APC Back UPS PRO 1500VA: BN1500M2 vs. BR1500MS vs. BX1500M

APC has several 1500VA uninterruptible power supplies with the BN1500M2, BR1500MS and BX1500M. So, what are the main differences between these products?

You can find out in this comparison guide.

Quick Summary

When compared to the BN1500M2 and BX1500M, the BR1500MS comes with a wider input voltage range for main operations, more battery charge power, more battery volt-amp-hour capacity, longer run time for load in addition to better coverage when it comes to lifetime equipment protection policy.

The BR1500MS is also tied with the BN1500M2 at having the greatest number of joules out of this group for surge protection.

So, if you are looking for a 1500VA uninterruptible power supply from APC, then the BR1500MS is easily the best available option.

BN1500M2 vs. BR1500MS vs. BX1500M Comparison Chart

You can check out Seeking Tech’s comparison table between these three UPS below.

What’s in the Box

In addition to the main uninterruptible power supply, each product also comes with a coaxial cable, USB cable and user manual. The BX1500M also includes a RCBO.

You can take a look at what’s included inside the boxes of each product below:

APC Back UPS PRO BN1500M2:

• Back UPS PRO BN1500M2
• Coaxial cable
• USB cable
• User manual

APC Back UPS PRO BR1500MS:

• Back UPS PRO BR1500MS
• Coaxial cable
• USB cable
• User manual

APC Back UPS PRO BX1500M:

• Back UPS PRO BX1500M
• Coaxial cable
• RCBO
• USB cable
• User manual

Weight

The BR1500MS is the heaviest UPS in the versus guide, followed by the BN1500M2. The BX1500M is the lightest.

You can find the weight specifications below:

• Back UPS PRO BN1500M2: 25.13 lbs.
• Back UPS PRO BR1500MS: 27.56 lbs.
• Back UPS PRO BX1500M: 24.25 lbs.

Dimensions

The BN1500M2 and BR1500MS models have the same exact measurements. The BX1500M is a little shorter than the other two but also has a little bit more depth.

You can find the dimensions below:

BN1500M2 and BR1500MS:

• 10.2 inches x 3.9 inches x 14.5 inches

BX1500M:

• 9.8 inches x 3.9 inches x 15.0 inches

Output Specifications

The BN1500M2 and BR1500MS have the same output connections as both come with six NEMA 5-15R battery backups and four NEMA 5-15R surge protections. The BX1500M includes five each of the NEMA 5-15R battery backup and four NEMA 5-15R surge protection.

You can take a look at the output specs below:

Back UPS PRO BN1500M2:

• Max Configurable Power: 900 Watts / 1.5kVA
• Output Frequency: 60 Hz (+/- 3 Hz) Sync to mains
• Output Connections: 6x NEMA 5-15R Battery Backup and 4x NEMA 5-15R Surge Protection
• Topology: Line interactive
• Waveform Type: Stepped approximation to a sinewave
• Transfer Time: 8 ms typical and 10 ms maximum
• Nominal Output Voltage: 120 V

Back UPS PRO BR1500MS:

• Max Configurable Power: 900 Watts / 1.5kVA
• Output Frequency: 60 Hz (+/- 3 Hz) Sync to mains
• Output Connections: 6x NEMA 5-15R Battery Backup and 4x NEMA 5-15R Surge Protection
• Topology: Line interactive
• Waveform Type: Sinewave
• Transfer Time: 8 ms typical and 10 ms maximum
• Nominal Output Voltage: 120 V

Back UPS PRO BX1500M:

• Max Configurable Power: 900 Watts / 1.5kVA
• Output Frequency: 60 Hz Sync to mains
• Output Connections: 5x NEMA 5-15R Battery Backup and 5x NEMA 5-15R Surge Protection
• Topology: Line interactive
• Waveform Type: Stepped approximation to a sinewave
• Transfer Time: 8 ms typical and 10 ms maximum
• Nominal Output Voltage: 120 V

Input Specifications

The BR1500MS has a wider input voltage range for main operations when compared to the BN1500M2 and BX1500M. Otherwise, the input specs are identical:

BN1500M2:

• Input Frequency: 60 Hz (+/- 3 Hz)
• Input Voltage Range for Main Operations: 88 V to 139 V
• Number of Power Cords: 1
• Input Connections: NEMA 5-15P
• Nominal Output Voltage: 120 V
• Maximum Input Current: 12.0A

