Shopping for a portable battery pack is no easy feat. You can find a model in every size and price point imaginable. But if you’re looking for something that’s portable, able to charge quickly, and full of ports and other great features, Anker’s Solix C1000 should be at the top of your list.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station
The Anker Solix C1000 is a midsize power station to use while camping or during an emergency. The 1,056Wh pack offers 11 ports, including six AC and two USB-C. Special SurgePad technology allows up to 2400W of output power. You can connect the battery pack to Wi-Fi and use the smartphone app to see charge status and more from almost anywhere. The pack can be charged from 0 to 100 percent in just 58 minutes.
An Impressive Set of Ports and More
Anker offers a wide variety of portable batteries. On the low end, devices like theAnker 548 that I’ve previously reviewedare made for emergency use and to power up small electronics like a smartphone or laptop. For more wide-ranging needs, on the high end, the Anker Solix F2000 can run larger items like household appliances for multiple days.
The Solix C1000 sits firmly in the middle of the lineup. While it retails for $999, you can often find it less on sale directly through Anker and Amazon.
Around the size of a large backpack, the battery pack is 14.8 inches (38cm) wide, 8.07 inches (20cm) long, and 10.5 inches (270cm) deep. It weighs under 29 pounds (13.5kg), and has a capacity of 1,056Wh. That’s enough to power a large appliance like a refrigerator for up to 14 hours or charge up an iPhone 91 times.
With its small footprint, it’s not difficult to carry from place to place, thanks to built-in carry handles on both sides. In my testing, I had no problems hauling the battery from my car or anywhere else. The small size also makes it easy to store, especially if you live where space is at a premium. It’s small enough that I could store it under my bed, making it easy to access during an emergency.
And there are 11 ports on offer. Along with 6 AC ports, you’ll find one 120W car plug, two USB-A, and two USB-C ports. One USB-C port has a maximum output of 100W, while the other is limited to 30W. The LCD screen is where you can find a host of real-time information, including battery percentage remaining, current input/output power, estimated time until depletion, and more. You can also see on the screen if a port is ever overloaded. To save power, the screen will only light up for 30 seconds by default. But while it’s on, the screen is bright and easy to read, even on a sunny day outdoors.
The far-right AC port, labeled SurgePad, is what you’ll need to use with high-output appliances. While the C1000 is rated for up to 1,800W of output, the SurgePad can handle up to 2,400W of output. That makes it perfect for something like a hair dryer or microwave.
On the left side of the C1000 is the power outlet for the included AC charger cable, reset button, and solar input. The Solix C1000 can take a maximum of 600W of solar input to recharge. You can use any solar panels that output 11-60V, but it’s worth noting that from 11-32V is limited to 10A max (~300W). To use the full 600W, you’ll need a voltage in the range of 32-60V, at a maximum of 12.5A. With the maximum solar input, you can theoretically recharge a completely dead battery pack to 100 percent in a little less than two hours.
Anker also includes a car charging cable and solar cable with a splitter for up to two panels.
The opposite side features a port where you can attach the optional expansion battery to double the capacity to 2,112Wh. The ability to increase the battery power with the expansion pack is a great way to upgrade the system later if needed.
Near the top of the C1000, above the screen, is an LED light strip that stretches across the front of the battery. you’re able to press the button to turn the light strip on and press it again to cycle between the three available brightness levels. Press the button for two seconds to activate the SOS mode.
Just like with theSolix F2000, which I previously reviewed, the light strip is one of my favorite features of the C1000. If you need to use the battery during an emergency or even while camping at a dark campsite, having that built-in light is a huge plus. On the brightest level, the light easily brightened up my garage and the back of my car while only sipping energy from the battery.
Juice Up in Less Than an Hour
While testing, I threw every portable appliance I could think of at the C1000, and it worked perfectly. For a maximum test, I plugged in my laptop, phone, and tablet to charge and then turned on a vacuum and leaf blower at the same time. The battery had no issues at all.
I wasn’t able to take the C1000 camping, but I’m confident it can easily provide the power I need to keep my electronics charged and run small appliances.
One big downside of many larger power stations is the time it takes to fully recharge them. That’s not the case with the C1000. Accessible in the companion Anker app foriOSandAndroid, you can turn on the UltraFast Charging mode, which can recharge up a completely dead battery pack in just 58 minutes.
Anker doesn’t recommend that you use that mode consistently to help preserve the lifespan of the battery. But when you need it, it’s a great way to ensure that the C1000 is at full power quickly.
Fan noise can sometimes be an issue with a portable battery pack, but the loudest I heard using the C1000 was when it was UltraFast Charging. Other times, when the fans came on, the noise was minimal.
A Smartphone App Provides Easy Control
Just like many other Anker battery packs, you can control the C1000 with the smartphone app. And while many other battery packs offer some type of smart control, many just use a Bluetooth connection. That means you’ll still need to be reasonably close to see an update, control charging, and more. But a big advantage of the C1000 is Wi-Fi connectivity. So as long as the battery pack is in Wi-Fi range, you can see status and much more from anywhere in the world.
On top of the page, you can see the battery percentage remaining and the current temperature. Below that is DC/AC input and output from different ports. You can also control both the LED light strip and screen. For the car port and AC ports, you can choose to automatically turn them off after 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours of inactivity.
you’re able to also customize Settings such as the screen brightness and timeout, along with the AC recharging rate and more.
Anker Solix C1000: A Battery Pack for Pretty Much Anything
It’s hard to go wrong with the Anker Solix C1000 when looking for a midsize, multi-purpose backup power source.
The combination of fast charging, a huge number of ports, and smartphone control from pretty much anywhere make it a top choice. Even though it might cost a bit more than similar options on the market, the feature set makes it worth every penny.
