I didn’t expect a portable cooler from a power station manufacturer to have an ice maker in it. I especially didn’t expect the ice to be so clear. Then again, Bluetti’s newest products unveiled at CES 2024 are full of surprises.
Let’s start with the power station. The AC180T is similar to the company’s existing AC180 power station, but with a twist: This one has a pair of removable battery packs, each with a capacity of about 717 watt-hours. This tech, called SwapSolar, allows you to rotate battery packs if you need more energy capacity, saving you from having to buy an entire additional power station.
And these lithium iron phosphate batteries are hot-swappable, meaning you can rotate them in and out of the machine without having to shut it off. Your gadgets can stay connected to power while you add in new battery capacity. It’s also weirdly fun to do. I giddily lifted the battery packs out of the power station and dropped them back in. They’re heavier than you’d expect, at almost 19 pounds apiece.
This is what the ice from the Bluetti MultiCooler’s ice maker looks like.
Then there’s the ice maker. It uses running water to make ice, and all you have to do is pour some water into it. Bluetti told me that process makes the ice more clear, and the ice I saw coming from the machine was like glass. You can even control the size of the ice in the app.
Both of these products will be crowdfunded in an Indiegogo campaign starting in February, Bluetti said. You can sign up early on the company’s website.
Editors’ note: CNET’s reporting on crowdfunding campaigns is not an endorsement of the project or the company behind it. Before you contribute to a campaign, read the crowdfunding site’s policies — in this case, Indiegogo — to learn about your rights (and any refund policies, or the lack thereof) before and after a campaign ends.
