Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Review: The Record Breaker We Didn't Expect
- Martin
- Jul 19
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 9
Until last month, we mostly knew Anker for phone chargers. The little things. Cables, plugs, the power bank that lives in the glovebox. Then a full-size power station turned up with their name on it, holding an actual Guinness World Record, and we took it to the Lake District for a week of family camping with no electric hook-up.
By Martin · Nest Nomad & Beyond · Last Updated July 2026
This is our full review of the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2. We ran it hard alongside two rivals, the EcoFlow Delta 3 and the AFERIY P180, doing the same jobs on the same campsite in the same weather, and wrote down every number. By the end of the week it was the unit we kept reaching for, and it surprised us more than anything else on the trip.
Each unit has its own review, and the full head-to-head, where we say which one we would spend our own money on, is coming soon.
Quick Verdict
Best for | The outdoor life. Van campers who pack tight, camp often, and treat their kit honestly, this is the smallest, lightest and toughest-feeling of the three we tested |
Not for | Anyone who wants to expand capacity later (there is no extra battery port), or a household still full of USB-A cables, there is only one |
Fridge runtime | 13.5 to 14 hours on our 60W camping fridge on a single charge, and 15.5 hours with two hours of afternoon solar help |
Recharge speed | Empty to full in 49 minutes, a Guinness World Record, once fast charging is switched on in the app |
Solar trick | Charges from mains and solar at the same time, taking the free sunshine first, with the highest solar ceiling of the three at 600W |
Biggest drawback | One USB-A port, and small fiddly buttons for each output group where big obvious switches would do |
Would we buy again? | Yes. By day two it was just part of the kit, like the kettle. How it fares against the EcoFlow and AFERIY is the head-to-head's job |
Gen 2 or the original C1000: which one is this?
Worth clearing up first, because both are on sale and they look similar in photos. This review is of the newer C1000 Gen 2, the one with the record charging and the noticeably smaller body. The original C1000 is still sold, often at a discount, and it is a capable unit.
The short version of what the Gen 2 brings: it charges from empty to full in 49 minutes, which is the fastest of any power station in this class, and Anker says it is 14 percent smaller and 11 percent lighter than comparable models. Having carried it in and out of a van for a week, we believe them. If you spot the original heavily discounted, it will still do the job, but the size, the weight and the charging speed are exactly the things you would be giving up, and they happen to be the Gen 2's three best features.
How long will the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 run a fridge?
The question everyone asks, so here is our measured answer first. The C1000 Gen 2 ran our 60W camping fridge for a solid thirteen and a half to fourteen hours on a single charge. On one day we gave it a couple of hours of solar help in the afternoon, and that stretched it to fifteen and a half hours before it needed plugging in.
The detail behind that. Our fridge is an old Halfords twelve volt compressor unit rated at about sixty watts, running off the three-pin socket, so every power station we tested was doing exactly the same job in the same way. On the Anker's screen the fridge showed a draw of around sixty-four watts.
In practical terms, that is breakfast milk to bedtime snacks on one charge, with room for phones and watches on top. If you are wondering whether a unit this size can keep food safe for a full camping day, the answer is a straightforward yes.
The 49 minute charge, and yes, it is a world record
The party trick, and it is a certified one. The C1000 Gen 2 holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest recharging portable power station in the 1kWh class. Zero to one hundred percent in 49 minutes. We tested it on the trip, and it is real.
Two things worth knowing. You need to switch on the fast charging mode in the Anker app, it is not on out of the box. And on a campsite, this genuinely changes how you think about power. You are not leaving the unit plugged in for an afternoon. You put the kettle on, sort the kids out, and it is done. The couple of times we used a campsite charging point, the Anker was full before the washing up was finished.
Solar charging, and the clever dual charging trick
We used a 200W folding panel all week. In morning light we saw about 100 watts going into the unit, and in strong afternoon sun about 150 to 160 watts, which is normal for any panel in the real world. At those rates, a full solar recharge from empty takes most of a day's light, so we treated solar as a rolling top-up and let the mains do the occasional full refill.
The genuinely clever bit is that the Anker can charge from the mains and solar at the same time, and it prioritises the solar. Plug it into a hook-up point with the panel still connected and it takes the free sunshine first, only drawing from the mains for the rest. It is a thoughtful touch you do not see everywhere.
Its solar ceiling is also the highest of the three units we tested, 600 watts against 500 on the others. With one panel that headroom sits unused, but if you ever add a second panel, this is the unit with room to grow.
One buying note. There are no solar connectors in the box, so if your panel is not an Anker one, budget an extra ten to fifteen pounds for an MC4 to XT60 adapter cable and order it with the unit.
The size and weight, and why it matters more than the spec sheet suggests
Here is the thing you notice before you have plugged in a single cable. This unit is small. Properly small for what it is. It weighs 11.3kg, and it was the smallest and lightest of the three units in our van all week. It is the one you grab without thinking.
If you have ever played van Tetris the night before a trip, you will know exactly why this matters. In a packed campervan, the space a power station does not take up is worth as much as the power it holds. Over a week of lifting units in and out of the van, the Anker was the one our backs said thank you for.
Control without your phone
Something the Anker does that we came to really appreciate. You can get at the settings from the unit itself, no phone needed. Screen brightness, charging behaviour, the useful stuff, all adjustable on the box. That sounds minor until you are stood in a field at seven in the morning and your phone is in the awning.
