Anker Solix C1000 Evaluate | GearJunkie Examined

My tenting life has actually modified since I met my companion. He loves being open air, however since he was within the navy, he’s had sufficient of roughing it. He likes having fun with creature comforts like a Keurig, LED temper lighting, and a transportable rest room — all of which (properly, sans rest room) require moveable energy on our travels.

It’s been just a few years since moveable energy stations enabled our luxe tenting way of life and solely about 6 months since Anker’s Solix C1000 entered our lives, however in that point, it’s change into a stable member of our household. It’s the right dimension however nonetheless shops sufficient energy to run all of our devices, together with our e-bikes. It additionally comes with a powerful 1,800W inverter, which implies it may well even deal with most energy instruments.

In our quest to seek out the right station for our wants, we’ve examined nearly the entire choices in the marketplace. Time and time once more, we preserve tossing the C1000 within the van.

Briefly: Versatile, highly effective, and expandable, the Anker Solix C1000 is a good choose for tent and truck campers who’ve a modest quantity of electronics to run. It’s additionally best for operating the electrical cooler on day journeys and picnics, or powering off-grid leisure, like a guitar amp or a film projector. Spoiler alert: get one in all these, and also you’ll perpetually be … properly … spoiled.

To see how the Anker Solix C1000 compares to different moveable energy choices in the marketplace, take a look at GearJunkie’s Greatest Transportable Energy Stations Purchaser’s Information.

Anker Solix C1000 Transportable Energy Station: Evaluate

First Impressions

After we first bought the Solix C1000, my companion was a bit skeptical. He’s keen on massive energy stations and doesn’t thoughts the trouble of hauling the additional weight round. However, I (or, relatively, my again) am not too keen on these lunkers, so I used to be notably excited to do that one out. 

Over the past couple of years, we’ve examined each mannequin of Anker energy station, and all with wonderful outcomes. In a market the place many merchandise are over-hyped, Anker quietly goes about its enterprise, making first-rate merchandise that use notably high-grade elements. 

Round each flip, the model’s energy stations are properly thought out, even with little particulars like having a pleasing warm-toned mild bar as an alternative of these obnoxious blue-white ones. I additionally notably just like the aesthetic: It’s extra welcoming and fewer robotic than a lot of the different manufacturers. This mannequin additionally carries notably properly, with snug handles on each ends that stability the burden. 

After months of testing the Solix C1000, it’s clear that it has received a spot not simply in my coronary heart however in my companion’s coronary heart as properly. Right here’s what we’ve realized whereas testing it out. 

Versatile and Expandable Energy

From the grime roads of Baja to the alpine valleys of Colorado, we’ve put the C1000 via the wringer. It’s held up properly to bumps and spilled drinks, chilly nights, sweltery days, and even a full-on tumble off the tailgate — sorry, little man!

The C1000 had no drawback operating all the pieces we’ve thrown at it, from a espresso maker and electrical cooler to e-bikes and an electrical drill, and naturally, it’s nice for charging up laptops, cameras, drones, and so on. It’s additionally price noting that not all energy stations have an IP67 weatherproof ranking, which is a good bonus in case you depart it exterior whilst you’re off on a hike and it will get rained on. 

What I’ve come to essentially respect about this Anker is its versatility: It has a 1,800W output with a 2,400W surge, which is the best I’ve seen in its class. Meaning it may well run some fairly beefy home equipment and instruments like a reciprocating noticed and a microwave. At round 28 kilos, it’s additionally one of many lightest energy stations per watt-hour. 

What actually units it aside, although, is its expandability, a function often reserved for the heavyweights. One enlargement battery doubles its capability to 2,112 Wh. I like this as a result of after we’re tent tenting in a single day or having a seaside picnic, we are able to carry the facility station solo with out having to problem with the additional weight and house of extra watt-hours. However on longer journeys, we are able to carry the enlargement battery alongside to have the added consolation of extra energy.

