Portable power and solar generators
Wall Charging Speed, Model by Model: What 380 W to 1,800 W Inputs Mean in Minutes
Summary
Small units take about an hour; mid-size units reach 80% in 45 minutes; the fastest headline figure, EcoFlow's 50 minutes to 80% on a 4 kWh DELTA Pro 3, works out to an average of about 3,800 W, which no single 15 A household outlet delivers, so that number depends on a charging method the page does not name. The table below divides each maker's own figure by the capacity it fills to show the average rate actually achieved, which is always below the input rating.
| Unit | Capacity | Maker's AC figure | Energy added | Average rate |
| Anker SOLIX C300 | 288 Wh | 80% in 50 minutes from a wall outlet | about 230 Wh | about 280 W |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | 286 Wh | 380 W input, 0 to 100% in 60 minutes | 286 Wh | about 290 W |
| BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 | 288 Wh | 70 minutes at 380 W | 288 Wh | about 250 W |
| BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 | 1,024 Wh | 1,200 W TurboBoost, 45 minutes to 80% | about 820 Wh | about 1,090 W |
| BLUETTI AC180 | 1,152 Wh | 1,440 W max, 0 to 80% in 45 minutes | about 920 Wh | about 1,230 W |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | 1,024 Wh | 1,500 W AC input; time not stated on the page we read | — | — |
| BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 | 2,073.6 Wh | 1,800 W max (charging plus bypass), 80% in 1.1 hours | about 1,660 Wh | about 1,510 W |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 4 kWh | 80% in 50 minutes; method not named | about 3,200 Wh | about 3,840 W |
Energy added and average rate are our arithmetic on the makers' figures; the makers do not publish an average rate.
Why the average is below the rating
A battery charges fastest when it is empty and slows as it fills, so a 1,440 W input averages about 1,230 W over the first 80%. The last 20% takes disproportionately long, which is why most brands quote the 80% point. Treat the 100% time as later than a straight-line extrapolation of the 80% time.
The 15 A outlet is the ceiling in most homes
A standard 120 V, 15 A circuit tops out at 1,800 W, and anything else on that circuit shares it. Inputs up to 1,440 W fit; 1,500 W and 1,800 W inputs fill the circuit; the roughly 3,800 W implied by DELTA Pro 3's 50-minute figure cannot come from one such outlet, and EcoFlow's page says only that the unit has seven charging methods. If a time matters to you, read the footnote on the maker's page for the method it assumes.
Fast modes have names and conditions
BLUETTI calls its fast mode TurboBoost and quotes the 45-minute and 1.1-hour figures with it on; the Elite 200 V2's 1,800 W figure covers charging plus bypass, so a load on the outlets while charging is drawing from the same number. Standard mode is slower and, on units that offer it, gentler on the cells; the pages we read do not quantify the trade.
If charging speed is the reason to buy
Within the 1 kWh class the AC180 and Elite 100 V2 reach 80% in the same 45 minutes despite different input ratings; between classes, the Elite 200 V2 adds twice the energy in 1.1 hours. For the small units, an hour from a 380 W input is the norm, and the C300's 80% in 50 minutes is in line with it.
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Sources
- Anker SOLIX — C300 Portable Power Station
- EcoFlow US — RIVER 3 Max (RIVER 3 Plus + Extra Battery 300)
- BLUETTI — Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station
- BLUETTI — Elite 100 V2 Portable Power Station
- BLUETTI — AC180 Portable Power Station
- EcoFlow US — DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station
- BLUETTI — Elite 200 V2 Portable Power Station
- EcoFlow US — DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station
We have not tested these products. Specs, prices, stock and terms are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.