The screen holds up in direct sunlight too, and you can turn the brightness up on the unit to match the day. The app is still there when you want it, and it is solid. But it is optional rather than essential, and with camping kit, optional is the right answer.
Built for the outdoors
Of the three units we tested, this is the one that feels most at home outside. Solid, grippy, and completely unbothered about picking up a few scuffs. Honestly, a scuff or two would suit it.
In our EcoFlow review we said the Delta 3 is like wearing white linen trousers to a picnic, lovely, but you would worry about grass stains. The Anker wears shorts and a t-shirt all year round. It is dressed for the field it is stood in. Anker also sells a water resistant carry case for it, which tells you who they built this for.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 specifications
Specification | Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 |
Capacity | 1,024Wh (LiFePO4) |
AC output | 2,000W continuous, 3,000W peak |
Mains sockets | 4 |
USB | USB-C including 2 x 140W, 1 x 15W. 1 x USB-A |
Other outputs | 12V car socket |
Total outputs | 9 |
AC recharge | 0 to 100% in 49 minutes (fast mode enabled in app) |
Solar input | Up to 600W (11 to 60V), XT60 port |
Dual charging | Mains and solar simultaneously, solar prioritised |
Expansion | No extra battery support |
Weight | 11.3kg |
Dimensions | Approx. 384 x 208 x 244mm |
Battery chemistry | LiFePO4 long-life cells |
What we didn't love
Honest bits, and they are small ones.
There is only one USB-A port, where most rivals give you two. In fairness that is probably Anker future-proofing, the world is going USB-C and the unit has plenty of those, including two at a huge 140W. But if your family still runs older cables, it is worth knowing.
And each output group has its own little button, one for the USB ports, one for the mains sockets, and they are small. We got used to them, but bigger, clearer switches would finish this unit off nicely.
We went looking for more and did not find any.
Is the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 worth it? Our verdict
After a week of real use, here is where we landed.
Final ratings
FRIDGE RUNTIME | ■■■■□ | 13.5 to 14 hours measured, breakfast to well past bedtime, and 15.5 with a couple of hours of solar help. |
CHARGING | ■■■■■ | 49 minutes to full and a Guinness World Record to prove it. Refills faster than a pub lunch. |
SOLAR | ■■■■■ | Mains and solar together with the sun prioritised, and 600W of headroom if you ever add a second panel. |
SCREEN & CONTROLS | ■■■■□ | Bright in full sun, settings on the unit itself with no phone needed. The small output buttons cost it the fifth block. |
SIZE & WEIGHT | ■■■■■ | 11.3kg and the smallest of the three. If you have ever played van Tetris, this is the one your back thanks you for. |
BUILD FOR CAMPING | ■■■■■ | Shorts and a t-shirt all year round. Unbothered by scuffs, and a scuff or two would honestly suit it. |
The C1000 Gen 2 ran our fridge from breakfast to well past bedtime on every single charge, refilled in 49 minutes, charged from sun and mains together, and did it all while being the smallest, lightest and toughest-feeling unit in the van. It stopped being a gadget by about day two. It was just part of the kit, like the kettle.
Who is it for? If your power station is going to live the outdoor life, camping most weekends, kit in and out of the van, weather and mud and the odd knock, this is the one built for exactly that. Small enough to always pack, tough enough not to think about, and fast enough to charge in the time it takes to make lunch.
If your unit will spend most of its life indoors doing home backup, or you want a system you can expand with extra batteries later, the picture gets more interesting, our EcoFlow Delta 3 review covers the unit that offers exactly that, and the full head-to-head is where we put them side by side and pick.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 weigh?
11.3kg, with dimensions of roughly 384 x 208 x 244mm. It was the smallest and lightest of the three 1kWh units we tested.
How many watts is the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2?
2,000W of continuous output with a 3,000W peak, from a 1,024Wh battery. That is enough for a camping fridge, laptops, a projector and most small appliances, though a full-size 3,000W household kettle is beyond its continuous rating.
Is the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 expandable?
No. There is no extra battery port on this unit, so 1,024Wh is what you get. If expandability matters to you, the EcoFlow Delta 3 supports extra batteries up to 5,000Wh, and our review of it covers that in detail.
Can it charge from solar and mains at the same time?
Yes. Connect both and it draws from the solar first, topping up the remainder from the mains. It is one of the unit's most quietly useful features.
Does it work as a UPS?
Anker lists an automatic switchover function for keeping devices running if the mains fails. We did not test this on the trip, so check the current product page for the switchover time if you are buying it primarily as backup for something sensitive.
Is there a case for the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2?
Yes, Anker sells a water resistant carry case for it, which suits how the unit is clearly meant to be used, outdoors and in all weathers.
Shop the Kit
Everything we used on the trip, in one place. Prices move around a lot on power stations, so it is worth checking both the brand store and Amazon before you buy.
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | |
Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 on Amazon | |
Anker water resistant carry case | |
MC4 to XT60 solar adapter | |
200W folding solar panel |
Get the deals before everyone else
Power station prices move around a lot, and the difference between full price and a good offer can be well over a hundred pounds. Sign up to our mailing list and we will let you know when the gear we have actually tested goes on offer, across all the brands we review. We will also email you the head-to-head results the moment they land.
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