Whenever you search for the best power bank, you will likely find Anker on that list — possibly topping it. So it only seems right that the company would also be a major player on lists ofbest portable power stationstoo. If you’re unfamiliar with what a portable power station is, think of it like one of those pocketable power banks but bigger, with more power and more ports to charge from.
These are devices made to give you the power to run many everyday appliances while away from traditional outlets, and the new Anker Solix C1000 is definitely one that you should consider if you are in the market for one — and if you don’t already have one, you should.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station
Anker is a leader in portable power accessories, including power stations. The Solix C1000 is a midsize unit that can crank out up to a sustained 1800W and surge up to 2400W. With plenty of ports available and rechargeable from 0-100 in less than an hour, you’ll be set for power nearly anywhere you want.
Price and availability
Ready for anything
Anker announced the Solix C1000 on August 31st, 2023 for preorder, and it went up for retail through Amazon and directly from Anker on September 25th. The portable power station is only available in a single color option, gray and black, with a full retail price of $999. However, it has gotten a few discounts since its release, with sale prices hitting $699. Anker does offer an expansion battery for the Solix C1000 to double the capacity from 1056Wh to 2112Wh. It is due to go on sale in Q4 for $799 through retail channels.
Design, hardware, and what’s in the box
Utilitarian as it should be
The Solix C1000 isn’t the first power station from Anker, as the company has been in the space for quite some time. But in the past few years, as other players have entered the space, the company has evolved and innovated on its own products. One of the brand’s first and larger power stations was theAnker 757 Powerhouse, an impressive device that I have used in many situations. Anker continues improving its devices, and one of the latest from the new line is the Solix C1000.
Looking at the hardware of this power station, it is easy to see its lineage, with the familiar black and gray case and blue accents here and there. It has an excellent LED light bar on the front to illuminate your space, along with the display on the front to show you battery percentage, what outlets are in use, and the incoming and outgoing power. The overall package is relatively compact, and carrying it around with the built-in handles is quite manageable, with a weight of about 28.5 pounds.
In the box, Anker provides three cables for recharging the Solix C1000 — one for plugging into an AC wall outlet, one for using your vehicle’s 12V car socket, and one with two XT60 plugs to connect two solar panels to your power station. Besides the cables and some documentation, the only thing you’ll get in the box is the Solix C1000 itself.
Charging and performance
Nearly all you could ask for
A power station is only as good as the power it provides and how it does it. So, for the outlets and ports, the Anker Solix C1000 offers an impressive six three-pronged outlets to draw up to 1800W from with a short-term surge rating of 2400W. This kind of power capability allows you to run nearly any common electrical appliance, from lights and fans to a blender or hair dryer. Aside from the wall outlets, there are two USB-A ports capable of up to 12W of output, a 100W USB-C port, and a 30W USB-C port. Finally, the Solix C1000 also offers a 120W, 12V/10A car socket.
While I think Anker has done a fine job with the ports it has included, it would be nice to have added a few other DC power output options, like an Anderson plug or barrel-type plugs, to power some different auxiliary devices. It would also be nice to have included a wireless charging pad for powering up phones when the USB ports are in use. Aside from these relatively minor issues, I was able to run my circular saw, miter saw, drills, and recharge batteries while working on my camper using this portable unit, and it was wonderful.
The recharge time for the Anker Solix C1000 is very impressive, and to get a 1056Wh battery to go from 0 to 100% in under an hour.
All of this power is being drawn from the 1056Wh LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery. I’m glad that Anker has moved to this battery chemistry for its power stations, unlike theJackery Explorer 1000 Pro. It allows for higher power capacity in a smaller cell, and LiFePO4 batteries offer longer lifespans and more charges. If this battery capacity isn’t enough for you, then Anker is going to offer an expansion battery that will plug into the C1000 to double the capacity, but it isn’t available at the time of publication and will run you almost the same as the power station itself.
Anker states the Solix C1000’s battery has a 3000 charge cycle rating at 80% capacity. In case you’re unsure, if you don’t anticipate using your power station for an extended period, it’s best to store it with about an 80% charge to help extend the life of the battery, which applies to almost all rechargeable batteries.
When it came time to recharge the power station, I was very impressed with the recharge time. With a battery this large, it would be safe to assume it is going to take hours to get it back to full. Thankfully, Anker allows the Solix C1000 to go from 0 - 100% in less than an hour with up to 1300W of AC power input. With recharge time like that, the use case for the power station greatly increases when you can drain it, plug it in, take lunch, and be back to work by the time you finish dessert. Of course, you can also recharge the unit via solar with up to 600W at 11-60V.
Remote monitoring is a great feature for power stations so that you may check on the status of the batteries and how much power is going out from your phone.
Another feature Anker has brought to its power stations in the Solix lineup is some connectivity options. Now, with the Anker app, you can connect the Solix C1000 to Wi-Fi so you can control basic functions of the unit, like turning off and on ports, and view the charge percentage from your phone. Should you be out in the wilderness where the internet isn’t a thing, you can still monitor your power station with the same level of control via Bluetooth in the app.
Competition
It’s a crowded space
There are a lot of options in the world of portable power stations, but not all should be trusted. Some of the main competitors to the Anker Solix C1000 come from some well-known names in the space, like Bluetti, EcoFlow, and Jackery. These reputable brands have a good history of making devices like this.
I already mentioned the Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro earlier. While it is a very good power station, it lacks some of the features of the C1000 in terms of ports, connectivity, and battery chemistry. All of this leads to a larger unit that isn’t going to be able to provide the kind of power output levels that the Solix C1000 can offer.
EcoFlow is a brand that has been doing some really amazing things in the portable power station space. I’ve used many of its products to get through winter storms and camping trips. TheEcoFlow Delta 2matches up with the Anker Solix C1000 quite well in battery chemistry, output ratings, and capacity. It can even be expanded like the C1000 can and offers connectivity via the EcoFlow app. Recharge time for the Delta 2 is a bit slower, but not significantly. One thing that does fall in the cons column is the design with USB ports and the display on one end of the power station and the AC outlets on the other. While not a big deal, it could be a bit inconvenient, depending on where you’re trying to use the device. Oh, and it only has four AC outlets.
Should you buy it?
I have become a person who firmly believes that everyone should have a portable power station. While these devices are anything but inexpensive, aside from the convenience of having electricity anywhere you can carry the device, in moments of power outages — portable power stations like the Anker Solix C1000 are indispensable. Knowing that important electrical devices, like a CPAP machine or even your computer, can have power should the grid go down is a great peace of mind.
Thanks to a 20ms UPS system, if you have the Solix C1000 plugged into a wall and your necessary devices plugged into it, should the power go out, Anker’s power station will automatically begin providing power to whatever is plugged into it.
For some, the 1800W of power and a 1056Wh battery won’t be enough, but in most situations, this is more than plenty to keep things going. You could buy a larger power station, but those can get difficult to move around and only get more expensive. There is also the option to buy the expansion battery for the Anker Solix C1000 to double the capacity should you need it. In the end, if you don’t have a power station or have an older unit, I highly recommend the Solix C1000 due to its power output, physical size, and excellent rechargeability.
The Anker Solix C1000 is a midsize power station with big power potential. The 1056Wh LFP battery can kick out up to 1800W of power and surge up to 2400W to run many of your typical electrical devices using standard outlets, USB-A, USB-C, or a 12V car socket. Even better is you can recharge this C1000 from 0-100% in under an hour.
