When you’re looking for the best power bank, Anker is likely to be on that list—and maybe even at the top of it. So it seems only natural that the company would also be a major player on best portable power stations lists, too. If you’re not familiar with what a portable power station is, think of it like a power bank that fits in your pocket but is larger, with more power and more ports to charge from.
These are devices designed to give you the power to run many of your everyday devices while staying away from traditional outlets, and the new Anker Solix C1000 is definitely one to consider if you’re looking to buy 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 mid-sized unit that can generate up to 1800W continuously and boost up to 2400W. With multiple ports and the ability to recharge from 0 to 100mAh in under an hour, you’ll be ready to power up almost anywhere you need it.
- Dimensions
- 14.8×8.07×10.5 inches
- weight
- 28.44 lbs
- AC Output Ports
- 6, Continuous output 1800W, surge 2400W
- AC input rating
- 1300W charging, 1440W bypass mode
- DC Output Ports
- 1 x 120W 12V Car Socket
- Solar energy input classification
- 600W, 11-60V MPPT
- USB ports
- 2 USB-A ports (12W), 1 USB-C port (100W), 1 USB-C port (30W)
- Battery Type
- 1056Wh LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
- Contact
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Wireless charging port
- no
- an offer
- Yes
- Expandable
- Yes
- Operating temperature
- -4°F – 104°F
- Weather resistance
- no
- UPS mode
- Yes, <20ms
- lights
- Yes
- Good number of output ports
- 1800 watts of AC output power
- relatively compact
- It ships incredibly fast.
- Capacity may not be sufficient for some needs.
- Expensive expansion battery
- Only one DC output port
Price and availability
ready for anything
Anker announced the Solix C1000 for pre-order on August 31, 2023, and it went on sale at retail through Amazon and directly from Anker on September 25. The portable power station is available in just one color option, gray and black, for a full retail price of $999. However, it has received some discounts since its release, bringing the retail price down to $699. Anker is offering an expansion battery for the Solix C1000 to double the capacity from 1,056Wh to 2,112Wh. It is scheduled to go on sale in Q4 for $799 through retail channels.
Design, hardware and what’s in the box
Utilitarianism as it should be
The Solix C1000 isn’t Anker’s first power station, as the company has been in the business for quite some time. But in the past few years, as other players have entered the space, the company has evolved and come up with its own products. One of the brand’s first and largest power stations was the Anker 757 Powerhouse, an impressive device that I’ve used in a variety of situations. Anker continues to improve its devices, and one of the latest in the new line is the Solix C1000.
Looking at the components of this power station, it’s easy to see its origins, with the familiar black and gray body and blue accents here and there. It has an excellent LED light bar on the front to brighten up your space, along with a display on the front to show battery percentage, ports in use, and incoming and outgoing power. The overall package is relatively small, and carrying it with the built-in handles is a breeze, weighing in at around 28.5 pounds.
In the box, Anker provides three cables to recharge the Solix C1000 — one to plug into an AC wall outlet, one to use a 12V car jack, 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.
Shipping and Performance
Almost everything you could ask for.
A power station doesn’t depend on the power it delivers and how it does it. So, for ports and plugs, the Anker Solix C1000 offers six three-prong outlets that can pull up to 1,800 watts with a short-term surge rating of 2,400 watts. This kind of power capability lets you power almost any common electrical device, from lights and fans to a blender or hair dryer. Aside from the wall outlets, there are two USB-A ports capable of outputting up to 12 watts, a 100-watt USB-C port, and a 30-watt USB-C port. Finally, the Solix C1000 also offers a 120-watt, 12V/10A car jack.
While I think Anker did a good job with the ports they included, it would be nice to add some other DC power output options, such as an Anderson plug or barrel-type plugs, to power a few different auxiliary devices. It would also be nice to include a wireless charging pad to power phones when using the USB ports. Aside from these relatively minor issues, I was able to power my circular saw, miter saw, drills, and recharge batteries while working on my camper using this portable unit, which was great.
The Anker Solix C1000’s recharge time is quite impressive, as you can get the 1056Wh battery to go from 0 to 100% in under an hour.
