I've used Synology for a while now, both personally and professionally. I've worked with DiskStations, the original BeeStation, and many other NAS devices, too. As someone who juggles many businesses, clients, and a ton of storage at any given time, even with great internal storage on my primary laptop, access to more on others that I am testing, and external drives all around me, there is something simple and so helpful about cloud storage.

But, as many of you have also noticed, subscriptions are getting ridiculous these days. Everything has moved to subscriptions, and with that, when you want to expand further, the cost continues to skyrocket. That's why I started paying attention to Synology a few years back, recognizing that while some things I can keep on SSDs, having everything accessible no matter what company I am with, if I am home or away, or no matter what device, was something that I still desired in my daily workflow.

The ease and ability to pull up any number of documents, photos, videos, diagrams, and so on for any of my clients at any time, all without cluttering my internal storage or having to rummage through several external hard drives, is hard to pass up.

The frictionless action of searching in Finder (on my Mac) to grab the file I want and have it ready on my machine without having to store it there is always spectacular. And, with how fast I move these days, that is the kind of flexibility I need. That's where the BeeStation Plus comes in. It's got a few key upgrades from the original BeeStation, the first and foremost being that it doubled in storage from 4TB to 8TB.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Pricing & Availability

The Synology BeeStation Plus is available the official website by clicking here. Right now, it's being sold for around $400 for the 8TB of NAS.Right now, it's being sold for around $400 for the 8TB of NAS.

It's also available from other online retailers including B&H Photo, Amazon.com, and Amazon.co.uk.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Unboxing & first impressions

Unboxing and setting up the BeeStation Plus could not have been easier. I opened up the box, chose a spot in my home office where I wanted it to live, and plugged it into my monster of a desk setup with battery backup from my Anker Power Station with UPS. Lastly, to ensure I had the best download and upload speeds possible, I plugged the included Ethernet cable in from the Synology BeeStation Plus to my network switch, which then routes up to my TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro system. One power cable, one Ethernet cable, that's all.

After that, I jumped in and set up the BeeStation Plus via the IP address and web interface and began setting up sync folders, shared folders, a Plex Server, backups to my DiskStation (review coming soon), and more. I also added one right-angle USB-C adapter, but more on that later. All around, this setup took a matter of minutes, and probably took longer for me to cable manage one more thing into my monster of a desk setup than it did actually to set up the BeeStation Plus itself.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Design & build quality

The BeeStation Plus has a sleek matte plastic shell with its modern and clean design. It blends in, and it fits in with my office setup. I don't feel like I need to hide it, so I didn't. It's got a visible spot in my setup, but I barely notice it, which is excellent.

Even when this NAS is up and running, I can't hear it at all. The only reason that I know it is on, other than being able to access my files, is because of the status lights.

The only ports on here are the Ethernet port, a USB-C port, and the power port. The BeeStation Plus keeps it simple while packing a lot of power in a simple package.

Synology BeeStation Plus: In use

I've had the BeeStation Plus set up in my home office for 75 days at the time of writing this review. In that time, the BeeStation Plus has been my primary storage solution for the many clients that I work with, for all of the files, content, and assets that I have created for each client, as well as working files I have received from clients. All of them are stored on the BeeStation Plus and accessed from my many devices via the files/finder integrations or from the web or mobile apps.

Thanks to the Ethernet port, I have not noticed any downtime or issues with network speeds, and because my entire workspace is backed up with a power station from Anker, I don't worry about losing any data either. Even in a power outage, I could access my files locally from my computer over local Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Alternatively, if my internet line is still active but power is out, my whole home battery backup system will kick in, and I can access files from anywhere.

If you don't have a battery backup, though, that is not the end of the world; you will want to have a plan in place in case of a power outage if you have critical client files stored on the BeeStation Plus.

Another critical way that I utilize the BeeStation Plus is to offload files from any drives I am working with. Occasionally, I have a role where I need to transfer data from external drives or SD Cards. With the BeeStation Plus' USB-C port, I can plug in an SSD directly to that port, or I can use an SD Card reader with a USB-C port and plug that in to access an SD Card directly through my BeeStation Plus.

The benefit to this, of course, is that I never have to take up internal storage, nor do I have to ingest files, to upload them to a cloud service, to then share. Instead, I can plug in, choose where to move the files to, such as a previously shared client folder, and then I am good to go. I can walk away, work on something else, and so on.

Another thing that makes the BeeStation Plus super helpful, mainly when used as a business storage tool, is the ability to sync in multiple different ways, with multiple different servers. I work across Google Drive, Dropbox, and others daily.

