Anker’s new C1000 Gen 2 is an eye-catching, fast-charging 1,024Wh power station that’s smart, compact, and priced to compete. But for whatever reason, Anker decided to release two nearly identical versions of this power station — the Anker SOLIX C1000 Get 2 (sold online through traditional solar and power station retailers, like Shop Solar and Anker’s own site), and the Anker SOLIX C1000X (a slightly modified version that you’ll find at big-box stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Best Buy).
Honestly, they’re basically the same unit with a few very tiny differences: the online-only C1000 Gen2 Portable Power Station has one extra AC outlet and a slightly different faceplate. Anker also gave them different color schemes, but aside from those small differences, they're almost identical. So, should you buy the Anker C1000, and, if so, which version should you buy?
To find out, we’ll break down the specifications, highlight what we liked and what we didn’t, and explain whether or not this fast-charging power station is worth the hype.
Spoiler Alert: We really liked this brand-new Anker power station, but we’d highly recommend buying the online Gen 2 version of the C1000 if you can. It’s the same price, but you get one more plug and fewer headaches.
Before we really jump into the weeds, let’s take a quick look at the specs for the two versions of the C1000 power station:
Aside from the color scheme, the main difference between the Anker C1000X and Anker C1000 is the fact you get an extra 120V plug with the C1000 Gen 2 version. There’s also a slight difference in the display screen layout, but that mostly seems to be a superficial difference.
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Anker kept both versions of the C1000 compact and user-friendly. Still, it can get a little bit confusing, as they decided to release two versions that are available for purchase two different ways.
The C1000X has a black color scheme, and this is the one you’ll see available at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, and other big-box retailers. The standard silver and black Anker C1000 Gen2 is the version you’ll find sold online through Anker’s own website, as well as dedicated solar retailers, like Shop Solar. Weirdly, Anker seems to have broken their own rule and you can also order the C1000X through Signature Solar.
If you’re feeling confused, don’t feel bad, we have no idea what their thinking was here either. Having two SKUs just creates confusion for buyers. As we’ll explain, the main thing is making sure you get the right version of the C1000 if you decide to pick one up.
From a basic functionality standpoint, they’re pretty much the same power station — except you get one extra AC outlet on the online C1000 Gen 2 version than you get with the C1000 “X”-version.
Given they have the same price tag, we’d highly recommend choosing the online version and ordering through Anker or a retailer like Shop Solar. There are a few other small differences between them outside of that extra plug, but they’re just cosmetic tweaks, so the main thing is getting a bonus outlet.
While we don’t understand Anker’s thinking with releasing two versions of the same power station, we do have to admit it’s nice to see a big name in the space gaining a wider retail footprint. As huge advocates of power stations for emergency prep and backup power, any step towards mainstream adoption is worth celebrating.
Anker haveily advertises the C1000 Gen 2’s rapid charging. Even their own website is plastered with claims that it set a Guinness World Record for the fastest charging 1,000Wh power station.
Advertising this seemed a bit gimmicky to us, but it turns out they have a really good reason to hype up the charging speeds: when we toggled on the “Ultra-Fast Mode Charging” in the Anker app, we were able to charge it from 0% to 100% in around 47 minutes. This even beats the 49-minute charge figure Anker says earned this power station a world record.
Honestly, under an hour is impressively fast for a 1kWh power station, and it would be a genuinely useful feature in situations where you forgot to top it up before a road trip or you want a quick battery top-up before a storm rolls in.
Solar charging at 600W is strong for a portable solar generator that has a battery of this size. When we tested it, it took roughly 1.5 to 2 hours to fully charge the battery with solar panels.
Again, we wouldn’t recommend buying it just for the Guinness World Record marketing, but having really fast AC charging and a decent solar input does make this a versatile small unit for camping, weekend use, or quick emergency use.
We also tested the general performance of this unit. We found the C1000 Gen 2 had an efficiency of about 86%, which is pretty solid. For perspective, we usually give anything above 80% a thumbs up.
When we left the inverter running with no load being pulled from any of the output ports, the idle draw seemed to sit around 13.8W. That’s excellent, and means you could leave the unit switched on for a few days before draining the battery. For situations where you want a small unit that you can run for backing up an intermittent load, like a small fridge, having a low idle draw is essential.
The unit also handled surges impressively well, especially given it’s only rated to have a 2,000W continuous output rating. Even the UPS function worked well.
Basically, this little power station performed solidly across all of our usual performance tests. When you add in the rapid charging, you start to realize why Anker has pushed this unit so aggressively in their advertising, and why they’ve made it more widely available through brick-and-mortar retailers.
Anker replaced their previous busy displays with a cleaner screen for both of these units. The display screens on the C1000 Gen 2 and C1000X look a little different at first glance, but it’s actually just the way they’ve recessed the screen into the Gen 2 and have it more prominently positioned on the C1000X—the reality is they’re the same screen.
We found this newer screen easier to read at a glance than previous Anker displays. It’s also color-accented, and they added a handy clock “screensaver” option you can activate in the app.
Speaking of which, the app opens up a few other features that you can’t change using the buttons on the unit itself, like charge-rate toggles and screen timeout settings, which is pretty handy.
