Evaluation: The Anker Solix C1000 is a must-pack for tenting

Desk of Contents

Anker looks like a cheat code within the tech world. The model has an enormous product lineup that persistently impresses in each high quality and affordability. Anker makes a few of Mashable’s favourite charging equipment, travel-worthy energy banks, and budget-friendly earbuds. You might seize a pair of headphones, earbuds, a charger, further high-capacity USB-C cables, and an influence financial institution, all for means lower than a single pair of Sony XM6 headphones, for instance. When you want transportable energy for the campsite, your RV, otherwise you need to maintain your telephone charged up throughout an influence outage, the Anker Solix C1000 is a reliable workhorse and an important addition to Anker’s product choices.

Anker really has a number of model divisions, and there are highlights in all. Anker Soundcore is the model’s go-to all issues audio like earbuds, headphones, Bluetooth audio system, and even sleep earbuds. The model additionally encompasses Nebula, which makes a lineup of projectors just like the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser — the right host for out of doors film nights. Eufy makes stick vacuums, robotic vacuums, residence safety gadgets, and robotic garden mowers in case you’re actually hoping to step into the longer term. Anker’s Solix is all about energy, overlaying each transportable energy you possibly can take to the campground and whole-home backup options.

The Anker Solix C1000 transportable energy station is a flexible mannequin that provides 1,056Wh of battery capability, which is fairly middle-of-the-road by way of transportable energy stations. Anker lists the MSRP at $999, however we frequently see it on sale at Amazon for about $500, making it an inexpensive choice for the dimensions. Does that imply it’s a must-buy or a flop? We put it to the check to search out out.

What’s to like concerning the Anker Solix C1000

Opening the field and performing some preliminary testing, I’m not stunned the Anker Solix C1000 is just excellent. I’m sorry to disappoint any naysayers, however the Solix C1000 comes with so few flaws that I needed to thoughtfully dig for potential points. I did discover some, sure, however the Anker Solix C1000 is a superb choice for most individuals, effectively deserving of its worth for tenting, RV life, maintaining charged up throughout energy outages, and many extra. It comes with sufficient charging ports to maintain nearly each system joyful, and it’s highly effective sufficient to recharge your laptop computer and your telephone, all whereas making dinner in a power-station-fueled air fryer.

Anker doesn’t clarify why it went with the phrase “Solix” for its energy stations, however it could make sense that it is taking part in off the Latin root for the solar, sol — the Anker Solix C1000 performs very effectively with photo voltaic charging. By itself, 1,056Wh of battery isn’t an enormous quantity, however in case you hook the Solix C1000 as much as a photo voltaic panel whilst you’re tenting, you’re in line for limitless energy. Take this pet with you in your summer season adventures, and you may energy up your whole dwelling set-up with simply the Anker Solix C1000.

Technically, Anker classifies this as a part of the “tenting sequence,” and that looks like an trustworthy illustration of the place it shines. This isn’t gonna energy up your entire home if the ability goes out for days. As a substitute, this can be a transportable choice for weekends away or for content material creators who’re spending the day within the discipline to seize video and drone footage. Listed below are some specs to take a look at when deciding if the Solix C1000 is true to your energy wants:

Specs

• Capability: 1,056Wh

• Steady output: 1,800W pure sine wave

• Weight: 28.44 kilos

• Dimensions: 14.8 in. L × 8.1 in. W × 10.5 in. H

• Energy choices: AC, USB-C (100W), USB-A

• Recharging choices: Grid energy, photo voltaic, automobile

• Battery kind: LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate)

• Life cycles: 80 p.c capability after 3,000 cycles

• Guarantee: 5 years

What does 1,056Wh appear to be IRL?

One of many hardest elements of selecting a conveyable energy station is coming to grips with what the battery capability means in real-life phrases. All of our devices require totally different ranges of juice to get charged up, nevertheless it’s protected to say the Anker Solix C1000 is nice for a weekend of tenting for most individuals. The 1,056Wh will have the ability to maintain telephones charged, the campsite string lights lit up, and the projector exhibiting nightly motion pictures.

Anker says the C1000 can recharge an iPhone 92 occasions, a drone 21 occasions, or maintain a espresso maker on for over 2.5 hours. When testing, I used the transportable energy station to recharge my telephone whereas watching a film on the CineBeam Q projector. Within the morning, I used it to warmth water within the electrical kettle for my transportable espresso machine. 

Extra important than s’mores when tenting

It’s apparent Anker designed the Solix C1000 to be camping-friendly. It weighs lower than 30 kilos, so it’s fairly simple to hold round, particularly because it has ergonomic handles on each side. When testing, I had no issues carrying it round other than happening an particularly steep staircase, which led me to angle sideways so I may maintain the steps in view. In any other case, this factor is a dream to hold across the campground. 

The 1,056Wh mixed with the bodily measurement of the Solix C1000 makes it the right choice for a weekend of tenting. It’ll maintain your telephones charged, the lights on, and maintain leisure choices charged, like a Bluetooth speaker, with out being overkill. Plus, you possibly can recharge through photo voltaic on the campsite. 

