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Anker feels like a cheat code in the tech world. The brand has a massive product lineup that consistently impresses in both quality and affordability. Anker makes some of Mashable’s favorite charging accessories, travel-worthy power banks, and budget-friendly earbuds. You could grab a pair of headphones, earbuds, a charger, extra high-capacity USB-C cables, and a power bank, all for way less than a single pair of Sony XM6 headphones, as an example. If you need portable power for the campsite, your RV, or you want to keep your phone charged up during a power outage, the Anker Solix C1000 is a dependable workhorse and a great addition to Anker’s product offerings.
Anker actually has several brand divisions, and there are highlights in all. Anker Soundcore is the brand’s go-to all things audio like earbuds, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, and even sleep earbuds. The brand also encompasses Nebula, which makes a lineup of projectors like the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser — the perfect host for outdoor movie nights. Eufy makes stick vacuums, robot vacuums, home security devices, and robot lawn mowers if you’re really hoping to step into the future. Anker’s Solix is all about power, covering both portable power you can take to the campground and whole-home backup solutions.
Plenty of port options here.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
The Anker Solix C1000 portable power station is a versatile model that offers 1,056Wh of battery capacity, which is pretty middle-of-the-road in terms of portable power stations. Anker lists the MSRP at $999, but we often see it on sale at Amazon for about $500, making it an affordable option for the size. Does that mean it’s a must-buy or a flop? We put it to the test to find out.
What’s to love about the Anker Solix C1000
Opening the box and doing some initial testing, I’m not surprised the Anker Solix C1000 is simply perfect. I’m sorry to disappoint any naysayers, but the Solix C1000 comes with so few flaws that I had to thoughtfully dig for potential issues. I did find some, yes, but the Anker Solix C1000 is a great option for most people, well deserving of its price for camping, RV life, keeping charged up during power outages, and plenty more. It comes with enough charging ports to keep almost every device happy, and it’s powerful enough to recharge your laptop and your phone, all while making dinner in a power-station-fueled air fryer.
The Solix C1000 provided the juice for an outdoor movie night at the cabin.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
Anker doesn’t explain why it went with the word “Solix” for its power stations, but it would make sense that it’s playing off the Latin root for the sun, sol — the Anker Solix C1000 plays very well with solar charging. On its own, 1,056Wh of battery isn’t a huge amount, but if you hook the Solix C1000 up to a solar panel while you’re camping, you’re in line for unlimited power. Take this puppy with you on your summer adventures, and you can power up your entire living set-up with just the Anker Solix C1000.
Technically, Anker classifies this as part of the “camping series,” and that feels like an honest representation of where it shines. This isn’t gonna power up your whole house if the power goes out for days. Instead, this is a portable option for weekends away or for content creators who are spending the day in the field to capture video and drone footage. Here are some specs to check out when deciding if the Solix C1000 is right for your power needs:
Specs
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Capacity: 1,056Wh
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Continuous output: 1,800W pure sine wave
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Weight: 28.44 pounds
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Dimensions: 14.8 in. L × 8.1 in. W × 10.5 in. H
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Power options: AC, USB-C (100W), USB-A
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Recharging options: Grid power, solar, car
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Battery type: LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate)
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Life cycles: 80 percent capacity after 3,000 cycles
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Warranty: 5 years
What does 1,056Wh look like IRL?
One of the hardest parts of choosing a portable power station is coming to grips with what the battery capacity means in real-life terms. All of our gadgets require different levels of juice to get charged up, but it’s safe to say the Anker Solix C1000 is great for a weekend of camping for most people. The 1,056Wh will be able to keep phones charged, the campsite string lights lit up, and the projector showing nightly movies.
Anker says the C1000 can recharge an iPhone 92 times, a drone 21 times, or keep a coffee maker on for over 2.5 hours. When testing, I used the portable power station to recharge my phone while watching a movie on the CineBeam Q projector. In the morning, I used it to heat water in the electric kettle for my portable espresso machine.
More essential than s’mores when camping
It’s obvious Anker designed the Solix C1000 to be camping-friendly. It weighs less than 30 pounds, so it’s pretty easy to carry around, especially since it has ergonomic handles on both sides. When testing, I had no problems carrying it around aside from going down an especially steep staircase, which led me to angle sideways so I could keep the stairs in view. Otherwise, this thing is a dream to carry around the campground.
The 1,056Wh combined with the physical size of the Solix C1000 makes it the perfect option for a weekend of camping. It’ll keep your phones charged, the lights on, and keep entertainment options charged, like a Bluetooth speaker, without being overkill. Plus, you can recharge via solar at the campsite.
A portable size, manageable weight, and lightbar all make the power station extra user-friendly.
Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable
Another aspect of the Anker Solix C1000 that’s awesome for camping is the built-in lightbar. This automatically means you’ve packed ambient light for the campsite, and the lightstrip has several settings from blazing high-noon light to calming warm light that’s awesome for evening.
Ports-a-plenty
For its compact size, Anker packed the Solix C1000 with port options. You’re in for two USB-C ports, one of which can pull 100W, two USB-A, and six AC ports. I can’t imagine what kind of camping trip would require connecting six devices to AC power, but you have it should you need it. The 100W USB-C port is a thoughtful touch, although it’s lower powered than some portable power stations that incorporate a 140W USB-C port. But again, given its compact size and even more impressive compact price, the Anker Solix C1000 is really an incredible bang-for-your-buck in terms of charging ports.
When the storm hits, the Solix C1000 keeps you charged
While Anker lists the Solix C1000 as a camping model, it’s gonna be your best friend when the power goes out at home. You’ll be able to keep the living room light on, use the hairdryer, and sleep with a CPAP should you need it. The power never goes out when your phone is fully charged, so the Anker Solix C1000 can help out with that dilemma, too.
Personally, I require a portable power station to have a built-in light if I intend to use it during home power outages. Image schlepping a portable power station up the stairs in the darkness of a power outage. It’s not gonna be a great time. But turn that strip light on and you can light your path up the stairs from the garage or as you bring it from room to room.
In a power outage situation, Anker says the Solix C1000 can keep a CPAP going for over 18 hours or your refrigerator cooling for up to 14.
Portable power can keep your workstation going during a power outage.
Credit: Anker
How does the Anker Solix C1000 recharge?
If you’ve hit zero battery on the Anker Solix C1000 and use standard wall power to recharge, you can get back to 80 percent in under 45 minutes. That tiny amount of recharging time is just wild. My electric toothbrush takes something like eight hours to recharge. Granted, my toothbrush has a super tiny battery, but you get the idea. Getting the Solix C1000 back to 100 percent power happens in under an hour.
You can also charge the Solix with solar panels. With 600W of solar input (the max this station can handle), you can get back to full power in under two hours. If you’re going on a weekend camping trip, it’s not super likely you’re toting around 600W of solar input, so I wouldn’t count on the two-hour recharging time frame, but it’s reassuring that even with a portable 100W panel, you’ll be heading back into recharged territory, eventually.
Hats off to the affordability
One of the major benefits of buying any Anker product is the affordable price. This is compounded by the fact that Anker usually offers great sale prices at Amazon, especially during major sales like Prime Day and Black Friday. At the time of writing, Anker lists the Solix C1000 with an MSRP of $999, but we often see it hover around the $500 mark at Amazon when on sale. For starters, who doesn’t love getting a 50% discount? But the sale price of $500 for this portable power station is borderline ridiculous given its capacity, quick recharging, and port options.
Expandable power, but with a limit
Most (good) portable power stations can handle expanding the battery. This involves buying an extra battery from the manufacturer and stacking it with the portable power station. The Anker Solix C1000 nails this expansion by offering the BP1000 Expansion Battery. Together, you’re in line for 2,112Wh of capacity, doubling what the portable power station can offer on its own. Thanks to this expandability, the Anker could be perfect for longer camping trips.
Double the power with the expandable battery.
Credit: Anker
The only downside to this expandable feature on the Solix C1000 is that the power station can only handle just the one expansion battery, so it tops out at 2,112Wh. By comparison, the DJI Power 2000 portable power station can connect with up to 10 expansion batteries for a total capacity of over 22,000Wh. Is it still portable with 10 expansion batteries? Definitely not, but some people might want that option to get massive power, if desired.
Since the Anker Solix C1000 can only accommodate one expansion battery, this probably isn’t the right model if you’re looking for something to take on a weekend camping trip that would double as backup for your home’s power should it get knocked out for days.
Is the Anker Solix C1000 worth buying?
The combination of functionality and affordability makes the Anker Solix C1000 a fantastic portable power station. It’s the perfect accessory for a weekend of camping, it’s great for RV life, and it shows up to keep you on-grid during a power outage. If you’re a content creator on assignment, the Solix C1000 offers plenty of ports for recharging without adding major bulk to your packing list. It’s also terrific to use in the backyard when doing yardwork if you don’t want to run an extension cord across the yard to the shed.
When testing, I found it incredibly intuitive to use and recharge, and since it weighs under 30 pounds, it’s not a major inconvenience to carry around. At the end of the day, I think every home could find a use for the Solix C1000, even if it’s simply offering reassurance that you can keep the milk chilled during a power outage and have hot coffee come morning.
