With the release of the Bluetti Charger 2 coming onto the market, it’s invariably going to mean the Charger 1 is going to be on the second-hand market a lot more. But just because it’s not the biggest and shiniest model, does that mean you shouldn’t get one?

I’ll tell you what happened to me. I thought I was going to get along just fine using my van’s 12v DC charger, aka the cigarette lighter which at best would give up to 80W but never consistently. Charging up a battery pack was pretty futile, being parked up somewhere with batteries running out of juice in the middle of nowhere is not fun.

To be honest I didn’t have the money for a DC-DC charger for quite a while until they hit Black Friday and came down to a decent price. I got one in October 2025, fitted it January 2026 and then boom, the Charger 2 is released. It’s a great bit of kit, supporting both solar and DC charging at the same time, no more having to swap cables over and there’s a whole host more features… BUT this does mean the second-hand market will see the Charger 1 a lot more. So is the Charger 1 still worth it or should you save extra for the Charger 2?

What You’re Actually Getting With Charger 1

The Charger 1 pulls 560W from your alternator while you drive. That’s it. No solar input, no fancy DC output for running your fridge directly, none of that. Just a brutally simple box that turns your van’s excess alternator power into battery charge.

For my Allpowers S2000 (1,850Wh capacity), that’s a full charge in about 3.3 hours of driving. For reference, a standard cigarette lighter socket gives you maybe 80-100W. You’d be driving from Cardiff to bloody Edinburgh to achieve what Charger 1 does on the M4 to Bristol.

It weighs 1.2kg, measures 145mm × 110mm × 60mm, and the most complicated part of installation is feeding the cable through your bulkhead. I used a rubber grommet from Screwfix and spent an entertaining afternoon swearing at it. Worked perfectly.

What the Charger 2 Actually Adds

Right, so Charger 2 lists on Amazon for £649, though Bluetti’s selling it direct for £399. For that extra hundred quid over Charger 1 (assuming you’re buying direct), you get:

1,200W total input — 800W from your alternator, 600W from solar panels, or both simultaneously. This is where it gets interesting. If you’ve got solar already rigged up, you can pull power from both sources at once.

But here’s the first catch: Most power stations have an XT60 input capped well below 1,200W. The Allpowers R600 maxes out at 220W. The Ecoflow River 2 manages 110W. My Allpowers S2000 Pro tops out at 650W. Even Bluetti’s own Elite 100 V2 caps the DC input at 1,000W. So that 1,200W headline figure? You’ll never actually see it unless you’ve got one of the few power stations with matching input capacity.

Second catch: The Bluetti app configures charging in volts, not watts, when you’re using third-party power stations. You need to know your battery pack’s voltage range and set it manually. Write it on a label and stick it on your power station, because trying to remember whether it’s 18-70V or 12-60V when you’re setting up in a layby isn’t going to end well.

DC output via Hub — This lets you run 12V/24V devices (fridges, lights, that sort of thing) directly from the Charger 2, even when the engine’s off. It’ll pull from whatever battery you’ve got connected. Clever, but only useful if you’re running a proper DC setup.

Reverse charging — Charger 2 can jumpstart your van battery using your portable power station. Or trickle charge it. Or pulse-maintain it. I wasn’t convinced by this feature until winter hit and my van’s starter battery – which has a small parasitic drain – got run flat twice. Suddenly being able to top up the starter battery from the leisure pack without faffing about with jump leads became genuinely useful. If your van sits for days between trips or you’ve got similar parasitic drain issues, this feature’s worth having.

D+ signal support — For smart alternators (most modern vans have these), the Charger 2 plays nicer with your vehicle’s charging system.

Dimensions are bigger: 265mm × 169mm × 69.7mm, weighing 1.59kg. Not massive, but worth checking your mounting space.

The Uncomfortable Truth About What You’ll Actually Use

I spent three months convinced I needed a very basic solar input capability. I rigged up 200W that I had to setup each and every time I parked up, not exactly shouting stealth camping and a right pain in the arse to do each time I arrive mid-afternoon, setup, then pack down at night, setup in the morning… etc.

The rest of the time, I’m driving between spots, and the Charger 1 keeps everything topped up effortlessly. I don’t need 1,200W of combined input because I’m never simultaneously driving with full sun exposure and pulling maximum power. That’s not how real van life works.

The DC output via Hub? Sounds fantastic until you realise you’ve already got a 240V inverter in your power station that runs your 12V fridge perfectly well through its supplied adapter. Adding another connection point is just another thing to troubleshoot when something goes wrong. Now granted, this is very handy to run the fridge and other bits whilst driving to preserve your battery packs.

Reverse charging is genuinely useful if you’re wild camping for weeks and your starter battery’s getting neglected. But most people drive often enough that their alternator keeps their starter battery happy anyway.