Topping Off the Tank

As for recharging, it takes in 1,300 W from the wall, which can also be the quickest I’ve seen in its class. It will probably go from lifeless flat to full cost in about an hour. That is vital in case you’re not utilizing photo voltaic, as a result of you’ll be able to cease for a espresso and a ache au chocolat, plug it in on the café, and it is going to be full by the point you end studying the headlines and catching up on Wordle. 

If you’re utilizing photo voltaic panels, Solix C1000 will take 600 W of enter (however we often solely pack 400 W as a result of moveable panels get fairly cumbersome within the automobile). In accordance with the maths, 600 W would absolutely recharge it in beneath 2 hours (and 400 W in 2.5 hours).

It’s vital to notice that in the true world, it’s extra like 3 or 4 hours by the point you think about occasional clouds, the truth that it’s a ache to maneuver them continuously sufficient to trace the solar optimally, and the truth that photo voltaic panels often solely generate about 80% of their claimed watt-hours.

Battery Chemistry and Class-Main Chips

The Solix C1000 makes use of LiFePO4, aka LFP, lithium-ion battery composition, which is what most respected manufacturers are utilizing as of late — however not all, so do your analysis! It’s positively what you wish to have, because it’s safer and lasts for much longer than the older NMC lithium-ion battery know-how.

Anker additionally packs high quality beneath the hood, together with an inner aluminum body and unibody design (which might be why it survived its tailgate tumble) and industrial-grade electronics. Anker additionally makes use of gallium nitride-based transistor chips (GaN) for extra environment friendly charging, which is a sophisticated know-how that just one different producer we all know of is utilizing (the Yoshino B4000 SST).

What meaning to you is that the facility station received’t get as scorching, so its circuitry may have an extended lifespan, and also you received’t should endure listening to the cooling fan whirring as a lot. Anker additionally makes a pleasant electrical EverFrost cooler and high quality moveable photo voltaic panels in 30W, 100W, 200W, and 400W sizes. The model can also be considerably well-known for energy banks (small electronics chargers) and modern residence backup energy techniques. 

Virtually Good (With One Small Hiccup)

Our greatest gripe with the C1000, which is fairly minor, is simply that the enlargement battery cable is very large. It stands out of the aspect at the least a foot. It could be a fairly simple repair if they simply put 90-degree connectors on it. However since there’s no must journey with them linked, it’s actually not a difficulty. 

Additionally, whereas we use this energy station so much, Anker’s larger mannequin, the Solix F2000, and its 2,000Wh enlargement battery are sometimes our go-to, particularly for extra established van tenting. That’s as a result of even with the enlargement battery, the C1000 can solely run our dual-zone electrical cooler together with all of our different electrical wants for about 24 hours, which implies we’d should problem with charging it day by day.

Anker Solix C1000: Conclusion

After many nights beneath the celebs collectively, I’ve come to see our candy little Anker Solix C1000 as much less of a utilitarian device and extra like a mini buddy, full with its personal amicable character. If I needed to have just one energy station for wants massive and small, the C1000 could be my choose. 

It has sufficient watt-hours to cowl modest automobile and truck tenting wants with out continuously needing recharging. It does this whereas nonetheless being sufficiently small to simply elevate and stow. It’s additionally useful for operating work lights, good for picnics and day journeys with electrical coolers, and even sufficient as a gentle residence backup choice in emergencies. 

It’s a little bit of overkill if all you want is to cost your telephone and laptop computer. On the flip aspect, its enlargement functionality makes it a really perfect selection in case you’re coming into the moveable energy station world and aren’t but positive what number of watt-hours you’ll want. It’s additionally nice if you’ll need extra watt-hours however can’t afford them multi functional shot. 

As for high quality, the Solix C1000 is forward of its class in practically each function, together with inverter output, quick charging, weather-proofness, and total high quality elements — all wrapped in a neat little bundle for beneath $1,000. For the indecisive, let me make it simple: that is the facility station to snag.