BR1500MS:

• Input Frequency: 60 Hz (+/- 3 Hz)
• Input Voltage Range for Main Operations: 88 V to 147 V
• Number of Power Cords: 1
• Input Connections: NEMA 5-15P
• Nominal Output Voltage: 120 V
• Maximum Input Current: 12.0A

BX1500M:

• Input Frequency: 60 Hz (+/- 3 Hz)
• Input Voltage Range for Main Operations: 88 V to 139 V
• Number of Power Cords: 1
• Input Connections: NEMA 5-15P
• Nominal Output Voltage: 120 V
• Maximum Input Current: 12.0A

Battery Specifications

The BR1500MS also has the most battery charge power and battery volt-amp-hour capacity out of this group. The BN1500M2 and BX1500M have the same battery charge power while the BN1500M2 comes with a slightly higher battery volt-amp-hour capacity.

You can find the battery specs below:

APC Back UPS PRO BN1500M2:

• Battery Type: Lead-acid battery
• Included Battery Modules: 1
• Typical Recharge Time: 16 hours
• Replacement Battery: APCRBC161
• Expected Battery Life: 3 to 5 years
• RBC Quantity: 1
• Battery Charge Power: 11 Watts
• Battery Volt-Amp-Hour Capacity: 180

APC Back UPS PRO BR1500MS:

• Battery Type: Lead-acid battery
• Included Battery Modules: 1
• Typical Recharge Time: 16 hours
• Replacement Battery: APCRBC163
• Expected Battery Life: 3 to 5 years
• RBC Quantity: 1
• Battery Charge Power: 16 Watts
• Battery Volt-Amp-Hour Capacity: 257

APC Back UPS PRO BX1500M:

• Battery Type: Lead-acid battery
• Included Battery Modules: 1
• Typical Recharge Time: 16 hours
• Replacement Battery: APCRBC124
• Expected Battery Life: 3 to 5 years
• RBC Quantity: 1
• Battery Charge Power: 11 Watts
• Battery Volt-Amp-Hour Capacity: 172

Run Time for Load

Run Time for Load measures how long an UPS can power connected devices in an event of a complete power outage. The BR1500MS is once again the winner as it can power devices the longest, followed by the BX1500M and BN1500M2.

You can find the run times, which are based on increments of 100 wattage, below:

BN1500M2:

• 100 Watts: 1 hour and 6 minutes
• 200 Watts: 32 minutes
• 300 Watts: 19 minutes
• 400 Watts: 13 minutes
• 500 Watts: 9 minutes
• 600 Watts: 7 minutes
• 700 Watts: 5 minutes
• 800 Watts: 4 minutes
• 900 Watts: 3 minutes

BR1500MS:

• 100 Watts: 1 hour and 17 minutes
• 200 Watts: 39 minutes
• 300 Watts: 24 minutes
• 400 Watts: 17 minutes
• 500 Watts: 12 minutes
• 600 Watts: 9 minutes
• 700 Watts: 7 minutes
• 800 Watts: 5 minutes
• 900 Watts: 4 minutes

BX1500M:

• 100 Watts: 1 hour and 8 minutes
• 200 Watts: 31 minutes
• 300 Watts: 19 minutes
• 400 Watts: 12 minutes
• 500 Watts: 9 minutes
• 600 Watts: 6 minutes
• 700 Watts: 5 minutes
• 800 Watts: 3 minutes
• 900 Watts: 2 minutes

Surge Protection

The BN1500M2 and BR1500MS have the same number of joules, which is more than BX1500M. As a result, the BN1500M2 and BR1500MS are more capable at protecting against power surges than the BX1500M.

You can find the surge protection specifications below:

• APC Back UPS PRO BN1500M2: 1080 Joules
• APC Back UPS PRO BR1500MS: 1080 Joules
• APC Back UPS PRO BX1500M: 789 Joules

Data Line Protection

The APS UPC products in this comparison guide offer the following data line protection:

• Coaxial cable for CATV/SATV/modem/audio-video
• RJ45 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet protection

Filtering

The three uninterruptible power supplies also provide the following filtering features:

• Full-time, multi-pole noise filtering
• 5% IEEE surge let-through
• Instantaneous clamping response time

Features

The BN1500M2, BR1500MS and BX1500M also share a lot of the same features.