In terms of the outputs, both units have two 140W USB-C ports, so this unit is great for charging cameras, laptops, phones and other portable electronics. We also really like the addition of a 12V car socket, as it allows you to efficiently run DC camping accessories. Overall, this seems like it would be a genuinely useful power station for campers and creatives alike.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s jump into all of the things that stood out to us about the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 and C1000X:
Finding an Anker SOLIX unit at Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other mainstream retailers helps make power stations more approachable to non-DIY solar folks. We also really like that they’re still offering it through more recognized solar retailers, so those who have been in the space for a long time can order through online shops they’re already familiar with.
It’s a bit weird that they decided to make two versions of what is basically the exact same power station (minus a one plug), but you could look at it as a way to reward online buyers who are already familiar with portable power stations.
On top of wider availability, we also really enjoy the fact that Anker’s customer support is so strong. We mystery-shopped Anker in the past, and we were incredibly impressed with how fast and helpful the responses were on both the sales and technical support lines.
We’d probably argue that Anker SOLIX has the best customer support of any power station brand right now, and they certainly blow EcoFlow away. When you add that manufacturer support with the basic warranty support that you’d get through a retailer like Best Buy, it’s clear either version of the C1000 power station is a “safe” buy.
We think the Guinness World Record claims are mostly just marketing fluff, but both the C1000 Gen 2 and C1000X charge extremely fast from any wall outlet, especially if you have the fast-charging mode activated through the app.
At 600W, the solar input isn’t anything crazy, but you can top the battery up pretty quickly with the right solar panel setup. For campers or people who need fast charging between outings and prior to a storm-related blackout, fast on and off-grid charging is huge.
Despite packing a reasonably large battery and a 2,000W inverter, both of these units only weigh in at just 24.9 lbs, making them very portable performers. The decision to retain a 12-volt car socket is great for running camping accessories, and it’s actually something we’ve seen a lot of brands cut from newer power stations.
Speaking of output ports, the spacing on the C1000X version is generous enough to accept bulky camera battery chargers without blocking adjacent outlets, but the C1000 Gen 2 gives you an extra AC plug, so you kind of have to choose which makes the most sense to you.
We’ll get into this later, but we highly recommend going with the C1000 Gen 2 over the C1000X—because, well, why wouldn’t you want an extra plug for the same price?
It sounds like faint praise, but this is just a really beginner-friendly power station. Not only is everything simplified for first-time users, there are some meaningful controls through the app (screen timeout settings, charge limits, fast-charging toggles) that enable a decent level of customization for those who know what they’re doing.
Everything is also labeled nicely, so first-time users will know where solar panels plug into and how to operate either version of this power station, without really needing to dive into the instruction manual.
At around $450 through most retailers, either version of the C1000 power station would be a good purchase. You’re getting really good value, especially given Anker is a top brand in this space. If you want to increase the battery capacity, you can also add an Anker BP1000X Expansion Battery, which adds another 1,056Wh of battery storage for just $399.
With that said, it’s not the only power station in this class that would be a good buy. Something like the Pecron E1500LFP packs a bigger battery and inverter, but is only about $70 more expensive.
Both the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus and the DELTA 2 Max would also be good alternatives, especially if you could pick them up on sale.
While there’s a lot to like, no power station is perfect. Here’s a few of the gripes we had with this C1000 release:
Why have a C1000 Gen 2 and a C1000X that are the same power station except for color and a single outlet? We’re confused, so we can only assume it will leave most buyers scratching their heads.
The black C1000X is the box-store model; while the silver and black C1000 Gen 2 seems to be the online-only model. They’re the same price in most cases, so why would anyone buy the in-store version and miss out on the extra plug? Is it just a way to reward online buyers and sell a lower cost version to in-person buyers for the same price? Who knows.
Anker almost always includes some sort of light on their power stations. Even the original Anker C1000 included the brand’s signature “unibrow” light.
Meanwhile, the C1000 Gen 2 and C1000X don’t feature any sort of practical working light. It’s surprising for power stations that are specifically aimed at camping and portable use, so we have to say it’s a pretty big missed opportunity.
Until you’ve used a power station during a blackout or at an off-grid campsite, you won’t appreciate just how handy a built-in LED light can be.
We’d always prefer more ports, a dedicated expansion port, or a separate solar input that would leave the SDC ports free for accessories, but overall, that's a minor issue next to the unit's overall solid performance.
It would also be nice if the AC inputs were spaced apart a little better, as we found it a little cramped when we tried to plug two camera battery chargers into the C1000 Gen 2. Again, nothing major, but worth pointing out.
The C1000 Gen 2 is a well-rounded, affordable 1kWh class power station that hits the right balance of features: fast charging, a good solar input, a nice variety of ports, a 2,000W inverter, a lightweight build, and excellent customer support. At roughly $449, we have to say it’s a solid purchase.
If you’re choosing between the two versions of this power station, just buy the online C1000 Gen 2 for the extra outlet. It’s the same price, but you get a practical extra.
If you see the C1000X available at a big-box store for a cheaper price, or you just need the immediate convenience of in-store pickup, that’s totally fine. Otherwise, the C1000 Gen 2 is objectively the better value. But the main takeaway is these new Anker C1000 units are fairly priced power stations from a very reputable brand.
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