The Anker SOLIX F3000 is my new favorite high-capacity power station for one simple reason

I recently got the opportunity to kit out my entire home with backup power thanks to the Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus. I loved it then, and I still love it now, but high-end power stations like the F3800 Plus can be too big and heavy for use on the go. Sure, you can take the big beasts around, but it will require some serious muscle and often two people. This is why I was excited to test the Anker SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station, which promises the best of the higher-end models while keeping the design much more portable and the price much more reasonable. Did it achieve that goal? Let’s find out.

We can read spec sheets all day long, but you can really only gauge a device’s design once you see and carry it. The first thing I thought when the Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station landed on my front door was that the box seemed pretty small for a power station of this caliber.

It’s by no means tiny or super light, but it measures 25.6×11.8×14.8 in and weighs 91.5 lbs. This is surprisingly nice because its performance is pretty close to the Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus (more on this in the coming sections), which is a beast at 27.6×15.3×15.6 in and 136.7 lbs.

It also helps that it’s made to be carried horizontally. The lower weight distribution makes it easier to tow using the wheels and built-in handle. I was also able to lift it off the ground by myself without feeling like I was about to strain a muscle.

Of course, don’t expect to easily carry it through a hike, but it will be relatively easy to roll around the campground, lift when going through some steps, or throw it in the trunk.

Anker SOLIX makes some solidly built batteries, and I am happy to report that the F3000 is no exception. While made mostly of plastic, nothing feels cheap or loose. The handle doesn’t wiggle, and the wheels roll smoothly. Overall, I am really liking its portability, cool design, and sturdy build quality.

By the way, I took this to a family picnic and quickly became the most popular person at the party. I charged people’s phones left and right, powered the speaker, and ran the coffee maker without issues.

The behemoth Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus that I mentioned at the start of this review sports a 3,840Wh battery capacity, which is already considered massive. The Anker SOLIX F3000 has a 3,072Wh battery. While smaller, you would never imagine the F3000 got so close to its bigger brother just by looking at them side by side. To put things into perspective, that’s enough juice to power smartphones hundreds of times (roughly 300 times).

Battery size is one thing, but output is what really makes or breaks one of these high-power batteries, so let’s talk wattage. If you’re going to simply use the four AC outlets directly, the max output is 2,400W. This is not bad at all, and it is actually the same regular 20A output you would get from the much larger and pricier F3800 Plus.

In fact, there are very few appliances that this thing can’t power. Some may include larger heaters, powerful air conditioners, electric ovens, and such.

The only tricky part is trying to run multiple high-power appliances at once. For example, the battery will often turn itself off if I try to run my air fryer and microwave at the same time. If you’re going to power multiple of these high-wattage products, you may need to run them in turns. It’s something that rarely happens, but you should definitely keep it in mind.

That said, there are ways to get more output out of this thing. For example, the TT-30R port can handle 3,600W on its own. And if you connect two of them together using a 240V connector, that can be expanded to 7,200W. Of course, that also requires a significant investment, but at that level, this model could power anything (even if maybe not at the same time). With that kind of output, you can also keep RVs and electric vehicles going.

The USB-C ports can reach 100W, which is enough to fast-charge almost all smartphones, and it can also power most tablets and modern laptops. The USB-A ports are limited to 12W, which means these are mostly meant for accessories and lower-power devices. You get two of each USB port standard.

As expected from these powerful batteries, it offers Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) support. If it notices an outage, battery power will kick in under 20ms. This means essential electronics will not even notice the power going out if connected directly to the F3000. It also works with Anker’s Transfer Switch, so you could use it as a home backup solution if you’ve gone with the full-home wiring solution — you can grab these from Anker’s website for $399, or get one discounted in a bundle with the F3000.

I only fully tested the AC input, but this is actually really nice. The regular AC input can reach as much as 1,800W, and it stays pretty constant throughout the charging session. I plugged it in from zero and managed to get to 100% in about two hours.

When using the TT-30 charging cable, wattage can reach as much as 3,600W. This charges the battery completely in about one hour. You can use this port with a car charging station, a fuel generator, or a regular outlet (if you have this plug at home).

You can also opt for solar. This battery can take in up to 2,400W of solar input. And the cool thing is that you can also mix it with the TT-30 port charging to reach up to 6,000W of input if you also have an expansion battery.

So, I keep comparing the Anker SOLIX F3000 to the F3800 Plus, and so far, it may seem like size and battery capacity are the only main differences. This is not exactly true; the main differences are in more specialized features.

For starters, the F3800 Plus has two more AC outlets and one extra USB-C port, as well as an additional high-power L14-30 connection. Its 240V outputs can also handle 6,000W of output, and you can connect it to a second one to reach 12,000W. It also has a higher max solar panel input of 3,600W, instead of 2,400W.

If you can live without those features, don’t mind a 20% smaller battery, and would prefer a more portable body, the Anker SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station might be enough to keep you happy. It helps that it also costs much less. And about that price…

The retail price for the Anker SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station is a lofty $2,599 MSRP. I know that is pricey, but it isn’t a bad deal considering how much this thing can do. As a comparison, the Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus is $4,799. That makes the F3000 $2,200 cheaper. And as you can tell from my review, it is pretty close to being as good. At the very least, the extra functionality doesn’t seem to be worth $2,200 extra!

But the real kicker is that it often goes on sale. I’ve seen the Anker SOLIX F3000 go for under $2,000 (it’s at $1,699 on Amazon as I write this). I would consider this a more portable version of Anker’s high-end power station, and I am honestly liking it more as a multi-purpose powerhouse. It is more than fast enough for my needs, and it is portable enough that I have actually taken it to a picnic two hours away from me, and carried it without an issue to and from my car. I definitely would have reconsidered taking the F3800 Plus twice or thrice, and likely only to decide against it.

If I had to spend my hard-earned money on it and wanted this much power, the Anker F3000 Portable Power Station would be my pick because it’s both powerful and portable. I see it as a viable option for EV owners, RV adventurers, and people who want to use almost any appliances during camping trips or picnics. It could also work as a great backup power solution when not on the go, even if the F3800 Plus is still the absolute best you can buy for those needs.