Installing large power stations or home generators can be intimidating and expensive. And while it’s easy to say you want home backup power, it’s another thing, actually, to implement it.

Some people don’t need a complicated system; they just want to keep the refrigerator running if the lights go out. Meet the Bluetti FridgePower, a dumbed-down backup battery solution that might just be the smartest solution during a blackout.

I’ll admit, I was a bit perplexed when Bluetti announced this modified power station. It seemed limiting to design a device that only really served a single purpose for one, maybe two, appliances. But when I got a chance to test it, the point of it started to make sense. It’s something you set up once and don’t have to think about again.

What’s Built In?

Essentially, this is a large 10-millisecond uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with a battery bank, an inverter, and two outlets. That description is a bit reductive, but in general, it’s not much more than that.

It can output up to 1,800 watts of power and has a battery capacity of 2,016 watt-hours, enough to run most refrigerators for at least 18 hours (based on my estimates). Plus, you can add up to three expansion batteries for a total capacity of 8,064 watt-hours, which could increase threefold, and more efficient refrigerators than mine could potentially run for up to a week.

FridgePower has a narrow design—wider and deeper than it is tall—meant to fit neatly on top of a refrigerator or be mounted to a wall (it ships with wall mounts). It doesn’t have to be a refrigerator you’re powering, either. It could be a freezer in the basement or medical equipment.

Like a computer-based UPS, it’s meant to be always-on. You plug the fridge into it to receive pass-through power, and when there’s a power outage, the station quickly switches over to battery power. Additionally, there’s a second outlet for running another critical device, such as a 120-volt sump pump or an aquarium filter pump—you know, to help keep the fishies alive.

Simple in Theory, but What About in Practice?

To give it a real-world test, I set up my FridgePower at home. My refrigerator is a JennAir French door model with a bottom freezer. I’ve tested the output of it before using a watt meter, and at most, it draws 300 watts of power, but on average, around 80 to 100 watts (all fridges’ compressors turn on and off during operation, so the power draw fluctuates). Those power needs are pretty typical of most average fridges in homes.

Despite being just three inches high when laid flat, there wasn’t enough space between the top of my fridge and the kitchen cabinet that hangs above it. Luckily, there was plenty of room on top of the cabinet, which was also able to bear the weight of the station. At nearly 42 pounds, I would highly recommend that anyone double-check the load-bearing capabilities of whatever you place the station on. This goes double if you choose to mount it vertically on a wall—definitely mount this directly to the studs, if possible.

Once I situated it under the cabinet, all I had to do was plug in the fridge, plug the station into the wall, and turn it on. That was it. There’s also an app to download, and while the backup system doesn’t require it to work, I recommend you download it. It lets you connect to WiFi, download any firmware upgrades, and adjust any advanced settings.

To simulate a blackout, I turned off the power to my kitchen on the circuit panel. I waited to do this until I heard the compressor running, so I could get a good sense of how fast the switchover was. It was quick. I didn’t even hear a dip in the noise the compressor was making when I killed the power, and a lamp I had plugged into the second outlet didn’t even flicker—the UPS feature worked seamlessly.

From that point, I let it run on battery power until it hit 5 percent, which was almost exactly 18 hours on the nose. More efficient or smaller refrigerators will get more runtime; larger ones, less.

Optional Accessories

The two main add-ons for FridgePower are the Blue Cell 200 expansion batteries (you can add up to three) and the Display1, a magnetic LED display that gives you a readout of the power available, how much power output or input is in play, and the local temperature and humidity. I was able to test both.

The expansion battery is easy to add with just two cables to plug into the main unit (one for power and one for data). It has the same 2,016 watt-hours of capacity, but when you look at the app or Display1, the combined total appears, treating both devices as one big battery. The installation is as simple as that. But it’s just as heavy and as large as the main unit, so you’ll need to factor that into your installation. Were you to add three batteries, you’re looking at about 162 pounds of equipment.

The Display1 was nice, but far from necessary. It easily sticks to the metallic surface of a fridge (unless you have the type of stainless steel that won’t hold magnets). But it merely displays information, which you can already find on the app or on the on-screen display of the main FridgePower unit. Since this is the type of device you’re hopefully only going to need during occasional emergencies, I’m not sure the $299 cost is worth it—just use the mobile app.

Other possible accessories are solar panels. FridgePower can accept up to 1,000 watts of input (within 12 to 60 volts). Keep in mind that since the setup of this system is probably fixed or set up in a way that you don’t want to move it, you’ll likely need to run wires a long way to connect to a portable solar panel. That means buying a solar panel extension cable.

Sensible Smart Features

Though not as complicated as a typical power station, the Bluetti FridgePower pairs with the same app found with the company’s other products, like the Elite 300 or Apex 300. It’s easily my favorite app design in the industry, not only because of how it’s laid out but because it gives you access to a wide variety of advanced features.

The one you can take the most advantage of with FridgePower is weather monitoring and battery management settings. Power station batteries are best left at around 80 percent charged when not in use (it’s good for overall battery health), and the station can be set to only recharge to that level.

In the meantime, the weather alert feature can be turned on to monitor storm warnings. If one is detected in your area, the station will automatically override the previous setting and recharge to 100 percent so that it’s fully ready to go in the case of a blackout.

Most of Bluetti’s portable power stations can do this, but you have to have them plugged in all the time for it to work, which is not typically how people use them. But FridgePower should always be plugged in, so the feature in this use case is fully realized.

Who Is This Power Station Best For?

There’s a group of people whose main concern is food spoilage in the fridge or garage freezer if the grid goes down when they’re away. But they don’t want a complicated whole-home backup system.

A portable power station doesn’t always fit the bill because there’s no practical way to keep it plugged in all the time without getting in the way. And you need to be home to run a fuel-based generator, so forget that.

Bluetti’s FridgePower is something that’s straightforward, always on, and discreetly out of the way in the kitchen. It’s a sensible solution for a vacation home, getaway cabin, or primary residence for peace of mind when the power goes out.