One other side of the Anker Solix C1000 that’s superior for tenting is the built-in lightbar. This routinely means you’ve packed ambient gentle for the campsite, and the lightstrip has a number of settings from blazing high-noon gentle to calming heat gentle that’s superior for night.

Ports-a-plenty

For its compact measurement, Anker packed the Solix C1000 with port choices. You’re in for 2 USB-C ports, one in all which may pull 100W, two USB-A, and 6 AC ports. I can’t think about what sort of tenting journey would require connecting six gadgets to AC energy, however you’ve it must you want it. The 100W USB-C port is a considerate contact, though it’s decrease powered than some transportable energy stations that incorporate a 140W USB-C port. However once more, given its compact measurement and much more spectacular compact worth, the Anker Solix C1000 is actually an unimaginable bang-for-your-buck by way of charging ports.

When the storm hits, the Solix C1000 retains you charged

Whereas Anker lists the Solix C1000 as a tenting mannequin, it’s gonna be your finest pal when the ability goes out at residence. You’ll have the ability to maintain the lounge gentle on, use the hairdryer, and sleep with a CPAP must you want it. The ability by no means goes out when your telephone is totally charged, so the Anker Solix C1000 will help out with that dilemma, too. 

Personally, I require a conveyable energy station to have a built-in gentle if I intend to make use of it throughout residence energy outages. Picture schlepping a conveyable energy station up the steps within the darkness of an influence outage. It’s not gonna be a good time. However flip that strip gentle on and you may gentle your path up the steps from the storage or as you convey it from room to room.

In an influence outage scenario, Anker says the Solix C1000 can maintain a CPAP going for over 18 hours or your fridge cooling for as much as 14.

How does the Anker Solix C1000 recharge?

When you’ve hit zero battery on the Anker Solix C1000 and use normal wall energy to recharge, you will get again to 80 p.c in below 45 minutes. That tiny quantity of recharging time is simply wild. My electrical toothbrush takes one thing like eight hours to recharge. Granted, my toothbrush has an excellent tiny battery, however you get the thought. Getting the Solix C1000 again to one hundred pc energy occurs in below an hour. 

You may as well cost the Solix with photo voltaic panels. With 600W of photo voltaic enter (the max this station can deal with), you will get again to full energy in below two hours. When you’re happening a weekend tenting journey, it’s not tremendous seemingly you’re toting round 600W of photo voltaic enter, so I wouldn’t rely on the two-hour recharging timeframe, nevertheless it’s reassuring that even with a conveyable 100W panel, you’ll be heading again into recharged territory, finally.

Hats off to the affordability

One of many main advantages of shopping for any Anker product is the inexpensive worth. That is compounded by the truth that Anker normally provides nice sale costs at Amazon, particularly throughout main gross sales like Prime Day and Black Friday. On the time of writing, Anker lists the Solix C1000 with an MSRP of $999, however we frequently see it hover across the $500 mark at Amazon when on sale. For starters, who doesn’t love getting a 50% low cost? However the sale worth of $500 for this transportable energy station is borderline ridiculous given its capability, fast recharging, and port choices. 

Expandable energy, however with a restrict

Most (good) transportable energy stations can deal with increasing the battery. This includes shopping for an additional battery from the producer and stacking it with the transportable energy station. The Anker Solix C1000 nails this growth by providing the BP1000 Growth Battery. Collectively, you’re in line for two,112Wh of capability, doubling what the transportable energy station can provide by itself. Due to this expandability, the Anker may very well be excellent for longer tenting journeys.

The one draw back to this expandable characteristic on the Solix C1000 is that the ability station can solely deal with simply the one growth battery, so it tops out at 2,112Wh. By comparability, the DJI Energy 2000 transportable energy station can join with as much as 10 growth batteries for a complete capability of over 22,000Wh. Is it nonetheless transportable with 10 growth batteries? Undoubtedly not, however some individuals may need that choice to get large energy, if desired.

For the reason that Anker Solix C1000 can solely accommodate one growth battery, this most likely isn’t the appropriate mannequin in case you’re on the lookout for one thing to tackle a weekend tenting journey that will double as backup to your residence’s energy ought to it get knocked out for days.

Is the Anker Solix C1000 price shopping for?

The mix of performance and affordability makes the Anker Solix C1000 a improbable transportable energy station. It’s the right accent for a weekend of tenting, it’s nice for RV life, and it reveals as much as maintain you on-grid throughout an influence outage. When you’re a content material creator on task, the Solix C1000 provides loads of ports for recharging with out including main bulk to your packing listing. It’s additionally terrific to make use of within the yard when doing yardwork in case you don’t need to run an extension twine throughout the yard to the shed.

When testing, I discovered it extremely intuitive to make use of and recharge, and because it weighs below 30 kilos, it’s not a significant inconvenience to hold round. On the finish of the day, I feel each residence may discover a use for the Solix C1000, even when it’s merely providing reassurance that you may maintain the milk chilled throughout an influence outage and have scorching espresso come morning.