For those folders that I want to make sure I don't lose anything, or that I have what I need, without having to jump in and out of folders every day, logging in and out of accounts and trying to remember where I have each file. Instead, I set up cloud sync preferences so that my folder structure on my BeeStation Plus will automatically stay in sync with some folders, one way download other folders, and auto upload to others—making my file management a breeze. Setting something like this up right from the start makes it feel like I have an admin helping me manage my file management, without the need for an admin or a monthly subscription cost.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Final verdict

All in all, the Synology BeeStation Plus is a welcome upgrade from the previous model. I haven't even gone into depth on the Plex integrations and other TLC updates that Synology has made. This is the perfect storage solution if you need terabytes of secure storage and don't want to pay an absurd monthly charge to access your files on another big-name cloud storage service. Power users may still need something more robust like the DiskStation, but for small businesses, freelancers, contract workers, and fractional guys like me, this is a spectacular option.

For more storage solutions, we've reviewed the best NAS hard drives you can get right now.

I've used Synology for a while now, both personally and professionally. I've worked with DiskStations, the original BeeStation, and many other NAS devices, too. As someone who juggles many businesses, clients, and a ton of storage at any given time, even with great internal storage on my primary laptop, access to more on others that I am testing, and external drives all around me, there is something simple and so helpful about cloud storage.

But, as many of you have also noticed, subscriptions are getting ridiculous these days. Everything has moved to subscriptions, and with that, when you want to expand further, the cost continues to skyrocket. That's why I started paying attention to Synology a few years back, recognizing that while some things I can keep on SSDs, having everything accessible no matter what company I am with, if I am home or away, or no matter what device, was something that I still desired in my daily workflow.

The ease and ability to pull up any number of documents, photos, videos, diagrams, and so on for any of my clients at any time, all without cluttering my internal storage or having to rummage through several external hard drives, is hard to pass up.

The frictionless action of searching in Finder (on my Mac) to grab the file I want and have it ready on my machine without having to store it there is always spectacular. And, with how fast I move these days, that is the kind of flexibility I need. That's where the BeeStation Plus comes in. It's got a few key upgrades from the original BeeStation, the first and foremost being that it doubled in storage from 4TB to 8TB.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Pricing & Availability

The Synology BeeStation Plus is available the official website by clicking here. Right now, it's being sold for around $400 for the 8TB of NAS.Right now, it's being sold for around $400 for the 8TB of NAS.

It's also available from other online retailers including B&H Photo, Amazon.com, and Amazon.co.uk.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Unboxing & first impressions

Unboxing and setting up the BeeStation Plus could not have been easier. I opened up the box, chose a spot in my home office where I wanted it to live, and plugged it into my monster of a desk setup with battery backup from my Anker Power Station with UPS. Lastly, to ensure I had the best download and upload speeds possible, I plugged the included Ethernet cable in from the Synology BeeStation Plus to my network switch, which then routes up to my TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro system. One power cable, one Ethernet cable, that's all.

After that, I jumped in and set up the BeeStation Plus via the IP address and web interface and began setting up sync folders, shared folders, a Plex Server, backups to my DiskStation (review coming soon), and more. I also added one right-angle USB-C adapter, but more on that later. All around, this setup took a matter of minutes, and probably took longer for me to cable manage one more thing into my monster of a desk setup than it did actually to set up the BeeStation Plus itself.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Design & build quality

The BeeStation Plus has a sleek matte plastic shell with its modern and clean design. It blends in, and it fits in with my office setup. I don't feel like I need to hide it, so I didn't. It's got a visible spot in my setup, but I barely notice it, which is excellent.

Even when this NAS is up and running, I can't hear it at all. The only reason that I know it is on, other than being able to access my files, is because of the status lights.

The only ports on here are the Ethernet port, a USB-C port, and the power port. The BeeStation Plus keeps it simple while packing a lot of power in a simple package.

Synology BeeStation Plus: In use

I've had the BeeStation Plus set up in my home office for 75 days at the time of writing this review. In that time, the BeeStation Plus has been my primary storage solution for the many clients that I work with, for all of the files, content, and assets that I have created for each client, as well as working files I have received from clients. All of them are stored on the BeeStation Plus and accessed from my many devices via the files/finder integrations or from the web or mobile apps.

Thanks to the Ethernet port, I have not noticed any downtime or issues with network speeds, and because my entire workspace is backed up with a power station from Anker, I don't worry about losing any data either. Even in a power outage, I could access my files locally from my computer over local Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Alternatively, if my internet line is still active but power is out, my whole home battery backup system will kick in, and I can access files from anywhere.

If you don't have a battery backup, though, that is not the end of the world; you will want to have a plan in place in case of a power outage if you have critical client files stored on the BeeStation Plus.

Another critical way that I utilize the BeeStation Plus is to offload files from any drives I am working with. Occasionally, I have a role where I need to transfer data from external drives or SD Cards. With the BeeStation Plus' USB-C port, I can plug in an SSD directly to that port, or I can use an SD Card reader with a USB-C port and plug that in to access an SD Card directly through my BeeStation Plus.

The benefit to this, of course, is that I never have to take up internal storage, nor do I have to ingest files, to upload them to a cloud service, to then share. Instead, I can plug in, choose where to move the files to, such as a previously shared client folder, and then I am good to go. I can walk away, work on something else, and so on.