All of that power is drawn from a 1,056Wh LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery. I’m glad Anker has moved to this battery chemistry for its power stations, unlike the Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro. It allows for more energy capacity in a smaller cell, and LiFePO4 batteries offer longer life and more charge. If that battery capacity isn’t enough for you, Anker will offer an expansion battery that will plug into the C1000 to double the capacity, but it’s not available at the time of publication and will run about the same as the power station itself.
Anker states that the Solix C1000 battery has a 3000 charge cycle rating at 80% capacity. In case you’re not sure, if you don’t expect to use your power station for an extended period of time, it’s best to store it at 80% charge to help extend the battery life, which is true for 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’s safe to assume it would take hours to get back to full charge. Fortunately, Anker allows the Solix C1000 to go from 0 to 100% in under an hour with up to 1,300W of AC power input. With a recharge time like that, the power station’s use case increases significantly when you can unload it, plug it in, have lunch, and be back at work by the time you’re done with dessert. Of course, you can also recharge the unit via solar power at up to 600W at 11-60V.
Remote monitoring is a great feature of power stations so you can check the status of your batteries and how much power is coming out of your phone.
Another feature Anker has added to its Solix power stations is some connectivity options. Now, using the Anker app, you can connect the Solix C1000 to your Wi-Fi network so you can control basic functions of the unit, like turning the outlets on and off, and viewing the charge percentage from your phone. If you’re out in the wilderness where there’s no internet, you can still monitor your power station with the same level of Bluetooth control in the app.
a race
It’s a crowded space.
There are plenty of options in the world of portable power stations, but not all of them should be trusted. Some of the main competitors to the Anker Solix C1000 come from well-known names in the industry, such as Bluetti, EcoFlow, and Jackery. These are well-established brands that have a good history of making devices like this.
I’ve already mentioned the Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro earlier. While it’s a very good powerhouse, it lacks some of the features of the C1000 in terms of ports, connectivity, and battery chemistry. All of this results in a larger unit that won’t be able to deliver the power output levels that the Solix C1000 can.
EcoFlow is a brand that has done some truly amazing things with portable power stations. I’ve used several of their products to get me through winter storms and camping trips. The EcoFlow Delta 2 matches up well with the Anker Solix C1000 in battery chemistry, output ratings, and capacity. It’s even expandable like the C1000 and offers connectivity via the EcoFlow app. The Delta 2’s recharging time is a bit slower, but not significantly so. One thing that falls into the cons column is the design with the USB ports and display on one end of the power station and the AC outlets on the other. While it’s not a huge issue, it can 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’ve become a firm believer that everyone should own a portable power station. While these devices aren’t cheap at all, aside from the convenience of having electricity wherever you can carry it, in the event of a power outage, portable power stations like the Anker Solix C1000 are essential. Knowing that important electrical devices, like your CPAP machine or even your computer, can still be powered in the event of a power outage is a peace of mind.
Thanks to its 20ms UPS, if the Solix C1000 is plugged into a wall outlet and necessary devices are connected to it, in the event of a power outage, Anker’s power station will automatically start providing power to whatever is connected to it.
For some people, the 1800 watts of power and 1056 watt-hour battery won’t be enough, but in most situations, that’s more than enough to keep things going. You can buy a larger power station, but they can be harder to move around and more expensive. There’s also the option to buy the Anker Solix C1000 Expansion Battery to double the capacity if you need it. Ultimately, 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.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station
The Anker Solix C1000 is a mid-sized power station with plenty of power potential. The 1056Wh LFP battery can output up to 1800Wh of power and boost power up to 2400Wh to power many of your typical electrical devices using standard outlets, USB-A, USB-C, or a 12V car jack. Best of all, you can recharge the C1000 from 0 to 100% in under an hour.
- Dimensions
- 14.8×8.07×10.5 inches
- weight
- 28.44 lbs
- AC Output Ports
- 6, Continuous output 1800W, surge 2400W
- AC input rating
- 1300W charging, 1440W bypass mode
- DC Output Ports
- 1 x 120W 12V Car Socket
- Solar energy input classification
- 600W, 11-60V MPPT
- USB ports
- 2 USB-A ports (12W), 1 USB-C port (100W), 1 USB-C port (30W)
- Battery Type
- 1056Wh LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
- Contact
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Wireless charging port
- no
- an offer
- Yes
- Expandable
- Yes
- Operating temperature
- -4°F – 104°F
- Weather resistance
- no
- UPS mode
- Yes, <20ms
- lights
- Yes