Where Charger 2 Actually Makes Sense

If you’re building a system from scratch and money isn’t tight, the Charger 2 is objectively better. More power, more options, future-proofed against whatever mad setup you might attempt later.

If you’ve already got solar rigged up and want to maximise charging speed, that simultaneous input is worth having. Pulling 1,200W total vs 560W means you’re adding 640W of generation you wouldn’t have otherwise — charges a 2kWh power station in under two hours rather than four.

If you’re running a proper 24V system with DC distribution, that Hub output becomes genuinely useful rather than just neat. You can run your DC panel directly without the conversion losses.

And if you’ve got a modern van with a smart alternator, the D+ signal support means you’re not fighting your vehicle’s electronics.

The Second-Hand Calculation

Here’s where it gets interesting. A mint condition Charger 1 is cropping up on eBay for £150-200. Brand new on Amazon costs £299 (though it’s frequently on sale). Charger 2 is £649 on Amazon but £399 direct from Bluetti.

So your realistic options are:

  • £150-200 for used Charger 1
  • £250-280 for Charger 1 on sale
  • £299 for Charger 1 full price
  • £399 for Charger 2 (direct from Bluetti)
  • £649 for Charger 2 (Amazon – don’t do this)

That’s either £199-249 saved going used vs new Charger 2 direct, or potentially £449 saved vs Amazon pricing.

For most people doing weekend trips and the occasional longer tour, the used Charger 1 at £150-180 is the sweet spot. You’re not using the extra features anyway, and you’ve just saved enough money for a decent power station upgrade or a month’s worth of diesel.

If you’re full-timing it or planning to, and you’ve got solar already installed, the Charger 2 at £399 direct makes more sense. That extra £199-249 buys you genuine capability you’ll actually use. But for God’s sake don’t pay £649 on Amazon for it.

What To Check When Buying Used

I’m not saying all second-hand Charger 1 units are brilliant. Check the basics:

Ask about actual usage. “How many times did you use it?” is more revealing than “How old is it?” Someone who fitted it and used it twice has essentially given you a new unit. Someone who’s been full-timing for a year has properly tested it.

Check for the DC input cable. Bluetti sells this separately for £50. Some people bought the Charger 1 without it, then realised they needed it. If it’s not included, factor that cost in.

Look at the connector condition. The MC4 connectors should be clean and tight. If they’re corroded or damaged, walk away.

Ask about where it was mounted. If it’s been sitting in direct sunlight in a hot van for months, the electronics have had a harder life than one mounted in a cool, ventilated spot.

Get the Bluetti app connected. Ask the seller to connect it via Bluetooth and show you it powers up correctly. Takes two minutes, proves it works.

Final Verdict

The Charger 1 isn’t obsolete just because the Charger 2 exists. It’s like saying a Transit Custom is rubbish because the new Econline has more gadgets. If the Custom does everything you need, the extra gadgets don’t matter.

For most van lifers doing weekends and holidays, a second-hand Charger 1 at £150-180 is brilliant value. You get fast alternator charging that works reliably, saves you from expensive electric hookups, and keeps your power station topped up without thinking about it.

If you’re building a sophisticated electrical system with solar integration and DC distribution, spend the extra money on Charger 2. But be honest about whether you’re actually building that system or just thinking about it. And buy direct from Bluetti at £399, not from Amazon at £649 – there’s literally no reason to pay an extra £250 for the exact same unit.

I bought a used Charger 1 for £165. I’ve put about 800 miles on it over the past few months. It’s charged my Allpowers S2000 dozens of times, never failed, and I’ve never once thought “I wish I had the Charger 2.”

Sometimes the old version is old because the new version is better. Sometimes the old version is just fine and people are chasing shiny things they’ll never actually use.

<FAQs>

Is the Bluetti Charger 1 still compatible with newer power stations?

Yes. The Charger 1 works with all BLUETTI power stations and 95% of third-party models that use MC4 connectors for solar charging. Compatibility hasn’t changed with the Charger 2 release – you just adjust the output voltage via the app to match your specific power station.

Can I upgrade from Charger 1 to Charger 2 later if I need to?

Absolutely. They mount the same way and use similar cable routing. If you start with a used Charger 1 and later decide you need that solar input or DC output capability, you can swap them out in an afternoon. You’re not locked into anything.

Will a used Charger 1 damage my expensive power station?

Not if it’s setup properly in the app and even then your power station will have overcharge protection. The Bluetti App allows you to select Bluetti models but if you have a different one (like my Allpowers S2000) you can set the max voltage. You’ll need to look at your battery pack or the manual for this information, and it’s the same for the Charger 2. A working Charger 1 is just as safe as a brand new Charger 2.
</FAQs>