You can take a look at the lists below:

APC Back UPS PRO BN1500M2:

• Audible alarms
• Automatic self-test
• Battery backup and surge protection
• Battery failure notification
• Battery-protected and surge-only outlets
• Battery replacement without tools
• Boost Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR)
• Building Wiring Fault Indicator
• Cold-start capable
• Control Panel
• Customizable voltage sensitivity
• Customizable voltage-transfer points
• Dataline surge protection
• Disconnected battery notification
• EMI and RFI noise filtering
• ENERGY STAR for UPS
• Green mode
• Hot-swappable batteries
• Intelligent battery management
• LCD graphics display
• Lifetime data recovery warranty
• PowerChute Personal Edition OS Compatibility
• Resettable circuit breaker
• RoHS
• Safety-agency approved
• Simple battery replacement
• Surge only outlets
• Transformer-block spaced outlets
• USB charging ports

APC Back UPS PRO BR1500MS:

• Audible alarms
• Automatic self-test
• Battery backup and surge protection
• Battery failure notification
• Battery-protected and surge-only outlets
• Battery replacement without tools
• Boost and Trim Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR)
• Building Wiring Fault Indicator
• Catastrophic Event Protection
• Cold-start capable
• Control Panel
• Customizable voltage sensitivity
• Customizable voltage-transfer points
• Dataline surge protection
• Disconnected battery notification
• EMI and RFI noise filtering
• ENERGY STAR for UPS
• Green mode
• Hot-swappable batteries
• Intelligent battery management
• LCD graphics display
• Lifetime data recovery warranty
• Performance Gaming Design
• PowerChute Personal Edition OS Compatibility
• Resettable circuit breaker
• RoHS
• Safety-agency approved
• Simple battery replacement
• Sine wave output
• Surge only outlets
• Transformer-block spaced outlets
• USB charging ports

APC Back UPS PRO BX1500M:

• Adjustable voltage sensitivity
• Audible alarms
• Automatic self-test
• Battery and surge protected outlets
• Battery failure notification
• Battery replacement without tools
• Battery-protected and surge-only outlets
• Boost Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR)
• Building Wiring Fault Indicator
• Cold-start capable
• Control Panel
• Customizable voltage sensitivity
• Customizable voltage-transfer points
• Dataline surge protection
• Disconnected battery notification
• Green mode
• Hot-swappable batteries
• Intelligent battery management
• LCD graphics display
• Lifetime data recovery warranty
• Resettable circuit breaker
• Safety-agency approved
• Simple battery replacement
• Surge only outlets
• Transformer Block Spacing
• USB connectivity
• User-replaceable batteries

Operating Temperature

All three UPS devices have the same operating temperature ranges of 32 °F to 104 °F (or 0 °C to 40 °C).

Storage Temperature

The storage temperature ranges are also identical at 5 °F to 104 °F (or -15 °C to 40 °C).

Operating Relative Humidity

Furthermore, the operating humidity ranges are same at 0% to 95% non-condensing.

Operating Elevation

All three products can be operated at an elevation range of 0 feet to 10,000 feet.

Storage Elevation

The BX1500M can be stored at a much higher elevation when compared to the BN1500M2 and BR1500MS:

• BN1500M2: 0 feet to 10,000 feet
• BR1500MS: 0 feet to 10,000 feet
• BX1500M: 0 feet to 50,000 feet

Noise at 1 Meter Away

The APC UPS devices make the same amount of noise level at 45.0 dBA.

Lifetime Equipment Protection Policy

The BR1500MS offers twice the amount of lifetime equipment protection than the BN1500M2 and BX1500M.

You can find the coverage amounts below:

• BN1500M2: $250,000
• BR1500MS: $500,000
• BX1500M: $250,000

Warranty

The APC Back UPS PRO BN1500M2, APC Back UPS PRO BR1500MS and APC Back UPS PRO BX1500M each comes with 3-year warranty for repair or replacement.

Resources:

• https://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/Back-UPS-PRO-BN-1500VA-10-Outlets-2-USB-Charging-Ports-AVR-LCD-interface/P-BN1500M2
• https://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/Back-UPS-PRO-BR-1500VA-SineWave-10-Outlets-2-USB-Charging-Ports-AVR-LCD-interface/P-BR1500MS
• https://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/APC-Back-UPS-Pro-BX1500M-Compact-Tower-1500VA-AVR-LCD-120V/P-BX1500M