Another thing that makes the BeeStation Plus super helpful, mainly when used as a business storage tool, is the ability to sync in multiple different ways, with multiple different servers. I work across Google Drive, Dropbox, and others daily.

For those folders that I want to make sure I don't lose anything, or that I have what I need, without having to jump in and out of folders every day, logging in and out of accounts and trying to remember where I have each file. Instead, I set up cloud sync preferences so that my folder structure on my BeeStation Plus will automatically stay in sync with some folders, one way download other folders, and auto upload to others—making my file management a breeze. Setting something like this up right from the start makes it feel like I have an admin helping me manage my file management, without the need for an admin or a monthly subscription cost.

Synology BeeStation Plus: Final verdict

All in all, the Synology BeeStation Plus is a welcome upgrade from the previous model. I haven't even gone into depth on the Plex integrations and other TLC updates that Synology has made. This is the perfect storage solution if you need terabytes of secure storage and don't want to pay an absurd monthly charge to access your files on another big-name cloud storage service. Power users may still need something more robust like the DiskStation, but for small businesses, freelancers, contract workers, and fractional guys like me, this is a spectacular option.

For more storage solutions, we've reviewed the best NAS hard drives you can get right now.

When I have the chance to go on any adventure, I will occasionally take portable power with me. Having something like the swap power system, where I can move around my charged power banks to whatever inverter I want, is handy, especially when you pair that with the SwapSolar Multi-Cooler.

This system allows me to have my Multi-Cooler anywhere in the world that I want, running on batteries, and when one gets low, I can pop it out, hot swap it with another battery that is charging in my AC180T, for example, and keep the cool times cooling. Plus, on the days or trips that I don't need to bring an entire Cooler with me, I can use just the AC180T on its own, just as I would any standard portable power station.

Bluetti's AC180T is one of many devices in the SwapSolar ecosystem, and I hope Bluetti continues expanding the devices in that family, too. I didn't realize how helpful this was until I visited my family cabin. I am in the process of installing the Bluetti AC500 system as a whole cabin backup, but until then, having portable solutions like the SwapSolar Multi-Cooler is vital.

The Cabin is on an old lakefront grid, so during storms, the power goes out regularly. Knowing I can put my meats, dairy, and some beverages I want to keep cold in the SwapSolar Multi-Cooler, and keep that inside, in a tent, in the truck, or wherever I want while at the same time being able to put the AC180T wherever needed to best pull some solar power makes for such an easy experience. Mainly because I don't even have to move the full AC180T when the batteries are charged, I have to pull out one of the hot-swappable batteries.

Bluetti AC180T: In use

I've gotten to the point where power stations are all the same to me. Yes, there are, of course, specifics that make each unique, but each portable power station is the same idea. It's heavy enough that you don't want to move it, but not heavy enough that you can't.

This makes it portable, and it has a range of port options and capacities. That's the portable power station market. Now, however, there is a new possibility that has joined the scene. The hot-swappable batteries make for an entirely new possibility when it comes to mentioning specs, features, and even use cases.

I use the AC180T entirely differently than I use any of the best portable power stations I've tested. Most power stations I can plug in and charge, then bring to where I need it, plug things in there, and go from there.

With AC180T, I can set up a charging station. This allows me to efficiently run my cooler or any other Bluetti products within the SwapSolar ecosystem. I can take out a fully charged battery from my AC180T and place it into a different inverter (like my cooler) when I need it. Or, I can use my AC180T as a UPS, a power strip, a battery backup, or anything else.

Speaking of the cooler, it has plenty of space, which is excellent. In addition, if you add some filtered water, you can make ice on the go. So with this setup, you'll not only have portable power, but you can also keep your food cold and enjoy ice-cold drinks—literally!

The AC180T stands out on its own. It can recharge in about an hour and has enough output to power even larger devices. The accompanying app provides all the relevant stats and information.

On the front of the AC180T, you'll find four AC ports, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and a 120W car port. There's also a port for the Explore Charger 1, which allows for faster car charging, as well as options for a standard car charger, solar panels, or lead-acid battery charging. The right side features a standard AC port for more traditional recharging of the unit.

Overall, this power station has been fantastic. It's impressive on its own, but when paired with the cooler, it unlocks amazing capabilities.

If you're a nomadic traveler, a camper, or just someone looking to ensure you have a backup to keep food and drinks cool, this power station is an excellent choice.

Bluetti AC180T: Final verdict

The Bluetti AC180T is one of the most unique power stations I have tried. It can hot swap batteries with a portable fridge with a working ice maker, it has great ports, fast recharging, and it will hopefully work with other devices in the future as well.

For RV caravaners, van campers, off-grid users, and anything in between, this is a serious power station to consider. It's a sweet spot. It's not the largest, but it's got enough power to give a good amount of power to those who need it, plus it has the added benefit of being able to hot swap with the portable fridge.