharge: Bluetti publishes a 0–80% time (45 minutes), not a full-charge time.
4. DELTA 2, full recharge: Stated as 0–100%.
5. DELTA 2, cycle life: EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 page gives two different figures: ‘3000+’ cycles in the description and ‘4000 cycles to 80%+’ in the spec tab. We use the lower one.
6. AC180, expandable: Bluetti’s B-series batteries can charge the AC180 but do not extend its capacity as a single system.
7. DELTA 2, expandable: 3 kWh with two extra batteries; 2,048 Wh with one.
8. AC180, AC input: Turbo Mode figure from SPECS > INPUT.
9. AC180, AC outlets: From SPECS > OUTPUT.
10. DELTA 2, AC outlets: Product page Specs tab, ‘Output’ section.
11. AC180, USB-C: From SPECS > OUTPUT.
12. DELTA 2, USB-C: Not stated as text on the product page (Specs tab only says ‘Number of USB-C Output 2’; the Specs-tab product image shows the printed port label ‘USB-C 100W’).
13. AC180, app: Bluetooth only; the page does not claim Wi-Fi.
14. DELTA 2, app: Product page FAQ (‘What connection methods do the APP support?’).
15. DELTA 2, noise: Product page Specs tab.
16. AC180, warranty: From SPECS > GENERAL.
17. DELTA 2, warranty: Product page Specs tab.
18. AC180, weight: Bluetti’s page gives 35.3 lb in the spec table and 37 lb in the description; we use the spec table.
19. DELTA 2, weight: Manufacturer states ‘approx.’
20. AC180, price: Manufacturer price when checked; no separate list price was shown.

The same specs, normalized

Ratios, so the bigger unit does not win by default.

Definitions and direction of each ratio: How we verify.

What each one runs, for how long

Calculated, not measured: hours = rated Wh × efficiency ÷ (appliance W × duty); assumptions on How we verify. “Unlikely to start”: start-up surge exceeds the stated surge rating. “Start-up not assessed” appears where the start-up draw meets or exceeds the unit’s continuous rating and the unit states no conventional motor-start surge to check it against (AC180); the hours assume the motor starts.

What the differences mean

Weight for the capacity. The DELTA 2 carries 37.9 Wh/lb against 32.6 Wh/lb for the AC180. Both are two-hands-and-a-flat-surface units; the difference matters if the unit moves between car, porch and basement.

Cycle rating. The AC180 is rated for 3,500 cycles against 3,000 for the DELTA 2, both to the same remaining-capacity threshold — otherwise we would not compare them. At one full cycle a week the difference is measured in years, not months; at occasional outage use neither limit is reached.

Which one, and for whom

On normalized measures the two split evenly: the AC180 leads on rated cycle life (3,500 vs 3,000); the DELTA 2 leads on watt-hours per pound (37.9 Wh/lb vs 32.6 Wh/lb). What decides it is the figure your outage actually tests:

• CPAP overnight. Switchover: AC180 no UPS figure stated, DELTA 2 30 ms. A 40 W CPAP runs roughly 20–24 hr on the AC180 and 18–21 hr on the DELTA 2. Both run the night; the AC180 states no UPS figure, which matters more overnight than the hour difference.
• Keeping a refrigerator cold. Start-up comes first. The AC180 states a boost figure rather than a motor-start surge rating; the DELTA 2 states a 2,700 W surge rating. A full-size refrigerator needs about 900 W to start.
• A multi-day outage with a generator or solar to recharge from. Full recharge: AC180 0–80% in 45 min (no full-charge time stated), DELTA 2 80 min. These are not comparable: Bluetti states no full-charge time for the AC180.

We do not link the DELTA 2: we could not confirm a listing for the exact base unit, and we do not link a guess.

Buying a superseded model: what actually changes

Nothing in the table above changes because a model leaves the catalog. The cells, the inverter and the cycle rating are what they were. Three things do change.

1. Price, and therefore cost per watt-hour. A superseded unit is only a bargain if its lower price beats the successor on cost per watt-hour and the successor’s advantages are ones you will not use. Compare against the successor’s figures (see our AC180 and successor comparisons on the Comparisons page). If the successor’s surge or UPS figure is the one your outage tests, the discount is buying you the wrong unit cheaply.
2. Warranty and support. The manufacturer states a 5-year warranty for the DELTA 2. Check with the retailer that the term runs from your purchase date, not the model’s launch date. How long firmware and app support continue for a retired model is not something we could verify from the manufacturer’s pages; if the app matters to you, ask before buying.
3. Expansion batteries. If you expect to add capacity later, confirm the matching expansion battery is still sold. Successor batteries are not always backward-compatible.

Our rule: compare the discounted price against the successor on cost per watt-hour first. If the superseded unit does not win there, the rest does not matter.

Related reading

A 1,024–1,152 Wh battery cannot do what a gasoline generator does — the runtime table shows a 1,500 W space heater emptying either unit in 0.6–0.7 hr — but it also cannot poison a household. Our CPSC revision matrix tracks how the official count of generator carbon-monoxide deaths has changed across report editions, and this page puts every verified unit on the same refrigerator scenario.

Other comparisons with these models

• Bluetti AC180 vs Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
• EcoFlow DELTA 2 vs Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
• Anker SOLIX C1000 vs Bluetti AC180
• EcoFlow DELTA 2 vs EcoFlow DELTA 3
• Anker SOLIX C1000 vs EcoFlow DELTA 2

Sources and method

• Bluetti AC180: manufacturer product page, checked 2026-08-23.
• EcoFlow DELTA 2: manufacturer product page, checked 2026-08-23.

Published specifications only; no bench tests. Method: How we verify.
More: Comparisons.