Anker has invested heavily in the SOLIX branding over the last two years. The home back up power division of the battery company has become more and more robust with a wide range of offerings to make sure you’re never truly in the dark. I’ve recently reviewed one of the largest power stations in the fleet, but today we’ll take a look in a smaller champion: the new Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station.
Design
While I say it’s small, at just under 30lbs, the second gen SOLIX C1000 isn’t a lightweight, but much more portable than other Anker offerings. It’s roughly the size of a small cooler, and probably around the same weight once you consider cooler storage. This makes for a compact enough design to tote pretty much anywhere with limited effort.
Each side of the SOLIX C1000 has a molded handle for even easier portability. The left side houses the two main power inputs of 120V standard plug and a solar input capable of 600 Watts. The house plug gets you a top recharge time of around 50 minutes, while the solar option takes around 90 minutes to 100%.
You have 10 total ports to supplement all your possible power needs from a portable station like the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen2. You can easily monitor all this with the crisp LED lit display panel in the top third of the unit. This allows you to see both outputs and inputs at a glance. I do regret to say that the light bar found on past models has been omitted this year.
With 10 versatile outputs, rapid recharge options, and enough power to keep essentials like a fridge or CPAP running for hours, the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen2 proves big energy can come in a compact, portable package.
Battery Life and Runtimes
Of course, this entire section is subject to what you throw at it, but Anker has some impressive times. The SOLIX C1000 Gen2 can run your fridge for just around 12 hours, a CPAP for 7.5 to still get you that good night’s rest, and an electric kettle seven full cycles.
I haven’t had another off-grid adventure to put this power station to the max, but I have been using it to replace normal processes around my home. This has included running my wife’s hair dryer, our coffee maker, and a nightly fan. The Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen2 has performed very well in these “high output” scenarios, giving me several hours’ usage of each if needed.
The same has been true for general charging. It’s not a surprise, that’s where I think the C1000 Gen2 shines. Recharging your tech is a snap with the 140V USB-C ports and PowerDelivery onboard. Whether it’s your laptop or a win smartwatch, the SOLIX C1000 has you covered without fail.
Oh, and those same USB-C ports can be used in tandem to recharge the unit as well. This allows you to use two separate USB-C inputs to double the charging speeds if the connected charges can output enough juice. It’s a nice way for Anker to leverage the heritage of portable charging to still refresh the C1000 power banks if you don’t have the traditional outlet cable or solar option available.
Outputs and some power manage via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth can be accomplished via the Anker companion app. It’s not a ton of options for a power station like this but does give you a few tweaks to turn on ultra-fast charging via the 12OV input to recharge the bank, see which outlets are being used for outputs, and remotely turn on the LED display. The main thing you’ll most likely do with the app is firmware updates. I had two of these in my testing period.
Final Thoughts
Pinnacle Selection represents our highest honor, one reserved for products that stand out in design, performance, and overall value.
Products earning this distinction exemplify excellence across the board, delivering an experience that truly rises above the rest.
When you see the badge, you’re looking at the best of what’s available in its category.
Anker has become the king of any type of portable battery solution in my mind. The new SOLIX C1000 Gen2 is the latest evolution of just how much power can be packed into a relatively small package. The combination of portability, ten total outputs ranging from USB-C to normal outlets, have this at the top of my list for those needed a power station.
I guess the final thing to talk about is pricing and availability. Normal retail is $800 from Anker and $1068 from Amazon, but if you act right now, the launch date aligns with Amazon’s Prime Day promotion and is $429 on Anker and $529 from Amazon. These are still not impulse purchase prices, but with five years of warranty, you have peace of mind around the investment.
